and you'll be moving out 1,670 kilometers per hour,

你每小時就會移動 1670 公里，

faster than the speed of sound.

這比音速還快。

That's how quickly Earth rotates on its axis from west to east,

地球順自軸由西向東轉就是這麼快，

and that rotation is largely responsible

而這樣的自轉很大程度上影響

for the distribution of every desert, forest, and swamp on the planet.

地球上每片沙漠、森林還有濕地的分布。

So, let's do a little experiment.

那麼，我們來做個小實驗。

Let's say we reverse Earth's rotation, what then?

如果我們讓地球往反方向自轉，會怎麼樣呢？

Well, you'll change a lot more

恩，你的改變可不只

than just the sunsets.

有夕陽的不同。

This may seem like a ridiculous scenario at first,

一開始這聽起來可能是個荒謬的方案，

but scientists have actually run simulations for a backward-spinning Earth,

但科學家們真的模擬了自轉方向相反的地球，

because it happens to be a great way to test how well we can model our planet.

因為這會是測試我們製作地球模型的好方法。

So, let's pretend we have a big, red button, and ... presto!

所以，假設我們有個紅色大按鈕，然後 ... 哇！

Now, as Earth slows down to reverse direction

現在，地球逐漸放慢速度以便反轉方向，

everything would go flying to the east,

一切會往東飛去，

so the whole process will leave a huge mess.

所以整個過程會導致一場大混亂。

But let's take a look at the equator

但我們來看看赤道，

once Earth has gotten back up to speed.

等地球回到正常速度的時候。

These are the trade winds,

這些是信風，

which normally blow westward due to Earth's rotation.

因地球自轉方向通常是吹向西方。

So on backwards Earth, they reverse,

所以地球反向自轉時，它們的方向也相反，

and that's where things get interesting.

然後事情會開始變有趣。

At first, changes would be relatively small.

一開始，改變相對小。

Hurricanes, for example, would no longer travel

舉例來說，颶風將不再

from east to west across the Atlantic,

由西向東掠過大西洋，

and westbound flights would suddenly be much shorter compared to eastbound.

往西的航程突然變得比往東的更短了。

Not so bad, right?

還不錯，對吧？

Let's fast forward a few thousand years into the future.

我們來看看未來幾千年的狀況。

Changes in overall rain patterns

整體降雨地區的改變

would turn Africa's Sahara Desert from this,

會導致非洲的撒哈拉沙漠由這樣

to something more like this.

變成像這樣。

In fact one simulation estimated

事實上有項模擬測試顯示

that the deserts of the world would shrink

世界上的沙漠地區會

from 42 million square kilometers to 31 million,

由 4200 萬平方公里銳減為 3100 萬平方公里，

providing new plant life which would absorb

隨之孕育的植物能夠吸收

more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,

更多大氣中的二氧化碳，

potentially offsetting the extreme warming effects

可能大幅減緩極端暖化效應

from climate change. Wow, maybe we really should

導致的氣候變遷。哇，也許我們應該

reverse Earth's rotation.

讓地球反向自轉。

But hold on, if the trade winds reverse direction,

但等等，如果信風反向，

it means that other wind patterns change too,

這表示其他風的模式也會改變，

including the prevailing westerlies

包含最盛行的西風帶，

that normally blow east across the Northern Atlantic,

它通常由西向東吹過北大西洋，

and bring warm winds from the ocean

並從海洋帶暖風

to Northwest Europe, keeping winters mild.

到歐洲西北部，讓冬天不致酷寒。

But on backwards Earth, the westerlies reverse,

不過一旦地球反向自轉，西風帶也會反向，

and instead, Europe is bombarded

那麼歐洲便會受到

with cold winds from Russia.

來自俄羅斯的冷風攻擊。

As a result, scientists estimate winter temperatures

最終，科學家預估冬季氣溫

would drop by up to 10 degrees Celsius.

將會下降至少攝氏 10 度。

In fact, most of the North Atlantic would grow colder.

事實上北大西洋大部分地區都會變得更冷。

Simulations show that the Gulf Stream,

模型顯示墨西哥灣的變化，

which normally transports warm tropic waters

它通常將溫暖的赤道海水

to the North would reverse and shrink.

帶到北方，自轉反向後也將反向並縮小。

In North America, the landscape would change drastically.

北美的地貌將徹底改變。

For example the iconic deserts of the American Southwest

舉例來說，北美西部的峻峭沙漠

would disappear, and become the deserts

會消失，而北美東部

of the Southeast instead.

變為沙漠地區。

And while you're packing up to move

當你正打包行李要搬到

to the beautiful new green pastures of Arizona,

亞利桑那州美麗的新興草原，

take a look at the horizon,

看一下地平線，

and enjoy that peculiar sunset to the east.

享受罕見的夕陽東下。