由于全球變暖、污染和人類活動(dòng)的影響,有些美麗的景色未來可能會(huì)消失。事實(shí)上,這一進(jìn)程也正在發(fā)生。
還不趕緊收拾行囊,在為時(shí)已晚之前,去看看這些景觀?
The Great Wall in China. /VCG PhotoThe Great Wall, China 中國(guó)長(zhǎng)城
Stretching over 21,000 kilometers, the Great Wall was built to prevent invasions and has a history of more than 2,000 years. UNESCO calls it "an absolute masterpiece", not only "because of the ambitious character of the undertaking but also the perfection of its construction."
長(zhǎng)城修建于兩千多年前,用于抵御入侵,蜿蜒2.1萬多公里。聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織稱長(zhǎng)城是“偉大的杰作”,不僅僅“因?yàn)樾藿ㄟ^程體現(xiàn)出的雄心壯志,還因?yàn)槠渫昝赖慕ㄖ?rdquo;
But perfection isn't protection. 51.2 percent of the Great Wall has either already disappeared or is at a significant risk of disappearing, according to a press conference held by the State Council Information Office in January 2019. Besides for wind and rain erosion, the main reasons for the destruction of the Great Wall are human factors such as tourism, construction, human contact and improper intervention.
但完美并不意味著保護(hù)的完善。國(guó)務(wù)院新聞辦公室在2019年1月的一次新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上表示,長(zhǎng)城有51.2%的部分已經(jīng)消失或消失的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)很大。除了風(fēng)雨的侵蝕,長(zhǎng)城遭到破壞主要是人為因素,比如旅游、建筑、人的接觸和不恰當(dāng)?shù)母深A(yù)。
The Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile. /VCG PhotoEaster Island, Chile 智利復(fù)活節(jié)島
The Easter Island, located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, is most famous for having over 1,000 Moai statues, which were built by the Rapa Nui people after they arrived on Easter Island around 1200 AD.
復(fù)活節(jié)島位于太平洋東南方,以擁有1000多個(gè)摩艾石像聞名。公元1200年左右,拉帕努伊島島民抵達(dá)復(fù)活節(jié)島后修建了這些石像。
In the last few years, ocean waves have risen and begun reaching dozens of Moai statues. Scientists from the UN have warned that the icons could be engulfed as the sea level is predicted to rise at least by 1.8 meters by 2100 as a result of climate change.
在過去一些年 ,海浪上漲,拍打到幾十個(gè)摩艾石像。聯(lián)合國(guó)的科學(xué)家提醒說,據(jù)預(yù)測(cè),由于氣候變化,海平面在2100年前至少會(huì)上漲1.8米,這些石像可能會(huì)被海水吞沒。
engulf[?n'g?lf; en-]:vt.吞沒
The Yellowstone National Park in the US./VCG PhotoYellowstone National Park, US 美國(guó)黃石國(guó)家公園
As the world's first national park, the Yellowstone National Park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features. But due to global warming, there is less snow and rainfall, shrinking lakes and drying out wetlands.
作為全球第一個(gè)國(guó)家公園,黃石國(guó)家公園以野生動(dòng)植物和眾多的地?zé)峋坝^著稱。但由于全球變暖,降雪和降雨變得稀少,公園內(nèi)的湖泊面積縮小,濕地逐漸干涸。
Boats and Gondolas on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. /VCG PhotoVenice, Italy 意大利威尼斯
The “Floating City” may not float for much longer as experts have warned that Venice could sink in less than a century. As it was built on a muddy lagoon with inadequate foundations, Venice is also known to suffer from subsidence.
“漂浮之城”威尼斯或許漂浮不了多久了,專家提醒說,威尼斯或?qū)⒃?00年內(nèi)沉沒。威尼斯建在泥濘的瀉湖上,根基不牢,因此飽受下沉的困擾。
subsidence [s?b'sa?d(?)ns; 's?bs?d(?)ns]:n.下沉;沉淀;陷沒
Since 1897, the sea level in Venice has risen by 30 centimeters, and the Mediterranean will rise by up to 1.4 meters before 2100, according to scientists from Italy and France.
自1897年以來,威尼斯的水平面上漲了30厘米。據(jù)意大利和法國(guó)的科學(xué)家所說,地中海海平面在2100年之前還將上漲1.4米。
An aerial view of the Old City of Jerusalem. /VCG Photo
Old City of Jerusalem, Israel 以色列耶路撒冷舊城
Regarded as a holy city in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Jerusalem regularly receives record-breaking numbers of tourists who are on pilgrimages. That's a lot of pressure for a site already straining under a significant population and a lack of maintenance.
耶路撒冷是猶太教、基督教和伊斯蘭教的圣城,每年有創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的游客前來朝圣。對(duì)一座已經(jīng)飽受人口眾多和缺乏維護(hù)之苦的舊城來說,顯然壓力山大。
pilgrimage ['p?lgr?m?d?]:n.漫游;朝圣之行
The Old City of Jerusalem, with 220 historic monuments, including the famous Dome of the Rock and Wailing Wall, has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage in Danger list since 1982. UNESCO has warned that the Old City is in danger from accelerated deterioration, rapid urban or tourist development projects, armed conflict, serious fires, earthquakes, landslides and much more.
耶路撒冷舊城有220處歷史遺跡,包括著名的圓頂清真寺和哭墻。自1982年以來,耶路撒冷舊城就入選聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織世界瀕危遺產(chǎn)名錄。聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織提醒說,由于退化加速、城市及旅游開發(fā)項(xiàng)目加快發(fā)展、武裝沖突、嚴(yán)重火災(zāi)、地震和滑坡等等,耶路撒冷舊城正處于危險(xiǎn)之中。
View of Pamukkale, Turkey. /VCG PhotoPamukkale, Turkey 土耳其棉花城堡
Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish, is famous for its gleaming white calcite terraces with warm and mineral-rich waters overrun.
Pamukkale在土耳其語中意思是“棉花城堡”,因閃閃發(fā)亮的白色方解石階地著名,這里還蘊(yùn)藏著溫?zé)崆腋缓V物質(zhì)的泉水。
Before being listed as a World Heritage Site in 1988, Pamukkale had been severely damaged by human activities. People filled used hot spring water to fill swimming pools, some visitors stood on the rocks with their shoes on, and some even bathed in the hot springs with soap and shampoo.
在1988年被列為世界遺產(chǎn)之前,棉花城堡就已被人類活動(dòng)嚴(yán)重?fù)p壞。人們用溫泉泉水填滿游泳池,一些游客穿著鞋站在巖石上,還有一些人甚至在溫泉里用肥皂和洗發(fā)水沐浴。
To protect the terraces, the Turkish government has decided to demolish the hotels and require all tourists to visit this site barefoot, but it isn't enough to reverse the damage.
為了保護(hù)這些階地,土耳其政府決定拆除賓館,要求所有游客赤腳游覽,但這還不足以扭轉(zhuǎn)破壞情況。
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia. /VCG PhotoGreat Barrier Reef, Australia 澳大利亞大堡礁
Home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 species of mollusk, the Great Barrier Reef draws visitors to Australia from all over the world. This legendary 1,200-mile ecosystem along Australia's Queensland coast is one of the world's most renowned wonders.
澳大利亞大堡礁有400種珊瑚、1500種魚類和4000種軟體動(dòng)物,每年吸引著全球眾多游客前來。這里位于昆士蘭州沿海,綿延1200英里(約合1931公里),是一處傳奇般的生態(tài)體系,也是全球最著名的景點(diǎn)之一。
mollusk ['m?l?sk]:n. [無脊椎]軟體動(dòng)物
However, the Great Barrier Reef is expected to be "subjected to increasingly frequent bleaching events, cases in which corals turn white and may die," according to a UNESCO report. The heat waves caused by global warming have killed half of the coral here in only two years, according to a CNN report. Pollution from industrial developments and harmful fishing practices are also big concerns.
但據(jù)聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織報(bào)告,大堡礁將“遭受越來越頻繁的白化現(xiàn)象,珊瑚因此變白而死亡。”美國(guó)有線新聞網(wǎng)報(bào)道稱,全球變暖導(dǎo)致的熱浪在兩年內(nèi)就已經(jīng)殺死了一半珊瑚。工業(yè)發(fā)展導(dǎo)致的污染和有害的捕魚活動(dòng)也非常令人擔(dān)憂。
bleach [bli?t?]:vt.使漂白,使變白
Tourists float in the Dead Sea, Jordan. /VCG PhotoThe Dead Sea, Jordan 約旦死海
At 423 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean, meaning that the water is so dense, even tourists who can't swim will be able to float.
死海位于海平面423米以下,咸度是海水的10倍,這意味著海水密度很大,即使不會(huì)游泳的游客也能在死海里漂浮。
But the seaside resorts built in the 1980s now sit kilometers away from the water's edge, which has losing a third of its surface area in the past 40 years. The damage is irreversible due to the nature of the mineral industry and the type of agricultural use that has drained the water.
但在上世紀(jì)80年代修建的海濱度假區(qū)如今距離死海沿岸已有數(shù)千公里遠(yuǎn)。在過去40年,死海表面面積的三分之一已經(jīng)消失。由于礦產(chǎn)業(yè)的特性,這種損害是不可逆的,農(nóng)業(yè)用途也在消耗死海海水。
Amazon Rainforest at Sacha Lodge, Coca, Ecuador. /VCG Photo
The Amazon Rainforest, South America 南美洲亞馬遜熱帶雨林
Home to millions of animals and plant species, the Amazon Rainforest is the world's largest tropical rainforest. Unfortunately, it is quickly disappearing due to illegal logging, drought, soil erosion, water contamination and general climate change. Roughly 5.4 million acres of the forest is cleared each year in Brazil alone.
亞馬遜熱帶雨林中有數(shù)百萬種動(dòng)植物,是世界上最大的熱帶雨林。不幸的是,由于非法采伐、干旱、土壤侵蝕、水污染和普遍的氣候變化,這里正在快速消失。每年僅在巴西,就有大約540萬英畝(約合218.5公頃)的雨林被砍伐。
View of Maldives. /VCG Photo
The Maldives 馬爾代夫
The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is a tropical paradise with luxurious hotels that hover over crystal clear waters brimming with tropical fish - but this vision of bliss will soon be gone.
馬爾代夫位于印度洋,是一個(gè)有著奢華酒店的熱帶天堂,熱帶的魚兒在清澈見底的海水里游來游去。但這番美景很快也會(huì)消失。
Some islands in the Maldives were erased from the map after the deadly tsunami in 2004. Even worse, over 80 percent of the islands sit no more than one meter above sea level, meaning it is the lowest country on Earth and therefore likely to disappear within decades due to rising sea levels.
在2004年一場(chǎng)致命的海嘯之后,馬爾代夫的一些島嶼從地圖上消失了。更糟糕的是,超過80%的島嶼高于海平面的距離不足1米,也就是說,馬爾代夫是世界上最低的國(guó)家。因此由于海平面的上升,馬爾代夫很可能在幾十年內(nèi)消失。