國家地理:融化的北極正使一場新的冷戰(zhàn)升溫(4)

In early May, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finland's northernmost province, to deliver a speech to the Arctic Council, a group made up of the eight nations that border the Arctic, plus representatives of the region's indigenous peoples. For about 20 years the council has encouraged collegial debate, cooperation, and a progressive perspective on climate change. Pompeo's appearance, as the emissary of an administration that is opposed to that approach, made for an awkward moment.

五月初，美國國務卿邁克·蓬佩奧來到芬蘭最北省份的首府羅瓦涅米，并在北極理事會上發(fā)表演講，北極理事會是由位于北極邊界線上的8個國家及當地居民代表組成的一個組織。20多年來，這個組織一直鼓勵綜合競爭與合作，并用發(fā)展的眼光看待氣候變化，而作為反對該方法的組織的代表，蓬佩奧的出現使現場變得尷尬。

"This is America's moment to stand up as an Arctic nation and for the Arctic's future," Pompeo declared at an event the night before the official meeting. "Because far from the barren backcountry that many thought it to be... the Arctic is at the forefront of opportunity and abundance."

“為了北極的未來，美國是時候作為一個北極國家站出來了?！迸钆鍔W在正式會議開始的前一天晚上聲明道?！坝捎诰嚯x遙遠，很多人把北極當作重要的機會和資源集聚地。”

The speech signaled the end of a truly bizarre rebranding of the Arctic that has been under way for more than a decade. What was once considered a frozen wasteland is now routinely described as an emerging frontier. The Arctic, in other words, is open for business.

這個演講標志著過去十幾年對北極形象奇怪的重塑行動停止了。它曾一度被當作一塊結冰的荒地，而現在它成了即將崛起的新的前沿。也就是說，北極將對商業(yè)活動打開大門。