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(wù)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(huì)上發(fā)表演講，北極理事會(huì)是由位于北極邊界線上的8個(gè)國家及當(dāng)?shù)鼐用翊斫M成的一個(gè)組織。20多年來，這個(gè)組織一直鼓勵(lì)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(duì)該方法的組織的代表，蓬佩奧的出現(xiàn)使現(xiàn)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(shí)候作為一個(gè)北極國家站出來了?！迸钆鍔W在正式會(huì)議開始的前一天晚上聲明道?！坝捎诰嚯x遙遠(yuǎn)，很多人把北極當(dāng)作重要的機(jī)會(huì)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(gè)演講標(biāo)志著過去十幾年對(duì)北極形象奇怪的重塑行動(dòng)停止了。它曾一度被當(dāng)作一塊結(jié)冰的荒地，而現(xiàn)在它成了即將崛起的新的前沿。也就是說，北極將對(duì)商業(yè)活動(dòng)打開大門。