2017考研英语阅读：南极冰山对延缓气候变暖有奇效

　　考研英语阅读真题中的文章，多摘自英美主流外刊，有时候你认识所有单词、搞清全部语法还不够，还需要了解英美文化，掌握他们的表达方式，这就是阅读的潜台词。有时候是一些俗语和俚语，有时候是固定搭配，有时候需要借助历史、风俗、文化才能理解某种现象或表达。总之，这些地道的英语文章背后都有潜台词，一般人不容易读出，但往往是理解文章的关键。

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　　Antarctic icebergs have surprise role in slowing warming: study

　　研究表明南极冰山对延缓气候变暖有奇效

　　OSLO (Reuters) - The biggest icebergs breaking off Antarctica unexpectedly help to slow global warming as they melt away into the chill Southern Ocean, scientists said on Monday.

　　(奥斯陆)周一有科学家称，正在因融化而沉入寒冷南极洋的南极最大冰山竟对延缓全球气候变暖有意想不到的帮助。

　　The rare Manhattan-sized icebergs, which may become more frequent in coming decades because of climate change, release a vast trail of iron and other nutrients that act as fertilisers for algae and other tiny plant-like organisms in the ocean.

　　这些曼哈顿岛大小的冰山由于气候变化会释放出大量铁元素以及其他物质，而这些物质是海藻和其他海洋植物类有机体的营养来源。而这样的情况在接下来几十年内也许会出现的很频繁。

　　These extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, a natural ally for human efforts to limit the pace of climate change blamed on man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

　　而这些有机体会在成长过程中从大气中吸收二氧化碳，从而充当人类制止气候变化的天然助手。气候变化是人造温室气体排放引起的。

　　Ocean blooms in the wake of giant icebergs off Antarctica absorbed 10 to 40 million tonnes of carbon a year, the study estimated, roughly equivalent to annual man-made greenhouse gas emissions of countries such as Sweden or New Zealand.

　　研究估算，这些紧跟着巨型冰山离开南极的大量有机体一年能够吸收1千万吨到4千万吨的碳，大约相当于瑞典或者新西兰等国家一年排放的人造温室气体量。

　　Until now, the impact of ocean fertilization from the demise of giant icebergs, defined as floating chunks of ice longer than 10 nautical miles (18 kms) or almost the length of Manhattan, had been judged small and localized.

　　直到现在，巨型冰山消亡导致的海洋肥沃化被认为是局部小范围的影响。而长于10海里(18千米)或者和曼哈顿岛等长的冰山被看作是巨型冰山。

　　"We were very surprised to find that the impact can extend up to 1,000 kms," (625 miles) from the icebergs, Professor Grant Bigg of the University of Sheffield, an author of the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, told Reuters.

　　谢菲尔德大学的Grant Bigg教授是出版在Nature Geoscience上的研究的作者之一。他告诉记者：“当发现这种现象的影响范围能够达到1000千米(625英里)，我们非常吃惊。”

　　The scientists studied satellite images of 17 giant icebergs off Antarctica from 2003-2013 and found that algae could turn the water greener for hundreds of kms (miles) around the icebergs, with nutrients spread by winds and currents.

　　从2003年到2013年，科学家们研究了南极17座巨型冰山的卫星图像，发现营养物质可以随风和海浪流动，而这些海藻能够让冰山周围方圆几百千米的海域环境变得更好。

　　There are typically 30 giant icebergs floating off Antarctica at any one time - they can linger for years. The study said the giant icebergs had an outsized impact in promoting ocean fertilization when compared with small icebergs.

　　在任何时候，会有30座冰山在南极漂浮数年。研究表明，这些大冰山比小冰山更能够增加海洋肥沃度，并且效果出乎意料的好。

　　Bigg noted that global man-made greenhouse gas emissions had been growing at about two percent a year. "If the giant icebergs weren’t there, it would be 2.1 to 2.2 percent," he said.

　　Bigg发现每年全球温室气体排放量都会增长两个百分点。他说：“如果没有这些巨型冰山，数据就会是2.1到2.2个百分点。”

　　Ken Smith, an expert at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California who reviewed Monday’s study, said in an email he found the new findings "convincing".

　　加州蒙特雷湾水族馆研究所的专家Ken Smith评估过这份研究，在一份邮件中称他认为这些新发现相当“具有说服力”。

　　The Sheffield University scientists noted other estimates that the amount of ice breaking off Antarctica had gained by five percent in the past two decades and that it was likely to rise in future with warming. That in turn could spur more ocean fertilization.

　　谢菲尔德大学的科学家发现了其他估算结果：在过去二十年内，融化的冰山数量上升了5%，并且在未来会随着气候变暖继续增加。而这会激发更多的海洋肥沃化现象。

　　来源：爱语吧

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