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The limestone towers of Vietnam's Halong Bay are a reminder of this link with the sea.
越南下龍灣的石林能說明石灰巖與海洋的關系
Originally this whole area would have been one solid block of limestone, the base of a coral reef.
起初，這整個地方都是一整塊堅固的石灰巖床，珊瑚礁的基座
In Borneo, rain has sculpted the limestone into extremely sharp-sided pinnacles.
在婆羅洲，雨水已將石灰巖雕鑿成無比尖削的石塔
But the dissolving power of rainwater has other, much more dramatic, effects underground.
不過在地下，雨水的溶解作用還能產生其它更壯觀的效果
Rivers that flow over limestone often seem to completely disappear.
流經石灰巖的河川到最后似乎總是無影無蹤
When the water reaches a more resistant bed of limestone, its course is altered.
當水流遇到更堅硬的石灰巖床時，就會改變路線。
Once underground, the water takes on a new, more erosive power.
一旦進入地下，水便有了一股新的、更強的侵蝕力。
During its journey from the surface, the water absorbed carbon dioxide from the soil, making it mildly acidic.
在地面上流淌時，水從土壤中吸收了二氧化碳，成為弱酸性。
And over millions of years, this acid eats away the limestone,
石灰巖經過幾百萬年的酸蝕作用
creating a maze of caverns and passages that sometimes go on for miles.
形成了迷宮般的溶洞和通道，有的甚至深達數英里。
