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An enormous iceberg known as A23a is heading towards South Georgia: a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, filled with seals and penguins.
一座名為A23a的巨大冰山正朝著南喬治亞島進發。南喬治亞島是南大西洋上的一座偏遠島嶼，島上海豹和企鵝成群。
The trillion-ton megaberg was stuck in the ocean for nearly 40 years but, now it's on the move.
這座重達萬億噸的巨型冰山在海洋中被困了近40年，如今開始移動。
Although it's creeping along at under 1.5 miles per hour, some experts are worried about its potential impact on this wildlife haven.
盡管它的移動速度每小時不到1.5英里，但一些專家擔心它可能會對這片野生動物棲息地造成影響。
How did the iceberg break free, how might it affect penguin and seal populations, and is this related to climate change? Here's everything you need to know.
這座冰山是如何掙脫束縛的？它會對企鵝和海豹種群產生怎樣的影響？這與氣候變化有關嗎？下面是你需要知道的所有信息。
In 1986, A23a -- icebergs are named sequentially based on the Antarctic quadrant in which they were first seen -- calved from the Filchner Ice Shelf.
1986年，A23a（冰山按照首次被發現時所在的南極象限順序命名）從菲爾希納冰架脫離。
Iceberg calving is the natural process of icebergs breaking off from the ice shelf, which happens all the time.
冰山崩裂是指冰山從冰架上斷裂的自然過程，這種情況一直在發生。
A23a is notable for its size: "several tens of kilometers in length and a few hundred meters in depth," says Martin Siegert, a polar scientist at the University of Exeter. "It's not uncommon, it's not unnatural, but it is unusual because it's just so big; very, very big."
埃克塞特大學的極地科學家馬丁·西格特說，A23a因其巨大的規模而引人注目：“長數十公里，深數百米。它并非罕見，也并非反常，但因其過于龐大，所以不同尋常，極其巨大?！?/div>
At just over 1,400 square miles, A23a could currently fill all of New York City, Los Angeles, and Houston combined.
A23a面積略超1400平方英里，目前它的大小可以裝下紐約市、洛杉磯和休斯頓。
Because of its epic proportions, the behemoth "almost immediately got stuck" on the seabed around the continental shelf, which was too shallow for its keel to pass over, he says.
西格特說，由于其巨大的體積，這座龐然大物“幾乎立刻”就被困在了大陸架周圍的海床上，那里太淺，它的龍骨無法通過。
"It kept sitting there until about 2020" says Andrew Meijers, science leader of the British Antarctic Survey's polar oceans program.
英國南極調查局極地海洋項目的科學負責人安德魯·邁耶斯說：“它一直停留在那里，直到2020年左右?！?/div>
As it lingered, the iceberg gradually melted and was buffeted by winds and ocean currents as chunks of ice tumbled into the water. Eventually, it freed itself into the deep ocean.
在停留期間，這座冰山逐漸融化，受到風和洋流的沖擊，冰塊不斷落入水中。最終，它掙脫束縛，進入了深海。
In April 2024, it became stuck again, circling in a Taylor Column -- "an oceanographic phenomenon where rotating water above a seamount traps objects in place," according to the British Antarctic Survey.
2024年4月，它再次被困，在一個泰勒柱中打轉。據英國南極調查局介紹，泰勒柱是一種海洋學現象，海山上旋轉的水流會將物體困在原地。
After breaking free in December, it's now traveling along the Antarctic circumpolar current. "It's the strongest current on Earth," says Meijers.
12月掙脫束縛后，它現在正沿著南極繞極流移動。邁耶斯說：“這是地球上最強的洋流。”
"It's going to head more or less straight towards South Georgia," says Meijers. This wildlife haven is home to fur seals, albatrosses, gentoo penguins, and more.
邁耶斯表示：“它或多或少會直接朝著南喬治亞島前進。”這片野生動物棲息地是毛皮海豹、信天翁、巴布亞企鵝等動物的家園。
On its current trajectory, A23a will reach a sharp turn in the current. "The iceberg weighs a trillion tons so it's not turning on a dime," he says.
按照目前的軌跡，A23a將到達洋流的一個急轉彎處。邁耶斯說：“這座冰山重達萬億噸，所以不會輕易轉向?！?/div>
If it overshoots, it could run aground in shallow waters until it melts enough to keep moving or break up. "It's anyone's guess what it might do," he says.
如果它錯過了轉彎，可能會在淺水區擱淺，直到融化到足以繼續移動或解體。他說：“沒人能猜到它會怎樣。”
| 重點單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| haven | ['heivn] |
想一想再看 n. 港口，避難所，安息所 v. 安置 ... 于港中， |
聯想記憶 | |
| fur | [fə:] |
想一想再看 n. 毛皮，軟毛，皮衣，毛皮制品 |
||
| phenomenon | [fi'nɔminən] |
想一想再看 n. 現象，跡象，(稀有)事件 |
聯想記憶 | |
| remote | [ri'məut] |
想一想再看 adj. 偏僻的，遙遠的，遠程的，(感情等)距離很大 |
聯想記憶 | |
| notable | ['nəutəbl] |
想一想再看 adj. 顯著的，著名的 |
聯想記憶 | |
| epic | ['epik] |
想一想再看 n. 史詩，敘事詩 adj. 史詩的，敘事詩的，宏大的， |
聯想記憶 | |
| column | ['kɔləm] |
想一想再看 n. 柱，圓柱，柱形物，專欄，欄，列 |
||
| shelf | [ʃelf] |
想一想再看 n. 架子，擱板 |
||
| uncommon | [ʌn'kɔmən] |
想一想再看 adj. 不尋常的，不凡的，罕有的 |
聯想記憶 | |
| eventually | [i'ventjuəli] |
想一想再看 adv. 終于，最后 |
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