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The Antarctic Continent: South Park. The Economist June 15th, 2013
南極洲--南方的公園。《經濟學人》2013年6月15日
Antarctica is the only continent where there has never been war. No military activity is allowed there and scientific research is a priority. Defined as all of the land and ice shelves south of latitude 60 degrees south, the 5.5m square miles (14.2m square km) of the world's coldest, driest, windiest and most remote landmass are protected by the Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in June 1961 and designated the land "a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science".
南極洲是唯一一個從未有過戰爭的大陸。那里不允許有任何的軍事活動，科研卻是當務之急。南極洲的陸地和冰架都在南緯60度以南的地方，有550萬平方米處于世界上最寒冷、最干燥、風最大、最偏遠的地帶，在《南極條約》的保護下。《南極條約》是在1961年6月開始生效的，條約規定該土地屬于自然保護區，享有和平，同時用于科研。
It was not always so, writes David Day, an author, historian and research associate at La Trobe University in Melbourne. Solid as a block of Antarctic ice itself, but no less readable for it, his latest book draws on five years of meticulous research to tell the story of human endeavour in Antarctica, the last continent to be discovered. It paints a poignant biographical picture of the characters involved, the gruelling expeditions undertaken, and the rivalries between nations as they raced to chart the continent and claim possession of it.
作家大衛霠饟卑：并不總是這樣。大衛霠同時是墨爾本拉籌伯大學的歷史學家和助理研究員。作為南極洲的一塊大型冰塊，雖然沒有任何可讀性，但他最近的著作借用五年細致的研究講述了人們在這個最后被發現的南極大陸上所做的努力。書中描繪了辛酸的畫面，講述了他們進行的艱苦探險，國家之間的對抗比賽，這些國家競相在南極洲上做記號，并聲稱該大陸為自己國家所有。
Antarctica's future as a natural reserve is by no means assured. Whereas the treaty designed to protect it has certainly preserved peace and served as an example of co-operation between nations, the prospect of mineral and oil deposits under Antarctica's ice cap is attracting the attention of resource-starved countries and big business alike. In addition, environmental groups, scientists and tourists are all making their own demands. As Mr. Day writes, "For centuries, the Antarctic defied man's approach. Now its dangers and its terrors have been largely conquered. Only its future remains unknown." Thank you.
未來的南極洲作為一個自然保護區是絕對不可能得到保證的。雖然旨在對其進行保護條約能確保這里的和平，同時為國家間的合作作為一個例證，但南極洲冰帽下礦產和石油的勘探吸引了資源匱乏國家大型企業的注意。此外，環保團體、科學家和游客都有各自的需求。就像大衛先生寫道，數百年來，南極洲無視人的接近。現在南極洲大部分的危險和恐怖已經被征服了，只有其未來仍然是個未知數。謝謝。
