評論
打印
Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
現在來聽一段有關你剛剛讀到的話題的演講。
There's no solid evidence that Robert Peary reached the North Pole.
沒有確鑿的證據證明羅伯特·佩里到達了北極。
The arguments cited in the reading selection are not convincing.
閱讀部分引用的論點沒有說服力。
First, it is true that the National Geographic Society committee declared that Peary had indeed reached the North Pole,
首先，是的，國家地理學會委員會是宣布了佩里確實到達了北極，
but the committee was not completely objective.
但是委員會沒有做到完全客觀。
In fact, the committee was composed of Peary's close friends who had contributed large sums of money to fund Peary's trip.
事實上，委員會是由佩里的好朋友們組成的，他們貢獻了很大一筆錢來資助佩里的旅途。
Moreover, the investigation lasted only two days.
而且，調查研究只持續了兩天。
And according to Peary himself, the committee did not examine his records carefully.
據佩里自己說，委員會沒有好好的檢查他的記錄。
So the committee's conclusions seem biased and therefore are not trustworthy.
所以，委員會的結論似乎是有偏見的，因此不可信。
Second, the speed issue.
第二，速度問題。
Tom Avery's journey was different from Peary's in important ways.
湯姆·艾弗里的旅行在重要地方與佩里的不同。
For example, Avery's sled was similar to Peary's sled, but Avery carried much less weight than Peary did, because Avery did not transport his food on the sled.
比如，艾弗里的雪橇跟佩里的相似，但是，艾弗里的載重比佩里的輕得多，因為艾弗里的食物沒有放在雪橇上。
Avery's food was dropped along the way by airplane.
他的食物是沿途由飛機上扔下來的。
Moreover, Avery encountered highly favorable weather conditions, unlike Peary who travelled in very unfavorable conditions.
而且艾弗里遇見了非常好的天氣，不像佩里在非常惡劣的天氣里旅行。
So Avery's speedy trip was too different from Peary's to provide support for Peary's claims.
所以，艾弗里的快速旅行與佩里的太不同了，因而不能為佩里的聲明提供支持。
Third, the photographs do not prove anything.
第三，照片不能證明任何事情。
The techniques scientists use to determine the Sun's position depend on measuring the shadows in the photographs very precisely.
技術科學家們習慣通過精確地測量照片中的影子來確定太陽的位置。
Without a precise measurement of the shadows, we cannot establish the Sun's exact position.
沒有精確的影子測量，我們不能確定太陽的準確位置。
Now, Peary's pictures were photographed a hundred years ago using a primitive camera that took fuzzy, slightly unfocused photographs.
而，佩里的照片都是一百多年前用一個原始照相機照的，照片模糊，輕微不聚焦。
Moreover, the photos have become faded and worn over time.
而且，這些照片隨著時間的流逝，已經變得褪色和磨損。
As a result, the shadows in Peary's photographs look blurred and faded.
所以，佩里照片中的影子看起來模糊不清。
Those shadows cannot be used to calculate the position of the Sun with great accuracy.
那些影子不能被用來精確計算太陽的位置。
So we cannot be confident the photos were really taken at the North Pole.
所以我們不能確信，這些照片真的是在北極拍攝的。
