冰冻星球（2011）

may well not get another meal
很可能无法捕到猎物
until the sea freezes again in winter.
陆地上的食物稀少
There's not much to eat on land
而且 海面重新冰封前
and the fact is that the longer the cubs
熊宝宝们要等待的时间越长
have to wait until the ice returns,
存活的可能性就越小
the more likely they are to die.
无冰层覆盖的夏季时间逐渐延长
Longer summers with no ice are probably
这大概是许多北极熊种群
the main reason why many polar bear
数量下降的主因
populations are dropping.
为了辅助监控北极熊的未来动态
To help monitor bears into the future,
这只母熊颈上装了无线电项圈
this female is being fitted with a radio collar
以便追踪她的活动
to track her movements.
与如此强壮的动物近距离接触
It's an extraordinary sensation to be so close
感受甚为奇妙
to such a powerful animal.
母熊配有项圈 幸运的话
With luck, carrying that collar,
她能存活许多年
she will have more years to go yet,
告诉我们她自己的许多事
and be telling us a great deal about herself
还有整个北极熊群种的故事
and the rest of the race of polar bears,
告诉我们 他们如何面对这未知的未来
as they face this very uncertain future.
海面冰层的变化
The future of the ice cover on the sea
不仅仅关系到动物
isn't just an issue for the animals.
同时也关乎那些
It's a big concern for the people
住在北极
who live in the Arctic
每天在冰上世界穿梭的人类
and travel across the ice every day.
大卫·伊卡克拉鲁是加拿大北边
David Iqaqrialu is an Inuit from the village of Clyde River
克莱德河村的因纽特人
in the Canadian Far North.
这里陆路很少
There are very few roads up here,
所以大卫跟他的族人们
so David and his community,
像大多数因纽特人一样
like most Inuit people,
总是在这片冰冻的海面上穿行
have always travelled across the frozen sea.
坐雪橇是最安全的方式
Dog sleds are the safest way to get around
因为狗对薄冰很敏感
because the dogs feel thin ice underfoot
能保护人类避免危险
and won't lead travellers into trouble.
像大卫一样的当地居民对冰地的熟悉度
Old-timers, like David, know the ice is as well as we know
不亚于我们对邻里街道的了解程度
the streets in our local neighbourhood.
每年春天
Every spring,
在同时同地总是出现一样的裂缝
cracks have always formed in the same places at the same time.
裂缝马上会变得很大
It's going to be big very soon.
差不多两周以后吧
After two weeks maybe,
裂缝就开得更大了
it will be more open.
但现在 以前没有裂缝的地方
But now, cracks are appearing
也出现了裂缝
where they never did before.
所以大卫和朋友莱米奇就有一项新任务了
So, David and his friend, Laimikie, have taken on a new job.
他们用特殊的导航仪器
They are using special GPS units
记录下新的裂缝或薄冰的位置
to record the position of new cracks or weak ice.
不仅当地人可以
These findings will be used
以此避免危险
by locals for their own safety,
科学家也可以利用这些记录
but they're also being studied by ice scientists,
以预测冰雪在未来几年里如何变化
who want to predict how the ice will change in years to come.
因纽特人也很乐于知道这里的未来
The Inuit are keen to know what the future holds too
因为 他们亲眼目睹着
because they've seen with their own eyes
科学家从太空观测到的变化
the changes that the scientists have seen from space.
这些1980年拍的卫星照片显示
This satellite photo from 1980 shows the Arctic Ocean
1980年9月
北冰洋在夏末时 冰雪覆盖量最低
at the end of the summer, when ice cover is at its minimum.
从那年开始 冰雪覆盖量降低了30%
Since then, there's been a 30% drop in the area covered by ice.
但这些照片无法告诉我们
But these images can't tell us
2010年9月
这变化里的最重要变量
about changes to the most important factor,
即冰面的厚度
the thickness of the ice.
跨越整片大洋测量冰面的厚度
Measuring thickness across the whole ocean
是科学家多年无法解决的难题
was beyond scientists for many years,
后来他们意外地获得了帮助
until help came from an unexpected source.
北冰洋有重要的军事意义
The Arctic Ocean is of huge military importance,
因为这里是北美和俄♥罗♥斯♥之间最短的通道
as it's the shortest route between North America and Russia.
自上世纪五十年代末起
Since the late 1950s,
英国 美国和俄♥罗♥斯♥的潜艇
British, US and Russian submarines
就在北冰洋巡逻
have been patrolling the Arctic Ocean.
他们在探查敌军的动向的同时
But as well as looking out for enemy activity,
也在测量冰面的厚度
they've also been measuring the thickness of the ice,
因为这关系到他们在何处浮出水面
critical when looking for a place to surface.
当科学家获得准许
When scientists got permission
查看潜艇船员的记录时
to look at the submarine crew's records,
他们发现冰面在急速变薄
they discovered that the ice has been thinning fast.
事实上 从1980年起已减少近一半
In fact, it's nearly halved in thickness since 1980.
北冰洋大部分的冰面
Across most of the Arctic Ocean,
现在只有几米厚了
there are now just a couple of metres of ice.
冰面实在太薄
It's so thin that it could
到了盛夏时节很可能会全部融化
melt away almost entirely in the summertime,
北极的冰也难以幸免
and that includes the ice at the North Pole.
如果持续下去 在未来几十年里
If current trends continue, then there will be
到了夏末
open ocean here by summer's end,
这里就完全变成海洋
some time within the next few decades.
北冰洋被冰层覆盖的岁月
So, the days of the Arctic Ocean being covered
似乎已一去不返
by a continuous sheet of ice seem to have passed.
当然 这究竟是好是坏
Whether or not that's a good or bad thing, of course,
每个人的观点不同
depends on your point of view.
没有人比阿♥拉♥斯加最北的巴罗镇人
Nobody has had a better view of the changes to the Arctic Ocean
能更近距离地观测到这样的变化了
than the people of Barrow, the most northerly town in Alaska.
这里的人以在冰海上捕猎为生
The people here have always survived by hunting on the frozen sea
他们每年过节都会为此庆祝
and they celebrate this at a festival every year.
毛毯跳曾是
The blanket toss was once
看到远处猎物的最好方式
the best way to spot distant animals to hunt,
在这住了一辈子的路易斯·布洛尔如是说
as lifelong resident Lewis Brower explains.
我们把自己从毯子里抛向空中的时候
When we throw ourselves up into the blanket, you know,
就会因为看到很远的地方
you get that much more of an 'Ahh'
而尖叫不已
of seeing further and further out,
有时候 你会跳到十五到二十英尺高
so sometimes, you'll jump 15-20 feet in the air,
希望能够再安全掉回毯子里
and hopefully, you're being caught right back into the blanket.
我很好
I'm OK!
但传统的生活方式正面临着威胁
But the old way of life is under threat.
在路易斯小时候
When Lewis was young,
海平面一直冰冻到七月
the sea stayed frozen to the horizon until July,
有些岸边的冰 整个夏天都不化
and some ice remained off-shore all summer.
但现在 冰面在六月就裂开了
But now, it's breaking up in June
两三个月内就彻底融化
and melting away completely for two or three months.
以前这个时候
I used to go out on the ice all the time
我常常到冰面上去
at this time of the year,
但现在不行了 因为冰没有了
but we can't do that any more, cos there's no more ice.
路易斯也看到 融化的冰面
Lewis can also see that the loss of sea ice is affecting
影响了他们捕食的动物
the animals he hunts for a living.
从2007年起 巴罗镇附近的海岸线
Since 2007, something very strange has been happening
发生了奇怪的变化
on this stretch of coastline, close to Barrow.
海象妈妈们被这缺冰少雪的海洋弄迷糊了
Mother walruses, confused by the lack of ice,
纷纷带着自己的幼崽上岸来
are crowding onto the land with their pups.
他们这样集结在岸上并不正常
This very tight crowding isn't normal
导致许多幼崽被挤死
and it's caused many youngsters to be crushed to death.
许多北极动物都受到气候变化的威胁
Many Arctic animals are threatened by the changing conditions
这对传统的猎人来说也不是好事
and that's also bad news for the traditional hunters.
但冰面减少对有些人来说却是好消息
But the ice loss could be good news for some people.
在北冰洋底下埋藏着价值万亿美元的
There are trillions of dollars' worth of oil
石油和天然气
and gas under the Arctic Ocean.
但目前要开采它们的唯一方式
But the only way to get to them,
就是建造昂贵的人造岛屿
until now, has been by building expensive artificial islands,
就像这里
like this.
但如果冰雪融化
But if the sea ice goes,
要挖掘地下宝藏就容易多了
it will be much easier to drill for the huge riches below.
所以北极附近的国家
So, the countries that surround the Arctic
都抢着来分一杯羹
are scrambling to stake their claims.
2007年 俄♥罗♥斯♥大胆地声称
This daring attempt by the Russians to claim
北极受争议的海床是自己的领土
the disputed seabed at the North Pole in 2007
引发了几个竞争国的强烈反对