随着气候的变化，北极地区的冰山大量融化，导致全球的海平面慢慢升高。为了解决这个问题，有人提出把北冰洋的海水再冷冻起来，恢复冰山。
To refreeze the Arctic
by Oscar Holland
If planting more trees can replenish（补足） forests and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, then could we also repopulate（再次填充） the Arctic with ice? That's a question posed by a team of Indonesian designers with an eye-catching response to the climate crisis: iceberg-making submarines.
carbon /ˈkɑːb(ə)n/ dioxide /daɪˈɒksaɪd/ 二氧化碳
atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪə(r)/ n. 大气、大气层
Arctic /ˈɑːktɪk/ n. 北极地区
pose /pəʊz/ v. 提问
Indonesian /ˌɪndəˈniːʒ(ə)n/ adj. 印度尼西亚的
eye-catching 吸引眼球的、引人注意的
response /rɪˈspɒns/ n. 回答、回应
crisis /ˈkraɪsɪs/ n. 危机
iceberg /ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/ n. 冰山
submarine /ˌsʌbməˈriːn/ n. 潜水艇
The idea, recently named runner-up in an international design competition appealing for radical approaches to sustainability, is the latest in a series of new proposals for "refreezing" the Earth's poles.
runner-up 亚军、第二名
appeal /əˈpiːl/ v. 呼吁
radical /ˈrædɪk(ə)l/ adj. 根本性的、彻底的
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ n. 方法
sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪləti/ n. 可持续发展
series /ˈsɪəriːz/ n. 一系列（单数和复数都是series）
proposal /prəˈpəʊz(ə)l/ n. 提议、提案
refreeze /riːˈfriːz/ v. 使再次冷冻（由freeze加上表示再次的前缀re-）
pole /pəʊl/ n. （地球的）极（南极和北极）
Led by 29-year-old architect Faris Rajak Kotahatuhaha, the group envisaged a submersible（可潜入水中的） vessel capable of producing 5 meters thick, 25 meters wide hexagonal（六边形） icebergs.
architect /ˈɑːkɪtekt/ n. 建筑师
envisage /ɪnˈvɪzɪdʒ/ v. 构想、设想
vessel /ˈves(ə)l/ n. 大船、轮船
capable /ˈkeɪpəb(ə)l/ adj. 有能力的
The process would begin with the submarine dipping beneath the surface to fill its central cavity（洞） with seawater. An iceberg would then form inside, before being ejected（弹出） a month later. According to the team, the hexagonal shape may encourage the icebergs to interlock with one another and form larger frozen masses.
process /ˈprəʊses/ n. 过程
dip /dɪp/ v. 下沉、下降
beneath /bɪˈniːθ/ prep. 在…下面
surface /ˈsɜːfɪs/ n. 表面
form /fɔːm/ v. 形成
interlock /ˌɪntəˈlɒk/ v. 互锁、扣紧
mass /mæs/ n. 一块、一团
It's an early concept design, and many questions remain. The designers are yet to finalize how the vehicle would be powered, though they intend for the vessel to be fully sustainable. But could the submarines, in theory, work?
concept /ˈkɒnsept/ n. 概念
be yet to do something 还没有做某事
finalize /ˈfaɪn(ə)laɪz/ v. 最终定下来（由final加后缀-ize变成动词）
vehicle /ˈviːɪk(ə)l/ n. 运载工具
power /paʊə(r)/ v. 提供动力
sustainable /səˈsteɪnəb(ə)l/ adj. 可持续的（由sustain加后缀-able变成形容词）
theory /ˈθɪəri/ n. 理论（in theory意思是理论上）
Andrew Shepherd, a professor of Earth observation at the UK's Leeds University, described the idea as an "interesting engineering solution," though he questioned the project's scalability（可扩展性）. He estimated that replacing polar ice at the same rate it has disappeared in the last four decades would require around 10 million submarines.
observation /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 观测（由observe加后缀-ation变成名词）
question /ˈkwestʃən/ v. 提出疑问、质疑
project /ˈprɒdʒekt/ n. 项目
estimate /ˈestɪmeɪt/ v. 估计、估算
polar /ˈpəʊlə(r)/ adj. 极地的
rate /reɪt/ n. 速率
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
But for Kotahatuhaha, the proposal is not only about feasibility（可行性） – it's about finding a different way to approach climate challenges. "Rather than defending against sea level rises, we think it's better to carry out some kind of intervention to tackle the problem," he said.
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ v. 处理、应对
level /ˈlev(ə)l/ n. 水平、高度（sea level指海平面）
carry out 做、实施
intervention /ˌɪntəˈvenʃ(ə)n/ n. 干预
tackle /ˈtæk(ə)l/ v. 着手解决
A possible flaw in the proposal is that making ice does not significantly alter sea levels. If the ice is still floating in the water it formed from, then sea's overall mass doesn't change. (The icebergs would have to be "moved on to land" if they were to lower sea levels, Shepherd said.)
flaw /flɔː/ n. 缺陷
significantly /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)ntli/ adv. 显著地（由significant加后缀-ly变成副词）
alter /ˈɒltə(r)/ v. 改变
overall /ˌəʊvəˈrɔːl/ adj. 总体的
mass /mæs/ n. 质量、重量
lower /ˈləʊə(r)/ v. 降低
But reversing, or at least slowing, the alarming decline of polar sea ice is about more than rising oceans. Snow and ice reflect significantly more sunlight than open water does, so bigger, frozen surfaces mean more radiation is sent back to space.
reverse /rɪˈvɜːs/ v. 使反转
alarming /əˈlɑːmɪŋ/ adj. 令人惊慌的
decline /dɪˈklaɪn/ n. 下降、减少
reflect /rɪˈflekt/ v. 反射
open water 敞开的水面
radiation /ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 热辐射
"If enough ice is made, then it could ultimately alter the planet's temperature, which could in turn lead to reduced land ice melting and reduced sea level rise from that source," Shepherd said, offering an alternative advantage to making icebergs. "But there are lots of 'ifs' along the way."
ultimately /ˈʌltɪmətli/ adv. 最终
in turn 接下来
lead to 导致、造成
melt /melt/ v. 融化
source /sɔːs/ n. 来源、源头
alternative /ɒlˈtɜːnətɪv/ adj. 可替代的、可供选择的
along the way 在这个过程中
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）
网友评论