墨西哥湾暖流原理解析：英语精读讲义

The ocean conveyor belt and the Gulf Stream.

海洋传送带与墨西哥湾暖流。

Ocean currents have a direct influence on our lives. 短語搭配

洋流对我们的生活有着直接的影响。

They determine our weather, our climate, and much more.

它们决定了我们的天气、气候以及更多方面。

The ocean currents and wind systems transport heat from the equator to the poles

洋流和风带将热量从赤道输送到两极，

and operate like a large engine for the global climate. 習語

就像全球气候的一台巨型发动机。

In the oceans, there are numerous currents.

在海洋中，存在着无数的洋流。

The so-called ocean conveyor belt is very important for our climate. 用詞

所谓的“海洋传送带”对我们的气候非常重要。

This term describes a combination of currents that result in four of the five global oceans exchanging water with each other. 語法

这个词描述的是多种洋流的组合，正是由于它们，全球五大洋中有四个能够彼此交换海水。

They form a worldwide circulation system.

它们形成了一个全球性的循环系统。

The conveyor belt is also called the thermohaline circulation, 用詞

这条传送带也被称为温盐环流，

with thermo referring to the temperature and haline to the salt content of the water. 語法

其中“温”指的是温度，“盐”指的是海水的盐度。

Both determine the density of the water.

两者共同决定了海水的密度。

While the masses of water may be moved in part by wind,

虽然部分水体可能是由风推动的，

primarily the different densities of the global oceans are responsible for their movement. 短語搭配

但全球海洋水体密度的差异才是其流动的首要原因。

Warm water has a lower density and rises,

暖水密度较低，会上升，

while cold water sinks.

而冷水则会下沉。

The water's density also increases with a higher salt content.

海水的密度也会随着盐度的升高而增加。

At the equator, the heat from the sun is especially strong,

在赤道，太阳的热辐射特别强烈，

resulting in a lot of evaporation and thus a rise in the water's salt content. 表達脈絡

导致大量水分蒸发，进而使海水的盐度升高。

That is where the Gulf Stream begins.

这就是墨西哥湾暖流的起点。

The Gulf Stream is very important for the European climate.

墨西哥湾暖流对欧洲气候非常重要。

Its length of 10,000 km makes it one of the largest and fastest ocean currents on Earth, 語法

它全长1万公里，是地球上最大、最快的洋流之一，

and it's very warm.

而且非常温暖。

At roughly 2 m/s, it brings up to 100 million cubic meters of water per second towards Europe. 用詞

它以大约2米/秒的速度，每秒将多达1亿立方米的海水输向欧洲。

A constantly blowing wind, the Southeast Trade Wind,

持续吹拂的风——东南信风，

drives warm surface water to the northwest into the Gulf of Mexico, 用詞

将温暖的表层海水向西北方向吹入墨西哥湾，

where it heats up to 30°C.

在那里海水会被加热到30°C。

The turning of the Earth and the west winds then direct the Gulf Stream towards Europe and split it up. 短語動詞

随后，地球的自转和西风带引导着墨西哥湾暖流向欧洲流去并将其分为几支。

One part flows south, 表達脈絡

一部分向南流，

another east to the Canary Current,

另一部分向东流入加那利洋流，

and a third part flows north,

第三部分向北流，

where it releases a lot of heat into the atmosphere as the North Atlantic Current.

作为北大西洋暖流，在那里向大气中释放大量热量。

The water becomes colder there.

随后那里的海水变冷。

Its salt content and density rise on account of evaporation, 短語搭配

由于蒸发作用，其盐度和密度上升，

and it drops down between Greenland, Norway, and Iceland.

并在格陵兰岛、挪威和冰岛之间下沉。

There we also find the largest waterfall on Earth,

在那里，我们还发现了地球上最大的海底瀑布，

the so-called chimneys. 文化背景

被称为“海洋烟囱”。

Roughly 15 km wide pillars with water falling up to 4,000 m.

大约15公里宽的巨大水柱，下落深度可达4000米。

17 million cubic meters of water per second,

每秒有1700万立方米的海水落下，

or roughly 15 times more water than is carried by all the rivers in the world. 語法

相当于世界上所有河流总水量的15倍左右。

This creates a strong maelstrom,

这产生了一个强大的巨大漩涡，

which constantly pulls in new water and is the reason that the Gulf Stream moves towards Europe. 短語動詞

不断吸入新的海水，这也是墨西哥湾暖流向欧洲移动的原因。

Countless species use the Gulf Stream as a means of transport on their trips from the Caribbean to northern areas. 短語搭配

无数物种利用墨西哥湾暖流作为从加勒比海到北方海域的旅行交通工具。

But it doesn't just bring us animals. 語法

但它带给我们的不仅仅是动物。

An enormous quantity of warm air also comes with it.

大量的暖空气也随之而来。

In order to produce the same heat, which it brings to the shores of Europe,

为了产生它带给欧洲海岸的同等热量，

we would need 1 million nuclear power plants.

我们需要100万座核电站。

That's why we also call the Gulf Stream a heat pump. 習語

这就是为什么我们也将墨西哥湾暖流称为“热泵”。

Without it, the temperature would be significantly colder here, 語法

如果没有它，这里的温度将会变得更冷，

at least 5 to 10°.

至少下降5到10度。

Instead of lush fields, 語法

欧洲将不会有郁郁葱葱的田野，

we would have long winters and sparse ice-covered landscapes in Europe.

取而代之的将是漫长的严冬和荒凉的冰雪景观。

In the last few years,

在过去几年里，

scientists and pundits in the media have repeatedly expressed the fear that the Gulf Stream could come to a standstill due to climate change. 短語搭配

媒体上的科学家和专家多次表达过担忧，认为气候变化可能会使墨西哥湾暖流停滞。

Because if the polar caps actually melt, 語法

因为如果极地冰盖真的融化，

the salt content in the water off Greenland would fall,

格陵兰岛附近海域的盐度就会下降，

as would its density. 語法

其密度也会随之降低。

The North Atlantic Current would no longer be heavy enough, 語法

北大西洋暖流将不再足够重，

and so it wouldn't sink as usual.

因此它不会像往常一样下沉。

In the worst case,

在最坏的情况下，

that would bring the Gulf Stream, 短語搭配

这将使墨西哥湾暖流，

our heat pump, to a stop.

我们的“热泵”，完全停止运作。

Some climate experts also assume that climate change could compensate for this effect. 短語搭配

一些气候专家也认为，气候变化可能会抵消这种影响。

We know that it can be normal for the climate to change

我们知道，气候的变化可能是正常的现象，

by looking at the development of the Earth over the last few million years.

这可以通过观察地球过去几百万年的发展来得出结论。

There are ice ages and warm periods.

地球有冰期，也有温暖期。

In the last ice age,

在上一个冰河时期，

a gigantic flood of melting water crippled the heat-bringing North Atlantic Current, 用詞

融水的巨大洪流使得带来热量的北大西洋暖流陷入瘫痪，

covering the Northern Hemisphere in ice. 語法

导致北半球被冰雪覆盖。

Scientists have different views on the impact that climate change will have on the global ocean conveyor belt. 短語搭配

对于气候变化将对全球海洋传送带产生何种影响，科学家们观点不一。

But one thing is clear. 表達脈絡

但有一点是明确的。

When the climate changes, 語法

当气候发生变化时，

then the complex system of ocean currents and winds,

那么洋流和风的复杂系统，

which has remained fairly stable since the last ice age, 語法

这个自上一个冰河时期以来一直保持相对稳定的系统，

will change in ways that we don't yet understand. 表達脈絡

将以我们目前还不了解的方式发生改变。