一张NASA照片如何讲述数十个故事：英语精读讲义

How much can a single picture tell us about ourselves? 表達脈絡

一张照片能告诉我们多少关于自己的事情？

This is a composite image of several satellite photos.

这一张是几张卫星照片合成的图像。

It can help us better understand the current developments and conflicts underway. 用詞

它能帮助我们更好地了解当前的局势发展与正在发生的冲突。

The amount of light pollution is most severe in heavily populated areas,

光污染的程度在人口稠密的地区最为严重，

as well as in regions of high prosperity. 短語搭配

在高度繁荣的地区也是如此。

In Europe, the Benelux region and the densely populated Po-Valley

在欧洲，比荷卢地区和人口密集的波河谷

are so bright that the individual towns blend into one big sea of light. 講解

亮得连各个城镇都融成了一片光海。

Especially in the Arab world,

尤其是在阿拉伯世界，

the extraction of oil creates bright lights from the flaring of gas. 文化背景

石油开采过程中气体燃烧产生了明亮的火光。

And in Africa, you can trace the path of the Nile River, 短語搭配

而在非洲，你可以清晰地追踪尼罗河的轨迹，

which as the lifeline of Egypt, attracts civilization and is filled with commercial boats. 習語

作为埃及的生命线，它吸引了文明的聚集，并且河面上布满了商船。

In the mostly uninhabited regions of Western Australia,

在西澳大利亚大部分无人居住的地区，

the satellites could even capture lights from wildfires that occurred over a span of 22 days. 短語搭配

卫星甚至能捕捉到跨度达22天的野火所发出的火光。

And in Asia, the Indian subcontinent is clearly standing out. 短語動詞

在亚洲，印度次大陆显得格外抢眼。

Nearly 20% of the planet's population lives here.

地球上将近20%的人口居住在这里。

And the rapid population and economic growth can be seen 語法

这里人口和经济的快速增长，

by comparing the area from how it looked in 2012 and then again in 2016.

可以通过对比该地区2012年和2016年的样貌来看出。

However, it's just as interesting to look at the regions where there is no light. 表達脈絡

然而，观察那些没有灯光的地区同样很有意思。

The Syrian Civil War, which has wiped out hundreds of thousands of lives, 短語動詞

夺去了数十万人生命的叙利亚内战，

has darkened the country.

让这个国家陷入了黑暗。

Due to the ongoing fights, the electrical grid is only partially available, 用詞

由于持续不断的战斗，电网只能部分运行，

and the power supply is poor.

电力供应十分匮乏。

Aleppo, the largest city in Syria,

叙利亚最大的城市阿勒颇，

is considered an important cultural place.

被视为一个重要的文化胜地。

The Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. 文化背景

它的老城自1986年起就被列为联合国教科文组织世界遗产。

But the war has almost completely destroyed the historic city.

但战争几乎将这座历史名城彻底摧毁。

The darkening can also be observed in Raqqa,

在拉卡也能观察到这种黑暗，

which has long acted as the de facto capital of the terrorist Islamic State. 用詞

这里长期以来被作为恐怖组织“伊斯兰国”的事实首都。

When we see a city darken in these images,

当我们在这些图像中看到一座城市变暗时，

it shows the annihilation of a place and its history

它标志着一个地方及其历史的覆灭，

and ultimately the end of many human lives.

以及最终许多生命的终结。

These black pixels in such an image can say a lot more than the lit ones. 習語

这样的图像里，黑色的像素往往比发光的像素能说明更多问题。

This also applies to the Korean Peninsula. 短語搭配

这点同样适用于朝鲜半岛。

While South Korea is brightly lit, 語法

韩国灯火通明，

North Korea is almost completely black.

而朝鲜则几乎是一片漆黑。

The metropolitan area around the capital of the South, Seoul,

韩国首都首尔周边的都市圈，

now has more than 25 million inhabitants.

如今拥有超过2500万居民。

The population density here is twice that of New York City 語法

这里的人口密度是纽约市的两倍，

and eight times larger than that of Rome.

更是罗马的八倍之多。

Also, the waters surrounding Korea are brightly lit from the numerous fishing boats off the coast.

此外，韩国周围的海域也被海岸边无数渔船的灯光照得通明。

According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 文化背景

根据《联合国海洋法公约》，

there are clear rules for how far off the coast a country may exploit its resources. 用詞

对于一个国家可以在离岸多远的地方开发资源，有着明确的规定。

Additionally, there are several agreements between countries that regulate fishing.

另外，国家之间还有若干规范捕鱼的协议。

This creates odd shapes and perfectly straight lines,

这就形成了各种奇怪的形状和绝对笔直的线条，

bringing to light the absurdity of dividing our planet into arbitrary legal zones. 習語

暴露了将我们的星球划分为任意法律区域的荒谬性。

All these lights from South Korea and the waters that surround it

韩国及其周围水域的所有这些灯光

stand in stark contrast to the north, 短語搭配

与北部形成了鲜明的对比，

where only the North Korean capital Pyongyang stands out a bit.

那里只有朝鲜首都平壤稍微亮一点点。

North Korea's energy infrastructure is obsolete,

朝鲜的能源基础设施陈旧落后，

and power shortages are frequent.

而且经常发生电力短缺。

While South Korea is easily accessible,

韩国很容易进入和了解，

much of what happens in the north remains in the dark. 習語

但北方发生的很多事情仍然隐于黑暗之中。

And the strictly guarded border dividing both nations, the DMZ, 文化背景

划分两国的守卫森严的边界，即非军事区（DMZ），

is clearly traceable.

清晰可见。

This image may be the most impressive illustration of how big the impact 語法

这张图可能是展现

of more than 70 years of division are.

70多年分裂影响有多大的一幅最令人印象深刻的画面。

But the map also teaches us the long-lasting impacts such separations can have, 語法

这张地图还向我们展示了这种分裂可能产生的深远影响，

even those that have already been overcome.

甚至包括那些已经被克服的分裂。

At the time of the Cold War, Germany was separated into East and West,

在冷战时期，德国被分为东德和西德，

and the city of Berlin was divided as well.

柏林市也被一分为二。

And as a result of that, its city lights still appear in two different colors. 表達脈絡

结果就是，直到现在，它的城市灯光依然呈现出两种不同的颜色。

The western part of the city was cut off from the rest of West Germany 短語動詞

这座城市的西半部曾与西德的其他地区隔绝，

and relied on gas lamps because it wanted to be independent 短語動詞

它依赖煤气灯，因为它想保持独立，

from a possibly failing power supply.

免受可能出现故障的电力供应的影响。

Although Germany has been reunited since 1990, 語法

尽管德国自1990年起就已统一，

and this separation has been overcome for more than a quarter of a century,

且这种分裂已经被克服了四分之一个世纪之久，

it can still be seen from space.

但从太空中仍然能看到它的痕迹。

This image points to the global challenges 講解

这张图片指出了

posed by the steadily increasing world population.

全球人口稳步增长所带来的全球性挑战。

And while man-made borders cannot be seen during the day,

虽然在白天看不到人造边界，

the lines of political origin become apparent at night, 短語搭配

但出于政治原因划定的界线在夜间就显露出来了，

but appear all the more absurd and artificial. 短語搭配

不过看起来却显得更加荒唐和做作。

When viewed during daylight, the human influence on our planet is less obvious, 語法

在日光下观察时，人类对我们星球的影响不太明显，

but this single image highlights the social divides and political strife 用詞

但这仅有的一张图片却凸显了过去和现在

from both the past and the present.

的社会分化与政治冲突。