外媒看中国：大中华要征服南极洲？！

 　　China is making big moves in Antarctica as it attempts to position itself for maximum influence on the world's last unclaimed piece of land, Jane Perlez reports for The New York Times.

　　据《纽约时报》记者裴若思向该报报道，中国正在南极洲展开重大举动，力图在这片仅存的尚未被人类征服的土地上谋得具有最大影响力的战略位置。

　　Although Beijing did not establish its first Antarctic research base until 1985, Chinese efforts to expand its influence across the continent have intensified¹ and are now outpacing other nations' plans.

　　中国直至1985年才在南极洲建立了第一个考察站，尽管如此，近年来，中国加紧了自己向这块跨洋大陆扩张影响力的步骤，其步伐之快已经超出了其他国家的计划。

　　"China’s operations on the continent — it opened its fourth research station last year, chose a site for a fifth, and is investing in a second icebreaker and new ice-capable planes and helicopters — are already the fastest-growing of the 52 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty," Perlez notes.

　　记者裴若思称：“中国在去年设置了第四个南极考察站，还为第五个南极考察站选定了位置，现在还在投资建造第二艘破冰船、可以在冰上升降的新型飞机和直升机等考察设备——中国在南极洲的建设步伐在52个《南极条约》签订国中是进展最快的。

　　外媒看中国：大中华要征服南极洲？！

　　The US has six research stations on the continent, while Australia has three. The Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959, commits the signatories to ensuring that the continent will remain open for peaceful scientific research and that the region will not be militarized. A number of separate protocols³ aim to protect the Antarctic environment from overfishing and mining of what are considered to be large supplies of scarce resources in the region.

　　美国在南极洲有六个科考站，澳大利亚有三个。各国在1959年签订的《南极条约》规定，签订国有义务保证这块大陆永远向和平的科学考察行动开放许可，同时承诺不对这片区域进行军事控制。另有若干单独协议旨在保护南极洲免于过渡捕捞，以及保护这一区域内储量极大的稀缺资源免于过度开采。

　　Although China has abided by the constraints⁴ of the pacts⁵, observers of Antarctic affairs believe that Beijing is using the guise⁶ of research to gain a strategic upper hand in case region opens to commercial drilling in the future.

　　虽然中国受到上述协定的制约，但南极洲局势的观察研究人员相信，中国正在以科学研究为掩护，谋取战略优势地位，以便为日后这一区域对商业性开发开放许可之时做好准备。

　　“This is part of a broader pattern of a mercantilist approach all around the world,” Peter Jennings, director of Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the NYT. “A big driver of Chinese policy is to secure a long-term energy supply and food supply.”

　　澳大利亚战略决策协会的会长皮特·杰宁斯称，“这是中国在世界范围内实施重商主义政策的宏大计划的题中之义。”“中国如此决策背后的一大驱动力在于保证长期的能源供应和粮食供应。”

　　The ban on commercial drilling of resources in Antarctica is due to expire in 2048, unless the Protocol² on Environmental Protection is re-ratified by consensus⁷. If the accord does expire, Antarctica could become the next major source of hydrocarbons⁸ on earth. The region is believed to have an approximate 200 billion barrels of oil, in addition to being the largest single repository of fresh water on the planet.

　　对南极洲能源商业性开发的禁令将在2048年终止，除非《环境保护协议》经各国协商重新生效。如果这一协定届时真的废止，南极洲或将成为地球上下一个碳氢化合物的主要开采源。据证实，这一区域内石油的存储量约为2000亿筒，同时南极洲还是地球上仅有最大的淡水库。

　　China's current investments could place it in an unrivaled position to take advantage of any resources on the continent in 2048.

　　中国目前的投资数额或能使其在2048年获得上无可比拟的优势位置，在这块大陆上占据对所有种类资源的优先权。

　　"China's exploration of the continent is like playing chess. It's important to have a position in the global game," Guo Peiqing, a law professor at the Ocean University of China told The Guardian⁹. "We don't know when play will happen, but it's necessary to have a foothold."

　　中国海洋大学法学院教授国培平对《卫报》记者称，“中国对南极洲的征险就像是在下象棋。在这一世界各国参加的棋局中放好棋位是非常重要的。”“我们不知道好戏何时开场，但谋得一个立足点是十分必要的。”

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

4 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 pacts   

条约( pact的名词复数 )； 协定； 公约

参考例句：

• Vassals can no longer accept one-sided defensive pacts (!). 附庸国不会接受单方面的共同防御协定。
• Well, they are EU members now and have formed solidarity pacts with members such as Poland. 他们现在已经是欧盟的一部分了并且他们和欧盟成员诸如波兰等以签署了合作协议。

6 guise   

n.外表，伪装的姿态

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors.他们假装成视察员进了学校。
• The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 hydrocarbons   

n.碳氢化合物，烃( hydrocarbon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hydrocarbons (HC), like carbon monoxide, represent unburned and wasted fuel. 碳氢化合物(HC)像一氧化碳一样，为未燃尽的和被浪费掉的燃料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• With this restricted frequency range it is not applicable to hydrocarbons. 这个较紧缩的频率范围不适用于烃类。 来自辞典例句

9 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。