世界第五大洋

      美国国家地理学会宣布：承认南大洋为世界第五大洋

National Geographic recognizes new Southern Ocean, bringing global total to five

正文开始

Anyone who thought the world had four oceans will now have to think again, after the National Geographic Society announced it would recognize a new Southern Ocean in Antarctica, bringing the global total to five.

认为世界上有四大洋的人要再想想了。美国国家地理学会宣布，南极洲周围海域将被称为南大洋，这样一来，四大洋就变成五大洋了。

The National Geographic, a non-profit scientific and educational organization whose mapping standards are referenced by many atlases and cartographers, said the Southern Ocean consists of the waters surrounding Antarctica, out to 60-degrees south latitude.

美国国家地理学会称，南大洋环绕南极洲，从大陆的海岸线延伸至南纬60度。美国国家地理学会是一个非营利科学与教育组织，许多地图集和制图师都参考该组织的制图标准。

National Geographic Society geographer Alex Tait said scientists have long known that the waters surrounding Antarctica form a “distinct ecological region defined, by ocean currents and temperatures”.

国家地理学会的地理学家亚历克斯·泰特称，科学家很早以前就知道南极洲四周水域组成了一个“由洋流和温度界定的独特生态区域”。

Tait told the Washington Post that the span of water is yet to be officially recognized as an ocean by the relevant international body: “But we thought it was important at this point to officially recognize it.”

泰特告诉《华盛顿邮报》称，相关国际机构还未正式承认这部分水域为第五大洋，“但是我们认为这时候有必要正式承认第五大洋的地位。”

The US Board of Geographic Names, a federal body created in 1890 to establish and maintain “uniform geographic name usage” through the federal government, already recognizes the Southern ocean as occupying the same territory, but this is the first time the National Geographic has done so.

先前美国地名委员会已经认定南大洋是世界第五大洋，但这是美国国家地理学会第一次承认南大洋的地位。美国地名委员会是一家创立于1890年的联邦机构，通过联邦政府来“统一地名”。

“We think it's really important from an educational standpoint, as well as from a map-labeling standpoint, to bring attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean,” Tait told the Post. “So when students learn about parts of the ocean world, they learn it's an interconnected ocean, and they learn there's these regions called oceans that are really important, and there's a distinct one in the icy waters around Antarctica.”

泰特告诉《华盛顿邮报》称：“我们认为，站在教育和地图注记的立场上，将南大洋认定为第五大洋真的很重要。这样，当学生学习海洋世界的各个部分时，他们会了解到这是一个互联互通的海洋，并了解到各个非常重要的大洋，包括环绕南极洲的这片独特的冰冷水域。”

知米课堂：

1. consist of sth 由…组成（或构成）

the Southern Ocean consists of the waters surrounding Antarctica, out to 60-degrees south latitude.

例句：Their diet consisted largely of vegetables.

他们的日常饮食主要由蔬菜构成。

2. from a…standpoint 站在……的立场

“We think it's really important from an educational standpoint, as well as from a map-labeling standpoint, to bring attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean,” Tait told the Post.

例句：He believes that from a military standpoint, the situation is under control.

他认为从军事角度来看，局势已得到控制。

3. bring sth. to sb's attention 引起某人注意

“We think it's really important from an educational standpoint, as well as from a map-labeling standpoint, to bring attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean,” Tait told the Post.

例句：If we don't keep bringing this to the attention of the people, nothing will be done.

如果我们无法让公众保持对此事的关注，那就将一事无成。

趣味拓展：

四大洋变五大洋，地理意义何在？

南大洋人迹罕见，生物并不多，却有明显的生物多样性特征。当地的生态和生物表现为多种特点。一是海洋食物链简短，形成了硅藻→磷虾→鲸类或其他肉食性动物生物链；二是生物种类较少，而且耐严寒的脊椎动物个体较大，发育慢；三是生态系统脆弱，易受外界干扰和破坏。在南大洋和南极洲生存，生物必须适应当地的严寒气候。

南大洋有着与其他大洋不同的特质和生态系统，南大洋的生态更脆弱，同时，由于它不属于任何国家，保护南大洋的任务更艰巨。如果没有责任和权利的相关制约，南大洋及其所属的南极洲很可能成为公地悲剧的缩影。例如，一个世纪以前，南大洋须鲸总数约为100万头，但1904年出现商业性过度捕捞后，如今只剩几十万头。

南大洋现有海域管理机构——南极海洋生物资源养护委员会，需要各成员国履行义务，加快在南极地区构建大型海洋保护区网络。国际上正式承认南大洋，意味着这片公海所蕴藏的资源属于全世界，人类必须为子孙后代保留好这份财富。