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進入《中英對照讀新聞》More giant craters spotted in Russia’s far north 更多巨大坑洞在俄羅斯遙遠的北方被發現
◎李信漢
Russian scientists have now discovered seven giant craters in remote Siberia, a geologist told AFP, adding that the mysterious phenomenon was believed to be linked to climate change.
俄羅斯科學家現已在遙遠的西伯利亞發現7個巨大坑洞，一位地質學家告訴法新社，還說這個神秘的現象據信和氣候變遷有關。
The discovery of an enormous chasm in a far northern region known to locals as "the end of the world" in July last year prompted speculation it had been caused by a meteorite or even aliens.
去年7月，在被當地人稱為「世界盡頭」的遙遠北部地區，發現了一個巨大坑洞。這個發現引起揣測，巨大坑洞是由隕石甚或是外星人所造成。
A YouTube video of the hole went viral and a group of scientists was despatched to investigate.
一則關於這個巨大坑洞的YouTube影片，在網路上瘋狂流傳，而有一群科學家被派去調查。
"We have just learnt that in Yakutia, new information has emerged about a giant crater one kilometre in diameter," the deputy director of the Oil and Gas Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vasily Bogoyavlensky, told AFP.
「我們剛得知新資訊，在雅庫提亞，出現一個直徑1公里的巨大坑洞。」俄羅斯科學院石油與天然氣研究所副所長沃西里‧波哥亞夫蘭斯基，告訴法新社。
He said this brought to seven the number of reported pits.
他說，這使得報導中的坑洞數目來到7個。
"Footage allows us to identify minimum seven craters, but in fact there are plenty more," he said.
「影片讓我們辨認出最少有7個坑洞，但事實上那裡還有更多。」他說。
All of the craters have been discovered in the remote energy-rich Yamalo-Nenetsky region in north-western Siberia.
所有這些坑洞都是在遙遠、能源豐富的西伯利亞西北部亞馬爾－涅涅茨自治區發現。
Scientists say that rather than aliens or meteorites, the holes are caused by the melting of underground ice in the permafrost, which has possibly been sped up by rising temperatures due to global warming. (AFP)
科學家說不是外星人也不是隕石，這些坑洞是永凍層裡的地下冰融化後所造成，這可能是因全球暖化造成的氣溫上升，而加速冰層融化。（法新社）
新聞辭典
prompt：動詞，促使、激起。例句：Her curiosity prompted her to ask questions.（她的好奇心驅使她發問。）
speculation：名詞，推測。例句：He dismissed their theories as mere speculation.（他駁斥他們的理論只是推測。）
go viral：片語，指某人或物透過社群網站或影音短片在網路廣為流傳而造成轟動。例句：Footage of the candidate’s off-color remarks went viral within minutes.（這位候選人低俗的評論影片，幾分鐘之內就在網路上瘋狂流傳開來。）
