1、UNIT3 Sea Exploration Reading and Thinking 第三单元 REACHING OUT ACROSS THE SEA 横跨大海 Trade and curiosity have often formed the foundation of mankinds greatest achievements. To complete the great map of the world was a strong passion for the people of early civilisations. Marco Polos tales inspired Europ
2、ean explorers to search for sea routes from west to east. However，merchants and explorers from the East set sail from east to west many years before Columbus first did. 贸易和好奇心经常是人类最伟大成就的基础。 完成这幅伟大的世界地图是早期文明人民的强 烈热情。马可波罗的故事启发了欧洲探险家寻找从西到东的海上航线。然而，东部的商人和 探险家比哥伦布早很多年从东向西航行。 In ancient times，silk from Ch
3、ina found its way overland to India，the Middle East，and Rome， along what became known as the Silk Road. A trading route across the sea was also extended along the coasts of the Indian Ocean， centered around Ceylon （now Sri Lanka） . Here， merchants from China and many other places met to negotiate tr
4、ade deals，which also led to more awareness of each other s cultures. Over the centuries， further trading allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China，as recorded in Du Huans Record of My Travels in the eighth century. 在古代，中国的丝绸沿着丝绸之路陆路到达印度、中东和罗马。一条横跨海洋的贸易路线也 沿着印度洋沿岸延伸，以锡兰（现在的斯里兰卡）为中心
5、。在这里，来自中国和其他许多地 方的商人会面，商谈贸易交易，这也使他们对彼此的文化有了更多的了解。几个世纪以来， 进一步的贸易使中国西部地区得到了更多的探索， 正如杜桓在我八世纪游记中所记载的那样。 Later，the Ming Dynasty further developed relations with these regions. Between 1405 and 1433， seven large fleets sailed west on voyages of trade and exploration. These fleets were a sight to behold an
6、d were in a league of their own at that time. Under the command of Zheng He， they set sail from the South China Sea across the Indian Ocean to the mouth of the Red Sea，and then to the east coast of Africa. African royal families sent gifts such as giraffes as gestures of friendship in return for gol
7、d， silk， and spices. Although China withdrew from further expeditions after 1433， these land and sea routes remained active channels between other cultures for centuries. 后来， 明朝进一步发展了与这些地区的关系。 1405 年至 1433 年间， 7 艘大型船队向西航行， 进行贸易和勘探。这些舰队是一个看得见的景象，在当时是属于他们自己的联盟。在郑和的 指挥下，他们从南中国海起航，越过印度洋到达红海入海口，再到非洲东海岸。非
8、洲皇室送 礼物，如长颈鹿作为友谊的象征，以换取黄金、丝绸和香料。尽管中国在 1433 年后退出了 进一步的探险，但这些陆路和海路在几个世纪以来一直是其他文化之间的活跃通道。 To reach out across the sea remains a strong desire today. The ancient sea routes travelled by Zheng He are being revisited with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road，which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative. 如
9、今，跨越海洋仍然是一种强烈的愿望。由郑率领的古代海上航线，他将被重新访问，二十 一世纪海上丝绸之路，这是“一带一路”倡议的一部分。 The aim of this initiative is to encourage cooperation and trade across the historic Silk Road areas， and strengthen the bonds between China and the rest of the world. Trading has grown greatly in recent years，and will continue to do
10、so in years to come. China has invested billions in systems and services along these routes， which will help to greatly develop the whole area for the benefit of future trade and cultural exchange. 这一倡议的目的是鼓励跨越历史丝绸之路地区的合作与贸易，加强中国与世界各国的联系。 近年来，贸易有了很大的增长，今后几年还将继续增长。中国在这些线路上投资了数十亿美 元的系统和服务，这将有助于整个地区的大发
11、展，有利于未来的贸易和文化交流。 China has also joined its friends across the sea on other important projects. Although the ancient sea routes of Zheng He have been travelled many times，there are still many other places left to explore. In recent years，China has joined other nations on several expeditions to explor
12、e the Arctic. From a scientific point of view，there is an urgent need to study the Arctic in order to understand climate change and its effects. 中国还与它的海上朋友们一道参与了其他重要项目。虽然郑和的古代海路已经走了很多次， 但还有很多地方有待探索。近年来，中国与其他国家一道进行了几次北极探险。从科学的角 度来看，迫切需要研究北极，以便了解气候变化及其影响。 Hundreds of years on， and with the latest tech
13、nology in hand， the need to trade and the desire to enhance relationships will drive China to reach out across the sea far into the future. 几百年过去了， 在掌握最新技术的情况下， 贸易的需要和增进关系的愿望将推动中国在遥远 的未来跨越海洋。 UNIT 3 Using Language 第三单元使用语言 text1： 文本 1： When people talk of exploring the sea more，they usually mean exp
14、loiting it. Sea exploration has caused many problems and will continue to cause more. 当人们谈论更多地探索海洋时，他们通常是指开发海洋。海洋勘探造成了许多问题，并将继 续造成更多的问题。 More exploration means more pollution. The Deepwater Horizon spilled over 200 million gallons of oil into the sea in 2010. Plastic pollution is also bad，killing ma
15、ny birds and fish，and has even been found in our tap water. 更多的勘探意味着更多的污染。2010 年， “深水地平线”号向海中泄漏了超过 2 亿加仑的石 油。 塑料污染也很严重， 杀死了许多鸟类和鱼类， 甚至在我们的自来水中也发现了塑料污染。 Mining for resources is very damaging，especially in the Arctic. Because of climate change，there is less ice now，which means we can look for more fos
16、sil fuels further north. But if we burn these， the ice will melt more and this negative cycle will continue. Climate change is warning us that something is very wrong. 开采资源破坏性很大，特别是在北极地区。由于气候变化，现在的冰越来越少，这意味着我 们可以在更远的北方寻找更多的化石燃料。但如果我们燃烧这些，冰会融化得更多，这种负 循环还会继续。气候变化正在警告我们，有些事情是非常错误的。 Overfishing is anoth
17、er problem. Whales and dolphins are also hunted for their meat or for so-called research. Although this was banned in 1982，some countries are still “murdering” these intelligent creatures without mercy. The sea is home to life，not human beings possessions. It is huge，but it is more sensitive than we
18、 think. If we do not protect it，future generations will not forgive us. 过度捕捞是另一个问题。 鲸鱼和海豚也被猎杀以获取它们的肉或进行所谓的研究。 尽管这在 1982 年被禁止，一些国家仍然毫不留情地“谋杀”这些聪明的生物。海洋是生命的家园， 而不是人类的财产。它是巨大的，但它比我们想象的更敏感。如果我们不保护它，后代就不 会原谅我们。 Text 2 文本 2 To truly understand our planet，we must explore the oceans which cover most of it.
19、Opponents may be concerned，but sea exploration is important for our future. For example，scientific research ships can help address important issues such as climate change. We need to understand what is happening to our planet so that we can take action. Therefore，more research is necessary. 为了真正了解我们
20、的星球，我们必须探索覆盖地球大部分的海洋。反对者可能会担心，但海 洋探险对我们的未来很重要。例如，科学研究船可以帮助解决气候变化等重要问题。我们需 要了解我们的星球正在发生什么，这样我们才能采取行动。因此，有必要进行更多的研究。 Understanding more about the sea will also help us manage its resources better. Logging new species will improve our understanding of life on the earth. It may help us discover new medi
21、cines， as well as new sources of food and energy. Accessing the deep ocean may also help us to predict events such as earthquakes. 更多地了解海洋也将有助于我们更好地管理海洋资源。 砍伐新物种将提高我们对地球上生命 的了解。它可以帮助我们发现新的药物，以及新的食物和能源来源。进入深海也可以帮助我 们预测地震等事件。 The population of the world is growing and we need new resources for future
22、development. There are probably vast amounts of resources under the sea and ice，not just oil and gas but also valuable minerals. 世界人口在增长，我们需要新的资源来促进未来的发展。海底和冰下可能有大量的资源，不 仅仅是石油和天然气，还有宝贵的矿产。 Of course， there are still environmental risks. However， these should be balanced with economic needs. Hopefully， as technology improves， we may have more options for managing this balance. 当然，还有环境风险。然而，这些应该与经济需求相平衡。希望随着技术的进步，我们可以 有更多的选择来管理这种平衡。
