深海女王:西爾維亞•厄爾

作為一位科學(xué)家，她不畏艱險(xiǎn)、勤于追尋，無(wú)數(shù)次潛入深海，幾十次遠(yuǎn)洋科考，只為真實(shí)客觀地認(rèn)識(shí)與揭示海洋的未知奧秘；作為一位探險(xiǎn)家，她膽識(shí)過(guò)人、無(wú)畏無(wú)懼，進(jìn)行了無(wú)數(shù)次的深海探險(xiǎn)，創(chuàng)造了世界單人潛水深度紀(jì)錄，目睹了幾乎所有潛水員和海洋生物學(xué)家都無(wú)法企及的深海景象；作為環(huán)保主義者，她身體力行、誨人不倦，在浩瀚無(wú)邊的海洋中尋找海洋的希望之地，用事實(shí)的陳述與誠(chéng)懇的語(yǔ)言呼喚世人保護(hù)地球蔚藍(lán)的心臟。她便是被冠以“深海女王”之稱的海洋生物學(xué)家——西爾維亞·厄爾。

Beneath the Pacific Ocean， 210 miles southwest of Guam1)， lies the Marianas Trench2): a gouge in the ocean floor 1800 meters deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. In 1960， explorers Jacques Piccard3) and Don Walsh4) took the bathyscaphe5)， “Trieste，” to the very floor of the Marianas Trench， where they spent 20 minutes looking around. They reported seeing， fully seven miles deep， a flounder6)-like creature!

Since that one expedition， for logistical reasons， no one has followed up7) on the exploration of Piccard and Walsh. However， if anyone is going to do it， it will be the distinguished marine biologist Sylvia Earle， ambassador to the world’s oceans.

Affectionately called “Her Deepness，” or “The Sturgeon General，” Earle is a seasoned8) aquanaut9) who holds the depth record for a solo dive: 1，250 feet. Earle co-founded the company， Deep Ocean Engineering， and is a recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees. She founded the Sustainable Seas Project， which is currently conducting a series of explorations of the United States’ marine sanctuaries10)， and she currently serves as a scholar and “Explorer-in-Residence” for the National Geographic Society. Most importantly， Earle is a tireless advocate for marine conservation and for fostering public awareness of the perils11) to ocean ecosystems caused by overfishing and pollution.

Sylvia Earle was born on August 30， 1935， in Gibbstown， New Jersey. She has always been motivated by an intense curiosity of the sea. Young Earle found that， during family trips to the Jersey shore， a vast world of magical wonder awaited her at water’s edge. When her parents moved to Florida， Earle turned the Gulf of Mexico into her own backyard of discovery. Earle describes the experience as “l(fā)iving on the edge of the great unknown everyday.” At 16， Earle attempted her first dive. More than 6，000 hours of diving time were to follow in her brilliant career.

Some of Earle’s diving pursuits are legendary. In 1968， Earle was part of an expedition to descend into the ocean in the first modern submersible without a lockout12) chamber. Four months pregnant， Earle became the first woman scientist to gaze through the porthole13) of a submersible!

Two years later， at the same time that astronauts were landing on the moon， Earle participated in the Navy’s Tektite Project14). Funded jointly by the Navy and NASA， the Tektite Project saw Earle leading the first team of women aquanauts on a two-week underwater expedition where invaluable research would add to the body of knowledge concerning deep water eco-structures， as well as detail the effects of prolonged underwater habitation on the human body. During this project， she noted the damaging effects of man-made pollutants and global warming on delicate coral reefs15)—a vital part of the complex underwater food chain. This observation confirmed Earle’s fears about the human destruction of underwater ecosystems.

When queried as to her opinion of the greatest threat to the world’s oceans， Earle responded: “ignorance， lack of understanding， a failure to relate our destiny to that of the sea.” Overfishing is one issue where Earle’s displeasure is most ardent. It is no longer shocking to hear news of the many marine species being overfished to the extent that their existence is threatened. One example is the sad case of the bluefin tuna which inhabit the Indian Ocean. Since the first bluefin census in 1970， the population of these fish has shrunk to one-tenth its size! Another example of human depredation16) of the ocean is the method of shrimp harvesting. Shrimping trawlers17) scrape18) everything off the ocean bottom， including plants and other fish， simply to pick out the shrimp and discard the rest! Earle compares trawling for shrimp to clear-cutting an entire forest just to get the squirrels.

Earle is a proponent of sea farming. She considers the harvesting of wild fish an inefficient use of the marine food chain. She believes this to be a crucial time in the development of the oceans and our relationship with them. In her compelling and informative biography， Sea Change， Earle offers a blueprint19) for change that involves reversal of damaging governmental policy issues， the creation of marine sanctuaries， and awareness of the benefits of sea farming. She also advocates individual changes in eating habits. She， herself， no longer eats seafood.

As a result of her fascination with the dark depths of the ocean floor， Earle started Deep Ocean Engineering with her former husband， Graham Hawkes. This firm was instrumental in the development of deep water robots and submersibles. The exploration of the Marianas Trench has always been one of Earle’s goals. At present， the technology exists for a dive to 20，000 feet， a little more than half the depth of the Trench.

Earle has already seen what few divers dream of and she has attempted what few marine biologists could imagine. At record-breaking depths of 3，000 feet， Earle has seen the lattice-like patterns of brittle starfish20) decorating the unexplored sea floor， as well as the dazzling bioluminescence21) of deep water ecosystems. Earle likens jumping into the ocean to “jumping into minestrone22): but all the little bits are swimming around.” She often says that “every little spoonful of the ocean is full of life.” Even below the reach of sunlight， ocean plants thrive， nourished by a process called “chemosynthesis23)，” a counter to the process of photosynthesis24) by which land plants live. To Earle， who has spent countless hours in the company of sea creatures， fish are like humans in that each one is different.

Over the course of her career， Earle has marked the devastating effects of man-made pollutants on ocean life. Earle describes the ocean as “a balance sheet25) out of balance.” She believes that by telling people about the “symphony of life” that exists in the ocean， she will be able to make people understand how crucial it is， at this moment， for human beings to change the way they treat the seas. She says that one important impetus for our making drastic changes should be concern for ourselves， since the earth’s climate is governed by the ocean. Ninety-seven percent of the earth’s water is ocean， so it is absolutely crucial that， in order to keep the earth a habitable place for humans， the oceans must remain as they have slowly evolved over the millennia: that is， with every spoonful still full of life.

Sylvia Earle’s advocacy for the fate of the oceans makes her a true ambassador and champion of the world’s most precious resource.

馬里亞納海溝位于關(guān)島西南方向210英里的太平洋海底，這條位于海洋底部的海溝的深度比珠穆朗瑪峰的高度(注：約8848米)還要超出1800米。1960年，探險(xiǎn)家雅克·皮卡爾與唐·沃爾什乘坐“的里雅斯特”號(hào)深海潛水器，抵達(dá)了馬里亞納海溝的最底部，并在那里進(jìn)行了20分鐘的觀察。據(jù)他們報(bào)告，他們?cè)谏钸_(dá)七英里(注：約11，265米)的地方發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種類似比目魚(yú)的生物！

自那次探險(xiǎn)之后，由于后勤保障方面的原因，再?zèng)]有人緊隨皮卡爾和沃爾什的步伐，作進(jìn)一步的探索。不過(guò)，假如有人打算去做這件事的話，那這個(gè)人肯定是杰出的海洋生物學(xué)家、世界海洋的使者——西爾維亞·厄爾。

厄爾是一名經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的輕裝潛水員，至今保持著1250英尺(注：381米)的單人潛水深度紀(jì)錄，人們親切地稱她為“深海女王”或者“鱘魚(yú)總管”。厄爾參與創(chuàng)建了深海工程技術(shù)公司，獲得的各類獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)和榮譽(yù)學(xué)位不計(jì)其數(shù)。她所發(fā)起的“海洋可持續(xù)發(fā)展探索項(xiàng)目”正在美國(guó)的海洋保護(hù)區(qū)開(kāi)展一系列的探險(xiǎn)活動(dòng)，她本人目前是美國(guó)國(guó)家地理學(xué)會(huì)的學(xué)者和“常駐探險(xiǎn)家”。最為重要的是，厄爾一直孜孜不倦地倡導(dǎo)海洋保護(hù)，致力于促進(jìn)公眾覺(jué)醒，使人們意識(shí)到過(guò)度捕撈和污染已使海洋生態(tài)系統(tǒng)瀕于危險(xiǎn)的境地。

西爾維亞·厄爾1935年8月30日出生于新澤西的吉布斯敦。她一直對(duì)海洋懷有強(qiáng)烈的好奇心。在與家人去澤西海岸游玩的時(shí)候，小厄爾發(fā)現(xiàn)在水邊有一個(gè)浩瀚而迷人的神奇世界在等待著她。隨父母搬到佛羅里達(dá)后，厄爾把墨西哥灣當(dāng)成了自己探索海洋的“后花園”。說(shuō)起這段經(jīng)歷，厄爾把它描述為“每天都生活在偉大的未知世界旁邊”。16歲時(shí)，厄爾首次嘗試潛水。在她之后的光輝事業(yè)歷程中，她潛水的總時(shí)間超過(guò)了六千小時(shí)。

厄爾的有些潛水經(jīng)歷頗具傳奇色彩。1968年，厄爾參加了一項(xiàng)探險(xiǎn)活動(dòng)，乘坐世界上第一艘沒(méi)有水下出入口艙的現(xiàn)代潛水器潛入海洋，成為第一位透過(guò)潛水器舷窗凝視海洋的女科學(xué)家，而當(dāng)時(shí)的她正懷著四個(gè)月的身孕！

兩年后，也就是在宇航員踏上月球的同時(shí)，厄爾參加了美國(guó)海軍的“玻隕石項(xiàng)目”。在這個(gè)由美國(guó)海軍和國(guó)家航空航天局聯(lián)合出資運(yùn)作的項(xiàng)目中，厄爾率領(lǐng)首支女子潛水隊(duì)進(jìn)行了為期兩周的水下探險(xiǎn)活動(dòng)。在這次探險(xiǎn)活動(dòng)中，她們開(kāi)展了具有重要價(jià)值的調(diào)查研究。這些研究不但可以加深人們對(duì)深海生態(tài)結(jié)構(gòu)的了解，而且也能詳細(xì)闡述和記錄長(zhǎng)時(shí)間待在水下對(duì)人體的影響。在參與這一項(xiàng)目的過(guò)程中，厄爾注意到人為污染和全球變暖對(duì)脆弱的珊瑚礁——這一水下復(fù)雜食物鏈中至關(guān)重要的組成部分——所產(chǎn)生的破壞。這一觀察結(jié)果更加證實(shí)了厄爾對(duì)人類破壞水下生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的擔(dān)憂。

當(dāng)被問(wèn)及在她看來(lái)，世界海洋面臨的最大威脅是什么時(shí)，厄爾回答說(shuō)：“無(wú)知，缺乏了解，沒(méi)有把我們的命運(yùn)與海洋的命運(yùn)聯(lián)系在一起。” 過(guò)度捕撈是最讓厄爾感到激憤的一個(gè)問(wèn)題。過(guò)度捕撈已開(kāi)始威脅到許多海洋物種的生存，這樣的新聞司空見(jiàn)慣，已不再讓我們感到震驚。棲息于印度洋的藍(lán)鰭金槍魚(yú)就是其中一個(gè)不幸的例子。自1970年首次對(duì)藍(lán)鰭金槍魚(yú)進(jìn)行統(tǒng)計(jì)以來(lái)，這些魚(yú)的數(shù)量已經(jīng)減少至原有數(shù)量的1/10！人類破壞海洋的另一個(gè)例子是捕蝦方法。捕蝦用的拖網(wǎng)漁船刮掉了海底的一切，包括植物和其他魚(yú)類，最后卻僅僅把網(wǎng)里的蝦揀出來(lái)，其余的一切皆被扔棄！在厄爾看來(lái)，用拖網(wǎng)漁船捕蝦的做法就好比僅僅為了抓到松鼠而砍掉一整片森林。

厄爾支持海產(chǎn)養(yǎng)殖。她認(rèn)為，捕撈野生魚(yú)類無(wú)法使海洋食物鏈得到有效利用。她認(rèn)為，無(wú)論是對(duì)于海洋的發(fā)展，還是對(duì)于人類與海洋之間的關(guān)系來(lái)說(shuō)，現(xiàn)在都是關(guān)鍵時(shí)期。在她那部引人入勝且令人大開(kāi)眼界的傳記《海洋的變化》中，厄爾提供了一份保護(hù)海洋計(jì)劃，指出我們要在諸多方面作出改變，其中包括徹底改變政府部門帶有破壞性的政策問(wèn)題、設(shè)立海洋保護(hù)區(qū)以及認(rèn)清海產(chǎn)養(yǎng)殖的益處。她還倡議個(gè)人改變飲食習(xí)慣。她自己就不再吃海鮮。

由于癡迷于黑暗而深邃的海底，厄爾與她的前夫格拉漢姆·豪克斯共同創(chuàng)建了深海工程技術(shù)公司。這家公司在深海機(jī)器人和潛水器的開(kāi)發(fā)方面起到了推動(dòng)作用。到馬里亞納海溝去探險(xiǎn)一直是厄爾的一個(gè)夙愿。目前，現(xiàn)有技術(shù)可以實(shí)現(xiàn)的潛水深度已達(dá)兩萬(wàn)英尺(注：6096米)，比馬里亞納海溝深度的一半略深一點(diǎn)。

厄爾所見(jiàn)到的景象，是幾乎所有潛水員做夢(mèng)都無(wú)法夢(mèng)見(jiàn)的；厄爾所嘗試的事情，超出了幾乎所有海洋生物學(xué)家的想象。在創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄地潛至3000英尺(注：914.4米)深處后，厄爾看到了人跡未至的海底里海蛇尾魚(yú)身上的格子狀花紋，也見(jiàn)識(shí)了深海生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中生物體發(fā)出的熠熠光芒。在厄爾看來(lái)，跳進(jìn)海洋就好比“跳進(jìn)蔬菜濃湯：不過(guò)周圍一切微小的東西都在四處游動(dòng)”。她常說(shuō)，“每一小湯匙的海水都滿含著生命?！奔词乖陉?yáng)光照射不到的地方，海洋植物也可以茁壯成長(zhǎng)，它們的營(yíng)養(yǎng)來(lái)源來(lái)自“化能合成作用”，這一作用過(guò)程與陸地植物賴以生存的光合作用過(guò)程正好相反。對(duì)于在一群群海洋生物中度過(guò)無(wú)數(shù)時(shí)光的厄爾而言，魚(yú)跟人一樣，因?yàn)樗鼈円彩歉饔胁煌?/p>

在她的事業(yè)歷程中，厄爾記錄下了人為污染對(duì)海洋生命的毀滅性影響。厄爾將海洋描述為一張“失衡的資產(chǎn)負(fù)債表”。她堅(jiān)信，只要告訴人們海洋中也存在著眾多和諧共處的生命，她就能讓人們明白人類現(xiàn)在改變對(duì)待海洋的方式有多重要。她說(shuō)，我們對(duì)自身的關(guān)注是促使我們作出重大改變的一個(gè)主要刺激因素，因?yàn)榈厍虻臍夂蚴苤朴诤Ｑ?。地球?7%的水來(lái)自海洋，因此，要讓地球繼續(xù)成為一個(gè)適宜人類居住的地方，海洋就必須保持住它們經(jīng)過(guò)幾千年進(jìn)化才得以逐漸形成的狀態(tài)：每一湯匙海水依然飽含生命。這非常重要。

海洋是這個(gè)世界上最寶貴的資源。西爾維亞·厄爾對(duì)海洋命運(yùn)的積極宣傳使她成為一名真正的海洋使者與捍衛(wèi)者。

1.Guam：關(guān)島，美國(guó)海外屬地，是美國(guó)的非憲轄管制領(lǐng)土，位于西太平洋的馬里亞納群島，是該群島最南端也是最大的島嶼。

2.Marianas Trench：馬里亞納海溝，位于西太平洋的馬里亞納群島南邊，其長(zhǎng)度約2550公里，寬度約69公里，最深處估計(jì)有11.03公里。

3.Jacques Piccard：雅克·皮卡爾(1922~2008)，瑞士著名深海探險(xiǎn)家，曾與下文提到的唐·沃爾什創(chuàng)造了人類潛水的最深紀(jì)錄，并以開(kāi)發(fā)研究洋流的水下設(shè)備而聞名。

4.Don Walsh：唐·沃爾什，美國(guó)海洋學(xué)家、探險(xiǎn)家與海洋政策專家

5.bathyscaphe [#712;baelig;θ#618;skaelig;f] n. 深海潛水器

6.flounder [#712;fla#650;nd#601;(r)] n. 比目魚(yú)

7.follow up：緊追，對(duì)……采取進(jìn)一步行動(dòng)

8.seasoned [#712;si#720;znd] adj. 經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的，老練的

9.aquanaut [#712;aelig;kw#601;n#596;#720;t] n. 輕裝潛水員

10.sanctuary [#712;saelig;#331;kt#643;u#601;ri] n. 保護(hù)區(qū)，禁獵區(qū)

11.peril [#712;per#601;l] n. 危險(xiǎn)

12.lockout [#712;l#594;ka#650;t] n. (內(nèi)有足夠空氣壓力使水不能進(jìn)入的)潛水員水下出入口艙

13.porthole [#712;p#596;#720;th#601;#650;l] n. 舷窗

14.Tektite Project：玻隕石項(xiàng)目，1969~1970年由美國(guó)內(nèi)政部、美國(guó)海軍、國(guó)家航天航空局以及通用電氣公司共同合作完成的潛水探險(xiǎn)項(xiàng)目，目標(biāo)是研究長(zhǎng)時(shí)間在水下生活與工作對(duì)人體產(chǎn)生的影響。

15.coral reef：珊瑚礁。珊瑚礁是由成千上萬(wàn)的珊瑚蟲(chóng)(由碳酸鈣組成)的骨骼經(jīng)過(guò)數(shù)百年或數(shù)千年的生長(zhǎng)過(guò)程而形成的，它為許多海洋動(dòng)植物提供了生活環(huán)境。

16.depredation [#716;depr#601;#712;de#618;#643;n] n. 掠奪，破壞

17.trawler [#712;tr#596;#720;l#601;(r)] n. 拖網(wǎng)漁船

18.scrape [skre#618;p] vt. 刮，擦

19.blueprint [#712;blu#720;pr#618;nt] n. 計(jì)劃，藍(lán)圖

20.brittle starfish：海蛇尾魚(yú)，俗稱“脆海星”

21.bioluminescence [#716;ba#618;#601;#650;lu#720;m#618;#712;nesns] n. 生物發(fā)光(現(xiàn)象)；生物發(fā)的光

22.minestrone [#716;m#618;n#601;#712;str#601;#650;ni] n. (意大利式)蔬菜濃湯，一種用干豆、通心粉、線面條等做成的濃汁菜湯

23.chemosynthesis [#716;kem#601;#650;#712;sinθesis] n. 化能合成，指的是一些細(xì)菌通過(guò)將無(wú)機(jī)物氧化，以取得化學(xué)能，再利用這些化學(xué)能將一碳無(wú)機(jī)物(如二氧化碳)和水合成有機(jī)物的營(yíng)養(yǎng)方式。

24.photosynthesis [#716;f#601;#650;t#601;#650;#712;s#618;nθ#601;s#618;s] n. 光合作用，在綠色植物或其他有機(jī)物中，以光作為能量來(lái)源，用二氧化碳和水合成碳?xì)浠衔锏倪^(guò)程。

25.balance sheet：資產(chǎn)負(fù)債表