How much would it cost to buy the ocean? - Astrid J. Hsu

翻译人员: Zining Chen 校对人员: suya f.

Surveying his vast domain, trident heavy in hand,

俯瞰广袤的领地, 手中的三叉戟沉甸甸的,

Poseidon considers the prospect of retirement.

波塞冬考虑着退休的前景。

What if someone else donned the coral crown

如果有人戴上珊瑚冠，

so he could spend his immortality harmonizing with blue whales

这样他就可以与 蓝鲸和谐相处,

and cozying up to hydrothermal vents?

在热液喷口旁惬意地享受吗?

Poseidon decides he needs to actually prioritize himself for once.

波塞冬决定，

他需要真正优先考虑自己一次,

So he summons his accountant and asks:

于是他召集会计师

问道：“他今天能把大海卖多少钱？”

how much could he sell the ocean for today?

Poseidon’s accountant is the top-ranked financial analyst

波塞冬的会计师是世界闻名的

to the world’s movers and shakers,

顶级金融分析师,

its literal titans of industry.

和工业巨头。

He handles all divine assets.

他处理所有神圣资产

When it comes to boiling complex systems of intrinsic value down to monetary sums,

当把复杂的内在价值系统归结为

货币数额时。

he’s the guy.

他就是那个人,

And he’s actually got a potential buyer:

并且实际上他有一个潜在的买家。

Hades is interested in building his real estate portfolio

哈迪斯有兴趣建立 自己的房地产投资组合，

and expanding his domain into the marine realm.

并将自己的领域扩展 到海洋领域。

So, the accountant already appraised the ocean’s market value

因此，会计师已经评估了 海洋的市场价值，

and prepared a quick presentation.

并准备了一份简短的演讲。

"The property covers over 70% of Earth’s surface.

该财产覆盖了 70% 以上的地球表面,

But it’s also quite voluminous!"

但体积也相当大。

Poseidon knows this.

波塞冬知道这一点。

He does annual Mariana Trench swims with sea cucumbers.

他做了年度马里亚纳海沟， 和海参一起游泳，

But before he even gets to his best giant squid story,

但还没等他讲到最精彩的巨型乌贼故事，

the accountant is back at analysis.

会计师又开始分析了。

"Marine shipping alone accounts for 80% of global trade,

仅海运就占全球贸易的 80％，

generating over $14 trillion annually.

每年产生超过 14 万亿美元的收入。

The global fishing industry provides over 3 billion people

全球捕鱼业超过 30 亿人

with a significant amount of their dietary protein,

为了提供了大量的膳食蛋白，

employs an estimated 260 million,

估计雇用了 2.6 亿人,

and generates about $163 billion every year.

而且每年产生约 1630 亿美元的收入。

And oil and budding seabed mining industries

与此同时, 石油和新兴的海底采矿业

generate around $245 billion per year."

每年产生约 2450 亿美元的收入。

"Some of the ocean’s assets are harder to quantify monetarily.

一些海洋资产更难 用金钱来量化。

The ocean absorbs around 30% of human generated carbon dioxide,

海洋大约吸收了人类 产生的二氧化碳的 30％ ，

and, since 1955, has taken in more than 90% of excess heat.

自 1955 年以来，海洋 吸收了 90％ 以上的多余热量。

About 40% of humanity lives within 100 kilometers of the ocean.

大约 40% 的人类生活 在距离海洋 100 公里以内。

Coastal ecosystems buffer waves, reduce erosion, and ease flooding,

沿海生态系统可以缓冲海浪， 减少侵蚀并缓解洪水,

preventing over $716 billion in damages annually.

防止每年超过 7160 亿美元的损失。

Many cultures have deep ties to the ocean.

许多文化与海洋和海岸景观 有着深厚的联系,

And coastal views and recreation improve mental health.

娱乐可以改善心理健康。

Meanwhile, it's estimated that as-yet undiscovered

同时，据估计,

marine-derived cancer treatments could save countless lives

未被发现的海洋癌症疗法 可以拯救无数生命，

and be worth up to $5.7 trillion.

价值高达 5.7 万亿美元。

The ocean generates half the planet’s oxygen

海洋产生地球 一半的氧气,

and, directly or indirectly,

直接或间接地为地球上的所有生命 提供食物、能量和矿物质。

provides food, energy, and minerals to all life on Earth."

A salty tear cascades down Poseidon’s face that the accountant ignores.

会计师却忽略了从波塞冬 的脸上流下来的一滴咸眼泪。

He can’t give the total cost yet because, of course,

他还不能给出总成本，因为当然，必须将

recent developments must be factored in.

最近的事态发展考虑在内。

"Climate change is heating, acidifying, and deoxygenating the ocean

气候变化使海洋升温，

酸化和脱氧，和垃圾正在污染海洋。

and trash is polluting it.

Overfishing and aggressive seabed resource extraction

过度捕捞和激进的 海底资源开采

are disrupting fragile ecosystems and impacting the ocean’s productivity."

正在破坏脆弱的生态系统, 影响海洋的生产力。

The accountant says, "Sigh, buddy, you shouldn’t worry, though,

会计师叹了口气说： “兄弟，你不必担心，

because we can grow the ocean’s investment value.

因为我们可以增加 海洋的投资价值。”

Coral reef tourism already yields approximately $36 billion annually.

考虑到热门潜水点的收入

Considering the revenue of popular dive sites

及其区域内鲨鱼的数量和寿命，

and their regional shark populations and lifespans,

珊瑚礁旅游业每年的收益 已经达到约 360 亿美元。

researchers estimate that one shark can generate almost $2 million

研究人员估计，一条鲨鱼一生

in its lifetime—

可以产生近200万美元的收入， 这使它们活着的比死的更有价值。

making them much more valuable alive than dead.

Sustainable management of fisheries could allow species to rebound

可持续的渔业管理 可以使物种反弹,

and bring in an additional $83 billion annually.

每年额外带来 830亿美元的收入。

And with growth in offshore wind, tidal, and wave energy harvesting,

随着海上风能、潮汐 和波浪能收集的发展，

the ocean is poised to help humanity quit fossil fuels."

海洋有望帮助人类戒掉化石燃料。

Now the grand reveal.

现在是大揭晓。

The accountant's conclusions are similar to those of mortal experts:

会计师的结论与凡人专家的结论相似。

the ocean alone is worth roughly $24 trillion—

仅海洋就价值约 24 万亿美元，

at least— about a quarter of the World Bank’s valuation

至少占世界银行 2021 年 全球经济估值

of the global economy in 2021.

的四分之一左右。

But if humanity reinvests in the ocean's health—

但是，如果人类对海洋健康进行再投资,

fishing sustainably, decarbonizing shipping,

持续捕鱼使航运脱碳，

scaling offshore wind farms, and conserving and restoring mangroves—

扩大海上风电场并 保护和恢复红树林，

investments could return up to 600% in profits.

那么投资可以带来 高达 600％ 的利润。

Poseidon feels the weight of his folly crushing him

波塞冬感受到了自己愚蠢行为的分量，

like a Styrofoam cup 2,000 meters deep.

它像一个深达 2000 米的 泡沫塑料杯一样将他碾碎。

Reducing such a priceless, generously life-giving natural system to a number

将如此无价、慷慨的生命 赋予自然系统的人简化

is just another symptom of the greatest problems he’s facing nowadays.

只是他当今面临的最大 问题的另一个征兆。

And though he respects the work his brother, Hades, does,

尽管他尊重兄弟哈迪斯所做的工作,

he doesn't want the ocean to become an extension of the Underworld.

但他不希望海洋 成为地下世界的延伸。

He can’t give it up.

他无法将其放弃。

Poseidon asks forgiveness

波塞冬请求宽恕

and reaffirms his eternal vow to protect the ocean.

并重申他保护海洋的永恒誓言。

It’ll take him a few tidal cycles to realize Hades and the accountant

他需要几个潮汐周期， 才能意识到哈迪斯

和会计师在虚张声势，

were bluffing and see what this really was:

a much-needed intervention by a duo of deities who cared deeply about him—

并明白这其实是对他和这个世界 深表关切的两位神灵

and the world.

进行的急需干预。