The dangerous race for the South Pole - Elizabeth Leane

翻译人员: Riley WANG 校对人员: rong wang

Roald Amundsen had spent nearly two years preparing his Arctic expedition.

罗尔德·阿蒙森已经为 北极探险准备了近两年。

He had secured funding from the Norwegian Crown and hand-picked a trusted crew.

他从挪威皇家学院获得资金支持， 并且亲自挑选了值得信赖的队员。

He’d even received the blessing of the famed explorer Fridtjof Nansen,

他甚至收到了来自 著名探险家弗里乔夫·南森的祝福，

along with the use of his ship, Fram, specially constructed to withstand the ice.

并且可以使用他的富勒姆号， 一条专门为应对寒冰而建造的船。

Now, with the voyage departing, he had one final announcement to his shipmates:

现在，旅程即将开始， 他最后向船员宣布：

They were going to head in the opposite direction.

他们要朝着正相反的方向行进。

By the early 20th century,

在20世纪早期，

nearly every region of the globe had been visited and mapped,

地球上几乎所有地区 都有人类到访并被标注在地图中，

with only two key locations remaining:

只剩下两个关键位置：

the North Pole, deep in the frozen waters of the Arctic region,

北极，位于冰封的北冰洋深处，

and the South Pole, nestled within a recently discovered icy continent

南极，位于广阔的南极海上

in the vast Antarctic Ocean.

一块最近发现的冰雪大陆。

A veteran of several expeditions,

罗尔德·阿蒙森有过几次探险经历，

Amundsen had long dreamed of reaching the North Pole.

他一直梦想着到达北极。

But in 1909, amidst his preparations,

但在1909年，他正为此准备之时，

news came that the American explorers Frederick Cook and Robert Peary

消息传来，美国探险家 罗伯特·皮里和弗雷德里克·库克

had staked rival claims to the achievement.

都宣称自己已经到达北极。

Instead of abandoning the planned voyage,

阿蒙森并未放弃筹备中的航行，

Amundsen decided to alter its course to what he called “the last great problem.”

而是决定改变路线，去往南极， 他将其称为“最后一个大问题”。

But Amundsen’s crew weren’t the only ones kept in the dark.

但并非只有阿蒙森的船员被蒙在鼓里，

British naval officer Robert F. Scott had already visited the Antarctic,

英国海军军官罗伯特·斯科特 已经到过南极地区，

and was leading his own South Pole expedition.

并且有自己的南极探险队。

Now, as Scott’s ship Terra Nova reached Melbourne in 1910,

1910年，当斯科特的新大陆号 到达墨尔本时。

he was greeted with the news that Amundsen was also heading south.

他收到了阿蒙森也要前往南极的消息。

Reluctantly, Scott found himself pitted against the Norwegian

斯科特不情愿地 与这个挪威人成了竞争对手，

in what the newspapers called a ‘race to the Pole.’

当时的新闻报纸将其称为 “前往南极的竞赛”。

Yet if it was a race, it was a strange one.

若真是如此， 那么它绝对是一场奇怪的竞赛。

The expeditions left at different times from different locations,

远征队从不同地点，在不同时间出发，

and they had very different plans for the journey.

他们对路程的规划也截然不同。

Amundsen was focused solely on reaching the Pole.

阿蒙森的目标只是到达极地。

Informed by his Arctic exploration,

受到北极探险的启发， 他借鉴了因纽特人和挪威人的经验，

he drew on both Inuit and Norwegian experience,

arriving with a small team of men and more than a hundred dogs.

队伍由较少的人员 和一百多只狗组成。

His explorers were clothed in sealskin and furs,

他的探险队员们身着海豹皮和毛皮衣服，

as well as specially designed skis and boots.

配备专门设计的雪橇和靴子。

But Scott's venture was more complicated.

但是斯科特的冒险却更加复杂。

Launching an extensive scientific research expedition,

他发起了一项宏大的的科学研究式探险，

he traveled with over three times more men than Amundsen,

出行的人数是阿蒙森团队的三倍以上，

alongside over 30 dogs, 19 Siberian ponies,

配备30多条狗和19匹西伯利亚小马，

and three state-of-the-art motorized sledges.

还有三台最先进的机动雪橇。

但是这些额外的工具和队员

But these additional tools and bodies

weighed down the ship as it battled the storms of the southern ocean.

使他们的船在南方海洋的风暴中不堪重负。

And as they finally began to lay supplies,

最终他们开始减轻装备，

they found both their ponies and motor-sledges ineffective

并且发现小马和机动雪橇

in the harsh ice and snow.

在冰天雪地中派不上什么用场。

In the spring of 1911, after waiting out the long polar night,

1911年的春天， 在熬过了漫长的极夜之后，

both parties began the journey south.

两支队伍都开始了向南的旅程。

Scott’s team traveled over the Beardmore Glacier,

斯科特的队伍在比尔德摩尔冰川上穿行，

following the path of Ernest Shackleton's earlier attempt to reach the pole.

沿着未能成功到达极地的探险家 欧内斯特·沙克尔顿的路线前进。

But although this course had been documented, it proved slow and laborious.

尽管这条路线是前人所记载， 但事实上走起来却缓慢且劳累。

Meanwhile, despite an initial false start,

与此同时， 阿蒙森的五人团队虽然起点不佳，

Amundsen’s five-man team made good time using a previously uncharted route

但通过一条未曾标记的路线迎头赶上，

through the same Transantarctic Mountains.

这条路线同样经过横贯南极山脉。

They stayed ahead of Scott’s team,

他们领先于斯科特的队伍，

and on December 14, arrived first at their desolate destination.

在12月14日，阿蒙森队伍 率先到达了这片荒芜的目的地。

To avoid the ambiguity that surrounded Cook and Peary’s North Pole claims,

为了避免出现库克和皮里 谁先到达北极之争的情况，

Amundsen’s team traversed the area in a grid

阿蒙森一队来来回回穿过这片区域，

to make sure they covered the Pole’s location.

以确保他们覆盖了南极点区域。

Along with flags and a tent marker,

他们不仅留下了旗子和帐篷标记，

they left a letter for Scott, which would not be found until over a month later.

还给斯科特留下了一封信， 而这封信在一个多月后才被发现。

But when Scott’s party finally reached the pole,

当斯科特一行人最后到达极地时，

losing the ‘race’ was the least of their problems.

失去比赛胜利已算不上什么问题。

On the way back towards the camp, two of the five men succumbed to frostbite

在返回大本营的路上，

五人小队中的两人 因冻伤、饥饿和疲惫而失去了生命。

starvation, and exhaustion.

The remaining explorers hoped for a prearranged rendezvous

剩下的探险队员希望

能够与从大本营出发的另一只队伍汇合。

with a team sent from their base,

but due to a series of mishaps, misjudgements and miscommunications,

但是由于一系列的事故、 误判和沟通不畅，

their rescue never arrived.

他们始终没能等到救援。

Their remains, along with Scott’s diary, would not be found until spring.

他们的尸体和斯科特的日记 直到春天才被人找到。

Today, scientists from various countries

如今，各个国家的科学家们

live and work at Antarctic research stations.

在南极科考站工作生活。

But the journeys of these early explorers are not forgotten.

但是早期探险家的旅程没有被遗忘。

Despite their divergent fates, they are forever joined in history,

尽管他们的命运不尽相同， 他们在历史中得以相会。

and in the name of the research base that marks the South Pole.

并且象征南极的科考大本营 也以他们命名。