要想找到英國南極探險家歐內斯特·沙克爾頓（Ernest Shackleton）曾經帶領的標志性船只，需要付出巨大的努力。 這是去年試圖尋找 “持久號” 探險船未果的科學家們得出的結論，“持久號” 于1915年沉入了威德爾海三千米深的海底。

It was an extraordinary adventure -- Ernest Shackleton and his men trapped in sea ice for months on end before eventually abandoning their crashed ship and making an escape on foot.

這是一次非比尋常的冒險。歐內斯特·沙克爾頓（Ernest Shackleton）和他手下的船員們被困在海冰里數月，最終放棄了被撞毀的船只，徒步逃生。

Many have dreamt of locating the remains of Shackleton's lost polar yacht the Endurance, which now lies in Antarctic waters 10,000 feet deep. A British expedition last year came tantalisingly close to success, launching a robot to survey the expected resting site. But this robot failed to report back.

很多人都夢想著能找到沙克爾頓失落的極地游艇 “持久號” 的殘骸，這艘游艇現在位于一萬英尺（約三千米）深的南極海底。去年，一支英國探險隊離成功近在咫尺，他們派出了一個機器人去考察經估測船只可能失事的地點。但這個機器人卻失去了音訊。

The team's assessment of seafloor conditions predicts the Endurance is likely still in good shape, not covered by deep sediment and undamaged by the keels of icebergs.

這支團隊根據對海底情況的評估預測，“持久號” 很可能在水下保存完好，未被深海沉積物覆蓋，也沒有被冰山的底部損壞。

But the lesson learned is the need to take at least two icebreakers to smash a path to the search site and maintain open water to launch more robots.

但他們從中得到的教訓是，至少需要兩艘破冰船來鑿出通往搜索地點的道路，保持水域開闊，沒有海冰的阻擋，以派出更多機器人。

詞匯

abandoning 放棄，拋棄
crashed 被撞的
making an escape 逃離，逃生
remains 殘骸
yacht 游艇
tantalisingly 非常接近地
survey 考察，勘測
resting site 船只失事的地點
in good shape 狀態良好
sediment 沉積物
keels 冰山的底部
icebergs 冰山
icebreakers 破冰船

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題 。

1. True or false? A British expedition last year found the remains of the Endurance.

2. What had happened to Shackleton and his crew before they abandoned the ship?

3. Where is Shackleton’s lost ship now?

4. What does the team’s assessment say about the conditions of the ship?

答案

1. True or false? A British expedition last year found the remains of the Endurance.
False. They came very close to finding it, but failed eventually.

2. What had happened to Shackleton and his crew before they abandoned the ship?
They were trapped in sea ice for months on end before eventually abandoning their crashed ship.

3. Where is Shackleton’s lost ship now?
Shackleton's lost polar yacht the Endurance now lies in Antarctic waters 10,000 feet deep.

4. What does the team’s assessment say about the conditions of the ship?
It predicts the Endurance is likely still in good shape, not covered by deep sediment and undamaged by the keels of icebergs.