[常春藤網路書城]2011常春藤解析英語雜誌01月號-01-11

The Next Global Economic Superpowers　 下一個經濟強權：環北極國家by Carrie Kellenburger

NORCs may be the places that will carry us into the future.  環北極國家將來或許會帶領世界邁向未來。 Nowadays, it's common knowledge that every country around the world will suffer as a result of global warming. While it's impossible to predict the devastating effects, you might be surprised to learn that some countries might not be as badly affected as others. 現在，大家都知道世界各國都將因地球暖化而深受其害。雖然我們無法預知影響會有多慘烈，但令人驚訝的是，有些國家受到的影響或許不如其他國家來的嚴重。 Known as NORCs, northern rim countries have a lot to gain from a warmer climate. These include Canada, Russia, the northern US, as well as the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. By the year 2050, these countries are predicted to be the world's economic superpowers thanks to global warming.  日漸溫暖的氣候環境對環北極國家（簡稱 NORCs）帶來了不少好處。這些國家包含加拿大、俄羅斯、美國北部以及位於斯堪地納維亞半島的丹麥、挪威、瑞典、芬蘭和冰島。由於地球暖化，到 2050 年這些國家預期會成為世界的經濟強權。 As climates change and temperatures rise, valuable natural resources such as oil, natural gas, and fresh water will be released. This will happen because the frozen tundra of the north will have begun to melt. As these resources become more readily available, more trading and shipping lanes will be opened, which facilitates these resources getting to other regions of the world quicker. In addition to an increase in natural resources, scientists believe that NORCs will be among the few countries in the world that are  likely to see an increase in crop production. All of these changes will attractmore immigrants to these countries and make the residents that are currently living there much wealthier. 當氣候改變和溫度上升，珍貴的天然資源像是石油、天然氣和乾淨水源將會被釋放出來。這是由於北方的凍原開始融化之故。當資源愈來愈容易取得，便開啟了更多貿易之門，且更多的船隻航道也隨之開通，這一切都有利於更迅速地將這些資源運送到他國。除了天然資源的增加，科學家也相信環北極國家將會成為世界上少數幾個農作物產量增加的國家。以上這些改變將會吸引更多外國移民，也讓目前住在當地的居民更加富裕。 　　A new part of the world is emerging, and many people will be looking towards the NORCs as attractive destinations. These countries will offer hope and perhaps even a solution to global issues, such as rising populations, climate change, and the higher demand for resources. The negative impact of global warming cannot be ignored. However, the potential benefits for the future of our civilization are certainly something to look forward to.  世界上一個新興區域正在崛起，許多人視環北極國家為具有吸引力的目的地。這些國家將為全球議題，如日益增加的人口、氣候變遷以及更多的資源需求提供希望，甚至是解決方法。全球暖化的負面影響不容忽視。然而，人類文明未來可能享有的利益卻是值得期待。