鑽石舞台

近日，俄羅斯向歐洲輸送天然氣的兩大海底管道「北溪」一二號管道連續發生泄漏爆炸，加劇歐洲能源危機，引發世界關注。

無注釋原文：

Mysterious Blasts and Gas Leaks: What We Know About the Pipeline Breaks in Europe

The New York Times

Early this week, three separate leaks were discovered in two giant natural gas pipelines from Russia. The pipelines were filled with the fuel, and the ruptures produced gas bubbles half a mile wide that rose to the surface of the Baltic Sea, near the Danish island of Bornholm.

Explosions had been detected nearby just before the leaks occurred, and European governments have not yet identified the cause of the leaks in the pipelines, known as Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Political leaders in Europe and the United States have suggested that the incident was an act of sabotage.

Speculation has pointed to Russia, whose state-controlled energy company, Gazprom, is the main owner of the pipelines. A spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Dmitri S. Peskov, dismissed allegations of Russian involvement as 「stupid」 and pointed a finger at the United States.

The situation bears the hallmarks of a spy thriller. But analysts say that damaging the pipelines could be a significant escalation in the proxy energy war that has been waged since fighting began in Ukraine — a battle that could have serious consequences for millions of homes and businesses throughout Europe. Indeed, whoever damaged the pipelines may have meant to show Europeans that 「nowhere is safe,」 said Helima Croft, the head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

The damaged pipelines are critical links between Russia and Western Europe.

The two major lines were built to bring gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

Nord Stream 1, which began operating in 2011, was until recently the main conduit for bringing gas to Germany — enough to supply more than half of the country’s annual consumption and still pass some along to its neighbors. The pipeline is roughly 760 miles long, most of it underwater.

Construction was completed last year on the second line, Nord Stream 2, which was intended to double those flows, providing a big, modern line into northwest Europe. But it never became fully operational: The German government shelved the project in February, just as Russia began to invade Ukraine.

Even though European countries have cut back their consumption of natural gas in response to high prices and entreaties from their governments, the fuel remains of vital importance for heating homes and keeping businesses running.

Neither pipeline was actively transporting gas at the time of the incidents. Gazprom has recently throttled back Nord Stream 1, citing technical issues. Critics have dismissed the action as political maneuvering by Russia as the fighting in Ukraine drags on.

The damage points to explosive devices.

The pipelines are built of steel coated with concrete so that they can withstand underwater pressures. In other words, it takes a lot of force to damage them.

「A gas leak of this nature is extremely rare,」 Mr. Böttzauw said. 「It is unlikely that three gas leaks would occur in one accident within 24 hours.」

Swedish seismologists on Monday detected two separate underwater explosions near where the leaks were later identified. Both lines of Nord Stream 1 were damaged, whereas only one of Nord Stream 2’s lines was ruptured, which means that, at least theoretically, gas could flow through the second line.

Hans Liwang, a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, said examining the size of the crater on the seabed and the damage to the pipes could provide answers about the size of the explosive charge and the locations of the blasts.

「We will probably be able to figure out where this explosive device was placed by looking at the traces on the bottom,」 he told Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

But he added that leaking gas might have blown away important evidence, especially if, as some have speculated, the sabotage was carried out using underwater drones or divers.

Danish authorities said on Wednesday that a criminal investigation was underway to determine the cause of the rupture. Once that is complete, it is unclear how long it will take to repair the damage.

An official at a pipe-laying company in Europe said work could proceed only after safe conditions had been established, including by removing any gas or seawater from the pipeline.

Western sanctions placed on Russia may also complicate the cleanup and repair efforts because contractors may not want to do the work. In addition, Gazprom is no longer honoring business commitments and contracts, so it is not clear who would pay the costs.

- ◆ -

註：中文文本為機器翻譯僅供參考，並非一一對應

含注釋全文：

關於北溪天然氣管道泄漏，我們目前所知道的

Mysterious Blasts and Gas Leaks: What We Know About the Pipeline Breaks in Europe

The New York Times

Early this week, three separate leaks were discovered in two giant natural gas pipelines from Russia. The pipelines were filled with the fuel, and the ruptures produced gas bubbles half a mile wide that rose to the surface of the Baltic Sea, near the Danish island of Bornholm.

本周早些時候，始於俄羅斯的兩條巨型天然氣管道分別發現了三個泄漏點。管道中充滿燃料，破裂產生了寬度達800米的氣泡，上浮到丹麥博恩霍爾姆島附近的波羅的海表面。

pipeline /ˈpaɪp.laɪn/ 表示「（常指鋪設在地下的）管道，管線」，英文解釋為「a very long large tube, often underground, through which liquid or gas can flow for long distances」

rupture /ˈrʌp.tʃər/ 表示「破裂；裂開；斷裂」，英文解釋為「an occasion when something explodes, breaks, or tears」如：a rupture of the pipeline 管道破裂。

Explosions had been detected nearby just before the leaks occurred, and European governments have not yet identified the cause of the leaks in the pipelines, known as Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Political leaders in Europe and the United States have suggested that the incident was an act of sabotage.

就在泄漏發生前，附近檢測到了爆炸，而歐洲各國政府尚未確定被稱為北溪一號和北溪二號管道泄漏的原因。歐洲和美國的政治領導人表示，這是一起蓄意破壞行為。

Speculation has pointed to Russia, whose state-controlled energy company, Gazprom, is the main owner of the pipelines. A spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Dmitri S. Peskov, dismissed allegations of Russian involvement as 「stupid」 and pointed a finger at the United States.

相關猜測指向俄羅斯，該國的國有能源公司俄羅斯天然氣工業股份公司（下稱俄氣公司）是這些管道的主要所有者。俄羅斯總統普京的發言人德米特里·佩斯科夫駁斥了有關俄羅斯參與的指控，稱其「愚蠢」，並將矛頭指向美國。

表示「推測；猜測；推斷」，英文解釋為「the act of forming opinions about what has happened or what might happen without knowing all the facts」舉個🌰：

There was widespread speculation that she was going to resign.

人們紛紛推測她將辭職。

表示「指責；矛頭指向」，英文解釋為「to accuse or blame (someone)」

The situation bears the hallmarks of a spy thriller. But analysts say that damaging the pipelines could be a significant escalation in the proxy energy war that has been waged since fighting began in Ukraine — a battle that could have serious consequences for millions of homes and businesses throughout Europe. Indeed, whoever damaged the pipelines may have meant to show Europeans that 「nowhere is safe,」 said Helima Croft, the head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

目前的事態就像一部間諜驚悚片。但是分析人士說，破壞管道可能是烏克蘭戰爭開始以來一直在進行的能源代理戰爭的一次重大升級，這場戰爭可能對整個歐洲成百上千萬家庭和企業產生嚴重後果。加拿大皇家銀行資本市場大宗商品策略主管海利馬·克羅夫特說，實際上，無論是誰破壞了管道，可能都是想向歐洲人表明，「沒有什麼地方是安全的。」

表示「（由個人委託的）代理人，代表；代理權；代表權」，英文解釋為「authority given to a person to act for someone else, such as by voting for them in an election, or the person who this authority is given to」如：a proxy vote 代投的一票。

The damaged pipelines are critical links between Russia and Western Europe.

受損的管道是俄羅斯和西歐之間的重要連接。

The two major lines were built to bring gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

這兩條主要管道是為了從波羅的海海底將俄羅斯的天然氣輸送到德國。

Nord Stream 1, which began operating in 2011, was until recently the main conduit for bringing gas to Germany — enough to supply more than half of the country’s annual consumption and still pass some along to its neighbors. The pipeline is roughly 760 miles long, most of it underwater.

直到前不久，自2011年開始運營的北溪一號一直是向德國輸送天然氣的主要管道，足以供應該國超過一半的年消耗量，還將一部分輸送給鄰國。這條管道長約1223公里，大部分在水下。

conduit /ˈkɒn.dʒuː.ɪt/ 1）表示「（水、電線等的）管道，導管」，英文解釋為「a pipe or passage for water or electrical wires to go through」

2）表示「（連接兩地的）渠道」，英文解釋為「a way of connecting two places」

Construction was completed last year on the second line, Nord Stream 2, which was intended to double those flows, providing a big, modern line into northwest Europe. But it never became fully operational: The German government shelved the project in February, just as Russia began to invade Ukraine.

第二條線路北溪二號的建設於去年完成，其目的是將運輸量增加一倍，為燃氣進入歐洲西北部提供一條現代化的大型線路。但它始終沒有全面投入使用：今年2月，就在俄羅斯開始入侵烏克蘭之際，德國政府擱置了這個項目。

Even though European countries have cut back their consumption of natural gas in response to high prices and entreaties from their governments, the fuel remains of vital importance for heating homes and keeping businesses running.

儘管歐洲國家為了應對高價格和政府的懇求，減少了天然氣的消費，但這種燃料對家庭取暖和維持企業運轉仍然至關重要。

entreaty /ɪnˈtriː.ti/ 表示「懇求；乞求；請求」，英文解釋為「an attempt to persuade someone to do something」舉個🌰：

She refused to become involved with him despite his passionate entreaties.

儘管他苦苦哀求，她還是拒絕跟他有任何瓜葛。

Neither pipeline was actively transporting gas at the time of the incidents. Gazprom has recently throttled back Nord Stream 1, citing technical issues. Critics have dismissed the action as political maneuvering by Russia as the fighting in Ukraine drags on.

事故發生時，這兩條管道都沒有在大量輸送天然氣。俄氣公司最近以技術問題為由縮減了北溪一號的流量。批評人士認為，隨着烏克蘭戰事的持續，此舉是俄羅斯的政治手段。

throttle /ˈθrɒt.əl/ 1）表示「阻擋；壓制；扼殺」，英文解釋為「to prevent something from succeeding」舉個🌰：

The reduction in funds is throttling the development of new programmes.

經費的削減將阻礙新計劃的開展。

2）表示「掐（喉嚨）；使窒息」，英文解釋為「to press someone's throat very tightly so that they cannot breathe」舉個🌰：

informal Sometimes he annoys me so much that I could throttle him.

有時他真讓我討厭，我恨不得掐死他。

📍throttle (sth) back/down 表示「（調節油門）減速，節流」，英文解釋為「to reduce speed, or to reduce the power and speed being produced by an engine」舉個🌰：

The pilot throttled back (the engines) as he came in to land.

着陸時，飛行員調節油門減速。

The damage points to explosive devices.

破壞原因指向爆炸裝置。

The pipelines are built of steel coated with concrete so that they can withstand underwater pressures. In other words, it takes a lot of force to damage them.

管道由塗有混凝土的鋼鐵建造，因此可以承受水下壓力。換句話說，破壞它們需要很大的力量。

📍此處film也是熟詞僻義，表示「薄薄的一層；薄膜」（a thin layer of sth, usually on the surface of sth else），如：a film of dust 一層灰塵。

They think she killed her husband, but they have no concrete evidence.

「A gas leak of this nature is extremely rare,」 Mr. Böttzauw said. 「It is unlikely that three gas leaks would occur in one accident within 24 hours.」

「這種性質的氣體泄漏極其罕見，」博特紹夫說。「不太可能在24小時內的一次性發生三處氣體泄漏。」

Swedish seismologists on Monday detected two separate underwater explosions near where the leaks were later identified. Both lines of Nord Stream 1 were damaged, whereas only one of Nord Stream 2’s lines was ruptured, which means that, at least theoretically, gas could flow through the second line.

瑞典地震學家周一在後來發現泄漏的地方附近檢測到兩次互無關聯的水下爆炸。北溪一號的兩條管道都受到了破壞，北溪二號只有一條管道破裂，這意味着，至少在理論上，天然氣可以通過第二條管道流動。

seismologist /saɪzˈmɒl.ə.dʒɪst/ 表示「地震學家」，英文解釋為「someone who studies the sudden, violent movements of the earth connected with earthquakes」

Hans Liwang, a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, said examining the size of the crater on the seabed and the damage to the pipes could provide answers about the size of the explosive charge and the locations of the blasts.

瑞典皇家理工學院教授漢斯·立旺表示，通過檢查海底坑的大小和管道的損壞程度，可以發現炸藥大小和爆炸地點。

表示「火山口；（火山口似的）坑」，英文解釋為「the round hole at the top of a volcano, or a hole in the ground similar to this」如：craters on the moon’s surface 月球表面的坑。

表示「海底；海床」，英文解釋為「the solid surface of the earth that lies under the ocean」舉個🌰：

The ship has been lying on the seabed for more than 50 years.

這艘船已經在海底沉睡了50多年。

「We will probably be able to figure out where this explosive device was placed by looking at the traces on the bottom,」 he told Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

他對《瑞典日報》表示：「通過觀察底部的痕跡，我們或許能夠確定爆炸裝置放在哪裡。」

But he added that leaking gas might have blown away important evidence, especially if, as some have speculated, the sabotage was carried out using underwater drones or divers.

但他還說，泄漏的氣體可能會吹走重要證據，特別是如果像一些人猜測的那樣，破壞活動是使用無人潛航器或潛水員進行的。

Danish authorities said on Wednesday that a criminal investigation was underway to determine the cause of the rupture. Once that is complete, it is unclear how long it will take to repair the damage.

丹麥當局周三表示，正在進行刑事調查，以確定破裂原因。目前尚不清楚調查結束後，修復損失需要多長時間。

An official at a pipe-laying company in Europe said work could proceed only after safe conditions had been established, including by removing any gas or seawater from the pipeline.

歐洲一家管道鋪設公司的一名官員表示，只有在建立安全的環境（包括從管道中清除任何氣體或海水）之後，工作才能繼續進行。

Western sanctions placed on Russia may also complicate the cleanup and repair efforts because contractors may not want to do the work. In addition, Gazprom is no longer honoring business commitments and contracts, so it is not clear who would pay the costs.

西方對俄羅斯的制裁也可能使清理和修復工作複雜化，因為承包商可能不想做這項工作。此外，俄氣公司不再履行商業承諾和合同，所以目前還不清楚將由誰支付費用。

表示「承包人；承包商；承包方；訂約人」，英文解釋為「a person or company that arranges to supply materials or workers for building or for moving goods」

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