Climate change is starving polar bears into extinction， according to research that predicts the apex carnivores could all but disappear within the span of a human lifetime. In some regions they are already caught in a vicious downward spiral， with shrinking sea ice cutting short the time bears have for hunting seals， scientists reported in Nature Climate Change.

一項研究稱，氣候變化正在餓死北極熊并導(dǎo)致它們滅絕。該研究預(yù)測，北極熊這一食物鏈頂端的食肉動物可能會在百年內(nèi)幾近滅絕。有科學家在《自然氣候變化》上發(fā)表的報告稱，在部分地區(qū)，由于海冰消融縮短了北極熊捕食海豹的時間，北極熊已經(jīng)陷入數(shù)量螺旋式下降的惡性循環(huán)。

Their dwindling body weight undermines their chances of surviving Arctic winters without food， the scientists added.

科學家補充道，因為體重不斷下降，北極熊在沒有食物的情況下熬過北極冬天的概率降低了。

“The bears face an ever longer fasting period before the ice refreezes and they can head back out to feed，” Steven Amstrup， who conceived the study and is chief scientist of Polar Bears International， told AFP.

該研究的提出者、北極熊國際協(xié)會的首席科學家斯蒂芬·阿姆斯特拉普在接受法新社采訪時說：“在冰雪重新凍結(jié)，北極熊可以外出覓食前，它們面臨著前所未有的超長禁食期?！?/p>

On current trends， the study concluded， polar bears in 12 of 13 subpopulations analyzed will have been decimated within 80 years by the galloping pace of change in the Arctic， which is warming three times as fast as the planet as a whole.

該研究得出結(jié)論稱，按照目前的趨勢，隨著北極加速變暖，研究分析的13個北極熊亞種群將有12個在80年內(nèi)滅絕。目前北極變暖的速度是整個地球變暖速度的三倍。

The threat is not rising temperatures per se but the bears inability to adapt to a rapidly shifting environment.

威脅不是來自氣溫升高本身，而是源自北極熊無法適應(yīng)快速變化的環(huán)境。

Half of Earths land-based megafauna are classified as threatened with extinction， but only polar bears are endangered primarily by climate change.

地球上有一半的陸地巨型動物被歸類為瀕危物種，但只有北極熊主要是因為氣候變化而瀕臨滅絕。

But that status may not be unique for long， and should be seen as a harbinger of how climate will impact other animals in the coming decades， the authors warned.

研究報告的作者們警告稱，北極熊也許不會長期獨自處于這種境地，它們的處境應(yīng)被視為未來數(shù)十年氣候?qū)⑷绾斡绊懫渌麆游锏囊粋€預(yù)兆。

Word Study

vicious /'v???s/ adj. 惡劣的;嚴重的

analyze /'?n?la?z/ v. 分析

He tried to analyze his feelings.

classify /'kl?s?fa?/ v. 將……歸類

The books in the library are classified according to subject.