环球之旅:即将消失的世界旅游胜地
Endangered travel destinations around the world
世界各地的濒危旅游目的地
Many of the world's most wondrous and beautiful destinations are in danger of being destroyed by a combination of environmental and social factors: a warming climate, pollution, strained resources, bulging populations, and booming tourist traffic. Below are some popular locations worth visiting before they disappear.
世界上许多最奇妙和最美丽的旅游目的地正处于被环境和社会综合因素毁坏的危险中：气候变暖，污染，资源紧张，人口膨胀，和日益增加的旅游交通。以下就是一些即将消失，特别值得一游的热门景点。
Glaciers, Glacier National Park
United States and Canada
Glacier National Park contains some of the most beautiful, primitive wilderness in the Rocky Mountains. There are more than 200 glacier-fed lakes, high peaks, sheer precipices, large forests, waterfalls, much wildlife, and a great variety of wildflowers. However, temperature fluctuations have caused glacier growth and depletion. Ten thousand years ago, the area of Glacier National Park was covered by ice up to one mile below sea level. The latest warm period has caused the number of glaciers to decrease from 150 in 1850 to 26 today. If current global warming trends continue, there will be no glaciers left in Glacier National Park by 2030.
冰川，国家冰川公园
美国和加拿大
在落基山脉的国家冰川公园中仍可见到一些最美丽，最原始的荒野景色。这里有200多个冰川湖泊，高耸的山峰，陡峭的悬崖断壁，大片的森林，瀑布，大量的野生动植物，以及种类繁多的野花。然而，温度的波动引起冰川增长和消融。一万年以前，国家冰川公园低于海平面的地区被厚达一英里的冰层覆盖。最近的暖期已导致冰川数量从1850年的150个下降到今天的26个。如果目前的全球变暖趋势继续下去，到2030年国家冰川公园就再也见不到冰川了。
Venice, Italy
With as many as 40 floods per year between March and September, Venice is slowly sinking at an estimated rate of 2.5 inches every 10 ten years. Venice, a city of beauty and charm, was built as a collection of 118 separate islands, relying entirely on a canal system of about 150 canals, mostly very narrow, crossed by some 400 bridges. A severe flood in December 2008 brought renewed attention to Venice's vulnerable state and imminent fate as an underwater city.
威尼斯，意大利
每年三月和九月多达40次洪灾，威尼斯正在以每10年大约2.5英寸的速度慢慢下沉。威尼斯，一个美丽而富有魅力的城市，建在118个独立的岛屿群上，完全依靠大约150条大部分很窄的运河渠系以及河上的400余座桥梁运行。 2008年12月的一次严重洪灾再次让人们注意到威尼斯脆弱的状态和即将成为水下城市的命运。
The Dead Sea
Border between Israel and the West Bank (W) and Jordan (E)
Known as one of the saltiest water bodies in the world and the lowest dry point on earth, the Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River and a number of small streams. Because it is located in a very hot and dry region, the Dead Sea loses much water through evaporation, causing its level to fluctuate during the year. However, inflow to the Dead Sea has been greatly reduced by the increased use of the Jordan River by Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians, who have growing populations and increased agricultural needs, resulting in falling water levels. Currently, the Dead Sea recedes about three feet each year.
死海
以色列与约旦河西岸（西）和约旦（东）边境
死海被称之为世界上最咸的水体和地球上最低的干旱地，其水源来自约旦河和一些小溪流。因为它处于一个非常炎热和干燥的地区，死海由于蒸发损失掉大量的水，导致其水平面一年到头不断波动。然而，由于以色列人，巴勒斯坦人，约旦人的人口增长，农业需求增加，对约旦河的用量大增，导致水位下降，使流入死海的水量大幅减少。目前，死海正以每年约三英尺的速度缩小。
Mexico City, Mexico
In the past 100 years, Mexico City has sunk more than 30 feet. The original city was built on the site of a former lake—the Aztecs built the city on a series of aquatic platforms, but when the Spanish conquered the city, they drained the lake, causing it to sink. As the city population ballooned and the demand for water increased in the 20th century, the government began pumping much of the city's supply out of the underground aquifer that once fed the lake, causing the city to sink further. No practical plan has been made for the future to provide the 22 million inhabitants of Mexico City with the water they need without destroying the city.
墨西哥城，墨西哥
在过去100年，墨西哥城已经下沉了30多英尺。原来的城市是建在以前湖的原址上-阿兹特克人将城市建在许多水生平台上，但当西班牙人征服该城时，他们就将湖水排干，致使城市下沉。随着20世纪城市人口膨胀及对水的需求增加，政府开始从为湖泊注水的地下含水层中大量抽水以供应城市所需，导致城市进一步下沉。将来如何在不破坏城市的前提下为墨西哥城的2千2百万居民提供用水，还没有制定出任何切实可行的计划。
Taj Mahal
Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, India
A mausoleum in northern India on the Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian Islamic architecture. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ordered it built after the death of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building, which was completed between 1632 and 1638, is visited by three to four million tourists each year. The crowds and air pollution, however, have caused irreversible damage to the building's façade, prompting tourism officials to consider closing the historic site to the public.
泰姬陵
阿格拉，北方邦，印度
泰姬陵是印度北部亚穆纳河畔的一个陵墓，被认为是世界最漂亮的建筑物之一，也是印度伊斯兰建筑风格最精致的典范。莫卧儿皇帝沙贾汗在其爱妻，穆塔兹玛哈死后下令建造。该建筑是1632年和1638年期间完成的，每年吸引3至4百万游客。但是，人群和空气污染，对建筑物的外观造成了不可逆转的毁坏，促使旅游局官员们不得不考虑对公众关闭这一古迹。
Pyramids of Giza
Giza, Egypt
One of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza, located outside modern Cairo, consist of three magnificent royal tombs guarded by a Sphinx. The Pyramids have been a heavily trafficked sightseeing area for centuries, but the pollution and magnitude of visitors has taken its toll on the ancient structures, which are not protected by Egyptian officials. Although camel and horseback tours are now banned from the site, the structures are still difficult to see through the crowds and vendors.
吉萨金字塔
吉萨，埃及
吉萨金字塔为原世界古代七大奇迹之一，位于现代开罗城外，包括三个由狮身人面像把守的宏伟皇家陵墓。金字塔数百年来一直是一个繁忙的观光景点，但由于埃及官员疏于保护，污染和如此众多的游客已经对古建筑造成不良影响。虽然现在已禁止在此骑骆驼和骑马游览，嘈杂的人群和小贩还是让人无法看清其结构。
Little Green Street
London, United Kingdom
Located in the center of London, Little Green Street, is one of only a few surviving streets from Georgian England. Lined with about a dozen 18th century homes, Little Green Street only stretches a city block in length, but has survived the Blitz in World War II and three centuries of construction. As a perfect example of Regency London, it has been featured in poetry, photo shoots, and music videos, but today it is threatened by construction. Although an attempt to acquire the property failed in 2008, developers' appeals continue, and the threat of Little Green Street's destruction looms ahead.
小格林街
伦敦，英国
小格林街位于伦敦市中心，是英国乔治王时代极少数幸存的街道之一。街两边有十几家18世纪的房屋，小格林街仅有一个城市街区的长度，但却从二战的大规模空袭和三个世纪来的反复建设中幸存下来。作为伦敦摄政的完美范例，它已被收录在诗歌，摄影，和音乐影片中，但今天它却受到再度建设的威胁。虽然2008年开发商夺取这一财产的企图失败，但开发商还将继续上诉，小格林街被毁灭的命运依然令人担忧。
