图瓦卢希望成为世界上首个数字化的国家 “digital country”。图瓦卢位于夏威夷和澳大利亚之间，由多个礁岛和环礁共同组成。由于海平面上涨，许多图瓦卢居民都不得不离开自己的家园。图瓦卢政府希望通过记录和保存历史文件、地图、传统音乐和其他信息在互联网上重建这个国家。然而，将一个国家完全迁移到互联网上依然存在着许多问题。本文讨论数字化国家面临的挑战。
词汇：climate change 气候变化
Tuvalu, the fourth smallest nation in the world, announced its intention to become the world's first digital country back in 2022. But why, and how?
Facing the devastating effects of rising sea levels caused by climate change, the nation, made up of three reef islands and six atolls, is rapidly becoming uninhabitable. Tuvalu sits between Hawaii and Australia and is grappling with increasingly dire conditions. In 2022, at high tide, nearly 40% of the capital became submerged, according to the news agency Reuters. A recent assessment by scientists at NASA indicated that "much of the land plus critical infrastructure will sit below the level of the current high tide by 2050". And projections suggest the entire country could be underwater by the year 2100. Global warming has already displaced many of Tuvalu's 11,000 inhabitants, while coral bleaching and coastal erosion continue to degrade the surrounding environment.
This is why the government plans to back up the country and rebuild a virtual online replica. The announcement was first made at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27 by Tuvalu's Minister of Justice, Simon Kofe. He said, "As our land slips below the ocean, we have no choice but to become the world's first digital nation. Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people".
The country has since been preserving Tuvalu's cultural and historical identity by recording historical documents, maps, family photograph albums, traditional songs, and other cultural practices, all of which will be accessible online. In early 2024, Place, a global non-profit organisation, began mapping the physical features of Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital, using drones and 360-degree cameras.
Though moving a country online has legal challenges – international law requires a country to have territory and population, both of which are uncertain in Tuvalu's future. At the same time, critics argue the plan is just for publicity, highlighting the need to reduce emissions.
Whatever happens, a digital twin of the country will help preserve its culture and heritage for generations to come.
词汇表
reef island 礁岛
atoll 环礁
uninhabitable 无法居住的
grapple with 努力应对
high tide 满潮，潮水最高的时候
submerged 没入水中的，被液体淹没的
critical infrastructure 关键的基础设施
underwater 水面下的
displace 使…离开家园，流离失所
coral bleaching 珊瑚白化
coastal erosion 海岸侵蚀
degrade 危害，使…劣化
back up 备份
virtual replica 虚拟复制品
slip below 逐渐滑入…以下
preserve 保护，保存
map 绘制（地图等）
territory 领土
emission 排放
测验与练习
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. How could sea levels affect Tuvalu in 2100?
2. What is causing the degradation of the surrounding environment of Tuvalu?
3. True or False? Simon Kofe says a digital replica is just one option of many they have for preserving the country.
4. How is Tuvalu preserving its identity?
5. True or False? International law makes it difficult for Tuvalu to become a digital country.
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. The earthquake has damaged critical _______ like power lines and hospitals.
reef island atoll coast infrastructure
2. Oh no! I didn't _______ my laptop onto a hard drive and now it's broken.
degrade grapple with back up preserve
3. Careful on the ice. You don't want to _______.
map slip displace highlight
4. The planet is so hot that it is said to be _______. Nothing could survive there.
virtual submerged underwater uninhabitable
5. At _______, the town is at risk of severe flooding.
emissions erosion high tide bleached
答案
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. How could sea levels affect Tuvalu in 2100?
Projections suggest the entire country could be underwater by 2100.
2. What is causing the degradation of the surrounding environment of Tuvalu?
Coral bleaching and coastal erosion are degrading the surrounding environment.
3. True or False? Simon Kofe says a digital replica is just one option of many they have for preserving the country.
False. He said, "we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation".
4. How is Tuvalu preserving its identity?
It is recording historical documents, maps, family photograph albums, traditional songs, and other cultural practices.
5. True or False? International law makes it difficult for Tuvalu to become a digital country.
True. International law requires a country to have territory and population, both of which are uncertain for Tuvalu's future.
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. The earthquake has damaged critical infrastructure like power lines and hospitals.
2. Oh no! I didn't back up my laptop onto a hard drive and now it's broken.
3. Careful on the ice. You don't want to slip.
4. The planet is so hot that it is said to be uninhabitable. Nothing could survive there.
5. At high tide, the town is at risk of severe flooding.