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Climate change is altering the face of the Himalayas, devastating farming communities and making Mount Everest increasingly treacherous to climb, some of the world’s top mountaineers have warned.
氣候變遷正改變喜馬拉雅山的風貌、破壞農業社群，同時讓聖母峰的攀登更形危險，一些世界頂尖的登山家警告說。
Apa Sherpa, the Nepali climber who has conquered Mount Everest a record 21 times, said he was disturbed by the lack of snow on the world’s highest peak, caused by rising temperatures.
創下21次征服聖母峰紀錄的尼泊爾登山家阿帕‧雪巴指出，他對全球最高峰因氣溫上升，導致缺雪感到不安。
"In 1989 when I first climbed Everest there was a lot of snow and ice but now most of it has just become bare rock. That, as a result, is causing more rockfalls which is a danger to the climbers," he said.
「1989年我首度攀登聖母峰時，那兒有許多雪與冰，但現在該處多半變成了裸露的岩石，結果這引發更多對登山客危險的岩崩，」他說。
Apa Sherpa would not rule out the possibility of Everest being unclimbable in the coming years.
阿帕‧雪巴不排除幾年後聖母峰恐無法攀越的可能性。
The 51-year-old father-of-three, dubbed "Super Sherpa", began his working life as a farmer but turned to the tourism industry and mountaineering after he lost all his possessions when a glacial lake burst in 1985.
51歲、身為3子之父的他綽號「超級雪巴」，一開始他以務農為生，然而1985年一個冰河湖潰堤，他失去所有財產後轉行觀光業與登山。
Research published by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) last year showed Nepal’s glaciers had shrunk by 21 percent over 30 years.
總部設在加德滿都的國際山區整合發展中心（ICIMOD）去年發表的研究顯示，尼泊爾的冰河30年來縮減了21％。
Scientists say the effects of climate change could be devastating, as the Himalayas provide food and energy for 1.3 billion people living in downstream river basins.(AFP)
科學家說，由於喜馬拉雅供應生活在下游河川盆地的13億人口食物與能源，因此氣候變遷效應恐深具毀滅性。（法新社）
新聞辭典
treacherous︰形容詞，危險的、變幻莫測的、不牢靠的。例句︰My memory is treacherous.（我的記憶不可靠。）
disturbed︰形容詞，煩惱不安的、騷動的、混亂的。例句︰He was disturbed at recalling the sight.（回想起那情景，他忐忑不安。）
rule out︰片語，把…排除在外、使成為不可能。例句︰The motor noise ruled out conversation.（發動機的噪音使談話無法進行。）
(文章出處:自由時報電子報)
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