为解决饮用水短缺 阿联酋欲从南极拖冰山

Encouraging life to bloom in the middle of a desert is no easy task.

在沙漠中生活绝非易事。

But one company in the United Arab Emirates has come up with a bizarre plan to provide drinking water for the state's citizens.

但是阿联酋一家公司想出妙计，解决民众饮水问题。

The firm intends to haul icebergs from Antarctica to the gulf coast in order to harvest its billions of gallons of fresh water.

这家公司计划从南极洲拖运冰山到中东海湾，从中获得大量淡水。

The National Advisor Bureau, headquartered in Masdar City, Abu-Dhabi, plans to source the massive blocks of ice from Heard Island, around 600 miles (1000 kilometres) off the coast of mainland Antarctica.

总部位于阿布扎比马斯达尔城的国家顾问局有限公司计划从赫德岛开采冰山。赫德岛位于南极洲外海，约600英里（1000公里）处。

It will then transport them around 5,500 miles (8,800 km) to Fujairah, one of the seven emirates which make up the UAE.

冰山会被运往阿联酋的七个酋长国之一---富查伊拉，全程5500英里（8800公里）。

One iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years, according to the company.

该公司称，每座冰山产生的淡水够100万人饮用五年。

And the scheme could begin as early as the start of 2018.

项目在2018年年初就可以启动。

The firm's director says they have already travelled the transportation route and used simulators to check the feasibility of the scheme, according to reports in Gulf News.

据《海湾新闻报》报道，该公司经理表示，他们已经行驶过运输路线，并用模拟器核实了这项计划的可行性。

Speaking to the site about what he is calling the UAE Iceberg Project, Abdullah Mohammad Sulaiman Al Shehi said: 'Our simulator predicts that it will take up to one year [to tow an iceberg to UAE].

阿卜杜拉-穆罕默德把整个项目称为阿联酋冰山计划，他告诉记者：“根据模拟器预测，整个计划预计耗时一年（把冰山拖回阿联酋）。”

'We have formulated the technical and financial plan. Towing is the best method. We will start the project in beginning of 2018.

“我们已经拟定了技术和资金方案。拖拽可能是最好的方式。2018年年初，我们就启动计划。”

'We want it mainly for the water. It could also be good for tourism and the weather.'

“我们主要是想获得水资源，不过可能对旅游业和天气也有好处。”

The UAE is one of the most arid countries and one of the top 10 most water-scarce in the world, due to its extremely arid climate, which receives less than four inches (100 mm) of rainfall per year.

由于气候极度干燥，阿联酋是世界上最干旱的国家之一，也是全球水资源最短缺的十大国家之一，年降雨量不足4英寸（100毫米）。

Despite that, it consumes more water than double the global national average putting the country at severe risk of droughts over the next 25 years.

尽管如此，它每年的用水量仍高于全球平均水平的两倍不止，致使整个国家在未来25年中要面临严重的干旱问题。

An average iceberg contains more than 20 billion gallons of water, according to the Abu Dhabi-based company.

国家顾问局有限公司称，每座冰山含有200亿加仑（约100万吨）以上的淡水量。

They take a long time to melt as 80 percent of their mass is underwater, while the white ice above reflects sunlight and deflects its heat.

拖行过程中冰山有约八成的部分都在水面以下，而且水面之上的白色的冰块会反射阳光，转移高温，使得融化速度放缓，所以冰山不会融化。

Upon arrival at a specially constructed processing facility, workers will 'mine' the icebergs for their water supplies.

冰山会被安置在一个特制的加工设备中，工人将“开矿”冰山获得用水。

Blocks of ice will be chipped off and placed in giant tanks, before being filtered and processed.

在过滤和加工前，大块的冰山会被切碎，放在巨型容器中。

'This is the purest water in the world', Mr Al Shehi added.

阿卜杜拉说：“这是世界上最纯净的水源了。”

He also claims the iceberg's presence could provide a more moist micro-climate in the area, perhaps even prompting rainfall.

他还说，冰山的出现可能还会为当地提供更湿润的微气候，甚至带来更多降雨。

And the project may prove a boost for tourism if it proves a success, with people travelling to see the unusual sight of an iceberg off the coast of the Arabian Gulf.

如果成功的话，冰山还可能推动旅游业。大量游客会来到这里，一睹罕见的景观---阿拉伯湾的冰山。