VOA慢速英语:Extreme Cold Freezes Much of United States

A weather system known as a polar vortex brought dangerously cold weather to large parts of the United States this week. A polar vortex is a cold, thick low pressure system. The air turns counter-clockwise when on the move.
本周，一种被称为极涡的天气系统给美国大部分地区带来了危险的严寒天气。极涡是一种寒冷深厚低压系统，空气逆时针旋转上升。

The polar vortex started up in Canada. After crossing the border, it moved deep into the southeastern United States. The polar vortex brought the coldest temperatures in more than 20 years to many areas. Anise Jenkins lives in Washington, DC.
该极涡始于加拿大，它在越过边境后深入到美国东南部。这次极涡给美国很多地区带来了20多年以来最冷气温。Anise Jenkins住在华盛顿特区。

"I have a coat on. I have three sweaters. I have two blouses. I have a thermal on and I don't feel like I have anything on."
“我穿了一件大衣，三件毛衣，两件女式衬衣，一件保暖内衣，但我觉得就跟没穿一样。”

Another woman, named Amanda, lives nearby in Maryland.
另一位名为Amanda的妇女住在附近的马里兰州。

"It's DC. It's not supposed to be this cold."
“这里是华盛顿特区，这里不该这么冷啊。”

The weather was also a shock to visitors from overseas. Deepak from India was visiting his sister in New York.
这种天气对海外游客来说也是一大震撼。来自印度的Deepak来拜访纽约的姐妹。

"Tears just come out from my eyes and my head inside like a freezer. Oh, my God. Oh, my God."
“喔，天啊。冻得我眼泪直流，我脑子里面就像个冰箱。”

The extreme weather started with a low-pressure system near the North Pole. The Arctic air was pushed as far south as Alabama on wind currents known as the jet stream. The bitter cold covered much of the central United States, forcing schools, government offices and businesses to close.
这种极端天气源于北极附近的一种低压系统。北极的空气被一种称为高空急流的强风吹到了远至阿拉巴马州以南的地方。严寒覆盖了美国中部大部分地区，迫使学校、政府办公室和企业关门。

Camden Walker is a reporter for the Washington Post. He is part of the newspaper's Capital Weather Gang, which limits its reporting to the weather.
Camden Walker是华盛顿邮报的记者。他隶属于该报社的气象部门，该部门仅限于天气报道。

"When the jet stream came south, the floodgates opened from the north and we had a direct flow from the Arctic."
“当急流来到南方，从北至南的闸门大开，来自北极的气流直扑这里。”

But the polar vortex did not have the same effect everywhere.
但极涡在各地的效果并不一样。

"Interestingly enough, it is warmer in Alaska and also somewhat warmer over Greenland because when you deplete the North Pole and the Arctic region of its cold air, when it's forced southward, it can't all stay there. Basically it's a bubble that is draining toward us. It is rushing towards us in the United States."
“有趣的是，阿拉斯加反而更暖和，格陵兰岛也更暖和点。因为北极和北极区域的冷空气被耗尽，它都被吹到了南方。基本上它是一股被引向我们的气流，它直冲向美国的我们。”

Camden Walker says the weather system moved away quickly from places like Washington. But the cold air and high winds were staying longer in the middle of the country.
Camden Walker称，该天气系统迅速从华盛顿等地离开，但冷空气和大风将在美国中部停留更长时间。

At least 20 deaths were blamed on the cold weather nationwide. Health experts said people should go outside buildings for only 10 to 20 minutes at a time. They warned that being outside in such cold can cause frostbite. This condition may cause exposed parts of the body to freeze.
至少有20人因这次全国范围的严寒天气而死亡。健康专家们称，人们每次在室外只能呆10到20分钟。他们警告说，这种严寒呆在外面可能导致冻伤。这种情况可能会导致身体外露部分冻坏。

Temperatures of minus 10 degrees Celsius or lower were reported in Washington, New York, Boston and Philadelphia. In fact, temperatures in all or parts of the 50 states were below freezing at some point on Tuesday. Even in Hawaii, it was minus six degrees at the top of the state's highest mountain.
华盛顿、纽约、波士顿和费城分别报告了零下10摄氏度或更低的温度。事实上，周二某个时间点，美国50个州全部或部分的温度低于零度。即使是在夏威夷，该州最高山峰的顶部也到了零下六度。

The effect of the polar vortex was extensive. Airline companies cancelled more than 11,000 flights over a four day period. The cold weather also interfered with train service. In the south, the Tennessee Valley Authority said it set a single day record for electricity as homeowners struggled to stay warm. The TVA provides power to seven states.
这次极涡的影响很广泛。航空公司四天的时间里取消了超过1.1万架次航班。寒冷的天气也影响到了列车服务。在美国南部，田纳西河流管理局称，由于房主在尽力取暖，该局创造了单日电力记录。田纳西河流管理局为美国七个州提供电力。

And it was not just North America that experienced extreme cold. Over in the Pacific Ocean, a Russian research ship was stuck in ice for over a week. The Shokalskiy left New Zealand on November 28. The ship was carrying 52 passengers when it became stuck. They were rescued January 2, when a helicopter flew them to an Australian icebreaker.
而且不只是北美经历极端严寒。穿过太平洋，俄罗斯一艘科考船被卡在冰里一个多星期。这艘Shokalskiy号科考船于11月28日离开新西兰，当它被卡住时船上搭载有52名乘客。他们在1月2日获救，一架直升机将他们转移到了一艘澳大利亚破冰船上。