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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Remains1 of more than 200 wooden ships lie at the bottom of Mallows Bay near Nanjemoy in the state of Maryland.
The oldest ships sank there in the 1700s; the most recent ones are from the 20th century. They and the waters around them form the newest national marine2 sanctuary3 in the United States. It is said to be the first sanctuary to protect not only sea creatures, but also partially4 covered shipwrecks5. Their skeletal remains rise up in the air, looking like spirits rising out of the Potomac River.
"When the tide goes out, the ships come up, and so they've been called the ghost fleet," explains Joel Dunn, head of the Chesapeake Conservancy environmental group.
The new marine sanctuary is about 60 kilometers south of Washington, D.C. From along the coast, one can see part of a rusty6 ferryboat rising out of the water. But the best way to see the shipwrecks is probably by kayak.
The stars of the show, however, are 100 American cargo7 ships. They were built about one hundred years ago.
Dunn said, "These large wooden steam ships were built for a variety of purposes, including shipping8 overseas equipment to Europe during World War I. The only problem was that most of them were finished after the war, so they were brought to Mallows Bay and sold to a salvage9 company."
A few years after the war ended in 1918, workers removed metal from the ships. What remained was broken down, burned and sunk in the Potomac River.
Today, kayakers test their skill by boating among the wooden pieces of the ships. Some have large iron nails stuck in the wood.
The area serves as a manmade wildlife sanctuary for fish, beavers10 and birds like bald eagles and ospreys. Plant life is also growing around the wood.
"It's tremendous for the environment because they're actually cleaning the water, providing habitat, and helping11 with climate change," says Susan Langley, an underwater archeologist.
The slowly rotting wood in the water does not harm the environment.
"Because it's underwater it doesn't receive as much oxygen, and so the decay is a lot slower," Dunn explains. "There's also salt water which further reduces the decay."
The underwater sanctuary has the largest number of shipwrecks in the Americas. It also holds the world's biggest collection of World War I ships.
"This is the only place where you can see the size of these vessels12 and the cross-section of different designs...It is like one big museum."
I’m Jonathan Evans.
Words in This Story
sanctuary – n. a place of safety or refuge
tide – n. the rising and falling of the sea
fleet – n. a group of ships sailing together
kayak – n. a small, one-person boat with a watertight covering
salvage – v. to rescue or protect from loss
hull13 – n. the main body of a ship
habitat – n. the natural environment of an animal or plant
archeologist – n. a person who studies human history
rot – v. to break down over time
vessels – n. a ship or large boat
museum – n. a place where people can see historical, scientific or artistic or cultural objects
1 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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2 marine | |
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 | |
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3 sanctuary | |
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区 | |
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4 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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5 shipwrecks | |
海难,船只失事( shipwreck的名词复数 ); 沉船 | |
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6 rusty | |
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的 | |
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7 cargo | |
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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8 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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9 salvage | |
v.救助,营救,援救;n.救助,营救 | |
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10 beavers | |
海狸( beaver的名词复数 ); 海狸皮毛; 棕灰色; 拼命工作的人 | |
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11 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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12 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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13 hull | |
n.船身;(果、实等的)外壳;vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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