Climate change is starving polar bears into extinction， according to research that predicts the apex carnivores could all but disappear within the span of a human lifetime. In some regions they are already caught in a vicious downward spiral， with shrinking sea ice cutting short the time bears have for hunting seals， scientists reported in Nature Climate Change.

一项研究称，气候变化正在饿死北极熊并导致它们灭绝。该研究预测，北极熊这一食物链顶端的食肉动物可能会在百年内几近灭绝。有科学家在《自然气候变化》上发表的报告称，在部分地区，由于海冰消融缩短了北极熊捕食海豹的时间，北极熊已经陷入数量螺旋式下降的恶性循环。

Their dwindling body weight undermines their chances of surviving Arctic winters without food， the scientists added.

科学家补充道，因为体重不断下降，北极熊在没有食物的情况下熬过北极冬天的概率降低了。

“The bears face an ever longer fasting period before the ice refreezes and they can head back out to feed，” Steven Amstrup， who conceived the study and is chief scientist of Polar Bears International， told AFP.

该研究的提出者、北极熊国际协会的首席科学家斯蒂芬·阿姆斯特拉普在接受法新社采访时说：“在冰雪重新冻结，北极熊可以外出觅食前，它们面临着前所未有的超长禁食期。”

On current trends， the study concluded， polar bears in 12 of 13 subpopulations analyzed will have been decimated within 80 years by the galloping pace of change in the Arctic， which is warming three times as fast as the planet as a whole.

该研究得出结论称，按照目前的趋势，随着北极加速变暖，研究分析的13个北极熊亚种群将有12个在80年内灭绝。目前北极变暖的速度是整个地球变暖速度的三倍。

The threat is not rising temperatures per se but the bears inability to adapt to a rapidly shifting environment.

威脅不是来自气温升高本身，而是源自北极熊无法适应快速变化的环境。

Half of Earths land-based megafauna are classified as threatened with extinction， but only polar bears are endangered primarily by climate change.

地球上有一半的陆地巨型动物被归类为濒危物种，但只有北极熊主要是因为气候变化而濒临灭绝。

But that status may not be unique for long， and should be seen as a harbinger of how climate will impact other animals in the coming decades， the authors warned.

研究报告的作者们警告称，北极熊也许不会长期独自处于这种境地，它们的处境应被视为未来数十年气候将如何影响其他动物的一个预兆。

Word Study

vicious /'v???s/ adj. 恶劣的;严重的

analyze /'?n?la?z/ v. 分析

He tried to analyze his feelings.

classify /'kl?s?fa?/ v. 将……归类

The books in the library are classified according to subject.