中国南极探索之旅 

地球最南端的南极洲蕴含丰富资源，全年被冰雪覆盖。1985年2月20日，中国第一个南极考察站——长城站在南极乔治岛正式建成。科学家可以在此展开研究工作。

Full of resources and covered in ice and snow all year, Antarctica covers Earth’s southern end. On Feb 20, 1985, China’s first Antarctic station, the Great Wall, opened on King George Island. Scientists could stay and do research there.

在长城站建立后不久，中国即成为《南极条约》协商国，意味着中国获得了对南极事务的表决权。

Shortly after China founded Great Wall Station, it gained the consultative status (咨询地位) under the Antarctic Treaty, meaning it gained the right to vote in Antarctic affairs.

2019年4月逝世的中国南极长城站首任站长郭琨曾说，当1984年12月30日，中国国旗在乔治岛升起的时候，整个团队都激动万分。郭琨在接受新华社采访时曾说，这证明中国进入了国际极圈社群，开启了中国为和平使用南极做出贡献的新篇章。

Guo Kun, China’s first polar station chief, who passed away in April, 2019, said that his team was overwhelmed when the Chinese national flag was raised at King George Island on Dec 30, 1984. “It certified that China had entered the international polar community, and it opened a new chapter for the Chinese to make contributions to the peaceful utilization of Antarctica,” he told Xinhua News Agency.

与西方人在1820年第一次登上南极相比，中国人是相对意义上的“后来者”。然而，中国正在迎头赶上。在长城站后，中国相继建成了三座考察站，分别是1989年的中山站，2009年的昆仑站和2014年的泰山站。目前，我国正在建造第五个南极考察站，预计在2022年建成。

Compared with the Westerners who first landed in Antarctica in 1820, the Chinese were relative newcomers then. However, China is catching up. After Great Wall Station, China went on to establish (成立) another three stations on the continent – Zhongshan in 1989, Kunlun in 2009 and Taishan in 2014. The country is now building its fifth research station, to be completed by 2022.

中国极地研究中心的孙波在接受新华社采访时表示，中国南极探险必将取得更大成功，可以帮助人们更好地了解、保护、利用南极，给人类带来更多益处。

“China’s Antarctic expedition is sure to make greater progress, and will help better understand, protect and utilize the continent, and bring more benefits to mankind,” said Sun Bo, from the Polar Research Institute of China, in an interview with Xinhua.