“极地漩涡”来袭 芝加哥变身“芝伯利亚”
受极地漩涡来袭影响，美国多地近日出现极寒天气，部分州的气温甚至低到零下52摄氏度。密歇根湖冻成了冰海，尼亚加拉大瀑布都被冻住了，芝加哥的渡轮生生走成了破冰船……
A blast of polar air has swept across many cities in the US leading to the lowest temperatures in a generation. Schools and businesses have closed, flights have been cancelled and as of Wednesday evening, at least eight deaths had been linked to the system.
一股极地气团横扫美国多个城市，导致出现几十年来的最低低温。学校停课、店铺关门，航班取消，截至周三晚上，至少有8人在严寒中丧生。
资料图：这是极寒中的美国芝加哥天际线（1月30日摄）。新华社发（帕特里克·戈尔斯基摄）
The city skyline is seen from the North Avenue Beach at Lake Michigan, as bitter cold phenomenon called the polar vortex has descended on much of the central and eastern United States, in Chicago, Illinois, US, January 29, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
甚至有人开玩笑说，出门放个屁都有危险……
【小知识：“极地漩涡”导致极寒】
美国中西部极寒天气由“极地漩涡（polar vortex）”位移造成，“极地漩涡”正常情况下在北极上空平流层盘旋，但最近受到扰乱，开始向南移动。
美国国家气象局说，美国北部平原和大湖区分别出现零下41摄氏度和零下35度最低气温；预期冷空气30日以后向美国东部移动。
路边冻鸡蛋、开水挑战、吹泡泡……寒冷的生活也能很有趣
美国芝加哥30日出现零下30摄氏度的极低气温，创下该市近25年来最低气温纪录。但当地人民却在“寒中作乐”，人行道冻鸡蛋、“开水挑战”、室外吹泡泡……给严寒冰冷的生活带来温暖的气息。
In “Chiberia” – as locals have dubbed Chicago as temperatures have plummeted to -30C – it is cold enough to freeze an egg on the sidewalk. Or to turn a bubble blown outside into a beautiful frosty snow globe before it splinters with the cold.
近日，美国芝加哥气温低至零下30摄氏度，被当地居民戏称为“芝伯利亚”，打一颗鸡蛋在人行路上，会立刻变成“冰蛋”。在室外吹个泡泡，在冻裂之前，会先变成漂亮的霜冻水晶球。
snow globe：雪花玻璃球，奇幻水晶球
A man pulls a suitcase during a brutal winter storm in Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday. [Photo/Agencies]
Chicago isn’t the only city hit by the low temperatures, or the coldest, with the temperature dropping to -41C in Park Rapids, Minnesota.
芝加哥并非唯一一个受极低气温侵袭的城市，也不是最冷的城市，明尼苏达州帕克拉皮兹气温低至零下41摄氏度。
While the extreme cold is miserable for many, some have been trying to find a bright side. In Chicago, residents have posted photographs on social media showing just how freezing life has become.
尽管对很多人来说，极寒天气非常难熬，但一些人也在尝试“寒中作乐”。一些芝加哥居民在社交媒体上传照片，展示出在极寒天气中生活的境况。
因为普利策奖不会自己送上家门，@MorGreene和我顶风冒雨来证明，今天在芝加哥的人行道上打一颗鸡蛋，会冷得冻住。
Local news outlets have made their reporters brave the elements to test whether an egg placed in a frying pan at these temperatures would freeze – the opposite of frying an egg on the sidewalk in extreme heat.
当地媒体的记者们也冒着风雪去证实，煎锅中的鸡蛋在这种低温天气下会不会冻住，相当于极端高温天气下试验在人行道上煎鸡蛋的对照版。
“Cold as ºF,” was the headline on the Loyola Phoenix, the official student newspaper of Loyola University in Chicago and on Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune ran sage weather-related advice on its front page: “Expert: avoid being outside”.
周二，芝加哥洛约拉大学校报《洛约拉凤凰报》的新闻标题是《气温低得测不到了》。《芝加哥论坛报》在头版刊登出与天气有关的明智建议《专家提醒大家别出门》。
sage[seɪdʒ]：adj. 明智的；贤明的；审慎的
But many ignored the expert warnings and ventured into the cold to attempt the “boiling water challenge”, which saw people throw pots of boiling water into the air, which froze before hitting the ground.
但还是有很多人无视专家的提醒，冒险到天寒地冻的天气里尝试“开水挑战”，人们把大盆开水泼出去，水还没落到地面就冻住了。
Others posted videos of bubbles blown outside, which freeze into gorgeous baubles before cracking, or of their fork suspended in mid-air by a waterfall of frozen noodles. The hashtag #DogsofChiberia was created, showing pets rugged up in custom puffer jackets, hats and booties so they could survive a trip outside.
还有一些人上传在室外吹泡泡的视频，在泡泡破裂之前，会先冻成美丽的水晶球，或是餐叉悬在半空中，上面挂着一柱冰冻的面条的视频。社交媒体上还出现了#芝伯利亚的狗 这一标签，展示出宠物狗们裹着定制的羽绒夹克、戴着帽子、穿着短靴，在室外撒欢的场景。
火车在“火花四溅”的轨道上飞驰
由于天气严寒，车站打开了安装在铁轨上的天然气阀门火烤铁轨，确保火车正常运行。
当地时间1月29日，一辆火车在燃起火苗的铁轨上驶向芝加哥市中心。
Videos also circulated that appeared to show train tracks across Chicago on fire. The fires, which actually run next to the rails, are used by Metra, the Chicago-area commuter rail, to make the rails expand in an attempt to avoid cracks forming and switches clogging.
网上还流传有一段芝加哥铁路轨道“烤火”的视频。芝加哥通勤铁路公司在铁轨旁边为其“烤火”，利用热胀冷缩，防止铁轨出现裂缝和道岔堵塞。
什么严寒也无法阻挡，警局的冷幽默
由于天气过于寒冷，当地时间29日上午，俄亥俄州的凯特林(Kettering)警察局干脆宣布：“取消所有打击犯罪的活动”。
“ATTENTION! Due to the extremely frigid conditions, tomorrow Kettering Police Department is canceling ALL criminal activity. However, our jail is still open and is a balmy 72 degrees and would be a perfect time to turn yourself in for any warrants and/or any other criminal activity you may have committed.”
“请注意！由于天气太冷，从明天起凯特林警察局取消所有打击犯罪的活动。但是，监狱依旧对外开放，而且相当暖和，室温达到72华氏度（22摄氏度）。如果你身背通缉令，或者犯过什么罪行，这时候投案自首真是最完美的时机。”
The post also stated that the department is “offering free transportation for any who want to take advantage of this offer.”
这篇帖子还说，警方还会“为有意愿的人，提供免费的交通服务。”
凯特林警方的“冷幽默”在社交网站“脸书”上被疯狂转发，并引来效仿。辛辛那提州的蓝灰警察局(Blue Ash Police Department)也发布了同样的信息。
“史上最冷”的耐力赛
在明尼苏达州北部举行的耐力赛Arrowheard 135，在大雪和寒风中进行，为期3天。参赛者可以选择骑车、滑雪或者跑步进行比赛。今年的比赛有146人参加。
Arrowhead 135要求选手完成135英里的行程。这项赛事被认为是世界上50个最艰难的比赛之一。承办方将今年的比赛称为“史上最冷”的一次。
Women’s winner Faye Norby, left, and Jeff Leuwerke cross finish line together Wednesday morning. Photo: Scott Rokis/Arrowhead 135
They'll set out on foot, on bikes or on skis for the 15th annual Arrowhead 135 race. It's a round-the-clock, 135-mile trek across the northern Minnesota wilderness.
参与者将徒步、骑车或者使用滑雪板完成第十五届Arrowheard 135耐力赛。这项年度赛事是一项全天候的比赛，全程135英里（约合217公里），参赛者将穿越明州北部荒野。
It's a tough test in any weather conditions. But this year the forecast calls for temperatures of about 23 below zero at the start — and perhaps in the 30s below zero.
不管是在何种天气条件下，这都是一场艰难的比赛。但在今年比赛之初，气象台就预报说气温会低至零下23度，甚至低到零下30度。
但赛事主任克鲁格表示，很多选手就是因为这种极寒才来比赛的。“要是哪一年有点暖和，你可能还会觉得自己被欺骗了。
同样是在明尼苏达州，定于29日的一场冰球赛如期举行。沃罗德队(Warroad)对阵罗素队(Roseau)。当地时间29日晚上，当地气温已经降至零下29度，体感温度达到零下50度，但是观众还是没有放弃这场比赛。最终两队打成2比2平局。
来源：中国日报网英语点津，编辑：许雅宁