【美国网友】经济：朝鲜熄灯，太空照片揭示了该国的与世隔绝

The nighttime darkness in North Koreastands in stark contrast to its neighbors, South Korea (lower right) and China(upper left).
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

朝鲜夜间的黑暗与邻国韩国（右下）和中国（左上）形成鲜明对比。
来源:美国宇航局地球观测站

Nighttime imagery of the Earth's su***cehas been a staple for science geeks and geopolitical analysts for years,revealing details about a region's population, growth and industry in dramaticways.

地球表面的夜景多年来已经成为科学极客和地缘政治分析人士的一个主要话题, 以戏剧性的方式揭示一个地区的人口、增长和工业的细节。

A recent image from the International SpaceStation (ISS) shows in stark detail the utter lack of development in NorthKorea — widely considered to be an isolated "rogue" state — comparedwith next-door neighbor South Korea, a rapidly developing industrial power.

国际空间站（ISS）最近的一幅图像突出地显示了朝鲜完全缺乏发展的细节，该国被广泛认为是一个孤立的“无赖”国家，与其相比，它的隔壁邻居韩国，则是一个快速发展的工业强国。

"North Korea is almost completely darkcompared to neighboring South Korea and China," according to the NASAEarth Observatory. In fact, the entire country appears so dark that it seems"as if it were a patch of water" instead of a nation of more than 24million people.

根据美国宇航局地球观测站图像，“与邻近的韩国和中国相比，朝鲜几乎完全处于黑暗中。”事实上，整个国家看起来如此黑暗，似乎“就好像一片水域”，而不是一个超过2400万人的国家。

Virtually the only sign that the area ispopulated is a tiny glow emanating from the capital city of Pyongyang. Even so,"the light emission from Pyongyang is equivalent to the smaller towns inSouth Korea," according to NASA.

实际上表明该地区有人居住的唯一迹象是来自首都平壤一点微小的光芒。即便如此，据美国宇航局的数据，“从平壤发出的光线仅相当于韩国的小城镇。”

South Korea and its capital city, Seoul, bycontrast, appear to blaze with light and color in the nighttime image, takenJan. 30.

相比之下，韩国及其首都首尔，在1月30日拍摄的夜景中就好像是流光溢彩的火焰。

Coastlines are commonly outlined clearly innighttime images, as is shown in the heavily industrialized eastern shore ofSouth Korea. The coast of North Korea, however, is almost invisible.

在夜景中海岸线通常被清晰地勾勒出来，这显示在高度工业化的韩国东部海岸。然而,朝鲜海岸几乎是看不见的。

Despite global communication and trade,North Korea stands alone as an unusually isolated nation, where residents liveunder a familial dictatorship that frequently threatens attacks against SouthKorea and its ally, the United States.

尽管有全球化的交流和贸易，但朝鲜则作为一个异常孤立的国家而被孤立，那里的居民生活在世袭独裁统治之下，经常威胁攻击韩国及其盟友美国。

Amid this brinksmanship, North Korearemains remarkably shut off from the rest of the world. The Internet is almostcompletely inaccessible, with access only by permission and for governmentauthorities. The few North Koreans with access to a computer can reach onlyKwangmyong, a closed domestic network.

在这种边缘政策之下，朝鲜仍然引人注目地切断了与世界其他国家的联系。互联网是几乎完全无法访问, 只有通过许可和政府当局才能访问。少数朝鲜人只能通过电脑访问一个封闭的称为“光明网”的国内网络。

Until this year, reporters traveling toNorth Korea had to turn in their mobile phones at the border. In February 2013,the government enabled 3G access — but for foreigner visitors only.

直到今年，前往朝鲜的记者必须在边境将手机上交。2013年2月,政府允许3G上网——但仅供外国游客使用。

Amid this pre-industrial level oftechnology, it's no surprise that North Koreans have little access toelectricity: Per-capita power consumption throughout the regime was 739kilowatt hours in 2011, according to the World Bank, compared with 10,162kilowatt hours in South Korea.

在这种前工业化的技术水平之下，毫无疑问，朝鲜几乎没有电：根据世界银行的数据，2011年该政权的人均能耗为739千瓦时，而在韩国则为10162千瓦时。

These technological facts only hint at thegrim reality of life in the isolated regime: Several reports from North Koreaindicate that a handful of starving residents, where famine is anall-too-regular occurrence, may have resorted to cannibalism.

这些技术现实只暗示了在这个孤立政权生活的残酷现实：几篇来自朝鲜的报道表明饥荒是一种经常性事件,少量饥饿的居民可能依靠同类相食而生。

In the spring of 2012, a drought wreakedhavoc on North Korea's crops. Following that disaster, a severe tropicalcyclone hit the country, leaving an estimated 21,000 homeless.

2012年春天,干旱肆虐对朝鲜的作物造成了巨大的破坏。灾后，一股强烈的热带气旋袭击了这个国家，估计有21000人无家可归。

As a result, the secretive pariah state wasforced to accept food aid from South Korea for the first time in years,according to CNN.com. An estimated 10,000 people are reported to have died ofhunger-related problems in recent years.

因此，据CNN网站报道，这个神秘的恶棍国家多年来第一次被迫从韩国接受粮食援助。据报道估计有10000人死于近年以来的饥饿问题。

Comments

评论

David Hartley · Teaching Assistant atPrimary school
Shocking. Stark reality.
Reply · · Yesterday at 1:20pm

令人震惊。赤裸裸的现实。

Ray Wallace · Top Commenter · California Polytechnic StateUniversity (Cal Poly)
The dark skies over North Korea make it anexcellent location for a world-class observatory. If only the leadership hadany marketing skills.
Reply · 1 · · Yesterday at 3:08pm

笼罩朝鲜的黑暗天空为一个世界级的天文台提供了一个极好的位置。要是领导层有任何营销技巧该多好。

Steven Biggs · Top Commenter
You would need a full-time generator forstable power, and then hope North Korea does not steal your fuel supply.
Reply · · Yesterday at 4:53pm

你需要一个全时段运行的发电机提供稳定的能量，而且希望朝鲜没有偷取你的燃料供给。

Donald Quarnstrom · Top Commenter · Boise State University
They are just leading the push towardscombating Global Warming.
Reply · 5 · · Yesterday at 5:01pm

他们只是引领推动与全球变暖作斗争。

Shaun Hazell
Its exactly what the Greens want for therest of the world
Reply · · 20 hours ago

这恰好是保护环境的政治团体在世界其他地区所想要的样子

Donald Quarnstrom · Top Commenter · Boise State University
Shaun Hazell I think you really don't knowtoo much, and thanks for sharing it.
Reply · · 13 hours ago

Shaun Hazell，我认为你真是太无知了，感谢分享。

Mader Levap · Top Commenter · Gdansk, Poland
Shaun Hazell Yes, of course, Greens wantworldwide Stalinist oppressive government with concentration camps andeverything... DUH. *rolls eyes at stupidity of some people*
Reply · · 5 hours ago

Shaun Hazell，是的,当然, 保护环境的政治团体希望成为全世界拥有集中营和一切的斯大林主义高压政府…德国环境健康组织。*向有些人的愚蠢翻白眼*

Donald Quarnstrom · Top Commenter · Boise State University
Mader Levap ...ACTUALLY..if I could put allthe 'deniers' in a camp....
Reply · · 4 hours ago

Mader Levap…其实…是不是我能把所有的“反对者”投入集中营....

Shaun Hazell
Mader Levap They actually do want aworldwide socialist government.
Reply · · about an hour ago

Mader Levap，他们确实想要一个世界范围内的社会主义政府。

Shaun Hazell
Donald Quarnstrom Spoken like a truetotalitarian socialist wanting to lock up every body that doesn't have the sameopinion to you.
Reply · · 52 minutes ago

Donald Quarnstrom说话像一个真正的极权社会主义者，想把每一个没有相同的观点个体关起来。

Tatiana Covington · Top Commenter · U of Arizona
The most frightening photograph I have everseen.
Reply · · Yesterday at 5:42pm

我所见过的最可怕的照片。

Jack Metcalfe · Top Commenter · Eastern Kentucky University
That's exactly what I'd like to see here inthe US.....I piddle in astronomy, however, so dark skies are a plus. Maybe theyshould look into becoming a tourist destination for amateur astronomers!
Reply · · 9 hours ago

这正是我想在美国看到的.....我沉溺于天文学，然而，黑暗的天空是一个加分项。也许他们应该考虑成为业余天文学家的旅游胜地!

Tatiana Covington · Top Commenter · U of Arizona
Let's just let NK die.
Reply · 1 · · Yesterday at 5:43pm

我们只是让朝鲜灭亡。

Wouter Russchen · Top Commenter · Works at Albert-Heijn
no! their leader is a god
Reply · · 19 hours ago

不!他们的领袖是一个神

Earl Herbert · Lane Community College
Seal team six! That'll learn em'!
Reply · · 20 hours ago

海豹突击队!将会教训他们的!

Chris Tree
There's a small gathering of unicorns inthe middle
Reply · · 18 hours ago

困兽犹斗

Doug Helsel · Top Commenter
Why is this a story now? Similar photoshave been circulating for years
Reply · · 15 hours ago

为什么现在这还是一个故事呢?类似的照片已经流传多年了

Derek Sellers · Senior Computer Specialistat University of Washington Medical Center
Well, on the positive side, that's anindication that they're not much of a factor in climate change.
That's of course at the cost of life andwell being of its non-urban citizens...
Reply · · 12 hours ago

好吧,从积极的一面来看,这表明他们不是气候变化的因素。
当然，是以非城市公民的生活和福祉为代价……

Shauna McNalley · Top Commenter
That's not Pyongyang, that's the supremeleader standing alone.

这不是平壤，这是孤独的最高领袖。

Ilya Grushevskiy · London, United Kingdom
Cool - taking the whole global warmingissue seriously they are! :p
Reply · · 11 hours ago

太酷了,认真对待全球变暖问题啊!:p

John Spero · Top Commenter · The College of William andMary
At least it'll make it easier for us tospot a missile launch.
Reply · · 4 hours ago

至少它会让我们更容易发现一次导弹发射。