探索世界三大濒危河流

河流是地球的生命动脉，它哺育了生命，孕育了文化，灌溉了人类文明，带给人类诸多享受和乐趣。但如今有很多河流面临各种威胁，往昔的自然之美濒临破坏与消逝。下面就随本文一起去探索世界三大濒危河流，让我们投入它们的怀抱，尽情感受它们酣畅淋漓的美，更唤醒我们内心保护它们的本能。

The fate that a scheduled dam project forever disrupts the flow or something similar， has befallen1） most major river systems on earth—and though we often lament2） their loss， we continue to dam， divert or otherwise mar3） or destroy our last remaining wild rivers. Even a dammed river can remain an enduring symbol of its landscape， as do the extensively developed Mississippi and the Nile. But such hydro4）-developed rivers may face other threats， especially overuse of their waters， which can eliminate a river entirely. Following are three of the most beautiful but most threatened rivers worth seeing while they still flow.

The Danube

Length： 1776 miles

Discharge： 229，000 cubic feet per second

Main threat： pollution， development of adjacent lands and development of the river as a shipping channel

Europe's second-largest river after the Volga， the Danube is remarkable for the many cultures it touches， and the many borders it crosses， en route5） from the Alps to the Black Sea. The Danube has been characterized as dividing， uniting， and defining Central Europe. The river's source is in the Black Forest of Germany， while it gains much of its volume6） from the Alps. It's a fine way for a river to begin—but things get complicated for the Danube the more countries it touches. Government conservation efforts may be hampered7） by the Danube's very diversity—for the river， which the World Wildlife Fund has called the "most international river in the world"， literally absorbs the direct runoff8） of 18 countries—including the war-scarred Balkan nations and the industrial landscapes of parts of Poland， Germany， and Hungary. Named in 2007 as one of the ten most threatened rivers in the world， the Danube offers a variety of beautiful trip opportunities. People may cycle tour the length of the river， traveling as they go either through or near Germany， Austria， the Czech Republic， Slovakia， Romania， and many more nations. Or they may walk the gentle valley of the Danube， among vineyards and orchards， past Transylvanian castles， and through great cities like Belgrade， Budapest， and Vienna. Or they may explore this great river by boat.

The Murray

Length： 1476 miles

Discharge： 27，086 cubic feet per second

Main threat： dwindling9） fish species and overuse of waterendprint

Australia's longest and most massive river， the Murray flows from the Australian Alps southeastward and into the Southern Ocean near the city of Adelaide. Like nearly any river in a dry and thirsty land， the Murray is a critical life source—both for native fish and wildlife， like the barramundi， dolphin， and the man-size Murray cod， and for local agriculture， including southern Australia's famed wine industry. Though dams and locks cross the river at numerous places， the Murray is nonetheless a popular destination for paddlers10）—some of whom may float the entire river. The Murray is a gentle waterway， broad and slow for much of its length， and is relatively welcoming to novice11） river paddlers—though it does have a few whitewater12） sections. The future of the Murray is in question. The river's flow is naturally erratic13）， and in dry years it has failed entirely to reach its end. As demand for the Murray's water grows， climate change is expected to become a major stressor on this threatened river.

The Mackenzie

Length： 2637 miles to head of Finlay River

Discharge： 349，968 cubic feet per second

Main threat： possible hydroelectric development

The Mackenzie drainage system receives the precipitation14） from almost 20 percent of Canada's land area and abuts15） that of the Yukon River， the Fraser， the Columbia， and the Churchill. Measured from the head of the Finlay River， the Mackenzie is one of the longest rivers in the world. However， many people—and canoeists—discuss the Mackenzie only in terms of its main branch， an un-dammed 1000-mile run that flows north out of the massive Great Slave Lake. This river's remote location has made it largely immune to many of the threats that have affected other great rivers—and almost certainly， the Mackenzie is one river system that will never dry up at the doings of people. And while the Mackenzie itself remains un-dammed， several hydroelectric projects have been built on its tributaries16） and there is growing interest in tapping into the energy of the Mackenzie's main stem. Still， the Mackenzie drainage offers among the greatest wilderness experiences left on earth. Probably the best option is to let the river do the work and float downstream via canoe， raft， or kayak. Where to start is the question. Some adventurers may start on the South Nahanni， while others may tackle the Mackenzie beginning at Great Slave Lake， a roughly month-long trip of probable bear encounters， wild camping， and excellent fly fishing17）. Because it may someday be hydro-developed， the Mackenzie has been named among Canada's most threatened waterways. For now， though， this Arctic giant remains one of the world's freest， cleanest， wildest rivers.endprint

水流被规划好的筑坝工程永久阻断的命运或诸如此类的事已经降临于地球上大部分主要的水系。而且虽然我们常常为它们的损失感到惋惜，但我们仍继续筑坝，使河流改道或者用别的方式损毁或破坏我们最后仅剩的那些自然河流。即使筑了坝的河流可以继续做该地区永久的标志性景观，就像被广泛开发的密西西比河和尼罗河那样，但这些被开发来发电的河流可能面临其他威胁，尤其是河水的过度利用——那可以彻底毁灭一条河。下面是三条最美丽但也最濒危的河流，值得我们趁它们仍在奔流时去一饱眼福。

多瑙河

长度：1776英里

流量：229，000立方英尺/秒

主要威胁：污染、沿岸开发、河流被开发用作船运河道

作为仅次于伏尔加河的欧洲第二大河流，多瑙河一路从阿尔卑斯山脉流至黑海，以其触及文化之广、跨越国界之多而闻名于世。多瑙河一直具有分割、连接和界定中欧地区的特征。多瑙河发源于德国的黑林山，不过其大部分水量却来自阿尔卑斯山。对于一条河来说，这是个很好的发源方式，但多瑙河因为流经国家较多，情况变得复杂起来。政府做保护工作付出的努力可能会因多瑙河的这种多样性而受阻碍，因为被世界野生动植物基金会称为“世界上最国际化的河流”的多瑙河确实吸纳了18个国家的地面径流——这些国家中有饱受战争创伤的巴尔干半岛各国、波兰的部分工业发达地区、德国和匈牙利。多瑙河曾在2007年被列为世界十大濒危河流之一。它给游人提供了各种美好旅程的机会。人们可以骑车沿河游览，横穿德国、奥地利、捷克、斯洛伐克、罗马尼亚还有更多国家，或是在这些国家附近游览；也可以徜徉在多瑙河温和的河谷，漫步于一个个葡萄庄园和果园，观赏沿途的特兰西瓦尼亚城堡，穿过诸如贝尔格莱德、布达佩斯、维也纳这样的名城；或者还可以乘船探索这条美丽的河流。

墨累河

长度：1476英里

流量：27，086立方英尺/秒

主要威胁：鱼的种类不断减少、河水过度利用

墨累河是澳大利亚最长、流域面积最广的河流，发源于澳大利亚阿尔卑斯山的东南部，在阿德莱德市附近注入南大洋。像几乎任何一条流经干旱少雨的土地的河一样，墨累河是至关重要的生命之源，不论是对原生鱼类和野生动物（如澳洲肺鱼、海豚、成人大小的墨累鳕鱼），还是对包括南澳地区著名的红酒业在内的当地农业。虽然河上很多地方都横跨着水坝和水闸，但墨累河仍然是漂流者们很喜欢的去处，其中有些人可能会在整个河段漂流。墨累河是一条平缓的航道，大部分河段水面宽阔、水流缓慢，相对来说更受漂流新手们的欢迎，虽然它确实有几个急流河段。墨累河的未来尚不明确。河水水流本身就不稳定，在干旱的年份曾彻底断流。随着人们对墨累河用水需求的增加，气候变化可能会成为这条濒危河流最大的威胁。

马更些河

长度：2637英里（从芬利河源头算起）

流量：349，968立方英尺/秒

主要威胁：潜在的水电开发

马更些河水系吸纳了加拿大陆地近20%的降水量，还毗邻育空河、弗雷泽河、哥伦比亚河和丘吉尔河水系。从芬利河源头算起，马更些河是世界上最长的河流之一。然而，许多人——还有独木舟爱好者——谈论起马更些河时只是指它的干流——从巨大的大奴湖向北奔流1000英里的无水坝河段。马更些河地处偏远，这使其在很大程度上免受很多其他一些大河业已遭受的威胁。而且我们几乎可以肯定，马更些河是一个永远不会因为人类活动而枯竭的水系。虽然马更些河本身还没有被筑坝，但它的支流上已经建了一些水力发电工程，人们对挖掘其干流能源的兴趣也在增长。不过，目前马更些河流域仍能为游客们提供地球上最令人惊叹的自然体验之一。或许最好的选择就是让河水来当差，你只管乘着独木舟、竹筏或橡皮艇顺流而下。从哪里开始游览才是你要关心的问题。有些探险者可能会从南纳汉尼河开始，其他人可能会从大奴湖开始游览马更些河——在这约一个月的旅程里，你可能会遇到熊，可能要在野外露营，或是来次非凡的飞钓。由于这里有朝一日可能会兴建水力发电工程，马更些河已经被列为加拿大最濒危的水道之一。不过目前看来，这条流经北极圈的长河仍是世界上最自由、最干净、最富自然气息的河流之一。endprint