Geologists claim to have discovered a new continent to the east of Australia: Zealandia. At 4.9 million square kilometres of land mass, 94 percent of which is under water, Zealandia would be the world's smallest continent.
地質學家聲稱,在澳洲以東發現了一塊新大陸：西蘭洲.西蘭洲的陸地面積為490萬平方公里,其中94%都浸沒在水中,是世界上面積最小的大陸.
The 11 scientists behind the claim presented their findings in the study "Zealandia: Earth's Hidden Continent" in Geological Society of America, making a case for Zealandia to be recognised as the world's eighth continent in its own right.
提出新大陸說法的11位科學家在美國地質學會上發表了這一研究報告：《西蘭洲：地球上隱藏的大陸》,他們請求將西蘭洲認定為世界第八大洲.
According to their study, the land mass comprises all the four attributes needed to be considered a continent, including the presence of different rock types and crucially "the high elevation relative to regions floored by oceanic crust."
根據他們的研究,這塊陸地具備了成為大洲所需的四個要素,包括巖石類型多樣化,關鍵在于它"相比那些基于海洋地殼的地區海拔要高".
"It was not a sudden discovery but a gradual realisation," the scientists wrote.
科學家在研究報告中寫道："這不是突然發現的,而是逐漸意識到的."
The term Zealandia was coined by geophysicist Bruce Luyendyk in 1995, at which time it was believed to possess three of the four necessary qualities required for continent status. A recent discovery using satellite technology and gravity maps of the sea floor have revealed that Zealandia is a large unified area, fulfilling all four requirements.
1995年地球物理學家布魯斯•魯巖迪克造出了"西蘭洲"這個詞,當時科學家認為這塊陸地具備了成為大洲所需的四個要素中的三個要素.近日運用衛星技術和海底重力地圖后發現,西蘭洲是一整塊大陸,具備了所有四個要素.
The political and economic implications of a new continent would be manifold, with the question of clearly defining what belongs to New Zealand and Australia particularly salient in light of offshore mining in the area.
一個新大洲的出現將蘊含著多重的政治和經濟意義,主要問題在于該地區的海底開采權將如何在新西蘭和澳大利亞之間進行劃分.
A six-year study by the GNS Science research institute in New Zealand has revealed that there could be tens of billions of dollars worth of fossil fuels located off-shore in the region.
新西蘭的GNS科學研究所的一項長達六年的研究發現,該地區海底潛藏著價值成百上千億美元的化石燃料能源.
According to the study, the 94 percent of Zealandia currently submerged broke away from Australia and sank 60-85 million years ago.
根據該研究,西蘭洲目前被海水浸沒的94%的地區已經和澳洲大陸塊分離,并于6000萬至8500萬年前沉沒海中.
英文來源：每日電訊報
