How can you ruin1 something that is already a wreck2? Well, that seems to be happening to the Titanic, the world's most famous shipwreck.
Some historians are worried because the luxury liner, which struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on its first voyage3 92 years ago, is falling apart4 quicker than scientists had estimated5.
Only a few years ago, the Titanic was in reasonably good shape and was expected to last a long time. But that's not the case any longer. Titanic historians blame filmmakers, salvage6 divers, and even undersea tourists for helping turn the sunken ship into a rusted-out shell.
In addition, scientists say that salt water, underwater currents, and tiny organisms7 known as microbes8 are destroying what is left of the wreck. Researchers say it will take about 30 or so years before rust eats through the Titanic and causes its hullcaptain's cabin and poop deck have collapsed. Gaping20 holes have opened up on other decks. Icicles21 of rust, now cover the hull.
French mini-submarine22 pilot23 Paul H. Nargeolet has explored the Titanic wreck more than 30 times. He said each dive reveals new damage24. “Things are going quicker and quicker,” Nargeolet told The New York Times.
A biologist said that microbes are devouring25 600 pounds of iron from the wreck each day.
Undersea Tourist
Divers and tourists began taking a toll26 on the Titanic from the moment Robert Ballard and his research team found the ship 19 years ago. Every time a minisub visits the wreck, propellers27 kick up sediment28 and alter the environment around the site.
Since 1987, licensed salvage divers have made hundreds of trips to the wreck, recovering more than 6,000 artifacts29 from the Titanic. The items include everything form silverware and fine china to shoes and spittoons30.
Recently, pirates31 reportedly lowered a robot to the site and caused damage when they tried to dislodge32 the pedestal33 of the ship's steering34 wheel.
Tourists can pay up to $36,000 to ride a submersible35, or small deep-sea submarine, to the Titanic wreck. In 2001, a New York couple was married in a submersible resting on the ship's bow.
“Visitors do more damage than anybody else,” said Edward Kamuda, president of the Titanic Historical Society. “The thing is going to deteriorate36 anyway, but it doesn't help when you have all these subs going by.”
Rest in Peace?
Historians insist that it is time for people to leave the shipwreck alone. They are tired of visitors littering37 the area around the wreck with pieces of line, artificial flowers, weights, and cargo nets.
Preservationists38 and other people want scientists, divers, and tourists to respect the Titanic wreck as a gravesite39.
In addition to those who died when the ship sank, some of the ship's 705 survivors asked that their ashes be scattered over the site when they die. Walter Porter, the great-grandson of a Titanic victim, wants officials to protect the wreck. “I don't object to40 people going down to look at it,” he said. “But if it's going to destroy what's there, I'm not pleased with that.”
你能毁灭早已成为一堆残骸的东西吗？举世闻名的泰坦尼克号沉船残骸似乎正在经历这样一场劫难。
一些历史学家十分担心，这艘92年前在处女航时撞上冰山而沉没于北大西洋的豪华巨轮正在解体，其速度似乎比科学家们所预料的要快。
就在几年前，泰坦尼克号残骸的状况基本良好，人们甚至估计这种情况还可持续很长一段时间。但是，现在一切时过境迁。研究泰坦尼克号的历史学家们指责一些电影制作人，潜水打捞人员，甚至包括那些海底游客正在促使这艘沉船变成一具锈蚀不堪的空壳。
此外，科学家们认为，含盐份的海水，海底水流以及一些称为微生物的微小有机物也在摧毁沉船的剩余部分。研究人员觉得大约再过30年左右，泰坦尼克和尾楼甲板也坍塌了。其他甲板上也是千疮百孔。锈迹斑斑的垂冰（即铁锈结成的柱状物）如今覆盖了整个船体。
法国微型潜艇领航员保罗·H·纳尔乔雷探测泰坦尼克号沉船已经有30多次了。他说每次潜水探测都会发现新的损毁。“情况在迅速恶化，”纳尔乔雷对《纽约时报》如是说。
一位生物学家说，微生物每天会吞噬掉沉船上600多磅的铁。
海底游客
自19年前罗伯特·巴拉德和他的研究小组发现泰坦尼克号残骸那一刻起，潜水员和游客就开始了对这艘沉船的毁灭进程。微型潜艇每次探访沉船，螺旋桨都会搅起海底沉积物，并且改变了周围的环境。
自1987年以来，持照潜水打捞员已经造访泰坦尼克号多达几百次，打捞上来6千多件物品。这些物品从银器、细瓷器到鞋子、痰盂，真是应有尽有。
据报道，最近有海盗把一个机器人投放到沉船残骸上，试图强行卸下方向舵的基架，对沉船造成了破坏。
游客花上36，000美元便可乘坐深潜器（即小型深海潜水艇）参观泰坦尼克号残骸。2001年，纽约的一对情侣乘坐深潜器停靠在泰坦尼克号的船头上举行了婚礼。
“游客所造成的破坏最大，”泰坦尼克号历史学会会长爱德华·卡姆达说。“情况越来越糟，但是看着这些潜艇游来游去，你却一点办法也没有。”
能安息吗？
历史学家坚持认为：现在人们不该再去打扰这艘沉船遗骸了。对有人在沉船附近乱扔东西，诸如废电线、假花、重物和装卸网兜等，他们感到十分厌恶。
保护主义者以及其他人士希望科学家、潜水员和游客把泰坦尼克残骸当作一座墓地来尊重。
除了与泰坦尼克巨轮一起沉入海底的人以外，该船705名幸存者中的一些人要求在他们死后把骨灰撒在沉船附近海域。沃尔特·波特是泰坦尼克号上一名遇难者的曾孙，他要求官员们保护该船残骸。“我并不反对人们到海底去观看泰坦尼克号，”他说，“但是，如果这样做会毁坏那儿的东西，我就高兴不起来了。”
1. ruin v． 毁灭
2． wreck n． 残骸
3． voyage n． 航程
4． falling apart 解体
5． estimate v． 估计
6． salvage ] n． 打捞
7． organism n． 生物体
8． microbe n． 微生物
9． collapse v． 崩溃
10． ravage n． 破坏
11． supposedly adv． 据称
12． Southampton n． 南安普敦（英国南部港口城市）
13． crow＇s－nest 瞭望台
14． fateful adj． 灾难性的
15． intact adj． 完整无损的
16． poop deck 船尾楼甲板
17． huddle v． 拥挤
18． many years to come 未来许多年
19． crumple v． 破碎
20． gaping adj． 多洞穴的
21． icicle n． 垂冰
22． mini－submarine n． 微型潜艇
23． pilot n． 领航员
24． damage n． 损害，伤害
25． devour v． （尤指动物）吞吃
26． take a toll 造成毁坏，损失
27． propeller n． 推进器，螺旋桨
28． sediment n． 沉淀物，沉积物
29． artifact n． 人造物品
30． spittoon n． 痰盂
31． pirate n． 海盗
32． dislodge v． 驱逐
33． pedestal n． 基架
34． steering wheel 方向盘
35． submersible adj． 能潜水的
36． deteriorate v． 恶化
37． litter v． 乱丢垃圾
38． Preservationist n． （对野生动物、自然区、古迹和传统事物等的）保护主义者
39． gravesite n． 墓地
40． object to 反对