Tundra is the huge flat land in the far north — northern Russia, northern Canada, Alaska, parts of Scandinavia — where it is too cold for trees to grow. Picture the map above the forests and below the permanent ice: that band is tundra.

Tundra is the huge flat land in the far northTundra凍原是北方那一大片平坦的土地 — northern Russia, northern Canada, Alaska, parts of Scandinavia俄羅斯北部、加拿大北部、阿拉斯加、斯堪地那維亞的部分地區 — where it is too cold for trees to grow冷到樹長不起來。Picture the map above the forests and below the permanent ice想像地圖上森林以上、永久冰層以下的那一條帶狀地區: that band is tundra那就是凍原。

The ground there is frozen solid a little way down, all year round, and that frozen layer is called permafrost. Roots cannot push through it, so nothing tall survives. What does grow is low and tough: mosses, lichens, small hardy flowers, tiny bushes that stay close to the ground where the wind cannot kill them.

The ground there is frozen solid a little way down那裡的地面往下一小段就凍得硬邦邦, all year round一年到頭都這樣, and而 that frozen layer is called permafrost那個凍結的層叫做永凍層。Roots cannot push through it樹根穿不過去, so所以 nothing tall survives長不出高大的植物。What does grow is low and tough長得出來的都是又矮又耐命的: mosses苔蘚, lichens地衣, small hardy flowers耐寒的小花, tiny bushes that stay close to the ground where the wind cannot kill them貼著地面長、風吹不倒的小灌木。

For most of the year the tundra looks brown, grey, and empty. Then in the short summer the top of the soil thaws, the water cannot drain away because the layer below is still frozen, and the whole place turns into wet ground full of pools, flowers, and enormous clouds of mosquitoes. Reindeer, caribou, arctic foxes and huge numbers of birds arrive to use those few warm weeks.

For most of the year凍原大部分時候 the tundra looks brown, grey, and empty看起來是棕色、灰色，而且空蕩蕩的。Then in the short summer等到短暫的夏天來臨, the top of the soil thaws表層土壤解凍, the water cannot drain away因為下面那層還是凍的水排不出去 because the layer below is still frozen, and而 the whole place turns into wet ground full of pools, flowers, and enormous clouds of mosquitoes整個地方就變成滿是水窪、花朵，還有大群蚊子的濕地。Reindeer, caribou, arctic foxes and huge numbers of birds馴鹿、caribou、北極狐和大量的鳥類 arrive to use those few warm weeks都會趕來利用那短短幾個溫暖的星期。

Grammar note: tundra is normally uncountable — you say "across the tundra", not "a tundra" or "three tundras".

Grammar note文法小提醒: tundra is normally uncountabletundra通常是不可數名詞 — you say "across the tundra"你會說『橫越凍原』, not "a tundra" or "three tundras"不會說『一個凍原』或『三個凍原』。

Scientists sometimes write about alpine tundra, meaning the same treeless, cold conditions found high up on mountains rather than far north; that is the one place the word travels away from the Arctic. You are most likely to meet this word in geography class, in nature documentaries, and now very often in news about climate change, because as the permafrost warms it releases gases that were locked in the frozen ground.

Scientists sometimes write about alpine tundra科學家有時候會寫到高山凍原, meaning the same treeless, cold conditions found high up on mountains指的是在高山上發現的那種沒有樹、寒冷的環境 rather than far north而不是在遙遠的北方; that is the one place the word travels away from the Arctic這是這個字唯一會離開北極圈使用的地方。You are most likely to meet this word你最有可能遇到這個字 in geography class在地理課, in nature documentaries自然紀錄片裡, and而 now very often in news about climate change現在也常常出現在關於氣候變遷的新聞裡, because因為 as the permafrost warms永凍層一暖化 it releases gases that were locked in the frozen ground就會釋放出原本鎖在凍土裡的氣體。