A tanker full of chilled natural gas is about to complete a trip through the Arctic Ocean to Asia, as a combination of climate change, the shale-gas revolution and the earthquake in Japan opens a potentially disruptive trade route.

一艘满载液化天然气的油轮即将完成穿越北冰洋之旅并驶抵亚洲。气候变化、页岩气革命和日本地震等因素加在一起打开了一条原本可能受阻的贸易航线。

The tanker Ob River is scheduled to deliver a cargo of Norwegian gas to energy-starved Japan on Tuesday after traveling from Norway through the Arctic above Russia. The trip takes three weeks less than it would if the gas took its normal route though the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal and around Asia.

从挪威出发、穿行俄罗斯以北的北极地区之后，“鄂毕河号油轮(Ob River)计划在周二将运载的挪威天然气运送至能源匮乏的日本。相比行经地中海、苏伊士运河并绕行亚洲多国的常规线路，现在这条航线能够缩短三周的航程。

Three disparate events made the trip feasible and profitable. Climate change has meant ships can pass through the Arctic during the summer. A flood of U.S. shale gas helped push down prices in Europe, and higher demand in Asia, in part due to the Japanese earthquake, has made chilling and liquefying European gas for shipment to Asia economic.

三大独立因素使得这条航线可行且有利可图：气候变化意味着船只可以在夏季穿行北极；美国页岩气产量激增帮助压低了欧洲的天然气价格；亚洲需求上升（部分原因是日本地震）令冷却液化欧洲天然气并运送至亚洲国家变得有利可图。

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