The birth of Surtsey

　　On the morning of November 14, 1963, a fishing boat was cruising off Iceland's Westman Islands. Suddenly the captain and crew felt their vessel sway as if caught in[1] a whirlpool[2]. In the distance, toward the south, the captain spotted[3] dark smoke coming from the ocean surface. He trained[4] his binoculars on what he thought might be a burning ship. Instead, he saw the black columns of a volcanic eruption. Before his eyes a new island was being born. It would be a giant in Norse legend.
　　Surtsey had a violent birth. Days earlier, an undersea volcano had torn open the rock of the ocean bottom, 425 feet below the surface. From the volcano burst forth[5] fearsome gases and solids. The base of an island began to form on the ocean floor. Now, at the surface of the sea, the eruption was spewing[6] gas and steam thousands of feet into the air. Black columns of the particles of ash and cinder that scientists call tephra rose hundreds of feet.
　　By morning of the second day, the new land reached 33 feet above the waves. Four days later it was 200 feet high and 2000 feet long.
　　After the months of fireworks, a miracle performed by wings, fins and seed-bearing currents brought life itself to Surtsey. A creature from the depths of the sea began wriggling on a sandy beach. A plant grew in a rocky cranny.
　　By summer of 1967,other plants had rooted, and the newborn cliffs were alive with birds. Even human beings had found a place for themselves. There was a hut for the scientists from many lands who arrive and depart in small planes. They will continue to keep watch on how the world is eternally created anew.

叙尔特塞火山的形成

　　1993年11月14日早晨，一艘渔船在冰岛的韦斯特曼群岛外巡弋。突然，船长和船员感到他们的船在摇摆，象是遇到了漩涡一样。在南面远处，船长发现洋面上冒起了黑烟。他还以为可能是某条船着了火，便用望远镜瞄准观察。结果他看到那黑烟柱原来是火山在喷发。一个新岛屿正在他眼前诞生。这个岛屿将用北欧传奇中的一个巨人的名字命名为叙尔特塞。

　　叙尔特塞岛诞生于激烈动荡之中。几天前，海面下的一座火山把水面下425英尺深处的洋底岩石撕裂开来。火山喷发出可怕的气体和固体。一个岛屿的基底便开始在洋底形成。现在，火山喷出的气体和蒸气升到数千英尺的高空。由火山灰和火山岩烬的微粒——科学们称之为火山碎屑——形成的黑烟柱冲向数百英尺的高空。

　　到第二天清早，这块新土地已上升到水面以上33英尺高。四天之后，它已有200英尺高，2000英尺长了。 .

　　叙尔特塞岛发展过程中的一个新阶段这时不声不响地开始了。在数月的烟火喷发之后，由鸟类、鱼类和水流冲来种子创造的奇迹给叙尔特塞带来了生命。来自深海的一种生物开始在多沙的海滩上蠕动。一种植物在石缝中生长起来。

　　到1967年夏天，其他植物也扎下了根，新生成的峭壁悬崖上，到处都有鸟儿在活动。甚至人类也为自己找到了一个去处。岛上有一座小屋，供来自许多国家的科学家用。科学家们乘坐小型飞机飞来飞去。他们将继续进行观察，看看世界究竟是怎样永不停息地进行再创造的。