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The first time Charles approached the area he was shocked.
当查尔斯第一次接近这一地区时，他感到十分震惊。
The first sign of the plastic waste was a long line of plastic bags.
第一眼望过去是一长串塑料袋。
They floated like frightening spirits over the surface of the water.
他们像可怕的幽灵一样漂浮在水面上。
Next, he saw fishing nets, ropes and bottles, old oil containers, toys, and tires.
接下来，他看到了渔网、绳索和瓶子、旧油罐、玩具和轮胎。
The area of waste seemed to stretch forever.
这片垃圾似乎一望无际。
It was deeply saddening to Charles.
这使查尔斯深感悲痛。
“There was nowhere I could go to avoid the plastic.”
“我无法躲避这些塑料制品。
That was about ten years ago.
那是大约十年前的事了。
Since this time, Charles has visited the North Pacific gyre many times.
从那时起，查尔斯已经多次去北太平洋环流。
And each time the area of waste grows.
每一次垃圾的面积都在增加。
Today, the area of waste in the North Pacific gyre covers an area up to one point three million 1,300,000 square kilometers.
今天，北太平洋环流的垃圾面积达130万平方公里。
Finding waste is nothing new in the North Pacific gyre.
在北太平洋环流地区发现垃圾并不是什么新鲜事。
For thousands of years the water currents have caught and carried many natural wastes like wood.
几千年来，水流捕获并携带了许多天然垃圾，如木头。
In the past, natural wastes in the gyre have biodegraded.
在过去，环流中的天然垃圾已经被生物降解。
Waste is biodegraded when natural bacteria break the waste into smaller and smaller pieces.
当自然细菌将垃圾分解成越来越小的碎片时，垃圾就会被生物降解。
Plants and smaller animals use this broken down waste for food and energy.
植物和较小的动物利用这些分解后的废物作为食物和能源。
But plastic waste is different.
但塑料垃圾是不同的。
Plastic cannot biodegrade.
塑料不能生物降解。
Instead, it photodegrades.
相反，它会被光降解。
Sunlight breaks it down into smaller and smaller pieces.
阳光把它分解成越来越小的碎片。
But these pieces remain plastic.
但这些部件仍然是塑料。
Even the smallest plastic molecule is not natural.
即使是最小的塑料分子也不是天然的。
Living organisms cannot digest plastic - or process it as food.
活着的有机体不能消化塑料，也不能将其加工成食物。
And the plastic may have even more frightening effects.
而塑料可能会产生更可怕的影响。
