【中國脈搏】西藏聖湖色林錯 世界最高鹹水湖 "Heavenly Lake" in Xizang — The World's Highest Saltwater Lake

中國湖北素有「千湖之省」的美譽，然而中國湖泊最多的地方並不是這裏，而是西藏。

中國水域面積在1平方公里以上的天然湖泊有2,800多個，這些湖泊較多分布在青藏高原、長江中下游平原等地區，當中有超過600個分布在西藏。

China has more than 2,800 natural lakes with a water area exceeding one square kilometer. These lakes are largely distributed across the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau and the middle and lower reaches plains of the Yangtze River, with over 600 of them located in Xizang.

目前西藏最大的湖泊，是位於北部羌塘高原的色林錯，其面積達2,300平方公里。「錯」，在藏語裏就是湖的意思。納木錯是西藏第二大湖，其面積約2,000平方公里，海拔約4,700米，為世界海拔最高的鹹水湖。

Currently, the largest lake in Xizang is Siling Co, located on the northern Changtang Plateau, with an area reaching 2,300 square kilometers.

In Tibetan, the word "Co" means "lake." The second-largest lake in Xizang is Namtso, covering an area of approximately 2,000 square kilometers. Situated at an altitude of about 4,700 meters, it is the world's highest saltwater lake.

在藏語裏，納木錯是「天湖」的意思，它與阿里地區的瑪旁雍錯、山南的羊卓雍錯，並稱西藏三大聖湖，很多虔城藏傳佛教徒會到來轉湖朝聖。

In Tibetan, Namtso means "Heavenly Lake." Along with Lake Manasarovar in Ngari Prefecture and Yamdrok Lake in Shannan, it is considered one of the three holy lakes of Xizang. Many devout Tibetan Buddhists come to perform pilgrimages by walking around these lakes.

要補充一點，納木錯曾是西藏第一大湖，近年才被「長大」的色林錯超越，而色林錯增大的原因，包括了冰川加速融化和降水量增加等等，其中冰河融化是需要關注的問題。

It should be added that Namtso was once the largest lake in Xizang, but in recent years it has been surpassed by the "growing" Siling Co. The expansion of Siling Co is due to factors including accelerated glacier melting and increased precipitation, with glacier melting being a particular environmental concern.

另外，西藏湖泊多數是鹹水湖，色林錯、納木錯均是，而淡水湖的代表是羊卓雍錯。

Furthermore, most lakes in Xizang are saltwater lakes—Siling Co and Namtso are both examples—while Yamdrok Lake is a representative freshwater lake.

西藏還有一個很特別的班公湖（或稱班公錯）。該湖狹長，呈東西走向，東段約三分之二在中國境內，湖水是淡的；西段約三分二由印度控制，湖水是鹹的。

There is also a very unique lake in Xizang called Pangong Tso (or Pangong Lake). The lake is long and narrow, stretching east to west. Approximately two-thirds of its eastern section lies within China, where the water is fresh; about two-thirds of the western section is controlled by India, where the water is salty.

造成這個特別現象的原因是：班公湖的湖水由東向西流動，注入湖中的河流多在東側，也就是中國的一側。而西段幾乎沒有淡水補給，加上蒸發量大，導致逐漸變成鹹水湖。

This unique phenomenon occurs because the lake's water flows from east to west, and most rivers feeding into it are on the eastern, Chinese side. The western section receives almost no freshwater inflow, and combined with high evaporation rates, this has gradually turned it into a saltwater lake.

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