Will New Rules Save Lives on Mount Everest?

新规能否拯救珠峰上的生命？

Experienced climbers of Mount Everest are wondering if new proposed rules will deal with the root causes of deaths on the world's tallest mountain.

经验丰富的珠穆朗玛峰登山者正疑惑，新拟定的规则能否解决这座世界最高峰上死亡事故的根源问题。

The proposals, if approved by the government of Nepal, would add steps to the permitting process for climbers. American mountaineers Ed Viesturs and Alan Arnette said the measures are unlikely to stop inexperienced climbers from trying to travel up Mount Everest.

这些提议若获尼泊尔政府批准，将会为登山者的许可证申请流程增加更多环节。美国登山家埃德·维斯特尔斯和艾伦·阿内特表示，这些措施不太可能阻止缺乏经验的登山者尝试攀登珠峰。

This year, eleven climbers died while trying to climb the 8,850-meter high mountain. Many of them died in late May after they were stuck in a "traffic jam" near its summit. Viesturs said that many teams tried to reach the summit as soon as they heard predictions of good weather.

今年，有11名登山者在试图攀登这座海拔8850米的高山时不幸遇难。其中许多人是在5月下旬被困在接近山顶的“交通拥堵”区域后丧生的。维斯特尔斯称，许多登山队一听到天气预报说天气良好，就争先恐后地试图登顶。

"Everyone is afraid of missing what might be the one and only perfect day. There are typically several good summit days, but there's pressure to go when everyone else goes," he said.

他说道：“大家都生怕错过可能是唯一一个绝佳的登顶日。通常会有几个不错的登顶日，但当所有人都选择行动时，你也会感受到压力，不得不跟着出发。”

Traditionally, Nepal has given climbing permits to anyone prepared to pay a fee of $11,000. This year, the government approved a record 381 permits.

按照传统，尼泊尔会向任何愿意支付1.1万美元费用的人发放登山许可证。今年，该国政府批准了创纪录的381份许可证。

With essential Sherpas and guides added, more than 800 people were trying to reach the summit during the short weather window. The overcrowding led to deadly delays in what is known as the "death zone," the area above 8,000 meters.

再加上必不可少的夏尔巴向导和普通向导，在短暂的天气窗口期内，有800多人试图登顶。过度拥挤导致在海拔8000米以上的“死亡地带”出现了致命的延误。

It also raised concerns that guide companies were urging inexperienced mountaineers to attempt the climb. Among the suggested changes is a rule for climbers to have a certified doctor prepare a report on their medical history and general health. Another suggested requirement is that climbers provide evidence they have climbed another tall mountain in Nepal.

这也引发了人们的担忧，即登山向导公司正在怂恿缺乏经验的登山者尝试攀登珠峰。在建议的改革措施中，有一项规定要求登山者必须由一名有资质的医生出具一份关于其病史和整体健康状况的报告。另一项建议要求登山者提供证据，证明他们曾攀登过尼泊尔境内的另一座高山。

The proposals have been offered to the cabinet for approval, said Mira Acharya, who oversees climbing activities for Nepal 's Department of Tourism.The government has yet to say when the laws might take effect.

尼泊尔旅游部负责登山活动的官员米拉·阿查里亚表示，这些提议已提交内阁批准，但政府尚未说明这些法律何时可能生效。

Viesturs said the proposed changes will not do enough to stop the "group think" mentality that led to the traffic jam in late May. He said climb leaders at base camp also needed to consider how to fix the problem.

维斯特尔斯表示，拟议的改革措施并不足以遏制导致5月下旬“交通拥堵”的“从众”心态。他说，大本营的登山领队也需要考虑如何解决这一问题。

"I know several climbers who waited until later and had the mountain almost to themselves," Viesturs said of the 2019 climbing season. "We really need to answer why so many people are on the summit ridge on the same day? How can you control it?"

维斯特尔斯在谈到2019年的登山季时说：“我知道有几位登山者等到后面才出发，结果几乎独享了整座山峰。我们真的需要弄清楚，为什么同一天会有这么多人出现在山顶山脊上？又该如何控制这一局面呢？”