A：I heard that the shipwreck of Titanic was due to its collision with an iceberg？
B：Yes。Each year about four hundred icebergs survive the long journey from Greenland and Baffin Bay and float into the warm waters off the coast of Newfoundland。In April 1912 the steamship Titanic struck one of these icebergs。It sank with a great loss of life。Shortly after，the Ice Patrol was founded to patrol the shipping lane near Newfoundland during the iceberg season。
A：But the patrol must be dangerous there since there were so many floating icebergs。How was this task fulfilled？
B：The patrol is carried out by one or two U。S。Coast Guard boats。They locate and chart every iceberg in the waters and the information is radioed to nearby ships。Fourteen nations pay the costs of the patrol service。
A：Oh I see。But when is the safest time for ships to cruise there？
B：Icebergs begin to threaten shipping in March。It is in May that the patrol boats are busiest。During that month an average of 130 icebergs must be located and charted。By June the danger is over。
泰坦尼克号剧照A：我听说泰坦尼克号的失事是因为与冰川相撞，是这样吗？
B：没错。每年大约有400座冰山完成格陵兰到巴芬湾的漫长行程，漂入纽芬兰近海地区的温暖水域。1912年4月，轮船“泰坦尼克”号撞上了其中一座冰山。它沉没了，大批人丧生。随即冰上巡逻艇队成立，在冰山季节中的纽芬兰附近的航道上进行巡逻。
A：海面上有这么多浮冰，巡逻一定很危险。这项任务当时是怎样完成的？
B：这项巡逻任务是由一两艘美国海岸警备队的船只执行的。他们确定这一水域内每座冰山的位置，绘出图表，用无线电将情况传送给附近的船只。14个国家为这项巡逻工作支付费用。
A：是这样啊！那船只在什么时候进入这块海域比较安全呢？
B：冰山从3月份开始威胁船只的航行。巡逻艇最忙碌的时候是5月份，在这个月里，平均有130座冰山需要确定位置，并绘出图表。到6月份危险就不存在了。
Patrol v。在（某城、地带等）巡逻；巡查
Lane n。船或飞机（预定或定期的）航道，
航路，航线
Chart v。绘制图表；在图表上记录或跟踪
