Over 60 years have passed since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made history as the first successful summiteers of Mount Everest, yet the desire to climb the mountain hasn't waned over the decades. We hear countless stories of the triumphant—or, more recently, tragic—attempts to reach the top. But many interesting facts about the mountain aren't common knowledge.

距离埃德蒙·希拉里爵士（Sir Edmund Hillary）和丹增·诺尔盖（Tenzing Norgay）首次登顶珠穆朗玛峰已有60余年，但人们的登峰激情却并未在这漫长的时间长河中消失殆尽。我们经常听到有人成功登顶，以及一些不幸失败的故事（尤其是最近）。但关于珠穆朗玛峰的趣实却远不止这些。

10. Mountain Spiders

10. 峰上蜘蛛

Even high in the sky, with barely enough air to breathe, we still can't hide from spiders. Euophrys omnisuperstes ("standing above everything"), better known as Himalayan jumping spiders, hide in nooks and crevices on the slopes of Everest, making them one of the Earth's highest permanent residents. Climbers have spotted them as high as 6,700 meters (22,000 ft). The tiny spiders manage to feed on whatever stray insects the severe winds blow up the mountain. They're virtually the only animals permanently based at such a high altitude, aside from a few species of bird. In addition, several previously unnamed grasshopper species were collected during the famously ill-fated 1924 British Everest expedition and are now on display in the British Natural History Museum.

即使在几乎没有空气可供呼吸的珠穆朗玛峰，我们也有可能与蜘蛛不期而遇。在珠穆朗玛峰斜坡上的凹缝和裂隙之中，就可以见到被称为“喜马拉雅跳蛛”的Euophrysomnisuperstes（意为“万物之上”）蜘蛛，这些蜘蛛是世界上居住海拔最高的永久居民之一。登山者在海拔6700米（22000英尺）的地方发现了它们。这种小蜘蛛以被强风吹上山的迷途昆虫为食。除了一些品种独特的鸟之外，这些跳蛛可以说是生活在如此高海拔地区的唯一动物。并且，在1924年的那次以失败告终的英国珠峰探险之中，探险者就采集到了跳蛛样本，这些样本现在被陈列在英国自然历史博物馆（British Natural History Museum）之中。

9. Two Men Climbed It 21 Times

9. 两个攀登珠峰21次的人

Two Sherpas, Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi, hold the joint record for most Everest ascents. The pair have each managed to reach the summit an impressive 21 times. Phurba reached the top of the world three times in 2007 alone, and Apa has successfully summited the mountain almost every year between 1990 and 2011. Apa says that he has seen clear changes on Everest caused by global warming over the years. He has spoken of his concerns over melting snow and glaciers, which expose the rock and make it increasingly tough to climb. He also worries for the well-being of Sherpas, after losing his own home in a flood caused by the melted glaciers. Apa has dedicated several Everest ascents to raising awareness of climate change. 8The World's Highest Brawl03

两个夏尔巴人——阿帕·夏尔巴（Apa Sherpa）和普巴·塔西（Phurba Tashi）——共同保持着登顶珠峰次数最多的纪录。令人敬佩的是，他们两人各自成功登顶珠峰21次。普巴在2007年独自一人三次登顶珠穆朗玛峰这座“世界之巅”，而阿帕则是在1990年到2011年这段时间里，几乎每年都会成功登顶珠峰。阿帕说道，受全球变暖的影响，珠穆朗玛峰在这些年里发生了明显变化。他担心积雪和冰川的融化会使岩石裸露，这样的话，登顶珠峰将会变得愈加困难。他也对夏尔巴人幸福康乐的生活表示忧虑，因为他自己的家就毁于一次冰川融化造成的洪水泛滥之中。阿帕的好几次登峰探险都致力于提高人们对气候变化的意识。

8. The World's Highest Brawl

8. 史上海拔最高的“珠峰纷争”

Everest climbs aren't always the harmonious triumphs you might imagine. In 2013, climbers Ueli Steck, Simone Moro, and Jonathan Griffith found themselves in a violent brawl with Sherpas after allegedly ignoring orders to halt their climb. The Sherpas accused the climbers of getting in their way and causing an avalanche that hit other Sherpas laying ropes downhill. The climbers denied the accusations, and the confrontation turned violent. The Sherpas kicked, punched, and beat the men with rocks, and Moro says one angry Sherpa even threatened to kill him. The fight might have ended considerably worse, but American climber Melissa Arnot warned the trio to flee to the basecamp before the rest formed a mob and stoned them to death. After the incident, a Nepal army official stood witness as both sides signed a peace agreement to settle the dispute. 7A 450-Million-Year History04

登顶珠穆朗玛峰的探险，并不如你所想的那样，总是洋溢着和谐的欢欣气氛。2013年，三个登山爱好者乌里·斯特克（Ueli Steck）、西蒙尼·摩尔（Simone Moro）和乔纳森·格里菲斯（Jonathan Griffith）罔顾夏尔巴人暂作歇息的命令而继续攀爬的行为，触怒了当地夏尔巴人，从而引发了一场激烈纷争。夏尔巴人指责这三个登山者妨碍了他们安装绳索，并且他们不顾命令继续攀爬的行为致使山上冰块坍塌，将正在山上安装绳子的其他几个夏尔巴人砸下了山。但这几个登山者却否认夏尔巴人的控诉，由此冲突愈演愈烈。夏尔巴人向这三个登山者投掷石子，拳脚相向，摩尔还透露说，一个愤怒的夏尔巴人甚至威胁要杀掉他。尽管双方最后还是结束了这次纷争，但美国登山者梅利莎·阿诺特（Melissa Arnot）还是警告这三个人趁着夏尔巴人未开始新一轮的暴乱，将他们用石头投掷致死之前，逃回他们的宿营基地。在这次纷争之后，双方在一位尼泊尔军官的见证下签署了一份和平协议。

7. A 450-Million-Year History

7. 珠峰有着4.5亿年的历史

Although the Himalayan Mountains formed 60 million years ago, Everest's history actually goes back a lot further. The limestone and sandstone rock at the summit of the mountain was once part of sedimentary layers below sea level 450 million years ago. Over time, ocean floor rocks were forced together and pushed upward at a speed of up to 11 centimeters (4.5 in) per year, eventually reaching the current position. The upper formations of Everest now contain marine fossils of sea creatures and shells that once occupied the earlier ocean. Explorer Noel Odell first discovered the fossils embedded within Everest's rocks in 1924, proving that the mountain had once been below sea level. The first rock specimens from Everest were brought back by Swiss climbers in 1956 and by an American climbing team in 1963.6Height Dispute05

尽管喜马拉雅山脉是在6000万年前形成，但实际上珠穆朗玛峰却远在这之前就已形成。峰顶上的石灰岩和砂岩曾是4.5亿年前的海底沉积岩的一部分。随着时间的推移，海底岩石因受挤压而聚拢在一起，并且以每年11厘米（4.5英寸）的速度上升，最终形成了现在的高度。我们如今仍能在珠穆朗玛峰的上面部分见到几亿年前的海生物和贝壳化石。探险家诺埃尔·奥德尔（Noel Odell）在1924年第一次发现了嵌入珠穆朗玛峰岩石中的海洋化石，证明了珠峰所在地区原是一片海洋。1956年的瑞士登山队和1963年的美国登山队首次带回了珠穆朗玛峰的岩石样本。

6. Height Dispute

6. 关于珠峰的海拔高度之争

Exactly how tall is Mount Everest? That depends on what side of the border you're on. China has said the peak is at 8,844 meters (29,016 ft), while Nepal says 8,848 meters (29,029 ft). That's because China argues that the mountain should purely be measured by rock height, excluding the meters of snow at the very top. Whether or not that's the better measure, the international community regularly includes snow when describing the heights of peaks around the world. The two countries came to an agreement in 2010, settling the official height as 8,848 meters. 5It's Growing06

珠穆朗玛峰究竟有多高？这可就得取决于你支持哪一国的言论了。中国认为珠穆朗玛峰的高度为8844米（29016英尺），而尼泊尔却坚持认为珠峰的海拔高度为8848米（29029英尺）。这是因为中方认为对珠穆朗玛峰海拔的测量应该仅仅只以岩石高度为基准，而不能将峰顶积雪计算在内。不管那是否是更加合理的测量方法，国际社会公认的珠峰高度是将峰顶积雪计算在内的覆雪高度。两国在2010年就珠穆朗玛峰海拔问题达成一致，正式将珠穆朗玛峰的高度确定为8848米。

5. It's Growing

5. 不断增长的高度

Both Chinese and Nepalese ideas of the mountain's height may be wrong, according to more recent measurements.A research team discovered in 1994 that Everest continues to grow approximately 4 millimeters (0.16 in) every year. The Indian subcontinent was originally an independent landmass that collided with Asia, forming the Himalayas, and the continental plates are still moving, pushing the mountains ever higher.Researchers from the American Millennium Expedition in 1999 placed a global positioning satellite device below the summit to measure growth. Their more accurate findings from the modern technology led to the official height of Everest being changed to 8,850 meters (29,035 ft). Meanwhile, other tectonic activity actually costs the mountain height, but the overall movement seems to be upward. 4Multiple Names07

最新的测量结果显示，中国与尼泊尔关于珠穆朗玛峰高度的说法可能都不准确。1994年的一个研究小组发现，珠穆朗玛峰以每年4毫米（0.16英寸）左右的速度继续上升。印度次大陆原本是一个相当独立的地理单元，后来在漂移的过程中与欧亚大陆发生碰撞，形成了喜马拉雅山脉，然后印度板块推动着欧亚板块一起漂移，使喜马拉雅山脉逐年升高。1999年美国“千禧年珠峰测量计划”的研究人员在峰顶上安置了全球卫星定位系统，以此来测量珠峰高度。这种依靠现代科技测量出来的海拔高度更为精确，由此美国将珠穆朗玛峰的海拔高度正式更改为8850米（29035英尺）。同时，其他的一些地壳运动实际上会使珠穆朗玛峰的高度有所削减，但珠峰的整体运动似乎还是趋向于上升的。

4. Multiple Names

4. 多样的名称

Although we know the mountain as "Everest," Tibetan natives have called the mountain by the ancient name ""Chomolungma" (also spelled "Qomolangma") for centuries. The Tibetan name means "Goddess Mother of Mountains." But that isn't the only other name it goes by. The Nepalese people know it as "Sagarmatha," meaning "Forehead in the Sky," so the mountain is now a part of the Nepalese "Sagarmatha National Park."The mountain was only named "Everest" when British surveyor Andrew Waugh failed to find a commonly used local name. After studying maps of the surrounding areas and still being unable to make a decision, he named the mountain after Indian Surveyor General George Everest, head of the British team that first surveyed the Himalayas. Colonel Everest objected to the honor, but the British officially changed their name for the mountain from "Peak XV" to "Mount Everest" in 1865.3A Human Traffic Jam08

尽管我们通常称此山为“埃佛勒斯峰（Everest）”，但藏族人民在几个世纪里对它的传统称谓却是“珠穆朗玛峰（Chomolungma或Qomolangma）”。将它的藏语名称简译出来就是“神女峰”（Goddess Mother of Mountains）。但这并不是这座山峰唯一的名字。尼泊尔人民将它称为“萨迦玛塔（Sagarmatha）”，其意是“高达天庭的山峰”（Forehead in the Sky），因此这座山峰如今属于“萨迦玛塔国家公园”（Sagarmatha National Park）的一部分。英国测量员安德鲁·华夫（Andrew Waugh）在测量此山时首次将其命名为 “埃佛勒斯峰”（Everest），因为他是在印度平原遥测的，并未进入西藏和尼泊尔，所以对这座山峰的其他当地名称一概不知。当他在地图上对周边地区巡视了一番之后，仍不能确定它的名称，于是他以印度测量局前任局长，即此次英国测量队的领头人乔治·埃佛勒斯（George Everest ）的名字命名此山。尽管埃佛勒斯上校本人反对这个称谓，但英国还是在1865年正式将此山的名字由“第15峰（Peak XV）”更改为“埃佛勒斯山”。

3. A Human Traffic Jam

3. 珠峰上的“交通拥堵”

Despite Everest costing thousands of dollars to climb, more people than ever are trying to summit it. In 2012, German mountaineer Ralf Dujmovits captured a shocking image showing hundreds of climbers lining up to reach the summit. Ralf had made the decision to turn back at the South Col of the mountain due to poor weather conditions when he spotted the painfully long queue. On May 19, 2012, climbers crowding one landmark near the summit faced a two-hour wait. In the course of just half a day, 234 people managed to reach the peak—but four people died, raising major concerns over the climbing process. Nepal specialists that year added a new fixed rope to ease congestion, and there have even been talks of installing permanent ladders.2The World's Dirtiest Mountain09

尽管登顶珠峰所需花费高达上万，但仍有越来越多的人尝试登顶珠峰。2012年，德国登山家拉尔夫·杜伊莫维茨（Ralf Dujmovits）拍摄了一张令人震撼的照片，照片拍摄的是一群攀登珠峰的登山者排队登顶的情景。拉尔夫在抵达珠峰南坳时，由于遇到恶劣的天气状况，他决定就此返回，但就在下山途中，他看到了这样一支费力攀爬的登山长队。2012年5月19日，涌向这座“世界之巅”的大批登山者被堵在了峰顶附近，并在此滞留了两个多小时。仅在这半天里，就有234人成功登顶珠峰——但有四人在下山时丧生，这提高了人们在登峰过程中的安全意识。尼泊尔当局在那年还额外安装了一根新的固定绳索，以此来缓解珠峰上的交通拥堵，甚至曾经还有人提出要在珠峰上安装几架永久梯子。

2. The World's Dirtiest Mountain

2. 世上最“脏”的山

Countless photos document climbers on their way to the Everest summit, but we rarely see images of what they leave behind. Everest is littered with not just the corpses of climbers but an estimated 50 tons of waste, with more left behind each season. The slopes are strewn with disregarded oxygen bottles, climbing equipment, and plenty of human feces. The Eco Everest Expedition has hit the mountain each year since 2008 to tackle the problem, and they've collected over 13 tons of waste so far. The Nepalese government have enforced a new rule starting in 2014 that climbers must each bring down 8 kilograms (18 lb) of waste on their descent, else lose their $4,000 deposit. Artists working on the “Everest 8848 Art Project” have turned 8 tons of the rubbish, including broken tents and beer cans, into 75 pieces of art. Sixty-five porters worked over two spring expeditions to carry down the trash, and the artists turned it into sculptures to highlight the issue of mess on the mountain. 1It's Not The Tallest Mountain10

有数不尽的照片记录着登山者攀登珠穆朗玛峰的过程，但我们却极少看到记录这些登山者遗留物的照片。珠穆朗玛峰上除了遇难登山者的尸体之外，还约有50余吨的废弃物，而且每个季节都会产生新的垃圾。被废弃的氧气罐、登山装备和人类排泄物在珠峰上随处可见。自2008年以来，珠峰生态探险队（Eco Everest Expedition）每年都会登上珠穆朗玛峰来处理垃圾污染问题，截至目前，他们已经拾捡了13余吨垃圾。尼泊尔政府就此还出台了一项新规定，从2014年开始，每位登山者必须携带8公斤（18磅）垃圾下山，否则他们的4000美元保证金将被扣押。“珠峰8848艺术项目”（Everest 8848 Art Project）的艺术家们把8吨珠峰垃圾（包括破旧的帐篷和啤酒罐）变为75件艺术展品。65人在春季登顶珠峰两次，才将这些垃圾从珠峰上带了下来，艺术家们的这次“变废为宝”的展览是为了引起人们对珠峰环境问题的重视。

1. It's Not The Tallest Mountain

1. 珠穆朗玛峰并非世界最高峰

Although Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth from sea level, Mauna Kea, an inactive Hawaiian volcano, holds the record as the world's tallest mountain. Everest's peak is at a higher altitude, but that doesn't make it taller. Mauna Kea may only reach a height of 4,205 meters (13,796 ft) above sea level, but the volcano extends an incredible 6,000 meters (20,000 ft) below the water's surface. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, its full height stands at 10,200 meters (33,465 ft) making it almost a mile taller that Everest. In fact, depending on how you measure it, Everest is neither the tallest mountain nor the highest peak. Chimborazo, in Ecuador, only reaches 6,267 meters (20,661 ft) above sea level, but it's the highest point from the exact center of the Earth. This is because Chimborazo lies just one degree south of the equator. The Earth bulges at its midsection, so Ecuador's sea level sits farther from the planet's center than Nepal's.

虽然珠穆朗玛峰是地球上距海平面最高的山峰，但世界最高峰却是夏威夷的一座死火山——莫纳克亚山（Mauna Kea）。尽管珠穆朗玛峰峰顶处于高海拔，但那并不能额外延伸珠峰高度。而莫纳克亚山在海平面以上的高度虽然只有4205米（13796英尺），但不可思议的是，这座山却在海平面之下延伸了6000米（20000英尺）。如果从海底开始测量，那它的总高度将达到10200米（33465英尺），差不多比珠穆朗玛峰高了整整一英里。实际上，不论你采取何种测量方式，珠穆朗玛峰既不是海拔最高，也不是总高度最高的山峰。厄瓜多尔的钦博拉索山（Chimborazo）虽然在海平面以上的高度只有6267米（20661英尺），但它却是离地心最远的地方。因为钦博拉索山位于赤道以南一度左右的地方。地球刚好在它的中部区域凸出来，因此，厄瓜多尔的海平面离地心的距离较尼泊尔更远。

注：文章转载自前十网，译者：李念