Scientists have found an unexpected culprit for the Titanic¹'s sinking: the moon, Reuters reported.

据路透社报道，科学家发现了泰坦尼克号沉没的意外之因：月球。

Greenland icebergs² of the type that the Titanic struck generally become stuck in the shallow waters off Labrador and Newfoundland, and cannot resume moving southward until they have melted enough to re-float or a high tide frees them, Donald Olson from Texas State University said.

来自德克萨斯州立大学的唐纳德·奥尔森表示，泰坦尼克号撞上的那种格陵兰岛冰川，一般都是搁浅在拉布拉多和纽芬兰旁的浅水中，它们直到融化到能漂浮，或被大潮冲走才能重新开始移动。

Olson said a "once-in-many-lifetimes" event occurred on Jan. 4, 1912, when the moon and sun lined up in such a way that their gravitational pulls enhanced each other. At the same time, the moon's closest approach to earth that January was the closest in 1,400 years.

奥尔森说，“千年一遇”的现象于1912年1月4日发生：月球和太阳排得非常直，两者间的吸引力使得各自的引力增强。同时，月球在那年的1月份距离地球也是1400年来最近的。

The high tide caused by the bizarre combination of astronomical³ events would have been enough to dislodge icebergs from Greenland in January 1912 and give them enough buoyancy to reach the shipping⁴ lanes by April, Olson said.

奥尔森你说，1912年1月份这些奇异的天文现象在一起引起了大潮，大潮足以使冰川从格陵兰岛脱落，并给它们足够的浮力使它们4月前漂到航道。