It may take a few million years, but eventuallythese cracks will spread

也许会经历几百万年但是最终这些裂缝会遍布全大陆

and three giant slabs of the Earth's crust will start toseparate.

地壳上的三个大板层会分离

In time, a single crack in the desert will have turned into a new ocean.

随着时间的流逝，沙漠里的一个小裂缝就会变成一个新的海洋

But something as enormous as an ocean cannot simply come and go

但是海洋那样巨大的事物不可能来去自由

without having profound repercussions.

绝对会引起巨大深刻的影响

Below me is a strip of water that's been fought over

我下面是一片狭窄水域

for the past 3,000 years.

在过去的3000年来一直有人为它争斗不已

The Romans, the Moors, the Spanish and the British

罗马人，摩尔人西扮演人和英国人

have all battled to control this narrow passage

都在斗争着要控制这片狭长的通道

because if you rule the waves down there,

因为如果你统治了下面的海浪

you control the only gateway

就会控制地中海和广阔的大西洋

between the Mediterranean Sea and the vast Atlantic Ocean.

中间唯一的通道

You control the Straits of Gibraltar.

你控制了直布罗陀海峡

But that's just our short-term human perspective.

但这是人类短期的视野

In terms of Earth's long history,

在地球漫长的历史中

the Strait of Gibraltar has played a very different role

直布罗陀海峡扮演过许多不同的角色

because the Mediterranean is barely clinging to life.

因为地中海几乎没有生物生长