Most of the water found in the Sahara today is in the form of seasonal or intermittent streams.The only permanent river in the desert is the Nile River that flows from Central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.Other water in the Sahara is found in underground aquifers and in areas where this water reaches the surface,there are oases and sometimes small towns or settlements like the Bahariya Oasis in Egypt and Ghardaïa in Algeria.
现今在撒哈拉发现的大部分水源是季节性或间歇性的溪流。沙漠中唯一的永久性河流是从中非蜿蜒流向地中海的尼罗河。撒哈拉的其他水源分布于地下含水层，这部分水源到达地表的区域会形成绿洲，有些还会形成小城镇或定居点，如埃及的巴哈里亚绿洲和阿尔及利亚的加尔达伊亚。
Since the amount of water and topography varies based on location,the Sahara Desert is divided into different geographic zones.The center of the desert is considered hyper-arid and has little to no vegetation,while the northern and southern portions have sparse grasslands,desert shrub and sometimes trees in areas with more moisture.
由于水量和地形地貌因其所处的地理位置而异，人们据此将撒哈拉沙漠划分为不同的地理区域。沙漠中心极度干旱，几乎没有植被，而北部和南部有稀疏的草原、沙漠灌木，有时在湿度较大的地区有树木。
Climate of the Sahara Desert
撒哈拉沙漠的气候
Although hot and extremely dry today,it is believed that the Sahara Desert has undergone various climatic shifts for the last few hundred thousand years.For example,during the last glaciation,it was bigger than it is today because precipitation in the area was low.But from 8000 BCE to 6000 BCE,precipitation in the desert increased because of the development of low pressure over ice sheets to its north.Once these ice sheets melted,however,the low pressure shifted and the northern Sahara dried out but the south continued to receive moisture due to the presence of a monsoon.
尽管如今沙漠气候炎热干燥，但普遍认为撒哈拉沙漠在过去的几十万年里经历了各种气候变化。例如，在上一次冰川期，由于该区域降水量很低，它的范围比如今的更大。但从公元前8000年到公元前6000年，由于冰原低气压向北部发展，沙漠的降水量增加了。然而，一旦这些冰盖融化，低压就会转移，北撒哈拉地区也会干涸，但由于季风的存在，南部地区继续将受潮。
Around 3400 BCE,the monsoon moved south to where it is today and the desert again dried out to the state it is in today.In addition,the presence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone,ITCZ,in the southern Sahara Desert prevents moisture from reaching the area,while storms north of the desert stop before reaching it as well.As a result,the annual rainfall in the Sahara is below 2.5 cm(25 mm)per year.
大约在公元前3400年，季风向南移动到今天的位置，沙漠再次干涸，至今如此。此外，南撒哈拉沙漠的热带辐合带(ITCZ)的存在阻止了水汽进入该地区，而沙漠北部的风暴也在到达该区域之前停止。因此，撒哈拉的年降雨量低于2.5厘米(25毫米)。
In addition to being extremely dry,the Sahara is also one of the hottest regions in the world.The average annual temperature for the desert is 86°F(30°C)but during the hottest months temperatures can exceed 122°F(50°C),with the highest temperature ever recorded at 136°F(58°C)in Aziziyah,Libya.
除了极度干旱，撒哈拉也是世界上最热的地区之一。沙漠的年平均气温为86°F(30°C)，但在最热的月份，气温可能超过122°F(50°C)，利比亚阿齐齐亚的最高气温为136°F(58°C)。
Plants and Animals of the Sahara Desert
撒哈拉沙漠的动植物
Due to the high temperatures and arid conditions of the Sahara Desert,the plant life in the Sahara Desert is sparse and includes only around 500 species.These consist mainly of drought and heat resistant varieties and those adapted to salty conditions(halophytes)where there is sufficient moisture.
归因于撒哈拉沙漠的高温和干旱条件，其植物种类稀少，只有大约500种。这些动植物以抗旱和耐热品种为主，另外还有那些适应含水量充足的盐渍条件(盐生植物)的品种。
The harsh conditions found in the Sahara Desert have also played a role in the presence of animal life in the Sahara Desert.In the central and driest part of the desert,there are around 70 different animal species,20 of which are large mammals like the spotted hyena.Other mammals include the gerbil,sand fox,and Cape hare.Reptiles like the sand viper and the monitor lizard are present in the Sahara as well.
撒哈拉沙漠特有的极限恶劣条件也对该地区生物的存在起到重要作用。在沙漠的中部最干燥的地方，大约生存着70种不同的动物，其中20种是像斑点鬣狗这样的大型哺乳动物。其他哺乳动物包括沙鼠、沙狐和野兔。像沙蝰蛇和巨蜥这样的爬行动物也出现在撒哈拉沙漠。
People of the Sahara Desert
撒哈拉沙漠住民
It is believed that people have inhabited the Sahara Desert since 6000 BCE and earlier.Since then,Egyptians,Phoenicians,Greeks,and Europeans have been among the peoples in the area.Today the Sahara's population is around 4 million with the majority of the people living in Algeria,Egypt,Libya,Mauritania,and Western Sahara.
据信，自公元前6000年及更早以前，撒哈拉沙漠就有人居住。从那时起，在这个地区生活的人群就包含埃及人、腓尼基人、希腊人和欧洲人。如今，撒哈拉的人口约为400万，大多数人居住在阿尔及利亚、埃及、利比亚、毛里塔尼亚和西撒哈拉。
Most of the people living in the Sahara today do not live in cities;instead,they are nomads who move from region to region throughout the desert.Because of this,there are many different nationalities and languages in the region but Arabic is most widely spoken.For those who do live in cities or villages on fertile oases,crops and the mining of minerals like iron ore(in Algeria and Mauritania)and copper(in Mauritania)are important industries that have allowed population centers to grow.
现在撒哈拉沙漠的住民都不是居住在城市中的，相反，他们不断从沙漠的一个区域迁移到另一个区域，过着游牧生活。因此，该地区存在许多不同民族及语言，其中最广泛使用的是阿拉伯语。对于那些生活在倚靠绿洲建立的城市或村庄的人来说，农作物和矿产，例如铁矿石(阿尔及利亚和毛里塔尼亚)和铜矿(毛里塔尼亚)等的开采是使人口得以增长的重要产业。
