Known as the 'Pole of Cold', the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2C.
If you thought it was cold where you are at the moment then a visit to the Russian village of Oymyakon might just change your mind.
With the average temperature for January standing at -50C, it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Known as the 'Pole of Cold', the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2C.
This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.
Ironically, Oymyakon actually means 'non-freezing water' due to a nearby hot spring. Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences.
Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer meat and horsemeat. A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.
Doctors say the reason the locals don't suffer from malnutrition is that their animals' milk contains a lot of micronutrients.
Unsurprisingly, locals are hardened to the weather and unlike in other countries - where a flurry of snow brings things grinding to a halt, Oymyakon's solitary school only shuts if temperatures fall below -52C.
There are few modern conveniences in the village - with many buildings still having outdoor toilets - and most people still burn coal and wood for heat. When coal deliveries are irregular the power station starts burning wood. If the power ceases, the town shuts down in about five hours, and the pipes freeze and crack.
Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.
Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception the phones themselves would not work in such cold conditions.
Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies, which can take anything up to three days. The earth must first have thawed sufficiently in order to dig it, so a bonfire is lit for a couple of hours. Hot coals are then pushed to the side and a hole couple of inches deep is dug. The process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin.
Travel companies offer tourists the opportunity to visit the village and sample life in the freezing conditions.如果你觉得你现在所处的地方十分寒冷，那么到俄罗斯的奥伊米亚康村庄走一走，你或许会改变看法。
该村庄一月份的平均气温达到零下50度，难怪会成为全球最寒冷的永久居住点。奥伊米亚康历史最低气温达到零下71.2度，被称为“寒极”。
对于地球上任何一个永久居住点来说，这都是有记录以来的最低气温，也是北半球有记录以来的最低气温。
具有反讽意味的是，由于附近有处温泉，奥伊米亚康这一名字的实际意思是“不冻泉”。奥伊米亚康的大多数村民仍然靠烧煤和木炭取暖，几乎不使用现代化设施。
这里不长庄稼，所以村民们以驯鹿肉和马肉为食。村子里只有一家商店，出售种类屈指可数的生活必需品。当地人靠养鹿、狩猎和捕鱼为生。
医生表示，当地人之所以没有营养不良，是因为他们喝下的动物奶含有大量微量元素。
当地人能经受住酷寒天气，这一点不足为奇。和其他国家遇到大雪各种活动暂停不同，奥伊米亚康唯一的一所学校只有在气温低于零下52度时才停课。
村子里没有现代化设施――很多家庭仍使用室外厕所――大多数人都靠烧煤和木炭取暖。一旦煤炭供应不上，发电站就靠烧木炭供能。如果断电，整个村子就会在五小时内陷入瘫痪，导致水管冻裂。
奥伊米亚康居民因低温遭遇诸多困扰，比如墨水结冰、玻璃镜片冻裂、电池耗电等等。汽车发动机必须保持全天候工作，因为人们担心熄火后可能无法重启。
虽然这里可以接收手机信号，但由于天气极端寒冷，手机根本使用不了。
冰冻天气给村民们造成的另一困扰是埋葬死者，这可能要花费多达3天的时间。首先必须将土壤充分解冻便于挖坑，所以要用篝火持续烘烤数小时。然后把滚烫的煤推至一旁，挖下几英寸。这一过程要反复持续数日，直到这个墓穴可以装得下一口棺材。
一些旅行社给游客提供参观该村庄的机会，让人们体验极寒天气下的“寒极”生活。
Vocabulary:
lose power: 消耗功率，失去动力
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