Have you ever wondered what tomorrow looks like? If so, you might like to visit Edward Ungott. Edward lives in Alaska, on St. Lawrence Island. On a clear day, he can look across the Bering Sea to Russia, only 36 miles away. Where Edward stands, it is today. For anyone standing on that other shore, it is already tomorrow.
Edward’s hometown of Gambell is only a few miles from the International Date Line. If he decided to hop1 in a boat on a Saturday in summer and take a short ride westward, he would reach the spot where Saturday becomes Sunday. He could spend Sunday afternoon fishing, then sail home—and back into Saturday!
Not for Sun Worshippers!
In winter, though, boating is out of the question. “The sea is frozen,” says Violet, 15. “There is no hunting, no boating. But there is crabbing2—through holes cut in the ice.”
If you can’t stand cold weather, don’t visit the island in winter. This time of year, temperatures average -7°to 11°F. If you wait for summer, the average temperature are 38°F to 48°F. You probably wouldn’t do much sunbathing, anyway.
Edward and Violet come from a long line of people who have known how to live in a harsh3 climate. Like more than 96% of the island’s population, both teens are Yupik.
When most people think of Eskimos, they think of igloos4. But residents of the island live in one-story houses. Igloos made of ice are used only as emergency shelters.
Edward has gone seal hunting and helped catch much bigger prey. Now 18, he has been boating since he was 11. “I helped bring in a whale when I was 13,” he said, “and another one when I was 15.”
Whenever a boat crew strikes a whale, nearby crews rush to help bring the whale to shore. The whole village shares in the work—and most of everything made from the whale’s body.
What’s for Dinner?
Whales are part of a traditional Yupik diet. The Yupik eat the whale’s skin as well as its meat and blubber. Violet’s family and other islanders can buy bread, milk, hamburger meat, and canned vegetables at the town store. But such items must be flown in from the mainland, along with mail, medicines, and other supplies. That makes them expensive. So islanders often eat what they hunt or can pick themselves, including greens and berries that grow wild. If you visit, try some Eskimo ice cream! It is a mixture of greens, seal oil, and berries.
A World Away5
St. Lawrence Island is 100 miles long and 25 miles wide. It has two villages. The two villages are only 40 miles apart. But that can feel like a world away because the island has no roads and no docks6, so travel between the towns is usually by plane. In town, people get around on snowmachines.
Kids wear the usual things to school: jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sneakers. They have thick-soled7“bunny boots” for walking on ice, and snow boots for deep snow.
Sheltering Wildlife
Today, tourists are drawn by the island’s natural, rugged beauty and wealth of wildlife. St. Lawrence and other islands in the area have become important as protected natural habitats for seals and walruses8. (Only native peoples are allowed to hunt them, for their own use.) Birders are especially fond of St. Lawrence Island. Bird species of both Asia and the Americas migrate to this spot between the continents.
Social Life
The most popular sport in Eskimo communities is basketball. Everyone enjoys playing the game. “It’s my favorite activity,” says Edward. Violet prefers cross-country skiing, but she also likes to hang out with friends at the gym.
For kids and adults alike, the gym is the town’s social center. It is a warm place to meet, relax, and play, especially in winter—the traditional time for social gatherings. Kids play some b-ball9 or just talk, joke around, and have fun.
Most islanders speak Yupik as well as English. So when the day is over and people head for home, you might hear calls of “Esghaghlleqamken!” That means, “Goodbye! I’ll see you!”
你想不想知道明天什么样子？如果你想的话，你可以去拜访爱德华·昂戈特。爱德华生活在阿拉斯加的圣劳伦斯岛。在晴朗的日子，他可以隔着白令海远眺不过36英里之遥的俄罗斯。爱德华站的地方就是今天。对于站在另一边海岸的人来说，已经是明天了。
爱德华的家乡甘贝尔距离国际日期变更线仅有数英里。在夏天的某个星期六，如果他决定跳进一条小船，往西行驶一会儿，就会到达星期六变成星期日的位置。他能在星期日捕一下午鱼，然后返航归家——回到星期六！
热爱阳光者不宜！
然而到了冬季，就不可能划船了。“海水结冰，”15岁的维奥莱特说，“打猎打不成，划船划不成。但是可以在冰上凿冰捕蟹。”
如果你忍受不了寒冷的天气，不要冬天去这个岛旅游。每年到了这个时候，平均气温为华氏零下7到11度。如果到夏天，平均气温为华氏38度到48度。总之，想多晒日光浴是不可能的。
爱德华与维奥莱特都来自一个源远流长的民族，他们知道如何在恶劣的气候中生存。就像岛上96%以上的人口一样，这两个少年都是尤皮克人。
大多数人想到爱斯基摩人的时候，都会想到冰块砌成的圆顶小屋。但是这个岛上的居民居住在平房里。冰屋只是在紧急情况下的庇护所。
爱德华已经捕杀过海豹，还帮忙捕获更大的猎物。他今年18岁，从11岁起他就一直在划船。“我13岁的时候就帮忙捕过一头鲸鱼，”他说，“15岁时又捕过一头。”
当一条船上的人捕到一头鲸鱼的时候，附近船上的人会赶过来帮忙把鲸鱼拖上岸。全村人都会来参与——几乎大部分东西都能用鲸鱼的身体制成。
爱斯基摩人吃什么？
鲸鱼是尤皮克人传统饮食的一部分。尤皮克人吃鲸鱼皮、鲸鱼肉和鲸鱼脂。维奥莱特的家人和其他岛民能在镇上的商店里买到面包、牛奶、汉堡包肉和蔬菜罐头。但这些食品必须跟邮件、药品和其它给养品一道从大陆空运过来，所以价格昂贵。于是岛民经常吃捕获的猎物或采集的食物，包括野生的绿色植物和浆果。如果你到岛上去观光，尝一尝爱斯基摩冰淇淋吧！它是一种由绿色植物、海豹油和浆果制成的混合物。
天高地远
圣劳伦斯岛长100英里，宽25英里，全岛有两个村落。两村相隔只有40英里远，但却像远隔万水千山。因为该岛既无公路又无码头，所以两个市镇之间的交通通常依靠飞机。在镇上人们出行则乘坐雪地摩托。
孩子们上学穿戴非常随意：牛仔裤、T恤衫、运动衫和运动鞋。他们有冰上行走时穿的厚底“兔儿靴”，还有踩深雪的雪靴。
野生动植物庇护所
如今，圣劳伦斯岛自然、粗犷的美和大量的野生动植物吸引了四方游客。作为海豹和海象受保护的自然栖息地，白令海的圣劳伦斯岛和其他岛屿变得重要起来。（只有土著居民获准捕猎海豹和海象，仅供自己食用。）猎鸟者尤其喜爱圣劳伦斯岛。亚洲和美洲的各种鸟类都迁徙到这两个大陆之间的地方。
社会生活
在爱斯基摩人社区最受欢迎的运动是篮球。人人都喜欢玩这种游戏。“这是我最喜爱的运动。”爱德华说。维奥莱特更喜欢越野滑雪，但她也喜欢和朋友们一起泡在体育馆里。
无论对大人还是小孩而言，体育馆都是镇上的社交中心。体育馆是个温暖的地方，适合会面、休闲和玩耍，尤其在冬季——这个社交聚会的传统时间更是如此。孩子们打打羽毛球或只是聊聊天，说说笑话，找些乐子。
大多数岛民讲尤皮克语和英语。所以当一天结束，人们回家的时候，你的耳畔会响起“Esghaghlleqamken!”的声音。那是说：“再见！再会！”
1. hop v. 跳
2. crab v. 捕蟹
3. harsh adj. 艰苦的，恶劣的
4. igloo n. 爱斯基摩人用雪块砌成的拱形圆顶小屋