An 11-mile (18km) stretch of coast was covered in the icy spheres.

　　一条长达11英里(约合18公里)的海岸全部都被这种雪球覆盖了。

　　The sculptural shapes range from the size of a tennis ball to almost 1m (3ft) across.

　　雪球大小不一，小的只有网球大小，而大的直径接近1米(约合2英尺)。

　　They result from a rare environmental process where small pieces of ice form, are rolled by wind and water, and end up as giant snowballs.

　　这是一种非常罕见的自然现象，小冰块被风或水推着滚动，最终裹成一个巨大的雪球。

　　Locals in the village of Nyda, which lies on the Yamal Peninsula just above the Arctic Circle, say they have never seen anything to compare to them.

　　据俄罗斯内达村(该村位于亚马尔半岛北极圈内不远的地方)的居民们表示，他们从来没有看到过比这还要奇怪的事。

　　Russian TV quoted an explanation from Sergei Lisenkov, press secretary of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute:

　　俄罗斯电视台引述南北极研究所新闻秘书谢尔盖·利先科夫的话说：

　　"As a rule, first there is a primary natural phenomenon - sludge ice, slob ice. Then comes a combination of the fects of the wind, the lay of the coastline, and the temperature and wind conditions.

　　“一般来说，这是一个很简单的自然现象，首先要有泥状的冰雪、松软得像泥一样的冰存在。然后再受到风、海岸线走势以及温度等条件的组合影响。”

　　"It can be such an original combination that it results in the formation of balls like these."

　　“就是这些简单因素的组合影响，最终形成了这些大雪球。”

　　A similar phenomenon was witnessed in the Gulf of Finland in December 2014, and on Lake Michigan in December 2015, the Ura.ru website said.

　　据Ura.ru网站表示说，2014年12月在芬兰湾、2015年12月在密歇根湖也发生了类似的现象。

　　Pictures of the snowballs have charmed Russians online. A reader of the TJournal news site calling himself "Anton Antonov" joked: "Soon the peninsula will be invaded by hatched snowsaurs!"

　　这些大雪球的照片让俄罗斯网民们都快乐疯了。Tjournal新闻网站上一名自称“安东·安东诺夫”的读者开玩笑说道：“很快亚马尔半岛就会被从蛋里孵出来的雪怪入侵了。”

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