地球尽头

In the years 1911 and 1912, the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott embarked upon a daring quest to conquer the enigmatic continent of Antarctica, aiming to be the first human to reach the South Pole. Little did Scott realize that his audacious venture was about to be overshadowed. Roald Amundsen of Norway, whose previous plans to claim the North Pole had been thwarted by the achievements of Cook and Peary, now resolved to challenge Scott in a race to the South Pole during the Antarctic summer of 1911-12.

In this narrative, Scott is depicted as a flawed protagonist—petty in nature, ill-equipped to discern the worth of men, animals, and the harsh conditions, and overly proud of his Christian heritage to the extent that he refused to inflict suffering on animals, even when it was deemed necessary. Upon learning of Amundsen's intention to compete, Scott's reaction was precipitate and fraught with imprudent decisions. His reliance on Siberian ponies and motor sledges soon proved futile, forcing him and his team to bear the weight of the sledges themselves, trekking to the Pole and back to their base.

Conversely, the seasoned and resolute Norwegian polar adventurers, who employed the power of dogs, reached the Pole over a month before Scott's exhausted crew. Amundsen successfully returned to his base unharmed. However, Scott's beleaguered team faced a grim fate, beset by treacherous weather and misfortunes of their own making.