美国国家公共电台 NPR--After a decade of talks, a treaty has been agreed on to protect the world's oceans

After a decade of talks, a treaty has been agreed on to protect the world's oceans

Transcript¹

NPR's a Martinez talks to Lisa Speer of the Natural Resources Defense² Council's International Oceans program, about a treaty that will open the door to more marine³ conservation.

: [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: In this interview, we incorrectly identify the NRDC as the National Resources Defense Council. In fact, it is the Natural Resources Defense Council.]

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The U.N. has reached a historic agreement on oceans. The treaty aims to protect biodiversity and environmental interests in international waters, roughly 40% of the Earth's surface. It also promotes a global cooperation to manage fishing, shipping⁴ and seafloor mining. Lisa Speer is the director of the National Resources Defense Council's International Oceans Program. She was part of the U.N. negotiating team. Lisa, what ground rules have been set here that will make the biggest difference?

LISA SPEER: So this treaty is a big step forward. It provides a pathway for establishing large-scale, strongly protected marine parks, which is what scientists tell us is needed to help reverse the decline of the world's oceans. It also lays the groundwork for strengthening management of human activities outside protected areas. So together, these two achievements, I think, will mark a major step forward for the ocean and biodiversity conservation worldwide.

MART?NEZ: And it took 20 years to make this deal happen. What was the clincher?

SPEER: I was - had a lot fewer gray hairs when we started. The clincher really was the resolution of a number of different issues, one of which was the basic divide between regulating existing activities on the high seas and the current structure of management versus⁵ enabling the global community to have a greater say in what happens in these international waters. And that played out in a variety of contexts, including through the sharing of any benefits that might derive⁶ from commercialization of what's called marine genetic⁷ resources, which are derived⁸ from the high seas. So there was a - there were some money issues in there, but there were also some power issues. You know, who gets to decide what happens in this global commons was a fundamental issue on the table during the negotiations⁹.

MART?NEZ: And when it comes to addressing everything that's going to be addressed or that should be addressed with this agreement, how much of that do you think will, for lack of a better word, spill over to waters that are controlled by countries?

SPEER: Great question. So the ocean is a fluid environment, as we all know, and marine species don't respect international boundaries. They cross them regularly, migrating, you know, across entire oceans in some cases. So protection of the high seas will really help ensure that domestic waters of individual nations around the world do not suffer as a result of activities that are harmful in the high seas. And it's important because billions of people around the world rely on the ocean for basic needs - their food, their jobs, their income, their sustenance¹⁰, culturally as well as economically. So it's a critically important piece of the ocean conservation puzzle that has been ignored for decades. And we've now finally gotten to a place where we have the groundwork laid to really change that and to make - bring the standards of management and conservation and protection up to those that are in - have been in place in the U.S. since the '70s, really, and in most countries for decades.

MART?NEZ: And, Lisa, what's the No. 1 way that this agreement will protect marine life?

SPEER: The most important step is it provides a pathway forward for creating large-scale marine parks, which are strongly protected, where damaging human activities are not permitted. And the science tells us that that is the single-most important thing we can do to enhance ocean resilience in the face of growing threats related to climate change, including, you know, ocean warming and ocean acidification, which is taking place as a result of CO2 emissions¹¹. So this is a big deal being able to establish these large-scale, strongly protected marine protected areas. It will - is probably the most - single-most important aspect of this agreement from a conservation standpoint.

MART?NEZ: All right. Lisa Speer is with the National Resources Defense Council. Lisa, thanks.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

5 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

6 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

7 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

8 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

10 sustenance   

n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

11 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。