纪录片《南太平洋》 第154期 脆弱天堂（03）

It's no secret that the world is getting warmer.

全球暖化已经不是一个秘密

And the low-lying islands of the South Pacific are on the front line,

而当全球暖化导致海平面上升时

as global warming causes sea levels to rise.

地势低的南太平洋岛屿首当其冲

On the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu,

在太平洋岛国图瓦卢

nowhere is higher than five metres above sea level.

没有一个地方高出海平面五米

Tuvalu's nine atolls and islands are home to 12,000 people.

图瓦卢的九个环礁和岛屿是12,000人的家园

Their contribution to global warming is tiny, but its impact on them is massive.

他们对全球暖化影响极小 但全球暖化对他们影响极大

Sea walls are the nation's only defence,

防波堤是这个国家的唯一防线

but building higher walls is likely to prove futile¹.

但建筑更高的防波堤也可能是徒劳的

During big spring tides, seawater simply bubbles up through the ground.

在大潮期间 海水直接透过地面冒上来

In 2006, the islanders experienced their highest tides ever.

2006年 岛民经历了最高的大潮

These islands could soon become uninhabitable.

这些岛很快会变成无法居住

The seawater is poisoning the soil and groundwater.

海水正在破坏土壤和地下水

Eventually, the islands may have to be evacuated².

最后 人们可能被迫从这些岛上撤走

This would be an unprecedented³ move—an entire nation relocated.

这会是一次史无前例的迁移——整个国家被重新安置

So the ocean is threatening its islands, thanks to global warming.

因此拜全球暖化所赐 大海正在威胁着它的岛屿

And yet, the Pacific is playing a massive part in slowing down climate change.

即便如此 太平洋仍在减缓气候改变上扮演着重要角色

1 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

2 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。