奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁应对气候变化威胁

Hi, everybody.This Monday, I'm heading to Alaska for a three-day tour of the state.

大家好！下周一，我将前往阿拉斯加州进行为期三天的访问。

I've been looking forward to this for a long time.Not only because Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in a country that's full of beautiful places-but because I'll have several opportunities to meet with everyday Alaskans about what's going on in their lives.I'll travel throughout the state, meeting with Alaskans who live above the Arctic Circle, with Alaska natives, and with folks who earn their livelihoods¹ through fishing and tourism.And I expect to learn a lot.

对此次行程我期待已久。不仅仅因为阿拉斯加州是这个充满美景的国度里最美的州之一，更因为我将有机会正式面对阿拉斯加人民每天生活中需要面对的问题。我将走遍全州，与生活在北极圈内的阿拉斯加人民、阿拉斯加原住民以及以渔业和旅游业为生的人们进行交流。我期待能有丰厚的收获。

One thing I've learned so far is that a lot of these conversations begin with climate change.And that's because Alaskans are already living with its effects.More frequent and extensive wildfires.Bigger storm surges as sea ice melts faster.Some of the swiftest shoreline erosion in the world-in some places, more than three feet a year.

据我所知，大量此类的交流都是从气候变化问题开始的。因为阿拉斯加人民的生活已经受到影响。包括森林火灾越来越频繁和严重，风暴也更汹涌，海冰融化速度加快。海岸线也在快速的受到侵蚀，在有的地方，这种侵蚀速度达到了每年三英尺。

Alaska's glaciers² are melting faster too, threatening tourism and adding to rising seas.And if we do nothing, Alaskan temperatures are projected to rise between six and twelve degrees by the end of the century, changing all sorts of industries forever.

阿拉斯加的冰川融化速度也在加快，威胁到当地的旅游业发展并导致海平面上升。如果我们无动于衷，阿拉斯加的气温将在本世纪末升高6至12度，这将对各行各业造成不可逆转的影响。

This is all real.This is happening to our fellow Americans right now.In fact, Alaska's governor recently told me that four villages are in “imminent danger” and have to be relocated.Already, rising sea levels are beginning to swallow one island community.

这都是现实。正在影响着我们每一位同胞。实际上，阿拉斯加州长最近告诉我说，已经有四个村庄面临严重威胁而不得不进行搬迁。而且不断上升的海平面正在吞没一个有居民的海岛。

Think about that.If another country threatened to wipe out an American town, we'd do everything in our power to protect ourselves.Climate change poses the same threat, right now.

请大家想一想。如果是其他的国家威胁要让美国的某个城镇消失，我们会动用我们的一切力量来保护我们自己。而气候变化现在正在形成同样的威胁。

That's why one of the things I'll do while I'm in Alaska is to convene³ other nations to meet this threat.Several Arctic nations have already committed to action.Since the United States and China worked together to set ambitious climate targets last year, leading by example, many of the world's biggest emitters have come forward with new climate plans of their own.And that's a good sign as we approach this December's global climate negotiations⁴ in Paris.

因此，在阿拉斯加的时候我会做一件事情，呼吁其他国家来共同应对这一威胁。多个极地国家都已承诺要付诸行动。自从美利坚合众国和中国在去年共同制定宏伟的气候应对目标后，受榜样的影响，全球很多碳排放大国都积极跟进，重新制定了各自的气候应对计划。这对于今年12月在巴黎召开的气候谈判会议来说是一个好消息。

Now, one of the ways America is leading is by transitioning away from dirty energy sources that threaten our health and our environment, and by going all-in on clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar.And Alaska has the natural resources to be a global leader in this effort.

当前，美国引导全球努力应对气候变化的途径之一就是逐步从使用威胁人类健康和环境的污染能源向全面的清洁、可再生能源过渡，例如风能和太阳能。而阿拉斯加在这些工作上具有先天的资源优势，可以成为全球的领导者。

Now even as we accelerate this transition, our economy still has to rely on oil and gas.As long as that's the case, I believe we should rely more on domestic production than on foreign imports, and we should demand the highest safety standards in the industry-our own.Still, I know there are Americans who are concerned about oil companies drilling in environmentally sensitive waters.Some are also concerned with my administration's decision to approve Shell's application to drill a well off the Alaskan coast, using leases they purchased before I took office.I share people's concerns about offshore⁵ drilling.I remember the BP spill in the Gulf⁶ of Mexico all too well.

尽管我们在加快这一过渡进程，但我们的经济发展依然要依赖石油和天然气。在这种情况下，我认为我们应该更多使用国内生产的而不是依赖进口，我们应该在这一行业坚持我们自己的更高的安全标准。当然，我知道还有很多人很关心一些石油公司在环境脆弱水域的钻探事宜。人们也很关心对于壳牌公司利用我上任前购买的租约在阿拉斯加近海钻探油井的申请，政府的最终决定。我与大家一样，对近海钻探也很关心。我对BP公司在墨西哥海湾的石油泄漏事故记忆犹新。

That's precisely⁷ why my administration has worked to make sure that our oil exploration conducted under these leases is done at the highest standards possible, with requirements specifically tailored to the risks of drilling off Alaska.We don't rubber-stamp permits.We made it clear that Shell has to meet our high standards in how they conduct their operations-and it's a testament⁸ to how rigorous we've applied⁹ those standards that Shell has delayed and limited its exploration off Alaska while trying to meet them.The bottom line is, safety has been and will continue to be my administration's top priority when it comes to oil and gas exploration off America's precious coasts-even as we push our economy and the world to ultimately transition off of fossil fuels.

准确的说，正因如此，本届政府一直在努力确保这些已经完成租约签订的石油勘探工作尽可能在最高标准要求下进行，对阿拉斯加近海的钻探更是量身制定规范，防范风险。我们不当橡皮图章，滥发许可。我们明确要求，壳牌公司在施工作业上必须满足我们的高标准，这种约定体现了我们执行这些标准的严格要求，为了满足这些标准，壳牌公司在阿拉斯加近海的勘探工作已经推后并缩小了范围。我的底线是，安全现在是，将来也是本届政府应对在美国珍惜的海岸进行石油和天然气开采工作上的最高准则，即便我们在推动经济发展和引导世界最终舍弃化石燃料的过渡阶段依然如此。

So I'm looking forward to talking with Alaskans about how we can work together to make America the global leader on climate change around the globe.And we're going to offer unique and engaging ways for you to join me on this trip all week at WhiteHouse.gov/Alaska.Because what's happening in Alaska is happening to us.It's our wakeup call.And as long as I'm President, America will lead the world to meet the threat of climate change before it's too late.

因此，我期待着与阿拉斯加人民交流，介绍我们如何共同努力，让美国成为在全球范围内应对气候变化的领导者。我们将为大家提供独特、互动的参与方式，让大家在Whitehouse.gov/Alaska网站上全面参与我一周的行程。因为在阿拉斯加发生的情况也将发生在大家身边。这为我们敲响了警钟。只要我担任总统，美国就将继续领导全世界，在情况变得不可控之前，应对气候变化带来的威胁。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

谢谢大家，祝周末愉快！

1 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

2 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

3 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

4 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。

5 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

8 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。