奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁给孩子美好清洁安全的未来（01）

Hi, everybody. One of the most urgent challenges of our time is climate change.

大家好。当代最紧迫的一项挑战就是气候变化。

We know that 2015 surpassed 2014 as the warmest year on record - and 2016 is on pace to be even hotter.

我们知道，2015 年超过 2014 年成为历史上最热的一年，而 2016 年更热。

When I took office, I said this was something we couldn't kick down the road any longer -that our children's future depended on our action.

我上任时说过，这事儿我们不能再拖延了。我们的孩子的未来取决于我们的行动。

So we got to work, and over the past seven-and-a-half years, we've made ambitious investments in clean energy, and ambitious reductions in our carbon emissions¹.

我们为此而付出，过去的 7 年我们大幅增加清洁能源的投资，并极力减少碳排放。

We've multiplied wind power threefold. We've multiplied solar power more than thirtyfold.

我们风电增加三倍。我们的太阳能发电增加三十多倍。

In parts of America, these clean power sources are finally cheaper than dirtier, conventional power.

在美国的部分地区，这些清洁能源总体上比原有的污染能源便宜。

And carbon pollution from our energy sector² is at its lowest level in 25 years, even as we're continuing to grow our economy.

我们的能源行业碳排放达到 25 年来的最低水平，而我们的经济仍在继续发展。

We've invested in energy efficiency, and we're slashing³ carbon emissions from appliances, homes, and businesses - saving families money on their energy bills.

我们已经投资于节能增效，正在削减电器、家庭和企业的碳排放量，节省家庭的能源开销。

We're reforming how we manage federal coal resources, which supply roughly 40% of America's coal.

我们正在改进联邦煤炭资源的管理，它控制了全美国近 40%的煤炭供给。

We've set the first-ever national standards limiting the amount of carbon pollution power plants can release into the sky.

我们已经制定了第一个限制发电厂碳排放到空气中的国家标准。

We also set standards to increase the distance our cars and light trucks can go on a gallon of gas every year through 2025.

我们还制定标准，至 2025 年每年增加小汽车和轻型卡车每加仑燃油的行驶距离。

And they're working. At a time when we've seen auto⁴ sales surge, manufacturers are innovating⁵ and bringing new technology to market faster than expected.

这方面正在推进。我们看到汽车销量激增的时候，制造商创新并将新技术推向市场的进度远超预期。
 

1 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。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

4 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 innovating   

v.改革，创新( innovate的现在分词 )；引入（新事物、思想或方法），

参考例句：

• In this new century, the company keeps innovating and developing new products. 新世纪伊始，公司全面实施形象工程及整合营销，不断改革创新，开发高新产品。 来自互联网
• Beijing is backward most prime cause is innovating at system lack. 北京落后的最根本原因在于制度缺乏创新。 来自互联网