时代周刊:国际社会刚准备好直面气候问题 2020就来了(5)

This spending would also help solve the immediate¹ problem of lost jobs and economic stagnation²

这笔(投资更环保的基础设施的)支出对解决眼前的失业及经济停滞问题也能有所助益，

by creating nearly 10 million jobs worldwide and increasing global GDP by 1.1%,

不仅能够给国际社会创造近1000万个就业机会，还能给全球GDP带来1.1%的增长，

meaning it would add more to the economy than it costs.

这就意味着投资带来的经济回报大于成本。

Importantly, green investment would result in a slew³ of "co-benefits."

重要的是，绿色投资还能带来诸多“共同利益”。

For example, some rural communities would receive access to electricity for the first time.

打个比方，有些农村社区将因此首次实现电力供应。

For another, air pollution would decline all over the world.

另外，世界各地的空气污染也都会有所下降。

"If governments do not make use of this opportunity,

“如果各国政府不抓住这次机会，

they may miss a very important tool for the economic recovery," says Fatih Birol, head of the IEA.

他们就有可能错过一个非常重要的经济复苏跳板，“国际能源署署长法提赫·比罗尔说。

But this moment is not just about opportunity; even maintaining the status quo is dangerous.

问题是，这不仅仅只是一次机会这么简单；即便维持当前的变暖节奏也是十分危险的。

Research from the UNEP released last year shows that if nations stick with current plans to reduce emissions⁴,

联合国环境规划署去年发布的研究显示，如果各国继续沿用当前的减排计划，

global temperatures will rise more than 3°C by the end of this century.

到本世纪末，全球气温上升的幅度将会超过3°C。

For the past five years, climate advocates had positioned 2020 as critical in the fight against climate change.

过去五年，气候倡导者们对2020年的定位是应对气候变化的关键期。

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to submit new plans to reduce emissions in 2020,

根据《巴黎协定》，各国必须在2020年提交新的减排计划，

and climate diplomats⁵ had planned a series of meetings around the world this year to build momentum⁶,

气候外交官们也制定了今年要在世界各地举行一系列会议，为实现关键期的目标造势，

culminating with the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, in November.

届时，为这些会议画上句号的将是11月份在格拉斯哥举行的联合国气候会议。

The Glasgow event was postponed⁷ a year,

格拉斯哥的活动已经被推迟到明年，

but the coronavirus pandemic has created a new sort of momentum.

不过，新冠疫情又营造了新的势头。

Empty city streets have been transformed into pedestrian space with cars banished⁸,

空荡荡的城市街道变成了行人空间，汽车消失了，

and many cities say they're not going back.

许多城市都表示他们不会再回去了。

The oil industry has faced a reckoning,

石油行业面临清算，

with the U.S. benchmark price at one point in mid-April dropping into negative territory and investors⁹ fleeing the industry;

4月中旬，美国石油基准价格一度跌至负值，投资者纷纷逃离行业；

smaller firms filing for bankruptcy¹⁰; and some of its biggest players writing down assets they say have lost their value.

规模较小的公司已经申请破产；一些业内最大的参与者都已开始降低据他们所说已经贬值的资产的帐面价值。

With the writing beginning to appear on the wall, many countries are starting to build a different world.

随后，许多国家都走上了建设新世界的道路。

In South Korea, the newly re-elected government has promised a $10 billion Green New Deal

在韩国，新当选的政府承诺发放100亿美元的绿色新政项目，

to invest in renewable energy and make public buildings energy efficient.

投资可再生能源，提高公共建筑能源利用效率。

In Costa Rica, one of a few developing countries to commit to eliminating their carbon footprint by 2050,

在哥斯达黎加，少数几个承诺到2050年消除碳足迹的发展中国家之一，

leaders have created a new fee on gasoline to fund social-welfare programs

为给社会福利项目提供资金，该国领导层制定出了新的汽油收费标准，

and are planning to issue new green bonds to fund the next stage of climate adaptation programs.

还计划发行新的绿色债券，为下一阶段的气候适应项目筹措资金。

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 stagnation   

n. 停滞

参考例句：

• Poor economic policies led to a long period of stagnation and decline. 糟糕的经济政策道致了长时间的经济萧条和下滑。
• Motion is absolute while stagnation is relative. 运动是绝对的，而静止是相对的。

3 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

4 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。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

7 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

8 banished   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year. 他被放逐到一个无人居住的荒岛一年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。