时代周刊:力挽狂澜(4)

Even greater "catastrophic multi species die-offs" could begin within the decade, Trisos predicts,

据特里索斯预测，未来十年之内就可能爆发规模更大的“多物种的灾难性灭绝”，

starting with tropical oceans and spreading to tropical forests and temperate¹ ecosystems² by the 2050s.

首当其冲的便是热带海洋，到50年代将会蔓延至热带森林和温带生态系统。

Coastal³ nations would be first and hardest hit,

沿海国家将成为最先受到冲击，冲击也最为严重的地区，

with devastating⁴ consequences for the billions of people who depend on these ecosystems for their livelihoods⁵ and nutrition.

届时，依赖这些生态系统生存发展的数十亿人都将面临毁灭性的打击。

"We fish on coral reefs.

“我们要在珊瑚礁上捕鱼。

We depend on ecotourism.

生态旅游也是我们的重要经济来源。

We rely on healthy (kelp) forests for carbon storage and water filtration," Trisos says.

我们还要依靠健康的（海藻）森林来储存碳以及过滤水，”特里索斯说。

"If there is a sudden collapse⁶ of these ecosystems in a single decade, we could lose these services.

“如果十年之内，这些生态系统就要突然崩溃了，那我们可能就要失去这些服务了。

Income is at risk. Food security is at risk."

我们的收入也就悬了。粮食安全也悬了。”

But there are ways of preserving the ecosystems many nations depend upon.

不过，我们依然有办法保护这些许多国家赖以生存的生态系统。

Spanish-American marine⁷ ecologist and conservationist Enric Sala has spent the past 12 years

过去12年，西班牙裔美国海洋生态学家，自然资源保护者恩里克·萨拉

surveying and documenting the ocean's last wilderness⁸ areas as a National Geographic⁹ explorer in residence.

一直在以《国家地理》常驻探险家的身份调查、记录海洋最后的荒野。

Through his Pristine¹⁰ Seas project,

通过“原始海洋计划”，

he has rallied governments to set aside 5.7 million sq km of coastline and ocean

他已经召集多国政府划出570万平方公里的海岸线和海洋，

as marine parks where fishing, dumping, mining and other destructive industries are prohibited.

将其打造成禁止捕捞、倾倒、采矿等破坏性行业的海洋公园。

The results, he says, have been astonishing.

其结果，他表示，堪称惊艳。

Even over a short time frame,

即便项目启动的时间并不长，

he has watched depleted¹¹ fish populations grow six-fold, kelp flourish and coral reefs bloom.

他就已目睹了原本已近枯竭的鱼群数目壮大了6倍之多，海藻和珊瑚礁也都已焕发出蓬勃的生机。

Given the chance, he says, the ocean has an extraordinary ability to regenerate¹².

只要给了机会，他说，海洋就会展现出非凡的再生能力。

"I have seen miracles on the water.

“我在水上看到了奇迹。

The ocean is sending us a very clear message:

海洋在向我们传递一个非常明确的信息：

if you just give me some space, look what I can do."

只要你给我一定的空间，我有多大能耐你就等着瞧及好了。”

So far, says Sala, only 2.5% of the ocean enjoys the full protection it needs to do so.

到目前为止，萨拉说，只有2.5%的海洋享受到了其施展拳脚所需的所有保护。

He has backed a global call to set aside a third of the ocean in similarly protected areas by 2030.

他推动了一项全球行动呼吁，呼吁国际社会在2030年之前，划出1/3的海洋进行同样的保护。

These marine protected areas aren't just about turning back the clock.

这些海洋保护区不仅仅是为了让时光倒流。

They are a bulwark¹³ against future stresses,

它们还是抵御未来环境压力的堡垒，

a kind of immunity¹⁴ booster for the sea that enables it to deal with threats like acidification and plastic pollution.

是增强海洋免疫力，使其能够应对酸化和塑料污染等威胁的强心剂。

"Not only is it necessary from a perspective of trying to undo¹⁵ some of the harm that we have done to the ocean over time," says Roberts,

“这一举措不仅从试图消除我们日积月累地对海洋造成的伤害的角度来看是必要的，”罗伯茨说，

"but it's absolutely vital that we give it the resilience it needs to cope with what's coming down the pike."

“而且，从增强海洋的韧性，使其能够应对未来可能出现的问题的角度来看，这一举措也是至关重要的。”

1 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

2 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 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。

6 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

7 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。

8 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

9 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

11 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

12 regenerate   

vt.使恢复，使新生；vi.恢复，再生；adj.恢复的

参考例句：

• Their aim is to regenerate British industry.他们的目的是复兴英国的工业。
• Although it is not easy,you have the power to regenerate your life.尽管这不容易，但你有使生活重获新生的能力。

13 bulwark   

n.堡垒，保障，防御

参考例句：

• That country is a bulwark of freedom.那个国家是自由的堡垒。
• Law and morality are the bulwark of society.法律和道德是社会的防御工具。

14 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

15 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。