奥巴马呼吁把气候问题放在国际议程首位

 　　Obama to order curbs¹ on carbon emissions² in climate policy

　　President Barack Obama has issued his most impassioned call in years to put global warming at the top of the international agenda, pledging to push for co-ordinated action by the world’s biggest emitters to tackle the problem of climate change.

　　美国总统巴拉克?奥巴马(Barack Obama)发出了多年来最为充满激情的的呼吁，目的是把全球变暖放在国际议程的首位，他承诺将推动全球各大碳排放国采取协调行动，应对气候变化问题。

　　In a widely touted³ speech, the US president on Tuesday laid out a three-part plan to deal with climate change using the power of his office, defying congressional inaction on the issue.

　　在一次受到广泛宣传的演说中，奥巴马周二提出了一份包括3部分内容的计划，他将利用其总统职权来应对气候变化，不理会美国国会在这个问题上的不作为。

　　He outlined a strategy to cut the US’s carbon pollution by reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants; to prepare the US for the impact of climate change, such as the superstorm that ravaged⁴ the New Jersey⁵ coastline last year; and to lead the world by example in combating changing climate.

　　他概述了一整套战略，内容包括：减少燃煤电厂的碳排放，以降低美国碳污染；让美国针对气候变化的影响（例如去年肆虐新泽西海岸的超级风暴）做好准备；在应对气候变化方面在全球做出表率。

　　“While no single step can reverse the effects of climate change, the president believes we have a moral obligation to our kids to leave them a planet that’s not polluted and damaged,” a White House official said.

　　一位白宫官员表示：“尽管没有一项单独的措施足以逆转气候变化的影响，但总统认为，我们对孩子们负有道德义务，要给他们留下一个没有受到污染和破坏的星球。”

　　The coal industry said the proposals could prove devastating⁶ – shares in US coal mining companies have been falling sharply – but Mr Obama’s speech was being watched closely around the world.

　　煤炭行业表示，这些提议可能产生毁灭性的后果。美国煤矿企业的股价最近在大幅下跌。但奥巴马的演讲受到全球的密切关注。

　　In Europe, where the eurozone crisis has pushed the climate change agenda firmly into the political background, environmental campaigners said they hoped Mr Obama’s speech would puncture⁷ arguments tackling global warming as bad for the economy.

　　在欧洲，这些年来欧元区危机一直主宰政治日程，气候变化问题则退居幕后。如今，欧洲的环境活动人士则表示，他们希望奥巴马的演讲将会驳斥那种认为应对全球变暖不利于经济的论调。

　　“If you’ve got the US and China moving, then the argument that the EU is going it alone clearly doesn’t stand up to scrutiny⁸ any more,” said Tom Brookes of the European Climate Foundation.

　　欧洲气候基金会(European Climate Foundation)的汤姆?布鲁克斯(Tom Brookes)表示：“如果美国和中国都行动起来，那么欧盟单独行动的论点显然不再站得住脚。”

　　On Tuesday Mr Obama, who attended international climate talks at the start of his first term but has been giving them a wide berth⁹ in recent years, owed to take global leadership role.

　　周二，奥巴马承诺将发挥全球领袖的作用，他曾在第一任期之初参与国际气候谈判，但最近几年一直对气候变化议程敬而远之。

　　The president said he would seek to expand new and existing international initiatives, including bilateral¹⁰ initiatives with China, India and other big emissions countries.

　　奥巴马表示，他将寻求扩大新的以及现有的国际举措，包括与中国、印度以及其他排放大国的双边举措。(FT)

1 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 touted   

v.兜售( tout的过去式和过去分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• She's being touted as the next leader of the party. 她被吹捧为该党的下一任领导人。
• People said that he touted for his mother and sister. 据说，他给母亲和姐姐拉生意。 来自辞典例句

4 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 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。

7 puncture   

n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破

参考例句：

• Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
• My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞，需要修补。

8 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

9 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

10 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。