在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

A German farmer is suing¹ automaker Volkswagen (VW) for being partly responsible for the effects of climate change.

一名德国农民起诉汽车制造商大众汽车对气候变化的影响负有部分责任。

The man, Ulf Allhoff-Cramer, claims drier soil and heavier rains linked to climate change have affected² his fields, cows and forest operations. He said these effects have harmed his family business.

这位名为伍尔夫·奥尔霍夫-克莱默的男子声称，与气候变化相关的土壤干燥及暴雨影响了他的田地、牛群以及森林经营。他说这些影响已经损害了他的家族企业。

In the case, Allhoff-Cramer calls on VW to end its production of gasoline³ powered vehicles by 2030. German automakers rejected a similar demand from environmental groups last year.

在此案中，奥尔霍夫-克莱默呼吁大众汽车在2030年前停止生产燃油汽车。德国汽车制造商去年拒绝了环保组织的类似要求。

"Farmers are already being hit harder and faster by climate change than expected," Allhoff-Cramer recently told reporters. He has argued that since VW is the second-largest automaker, it should take responsibility for environmental damage linked to climate change.

奥尔霍夫-克莱默最近对记者表示：“气候变化对农民的影响比预期的更大、更快。”他认为，由于大众汽车是第二大汽车制造商，它应该对气候变化相关的环境损害承担责任。

During a recent hearing, a court in the western town of Detmold asked Allhoff-Cramer and his lawyers to provide additional⁴ details to support their legal arguments, Germany's dpa news agency⁵ reported.

据德国dpa通讯社报道，在最近的一次听证会上，德国西部城市代特莫尔特的一家法院要求奥尔霍夫-克莱默和他的律师提供更多细节来支持他们的法律论点。

The judge also asked whether the farmer had already suffered climate-related damages or is still expecting them. The next court hearing will take place on September 9.

法官还询问这位农民是已经遭受与气候变化相关的损害，还是仍处于预想阶段。下次庭审将于9月9日举行。

The case is supported by the environmental group Greenpeace. The organization has supported similar legal efforts in Germany that sought to hold companies and the government responsible for the effects of climate change.

此案得到了“绿色和平”环保组织的支持。该组织支持过德国类似的法律努力，试图让公司和政府对气候变化的影响负责。

Such cases have had mixed success. Some have been dismissed⁶, while one made it to Germany's top court. Last year, the high court in that case ordered the government to increase efforts to reduce carbon emissions⁷.

此类案件的结果成败参半。有些案件被驳回，然而有一件进入了德国最高法院审理。去年，最高法院在这起案件中下令政府加大力度减少碳排放。

Volkswagen said in a statement that it aims to reduce its emissions "as quickly as the business allows." VW has set a 2050 goal to cut carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero.

大众汽车在一份声明中表示，其目标是“在业务许可的情况下尽快”减少排放。大众汽车设定了2050年将碳排放降至净零的目标。

"Volkswagen stands for climate protection and rapid decarbonization of the transport sector⁸, but cannot meet this challenge alone," the company said. It added that such progress also depends on government rules, technological⁹ development and buyer behaviors.

该公司表示：“大众汽车支持气候保护以及交通行业的快速脱碳，但是无法单独应对这一挑战。”它还表示，这种进展取决于政府政策、技术发展和消费者行为。

VW said lawmakers should be the ones to decide on climate change measures. The company said it would "defend this position and ask for the lawsuit¹⁰ to be dismissed."

大众汽车表示，决定气候变化相关措施的应该是立法者。该公司称其将“捍卫这一立场并要求驳回诉讼”。

In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discovered VW was using software that let diesel¹¹ cars pass emissions tests, but then turned off pollution controls during normal driving. The company apologized for its actions and paid tens of billions of dollars in fines, business costs and damages to car owners.

2015年，美国环保署发现大众汽车利用软件让柴油车通过排放检测，但是在正常驾驶时关闭了污染控制。该公司为自己的这一行为道歉，并向车主支付了数百亿美元的罚款、商业成本和损害赔偿。