2019年经济学人 如何拯救正在消失的珊瑚礁(2)

 

Measures to mitigate¹ climate change are needed regardless of coral, but even if the world’s great powers were to put their shoulder to the problem, global warming would not be brought to a swift halt. Coral systems must adapt if they are to survive, and governments in countries with reefs can help them do so.

不管珊瑚如何，减缓气候变化的措施都是需要的，但即使世界大国齐心协力解决这个问题，全球变暖也不会很快停止。珊瑚系统如果要生存就必须适应，珊瑚礁国家的政府可以帮助它们这样做。

Corals need protection from local sources of harm. Their ecosystems² suffer from coastal³ run-off, whether sewage or waste from farms, as well as the sediment⁴ dumped from beach-front building sites. Plastic and other debris⁵ block sunlight and spread hostile bacteria. Chunks⁶ of reef are blown up by blast fishing; algae⁷ grow too much whenever fishing is too intensive. Governments need to impose tighter rules on these industries, such as tougher local building codes, and to put more effort into enforcing rules against overfishing.

珊瑚需要保护，以免受到来自当地的危害。它们的生态系统受到沿海径流的影响，无论是来自农场的污水或废物，还是来自海滨建筑工地的沉积物。塑料和其他杂物阻挡阳光，传播有害细菌。爆炸式捕鱼会炸掉大块珊瑚礁；每当捕捞过度时，海藻就会大量繁殖。政府需要对这些行业实施更严格的规定，比如更严格的地方建筑法规，并投入更多的精力来执行禁止过度捕捞的规定。

Setting up marine⁸ protected areas could help reefs. Locals who fear for their livelihoods⁹ could be given work as rangers¹⁰ with the job of looking after the reserves. Levies¹¹ on visitors to marine parks, similar to those imposed in parts of the Caribbean, could help pay for such schemes. So too could a special tax on coastal property developers.

建立海洋保护区可以帮助珊瑚礁。担心生计的当地人可能会被分配到护林员的工作，照顾这些保护区。向海岸公园的游客征税，类似于加勒比海部分地区的征税，可以帮助支付这些计划的费用。对沿海房地产开发商征收特别税也是如此。

Many reefs that have been damaged could benefit from restoration. Coral’s biodiversity offers hope, because the same coral will grow differently under different conditions. Corals of the western Pacific near Indonesia, for example, can withstand higher temperatures than the same species in the eastern Pacific near Hawaii. Identifying the hardiest¹² types and encouraging them to grow in new spots is a way forward, though an expensive one. A massive project of this sort is under way in Saudi Arabia as part of a tourism drive. Scientists working alongside the Red Sea Development Company want to discover why the area’s species seem to thrive in its particularly warm waters.

许多被破坏的珊瑚礁可以从恢复中受益。珊瑚的生物多样性给我们带来了希望，因为同样的珊瑚在不同的条件下会以不同的方式生长。例如，印度尼西亚附近西太平洋的珊瑚比夏威夷附近东太平洋的同类能承受更高的温度。确定最顽强的品种并鼓励它们在新的地方生长是一种前进的方式，尽管代价昂贵。作为旅游业发展的一部分，沙特阿拉伯正在进行类似的大型项目。与红海开发公司一起工作的科学家们希望发现为什么该地区的物种似乎在其特别温暖的水域中茁壮成长。

More drastic intervention¹³ to head off the larger threats corals face should also attract more research. Shading reefs using a polymer film as a sunscreen to cool them is under discussion for parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Other schemes to help corals involve genetic¹⁴ engineering, selective breeding and brightening the clouds in the sky above an area of the reef by spraying specks¹⁵ of salt into the lowest ones, so that they deflect¹⁶ more of the sun’s energy. These measures may sound extreme, but people need to get used to thinking big. Dealing¹⁷ with the problems caused by climate change will call for some radical¹⁸ ideas.

为阻止珊瑚面临的更大威胁而采取的更激烈的干预措施也应该会吸引更多的研究。在大堡礁的部分地区，人们正在讨论用一种聚合物薄膜作为防晒霜来给珊瑚礁遮阴。其他帮助珊瑚的计划包括基因工程、选择性繁殖和在珊瑚礁上空的云层上撒盐，以使云层变亮，从而转移更多的太阳能。这些措施听起来可能有些极端，但人们需要习惯于从长远考虑。应对气候变化带来的问题需要一些激进的想法。

1 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

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 sediment   

n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物)

参考例句：

• The sediment settled and the water was clear.杂质沉淀后，水变清了。
• Sediment begins to choke the channel's opening.沉积物开始淤塞河道口。

5 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

6 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

7 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

8 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。

9 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。

10 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

11 levies   

（部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队

参考例句：

• At that time, taxes and levies were as many as the hairs on an ox. 那时，苛捐杂税多如牛毛。
• Variable levies can insulate farmers and consumers from world markets. 差价进口税可以把农民和消费者与世界市场隔离开来。

12 hardiest   

能吃苦耐劳的，坚强的( hardy的最高级 )； （植物等）耐寒的

参考例句：

• This trip will season even the hardiest traveller. 这个旅行会让最坚硬的旅行者适应。

13 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

14 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

15 specks   

n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Minutes later Brown spotted two specks in the ocean. 几分钟后布朗发现海洋中有两个小点。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• Do you ever seem to see specks in front of your eyes? 你眼睛前面曾似乎看见过小点吗？ 来自辞典例句

16 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。