纽约时报 加州陷入熊熊烈火 特朗普却在火上浇油(4)

The 2018 National Climate Assessment¹ — a major scientific report produced by 13 federal agencies —

2018年的《国家气候评估报告》——由13个联邦机构联合编制的一份核心科学报告——总结道，

concluded that if greenhouse gas emissions² from burning fossil fuels continue to increase at current rates,

如果燃烧化石燃料所产生的温室气体排放量继续以目前的速度增长，

the frequency of severe fires in the west could triple.

西部地区发生严重火灾的频率或将增至当前频率的3倍。

The report noted³ that climate change will also bring more specific threats to California.

报告还指出，气候变化还会给加州带来更多切实的威胁。

Increased drought could devastate⁴ the state’s farmers,

到2100年，可能会出现频繁的干旱断送该州农民的生计，

warming waters could close fisheries and spur the growth of toxic⁵ algae⁶,

海水变暖不仅会导致渔场关闭，还会刺激有毒藻类的生长，

and rising seas could inundate⁷ the homes of 200,000 Californians and erode⁸ two-thirds of California beaches by 2100.

上升的海平面还将吞没20万加州人的房舍以及该州三分之二的海滩。

The Trump⁹ administration moved this summer to eliminate California’s authority under the Clean Air Act

根据《清洁空气法》，加州有权将加剧气候变暖的汽车尾气排放的标准设置得比联邦政府的标准更严格，

to set standards on planet-warming tailpipe pollution that are stricter than those set by the federal government.

今年夏天，特朗普政府采取行动，剥夺了加州的这一权利。

When California officials struck a deal in July with four automakers to abide¹¹ by the state’s tougher standards,

今年七月，加州官员希望四家汽车制造商遵守加州制定的更为严格的标准，就在双方就此达成协议后，

the E.P.A. formally revoked¹² California’s authority, prompting a lawsuit¹³.

环保署正式剥夺了加州发号施令的权利，并因此引发了一场诉讼。

The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold¹⁴ highway funding,

此外，特朗普政府不仅威胁冻结加州的公路资金，

opened an antitrust investigation¹⁵ into California’s deal with the carmakers

就加州政府与几家汽车制造商的协议开启了反弄断调查，

and filed suit to block part of a state initiative to limit greenhouse gases from power plants,

还起诉了该州，试图妨碍该州为限制发电厂的温室气体释放量而制定的方案的部分内容，

arguing that its regional cap-and-trade system was unlawful because it included Quebec, Canada.

声称当地的总量管制与交易制度非法，因该制度还涉及到了加拿大的魁北克。

“Why are they going out of their way to attack this authority now?”

“他们为什么要在这个节骨眼上不嫌麻烦地打击加州的这个权威呢？”

asked Daniel Lashof, director of the World Resources Institute, a research organization focused on environmental policy,

专注环境政策的研究机构——世界资源研究所所长丹尼尔·拉什夫问道。

adding that California has been working with Quebec for over a decade.

他接着说道，加州与魁北克合作都已经十年有余了。

The lawsuit against California could slow the spread of such programs.

对加州的诉讼可能会减缓这些（遏制气候变化的）方案的推广。

And if the courts back the Trump administration in the fight over auto¹⁰ pollution standards,

如果法院在汽车污染标准之争上选择支持特朗普政府，

13 other states that have adopted California’s stricter standards would also be forced to abandon them.

采用加州更为严格的标准的其余13州恐也将被迫放弃这些标准。

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

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 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 devastate   

v.使荒芜，破坏，压倒

参考例句：

• A few days before,a fire had devastated large parts of Windsor Castle.几天前，温莎城堡的大部分被一场大火烧毁。
• Earthquakes can also cause tsunamis,which devastate coastal regions.地震还引发海啸，它直接破坏海岸地区。

5 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

6 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。

7 inundate   

vt.淹没，泛滥，压倒

参考例句：

• If the dam breaks,it will inundate large parts of the town.如果水坝坍塌，该城的大部分将被淹没。
• The course changes frequently,and the area is so flat that a small change in the level of the river may inundate a considerable area.河道变化多端，下游地区却很平坦，水位少许上涨河流就会淹没一大片土地。

8 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

9 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

10 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

11 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

12 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句

13 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

14 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

15 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。