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巴黎气候协议引发美国党派反应

Americans are digesting a global climate accord that is dividing Washington along predictable partisan¹ political lines.

美国人正在琢磨全球气候协议的意义。该协议像人们先前预期的那样引起不同党派的不同反应。协议有关碳减排和向发展中国家提供能源转型资金的条款将成为2016年美国选举的争议话题。

“This agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet, and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investment,” said a jubilant President Barack Obama shortly after the deal was announced Saturday.

奥巴马总统说：“这个协议意味着减少威胁地球生态的碳污染，意味着增加就业和低碳投资带来的经济增长。”

“What matters is that today we can be more confident this planet is going to be in better shape for the next generation. And that is what I care about,” Obama added.

兴高采烈的奥巴马总统开始向美国公众强调巴黎协议的好处。他说：“今天的重要事情是，我们可以更有信心，相信地球生态对下一代人更好。这是我关心的。”

Congressional Democrats² flooded Twitter to hail the accord. Not so Republicans, who announced their opposition³ even before the deal was struck.

国会的民主党议员通过推特大赞协议。但共和党议员没有赞扬，而且在协议达成之前就表示反对。

“President Obama has promised to cut back American energy production dramatically,” said Republican Senator John Barrasso last week. “The American people oppose sending their money to a United Nations climate slush fund.”

共和党参议员巴拉索说：“奥巴马总统承诺大规模减少美国能源产量。但美国人民反对用他们自己的钱填补联合国的气候烂帐。”

In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted the accord as “unattainable” and “based on a domestic energy plan that is likely illegal, that half the states have sued to halt, and that Congress has already voted to reject.”

参议院多数党领袖麦康奈尔发表声明，强烈批评协议“不可能达到目标”，而且协议“依据的是很有可能非法的国家能源计划，国会早已投票否决了这项计划。”

The accord is not a formal treaty and therefore requires no Senate ratification⁴ to go into effect. Whoever succeeds Obama in 2017 could halt or continue America’s adherence⁵ to its provisions.

Republican presidential contenders say the planet can be protected without what they see as Obama’s job-killing climate agenda.

共和党总统参选人都表示，地球生态可以得到保护，但不需要他们所说的奥巴马那种损害就业的气候政策。

“We want to have clean air, we want to have clean water. We do want to have that,” said businessman and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump⁶ before decrying⁷ federal environmental regulations.

共和党总统参选人川普说：“我们希望有清洁空气，希望有清洁水源，我们确实有这个希望。”

The administration is standing⁸ firm.

“A lot of members of Congress are on the wrong side of history,” said Secretary of State John Kerry on ABC’s This Week program. “And I don’t believe you can be elected president of the United States if you do not understand climate change and you aren’t committed to this kind of a plan.”

奥巴马政府立场坚定。克里国务卿说：“国会很多成员站在历史的错误一边。如果不明白气候变化，赞成应对气候变化的计划，我不相信这样的人还能当选美国总统。”

Among Democratic presidential contenders, Hillary Clinton called the climate deal “a historic step forward in meeting one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.” In a tweet, Senator Bernie Sanders said the accord “goes nowhere near far enough.”

在民主党总统竞选者当中，希拉里.克林顿称巴黎协议是向前迈出的历史性一步。桑德斯称，协议的目标还远远不够高。

“There is nothing of greater importance than that we leave this planet to our children and grandchildren in a way that is healthy and habitable,” Sanders added at a campaign event Saturday.

民主党总统参选人桑德斯参议员说：“没有什么事情比好好保持地球生态健康和适宜居住、让我们的子孙后代享受这样一个地球更为重要。”

The accord is sure to spark fierce debate when Congress reconvenes this week.

本星期国会复会的时候，巴黎协议可能会激起激烈的辩论。