Climatologists are warning that an El Nino weather pattern, which can spark severe floods, forest fires and droughts, could develop in the coming weeks across the Asia-Pacific region.
气候学家警告说，足以引发严重洪灾、森林大火和干旱的厄尔尼诺现象可能会在未来几个星期内在整个亚太地区形成。
An El Nino event occurs when water temperature in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean rises abnormally. The movement of warmer, moist air to the east leaves drier weather in the western Pacific.
当太平洋东部的海水水温异常攀升时，就会产生厄尔尼诺现象。较为温暖、潮湿的气流向东移动进而导致西太平洋气候变得干燥。
The Climate Prediction Center in the United States has warned that after months of rising temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, the onset of an El Nino pattern was becoming more likely between now and August. The water is now half a degree warmer than average.
美国的气候预测中心发出警告说，在太平洋热带水温不断升温好几个月之后，从现在起到8月份之间，出现厄尔尼诺现象的可能性越来越大。比起平均温度来，现在的水温要高出半度。
Researchers at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology agree that an El Nino event is likely. They say if recent trends in Pacific climate patterns persist, there is a strong chance that an El Nino pattern will emerge in the coming months.
澳大利亚国家气象局的科学家们也认为很可能会出现厄尔尼诺现象。他们说，如果最近的太平洋气候模式一直持续下去，在未来几个月里就极有可能出现厄尔尼诺现象。
Such conditions could be disastrous for farmers in Australia's drought-prone southeast who can expect little relief from years of below average rainfall.
厄尔尼诺现象对旱灾不断的澳大利亚东南部的农民来说是灾难性的。那一地区的降雨量近年来已经低于平均水平。
The effects of such a shift in weather patterns would be felt across Southeast Asia.
整个东南亚地区都会感受到这种气候变化的影响。
Professor Matthew England, director of the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales, says Indonesia would likely have drastically less rainfall.
澳大利亚的南威尔士大学气候变化研究中心主任马修·英格兰教授说，印度尼西亚的降雨量很可能会大幅减少。
"The effects on Indonesia are actually even stronger," he said. "If you look at how El Nino affects all the nations around the Pacific Rim, Australia is often thought of prominently in that regard. But Indonesia and Southeast Asia generally see much drier conditions during El Ninos. In past El Ninos we have seen some very severe forest fires in Indonesia."
他说：“对印尼造成的影响实际上会更大。如果你观察一下厄尔尼诺现象对环太平洋地区所有国家造成的影响，澳大利亚经常被视为是首当其冲。但在厄尔尼诺现象出现时，印尼和东南亚总的来说更加干旱。以前厄尔尼诺现象出现时，印尼就曾发生过非常严重的森林火灾。”
The most devastating El Nino occurred in 1997. It caused widespread drought in Australia and Indonesia as well as floods in Peru and Ecuador.
最具破坏性的厄尔尼诺现象发生在1997年。它给澳大利亚和印尼带来严重的旱灾，又在秘鲁和厄瓜多尔造成洪灾。
An El Nino event can also bring wetter weather to parts of the United States and can affect the monsoon season in India.
厄尔尼诺现象还可以导致美国部分地区的多雨，并且能够影响印度的季风季节。
In an El Nino year, there are typically more hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific and, conversely, fewer such storms in the Atlantic.
在厄尔尼诺现象发生的年头里，比较典型的是，东太平洋会有更多的飓风，而大西洋的飓风会减少。 |