VOA慢速英语2016 世界各国领导人在地球日签署气候协议

AS IT IS 2016-04-22 World Leaders to Sign Climate Agreement on Earth Day 世界各国领导人在地球日签署气候协议

Leaders from 130 nations are gathering¹ at the United Nations to sign the historic climate deal reached in Paris last December.

130个国家的元首聚集在联合国，签署去年12月达成的历史性气候协议。

The signing happens on the 46th anniversary of Earth Day. Since 1970, every year people around the world observe the day by doing different activities to clean up the environment.

签署仪式在第46届世界地球日这天进行。自1970年以来，世界各地的人们每年都会开展各种各样净化环境的活动来纪念世界地球日。

On April 22, 1970, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth Day with a “national teach-in on the environment.”

1970年4月22日，美国参议员盖洛德·尼尔森组织了首个地球日活动，进行“全国环境宣讲”运动。

Earth Day Network says 20 million Americans gathered in the streets, parks and meeting halls “to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment” in large rallies across the country.

地球日网络表示，全美有2000多万人聚集在街头、公园和会议厅参加首个地球日活动，人们通过大型集会等方式，要求营造健康、可持续的环境。

This year, more than a billion people will celebrate the day by working for a clean environment.

今年将有超过10亿人通过创造清洁环境来纪念世界地球日。

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has urged countries to take action to fix climate change.

联合国秘书长潘基文敦促各国采取行动解决气候变化问题。

“That is the only way which we can save this one, only, planet Earth.”

“这是我们保护唯一的地球的唯一方法。”

Island nations are very vulnerable the stronger storms and rising sea levels brought on by climate change. One example is the Pacific island of Fiji. Super Cyclone² Winston crashed into the island nation last February, killing³ 44 people and causing $1 billion in damage.

岛国易遭到气候变化造成的强风暴和海平面上升的影响。太平洋岛国斐济就是例证。去年2月，超级气旋“温斯顿”侵袭斐济，造成44人死亡，损失达10亿美元。

Fiji’s Prime Minister Josaia Bainimarama talked about their fear about the future:

斐济总理乔萨亚·姆拜尼马拉马表达了斐济对未来的担心。

“The frequency and intensity⁴ of extreme weather events such as Winston’s is increasing. And we all have to be fearful about what this means—not only for ourselves, but for future generations.”

“像‘温斯顿’这样的极端天气事件发生的频率和强度日益增加。我们对这种趋势感到担心，不仅仅是为我们自己感到担心，也为后代子孙感到担心。”

It was last December, in Paris, France that world leaders worked out the details for the historic agreement. It limits the rise in global temperatures to well below two degrees Celsius⁵.

去年12月，全球领导人聚集在法国巴黎，制定出这份历史性气候协议的具体内容。这份协议将全球气温升高控制在2摄氏度之内。

It provides a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions⁶ – those include pollution from factories and the burning of fossil fuels like coal. The agreement calls for a way to stop the effects of warming the planet. That includes moving towards using renewable energies, like wind and solar— or power from the sun.

同时，这份协议还提出了减少温室气体排放的方法，温室气体包括工厂污染和煤炭等化石燃料燃烧造成的污染。该协议呼吁采取方法阻止地球变暖带来的影响。解决方法包括使用风能和太阳能等可再生能源。

Putting the plan into action will take several steps.

把计划付诸行动需要几个步骤。

First, the 130 leaders gathering in New York Friday will sign the agreement. Then their governments must ratify⁷ – or formally approve it-- to put it into action.

首先，聚集在纽约的130个国家的领导人将于周五签署气候协议。之后这130个国家的政府必须正式批准协议的实施。

Selwin Hart is director of the U.N. Climate Change Support Team.

塞尔文·哈特是联合国气候变化支持团队的主任。

He says the Paris Agreement must cross two important lines to become enforceable.

他表示，巴黎气候协议在执行前必须满足两个重要条件。

First, at least 55 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change must ratify the agreement. And those 55 countries must represent 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

其一，至少55个《联合国气候变化框架公约》缔约方核准该协议。其二，这55个缔约方的温室气体排放量占全球总排放量至少约55%。

China and the U.S. are the biggest contributors to the world’s global greenhouse gases. Together, the countries are responsible for about 40 percent of the world’s emissions.

中国和美国是全球两个最大的温室气体排放国。两国的排放量占全球总排放量的约40%。

Both the U.S. and China support the agreement. They are pushing for its early adoption⁸ by all the nations. 

中国和美国均表示支持该协议。两国将分别在国内采取措施，以便尽早加入该协议，同时呼吁其他国家也签字加入。

The target date to start the agreement is 2020. That could change. If all the countries ratify it quickly, it could happen this year, or in early 2017.

气候协议预计从2020年开始生效。这一时间可能会改变。如果所有国家尽快完成核准，协议可能从今年或2017年初开始生效。

Words in This Story

sustainable - adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

vulnerable - adj. easily hurt or harmed physically⁹, mentally, or emotionally

greenhouse gas emissions - n. gases released into the air that cause heat to be trapped and heat the planet

enforceable - adj. to make sure that people do what is required by (a law, rule, etc.)

global - adj. of the whole planet

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

5 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

6 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。

7 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

8 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。