VOA标准英语2008年-Weather Forecasting Plays Crucial Role in Beiji

The World Meteorological Organization is coordinating¹ efforts by China and other countries to provide accurate weather information for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. WMO says China has installed a new geostationary satellite, at a cost of nearly $1 billion, which will enhance weather forecasting ability. Lisa Schlein reports from WMO headquarters in Geneva.
　

An Olympic weather satellite launch at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province, 27 May 2008

The success of the Beijing Olympics will largely be determined² by athletic³ prowess and record setting results. But, Director of Research at the World Meteorological Organization, Leonard Barrie, tells VOA, the weather can make or break a sporting event.

"Weather affects the conditions in which the athletes have to perform," said Leonard Barrie. "A thunderstorm in the middle of a 100 yard dash is not very desirable, but inevitable⁴ in many cases."

As it turns out, thunderstorms are hard to predict. But, Barrie says other weather phenomena⁵ can be forecast with a great degree of accuracy several days in advance.

He says many countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Japan and the United States have expertise⁶ in weather forecasting and have brought their most sophisticated systems to Beijing. He says they are doing unique high resolution forecasting for the six to 36-hour period.

"They attempt to tell the organizers and the athletes and their managers what is expected as far as severe weather that would affect them-high winds and precipitation, rain," he said. "And then, on time scales from six to zero hours, we have something called the Now Casting project."
　

Beijing Olympic national stadium, known as Bird's Nest, covered by haze7, 28 Jul 2008

In Now Casting, Barrie explains meteorologists use weather radar⁸ to locate where rain or thunderstorms may be occurring. With this information, he says it is possible to know when the bad weather can be expected to arrive in Beijing.

The Olympic organizers have said they would try certain measures to stop the rain from falling and spoiling championship events. Barrie pours cold water on this plan.

"Weather modification⁹ has very limited number of true successes on record," said Barrie.

So as not to throw a damper on the event, Barrie notes the weather forecast indicates that the opening day of the summer games will have very reasonable weather. But, he adds, he does not know whether there will be a thunderstorm. That, he say, is unpredictable.

1 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

4 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

5 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

6 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

7 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

8 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

9 modification   

n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻

参考例句：

• The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。
• The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。