VOA常速英语2013--台风海燕与气候变化有关

 

Climate Change Linked to Typhoon Haiyan 台风海燕与气候变化有关

LONDON — As another tropical storm bears down on the Philippines just days after Typhoon Haiyan devastated¹ parts of the region, the country’s climate change commissioner² has issued a passionate³ plea for a global deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions⁴. Climate scientists and policymakers offer differing opinions on whether the devastation⁵ in the Philippines is the latest evidence of global warming.

伦敦-由于台风海燕毁坏了菲律宾部分地区数日之后，另一场热带风暴接踵而至，国家气候变化委员会委员强烈呼吁全球为减少温室气体做出努力。气候学家和政策制定者就此次台风对菲律宾造成的破坏是否是全球气候变暖最新的证据持不同意见。

Scientists say Typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall. 

科学家们称台风海燕是迄今为止登上陆地的最强风暴之一。

Some experts say man-made climate change is to blame. 

有专家称人为的导致气候变化应该受到谴责。

Bob Ward⁶ is from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics.

鲍伯、沃特来自伦敦经济学校关于气候变化的格兰瑟姆研究机构

“There’s certainly strong circumstantial evidence because we know that the strength of tropical cyclones⁷, hurricanes, typhoons depends very much on sea surface temperatures. They act as the fuel. And we’ve got very warm waters in the Pacific at the moment, which have been increasing because of climate change," said Ward.

他说，有明显的间接证据证明台风与气候变暖有关，因为我们知道无论是台风还是飓风的威力大小都严重依赖于海平面的温度，充当了类似燃料的作用。我们现在使得太平洋的水温一直在变暖，因为气候的变化。

Ward says the intensity⁸ of storms seems to be increasing.

沃特说风暴的强度似乎在增加

“Our models are not very clear at the moment but we might expect in the future that we might even see fewer. But those that do occur will be much stronger than we’reexperiencing now," he said.

目前这些强风暴的模式现在还不太明了，但是在可预见的未来，我们甚至可能遇到更多此类风暴。然而 如果将来再出现的话，其威力将比我们现在所经历的更加强大。

The widespread destruction of infrastructure⁹ means authorities and aid agencies are struggling to distribute food and water.

风暴对基础设施大规模的毁坏使当局和救援机构努力往灾区分发食品和水

Benedict Dempsey of Save the Children says accurate forecasts meant some aid workers were in place when the storm hit.

救助儿童会邓普西说 精准的天气预报能使救援人员在风暴来临时各就各位。

“Half a dozen people went actually into the path of the storm in order to be prepared for the response in Tacloban and elsewhere in the Philippines," said Dempsey.

邓普西说有六个人为了防备风暴实际却进入了风暴区。

“This was the 20th tropical storm to have hit the Philippines this year. So this is going to continue no matter what we decide on CO2. These storms will continue," said Peiser.

这是菲律宾今年遭受的第二十次风暴袭击。佩斯说无论我们队二氧化碳排放问题作出何种决定，暴风还会继续出现。

At climate change talks currently under way in Poland, the Filipino representative made an impassioned plea for an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

正在波兰进行的环境变化对话会中，菲律宾代表激情呼吁达成温室气体减排的协议。

Scientist Bob Ward says the delegates should pay attention.

科学家沃特说代表们将会关注。

“I think this typhoon will focus minds very much on the fact that if we squabble and delay in getting an agreement, we’re going to see more and more of these kind of events with very, very human costs," said Ward.

“我认为如果我们不断争论并一再达不成共识，我们将会看到越来越多类似灾难发生，人类也将为此付出巨大代价，沃特说。

But observers at the Warsaw talks say a deal on cutting emissions still appears a long way off.

但是观察家们在华沙论坛上说要达成温室气体减排协议，似乎还有很长一段路要走。

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 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。

5 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

7 cyclones   

n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风

参考例句：

• The pricipal objective in designing cyclones is to create a vortex. 设计旋风除尘器的主要目的在于造成涡旋运动。 来自辞典例句
• Middle-latitude cyclones originate at the popar front. 中纬度地区的气旋发源于极锋。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。