VOA常速英语2015--中美面临不同的气候变化挑战

 

US, China Face Distinct Challenges on Climate Change 中美面临不同的气候变化挑战

BEIJING—

In his previous State of the Union address, President Barack Obama highlighted what he called the urgent need to address climate change — a topic that is likely to come up again this year. The world’s two biggest polluters, the United States and China, recently announced a landmark¹ deal aimed at breathing new life into global efforts to address climate change.

In China, where choking smog frequently fills the air, there is little debate about the need to curb² emissions⁴.

在中国，令人窒息的烟雾经常会充斥着天空，但对控制排放的辩论却很少。

"In China, the awareness⁵ of climate change and the consensus⁶ that this is a real problem that we need to crack is much higher than in the United States," said Li Yan, who heads Greenpeace’s energy and climate change campaign in Beijing. "Also, in the government, the leadership, there aren’t so many critics, there aren’t so many skeptics.”

“在中国，人们对气候变化的意识及认识到需要解决这一真正问题的共识比美国要强，”Li Yan是绿色和平组织驻北京能源和气候变化运动负责人。“但在政府领导层却没有很多批评者，没有这么多的质疑者。”

Weaning China off its biggest source of energy, coal, will not be easy. In the deal reached last year, China pledged for the first time to peak its emissions by 2030.

让中国摆脱掉其最大能源来源即煤炭并不容易，在去年达成的协议中，中国首次承诺减少2030年后的排放量。

Li says there are signs Beijing could move even faster, despite its heavy reliance on cheap fuel. 

Li说有迹象表明北京应该动作更快一点，即使该国严重依赖于廉价的煤。

“It’s possible that China could have an economy-wide coal control scheme in its next five-year plan, next year. And if China does so, we have a much better chance of turning the climate curve [sooner].”

“明年中国可能会制定未来五年的整体经济系统煤控制计划，如果中国能这么做，我们就有机会更早点扭转气候曲线。”

In Washington, Republican lawmakers call the deal a job-killing agreement that threatens middle class workers.

在华盛顿，共和党议员们称该协议会减少就业机会并威胁到中产阶级。

“The agreement requires China to do nothing at all for 16 years, while these carbon emission³ regulations are creating havoc⁷ in my state and other states around the country,” said U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.).

美国参议院明奇·麦康奈尔，“该协议要求中国在16年内无所事事，而这些碳排放规定对本州和全国其他州都造成了不良影响。”

China also has economic concerns about the deal. Beijing may have pledged to peak its emissions by 2030, but it is already taking steps to reduce polluting industries and that means job losses, at a time when the country’s economy is already slowing.

中国也对该协议的经济影响感到担忧，北京或许承诺减少2030年后的排放量，不过该国已经采取措施来减少污染行业，这意味着就业机会的减少，而目前该国经济已经在放缓。

But having the world’s two biggest emitters in agreement is important for global climate change efforts, says Li Yan. And the hope is that is that their example, if successful, will help spur other countries to aggressively curb their own emissions.

Li Yan说，全世界两个最大排放国达成协议对全球气候变化行动来说很重要，一旦成功，那么希望两国竖立的榜样能激励其他国家大力控制各自的排放量。

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

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 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。