VOA常速英语2019--加州：环境法最健全的地方

We’re incredibly lucky that in California, there are such strict mitigation so that there is requirement for there to be a paleontologist anytime you’re digging in native soils. That way, any fossil or artifact that peaks out of that dirt is seen immediately and can be saved. These laws don’t exist everywhere, and so fossils are probably being lost all the time. Some of the most interesting discoveries include a well preserved skull¹ from the mammoth² nicknamed Haydon.

我们很幸运，加州有如此严密的减轻破坏工作，正因如此，每次在挖掘当地土壤时总需要有古生物学家在现场。这样的话，任何出土的化石或者手工艺品都能第一时间得到发现和保存。但不是每个州都有这样的法律，因此化石很有可能每时每刻都在遗失。最有趣的一个发现是保存完好的头骨，这个头骨是一只猛犸象，它的名字叫海顿。

Here is the skull of a giant sloth³, and vertebrae and bones from giant saber-toothed cats and dire⁴ wolfs. Stopping work to dig up fossils can be expensive, but LA official Dave Sottero says the paleontologists, the city and the excavation⁵ contractors⁷ generally figured out a way to get the fossils out of the ground, and get the work done. I think in California we have the distinction is having the most stringent⁸ environmental rules anywhere in the country and possibly the world. So it behooves⁹ us to work very closely with the paleontologists to work very closely with the contractor⁶, and develop a set of best practices that will help us preserve the fossil record but still get our project done.

这里有一个巨型树懒的头骨、巨大剑齿虎的椎骨和惧狼的骨头。停下手头的工作去挖掘化石，这样做的成本十分高昂，但洛杉矶的工作人员戴夫·索特罗表示，一些古生物学家、市政府和挖掘承包商基本上找到了一个办法来挖掘化石，并完成工作。我认为，在加州，我们有一个独特之处，就是环境规定在全国乃至世界范围内都是最为严苛的。因此，我们有义务与古生物学家和承包商密切合作，研发出最好的一套做法，帮助我们在保存化石的同时完成工作。

The fossils provide a great look at this region 20, 30 and even 50 thousand years ago. Paleontologist Emily Lindsey says they can teach us about some issues we are dealing¹⁰ with today. Climate change which is something that caused great interests to people today, and was also something that the world’s experiencing, when those of these large animals when they extinct, and also how human activities can impact ecosystems¹¹, because around the time that humans arrived in the Americas is also around the time that we see most of those big animals that people are so excited about finding here go extinct. The new fossils will go on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

化石让我们清楚地了解这个地区，哪怕是2万年前、3万年前乃至5万年前的状况。古生物学家艾米丽·林赛表示，化石可以让我们了解到今天正在着手解决的一些问题。气候变化是我们曾经很关注的一件事，也是今天世界正在经历的事情。化石可以让我们了解这些大型动物是何时灭亡的，以及人类的活动是怎样影响生态系统的，因为人类抵达美洲的时候，大概就是人类最感兴趣的大型动物灭绝的时期。这些新化石将陈列在洛杉矶自然历史博物馆。

As for the new subway system, it will not be ready for the passengers until 2027. Plenty of time to find more fossils.

至于新的地铁系统，该系统要到2027年才能投入使用。在此之前，我们有大把时间寻找新化石。

1 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

2 mammoth   

n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的

参考例句：

• You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
• Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。

3 sloth   

n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散

参考例句：

• Absence of competition makes for sloth.没有竞争会导致懒惰。
• The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down from the branches.大部分时间里树懒都是倒挂在树枝上。

4 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

5 excavation   

n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地

参考例句：

• The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
• The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。

6 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

7 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

9 behooves   

n.利益，好处( behoof的名词复数 )v.适宜( behoove的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It behooves us to help the needy. 我们应当帮助贫困者。 来自辞典例句
• It behooves a child to obey his parents. 子女应当服从父母。 来自辞典例句

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句