VOA常速英语2020--2020世界地球日

On April 22nd, more than 190 countries, including the United States, will celebrate Earth Day. It is a day to reflect on the impact humans have on the earth, and to demonstrate and reaffirm our support for environmental protection. The first Earth Day was planned as a Teach-in, a day to inform about environmental issues. Earth Day's founder¹, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, an environmental activist² who was outraged³ by the lack of political response to gross environmental degradation⁴ throughout the country, said that he was "convinced that all we need to do to bring an overwhelming insistence⁵ of the new generation that we stem the tide of environmental disaster is to present the facts clearly and dramatically. . . Every university should set aside one day in the school year – the same day across the Nation – for the teach-in." His plan worked: over 20 million people turned up for Senator Nelson's first Earth Day Teach-in on April 22, 1970. And from then on, the movement grew spontaneously, creating its own momentum⁶ with no central organization.

4月22日，包括美国在内的190多个国家将庆祝世界地球日。在这一天，人们将反思人类对地球的影响，并展现和重申我们对环境保护的支持。首届世界地球日计划是做一个宣讲会，一个关于环境问题的日子。世界地球日创始人是美国参议员盖洛德·尼尔森，他是一名环境活动家，对全国的环境恶化缺乏政治回应而感到愤怒，他表示他“坚信，要让新一代人坚持抑制环境遭难浪潮，我们需要做的是要以一种引人注目的方式清楚地阐述事实......每所大学都应该在学年中留出一天——全国都要在同一天——做这个宣讲会。”他的计划成功了：1970年4月22日，超过2000万人参加了尼尔森参议员的首届世界地球日宣讲会。自那时起，这项运动自发地发展起来，在没有中心组织的情况下形成了自己的势头。

This year, the United States marks Earth Day by highlighting the need to curb⁷ the dramatic growth in the world's mismanaged waste and marine⁸ debris⁹. Mismanaged waste pollutes the terrestrial environment and flows into our ocean, affecting marine health everywhere. Marine debris, including microplastics in the ocean, can lead to declining global fish stocks, and costs billions of dollars to fisheries, tourism, and other industries. The United States is working internationally to encourage technological¹⁰ innovation in the waste sector¹¹, to spur new infrastructure¹² investment and private sector engagement, to collaborate¹³ in scientific research, to promote market solutions, and to raise public awareness¹⁴ about the threats of unmanaged waste and marine debris.On Earth Day 2018 we celebrate the ingenuity¹⁵ of those who are rising to the many challenges to protect our environment and natural heritage while promoting economic growth and shared prosperity.

今年，美国在纪念世界地球日时强调，必须遏制全球因处理不当而产生的废物以及海洋垃圾的急剧增长。因处理不当而产生的废物会污染陆地环境并流向我们的海洋，影响各地海洋生物的健康。海洋垃圾，包括海洋中的微粒塑料，会导致全球鱼类资源减少，并给渔业、旅游业和其他产业造成数十亿美元的损失。美国正在展开国际合作，鼓励废物处理领域的科技创新，促进新的基础设施投资和私营部门参与，开展科研合作促进市场解决方案以及提高公众对处理不善的废物和海洋垃圾威胁的认识。在2018年世界地球日，我们赞美那些在促进经济增长和共同繁荣的同时为保护我们的环境和自然遗产而奋起应对诸多挑战的人们的创造力。

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

4 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

5 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

6 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

7 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。

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

10 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 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。

13 collaborate   

vi.协作，合作；协调

参考例句：

• The work gets done more quickly when we collaborate.我们一旦合作，工作做起来就更快了。
• I would ask you to collaborate with us in this work.我们愿意请你们在这项工作中和我们合作。

14 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。

15 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。