VOA慢速英语: 各国着手应对气候变化

Nations Preparing to Deal with Climate Change

各国着手应对气候变化

Nations Preparing to Deal with Climate Change

In 2014, the United Nations released a series of climate reports that showed temperatures on Earth are rising. That is the bad news. The good news is that countries are working together to fight climate change.

2014年，联合国发布的一系列气候报告表明全球气温持续上升。这是个坏消息，好消息是各国正在努力共同应对气候变化。

Experts say a two-degree rise in temperature above pre-industrial times will cause serious damage that cannot be reversed. The pre-industrial period ended in the middle of the 18th century. That was followed by the Industrial Revolution, when machines and new manufacturing processes were created.

专家称前工业时代气温升高两度会造成不可逆转的严重危害。前工业时代结束于18世纪中期。紧接着而来的是工业革命，创造新机器和新工厂。

Michael Oppenheimer is a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University in New Jersey. He says air pollution emissions must be reduced before temperatures rise.

迈克尔·奥本海默是新泽西州普林斯顿大学地理科学和国际事务方面的专家。他说气温再次上升前必须减少空气污染物排放。

“That makes it incumbent upon governments to get moving quickly, which is why there's so much focus on the meeting in Lima and the meeting a year from now that's planned for Paris.”

“污染问题迫使各政府势在必行采取一些措施，这就是为什么那么多人关注利马会议和一年后在巴黎召开的会议。”

The recent United Nations talks in Peru were designed to prepare officials for a meeting in Paris, France later this year. Many nations will sign a global climate agreement at that meeting.

在秘鲁召开的联合国气候变化太会为今年晚些时候法国巴黎的会议做准备。会上多个国家会签署一份针对全球气候变化协议。

The agreement reached in Peru is different from earlier agreements. Developing countries like China and India are promising to join richer countries in reducing emissions. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said developing nations are having a large effect on the environment.

在秘鲁达成的这项协议与先前的协议不同。像中国和印度这样的发展中国家在减少污染排放方面有望加入富国行列。美国国务卿约翰·凯瑞说发展中国家对环境的影响非常大。

“More than half of global emissions -- more than half -- are coming from developing nations. So it is imperative that they act, too.”

“全球一半多的污染物排放来自发展中国家，因此，发展中国家必须采取行动。”

Chinaand the United States acted -- they signed an agreement. American officials said the U.S. would reduce emissions between 26 and 28 percent by 2025. China said it would begin reducing emissions in 2030.

中国和美国已经采取行动——他们签署一份协议。美国官员称到2025年，美国污染物排放会减少26%—28%。中国在2030年会开始减少排放。

Michael Oppenheimer says other countries will release their environmental plans early this year. He says negotiators continue to discuss details of the agreement before the conference opens in Paris. But he says he hopes people understand that an agreement is just the beginning of efforts to reduce global warming.

迈克尔·奥本海默说今年早些时候其他国家也会公布他们针对环境的计划。他说在巴黎会议召开前，谈判各国会继续讨论协议的细节。不过他希望人们能够明白签署协议只是减少全球变暖做出的努力的一个开始。

“No matter what comes out of Paris, it's important that this problem be revisited continually to make sure that countries are living up to their commitments. And that means active and engaged citizenries in all these countries have to push, push, push on their governments.”

“不管巴黎会议上会有什么结果，应对气候变化的问题会持续的讨论，直到各国履行其承诺。这就意味着所有参加会议的与会者都要推动政府去实施行动。”

Professor Oppenheimer says if countries do not take action the planet will become warmer faster than at any time in the history of civilization.

奥本海默教授称如果各国不采取任何行动，地球会比以往任何历史文明时期变暖的速度都要快。

I’m Christopher Cruise.

我是克里斯托弗·格鲁斯。

VOA’s Rosanne Skirble prepared this report. Christopher Cruise wrote the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

reversed - v. to cause something such as a process to stop or return to an earlier state

emissions – n. something sent out or given off

incumbent upon – idiomatic. to be necessary for someone

imperative – adj. very important

revisited – v. to think about or look at (something) again

citizenries/citizenry – n. all the citizens of a place (usually singular)

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