- 引领公众舆论的那些美文（环球时代美文读本）
- 吴中东 宫玉波
- 2155字
- 2020-08-30 00:49:39
02 About Global Warming Again再谈气候变暖
导读
这是一篇选自《新闻周刊》（Newsweek）的关于环保的时事类文章。作者采用类比的写作手法写抽烟是想说明现在的温室效应。许多人抽烟没有人去管，是因为缺乏证据，各国政府不管温室效应也是因为同样的原因。本文主要讲各国政府对温室效应的解决态度，全文围绕“证据不足”、“科学意义”、“制定法律”这三个关键词展开。
Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn't know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive
, the science uncertain? That the anti-smoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.
There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The President of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in the preface to the panel's report:“Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions.”
Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it's OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game:by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.
Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it's obvious that a majority of the President's advisers still don't take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research—a classic case of “paralysis by analysis”.
To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won't take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound.
还记得科学家们认为吸烟会致人死亡，而那些怀疑者们却坚持认为我们无法对此得出定论的时候吗？还记得怀疑者们坚持认为缺乏决定性的证据、科学上也尚无定论的时候吗？还记得怀疑者们坚持认为反吸烟游说团体是为了毁掉我们的生活方式、而政府应该置身事外的时候吗？许多美国人相信了这些无稽之谈，结果在过去的三十多年中，差不多有一千万烟民早早地进了坟墓。
就在科学家们前仆后继、试图让我们意识到全球气候变暖所带来的日益严重的威胁的时候，类似的令人担忧的情况又一次出现了。最近，由白宫召集的一批来自国家科学院的专家团告诉我们，毫无疑问地球气候正在变暖，而这个问题主要是人为造成的。很明显，保护自己，刻不容缓。国家科学院院长布鲁斯·艾伯特在专家团报告的前言中加上了这一重要观点：“科学解答不了所有问题，但是科学确实为我们的未来提供了很好的指导。我们的国家和整个世界在作重要决策时，应该以科学能够提供的、关于人类现在的行为可能导致后果的最佳判断作为依据，这一点至关重要。”
就像面对吸烟问题一样，来自不同领域的声音坚持认为，有关全球变暖的科学资料还不完整，因此在我们证实这件事之前，人类可以向大气中继续排放气体。这是一个危险的游戏：到了有百分之百的证据的时候，可能就太晚了。随着风险越来越明显、步步逼近，一个谨慎的民族现在应该准备一份保单了。
幸运的是，白宫已经开始关注这件事了。但是显然大多数总统顾问并没有认真看待全球气候变暖这个问题。他们没有出台行动计划，只是继续要求专家进行更多的研究——典型的“分析引起瘫痪”案例。
要成为地球负责任的管理员，我们必须积极推进对于大气和海洋的深入研究。但只有研究是不够的。如果政府没有率先进行立法，国会就应该帮助政府开始采取保护措施。西弗吉尼亚的民主党议员罗伯特·伯德提出一项议案，建议从经济上激励私企，这就是一个良好的开端。许多人看到国家正准备修建许多新的发电厂，以满足我们的能源需求。如果我们准备保护大气，关键要确保让这些新发电厂对环境无害。
Cloze
完形填空
To serve 1 responsible stewards of the planet, we must press 2 on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. 3 the Administration won't take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which 4 offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting 5 to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound.
Key
1. as 2. forward 3. If 4. would 5. ready
Translation Practices
翻译练习
（1）Textual Translation（篇章翻译）
就在科学家们前仆后继、试图让我们意识到全球气候变暖所带来的日益严重的威胁的时候，类似的令人担忧的情况又一次出现了。最近，由白宫召集的一批来自国家科学院的专家团告诉我们，毫无疑问地球气候正在变暖，而这个问题主要是人为造成的。很明显，保护自己，刻不容缓。国家科学院院长布鲁斯·艾伯特在专家团报告的前言中加上了这一重要观点：“科学解答不了所有问题，但是科学确实为我们的未来提供了很好的指导。我们的国家和整个世界在作重要决策时，应该以科学能够提供的、关于人类现在的行为可能导致后果的最佳判断作为依据，这一点至关重要。”
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（2）Sentence Translation（句子翻译）
①曾子曰：“吾闻诸夫子，人未有自致者也，必也亲丧乎。”
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②子贡曰：“君子之过也，如日月之食焉。过也，人皆见之；更也，人皆仰之。”
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③子曰：“不知命，无以为君子也；不知礼，无以立也；不知言，无以知人也。”
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参考译文
(1) There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The President of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in the preface to the panel's report:“Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions.”
(2) ①Zeng Zi said, “I heard my teachers said that people could not show their feelings naturally except for that they lost their own beloved.”
②Zi Gong said, “Gentlemen's faults are like solar eclipse and lunar eclipse. If they commit faults, people can see them; if they correct the faults, people would look up to them.”
③Confucius said, “If you don't understand objective laws, you cannot be a gentleman; if you don't understand moral norms, you cannot conduct yourself well in society; if you don't understand their words, you cannot know people well.”