02 About Global Warming Again再談氣候變暖

導(dǎo)讀

這是一篇選自《新聞周刊》（Newsweek）的關(guān)于環(huán)保的時(shí)事類文章。作者采用類比的寫作手法寫抽煙是想說明現(xiàn)在的溫室效應(yīng)。許多人抽煙沒有人去管，是因?yàn)槿狈ψC據(jù)，各國政府不管溫室效應(yīng)也是因?yàn)橥瑯拥脑颉１疚闹饕v各國政府對(duì)溫室效應(yīng)的解決態(tài)度，全文圍繞“證據(jù)不足”、“科學(xué)意義”、“制定法律”這三個(gè)關(guān)鍵詞展開。

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.

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

翻譯練習(xí)

（1）Textual Translation（篇章翻譯）

就在科學(xué)家們前仆后繼、試圖讓我們意識(shí)到全球氣候變暖所帶來的日益嚴(yán)重的威脅的時(shí)候，類似的令人擔(dān)憂的情況又一次出現(xiàn)了。最近，由白宮召集的一批來自國家科學(xué)院的專家團(tuán)告訴我們，毫無疑問地球氣候正在變暖，而這個(gè)問題主要是人為造成的。很明顯，保護(hù)自己，刻不容緩。國家科學(xué)院院長(zhǎng)布魯斯·艾伯特在專家團(tuán)報(bào)告的前言中加上了這一重要觀點(diǎn)：“科學(xué)解答不了所有問題，但是科學(xué)確實(shí)為我們的未來提供了很好的指導(dǎo)。我們的國家和整個(gè)世界在作重要決策時(shí)，應(yīng)該以科學(xué)能夠提供的、關(guān)于人類現(xiàn)在的行為可能導(dǎo)致后果的最佳判斷作為依據(jù)，這一點(diǎn)至關(guān)重要。”

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（2）Sentence Translation（句子翻譯）

①曾子曰：“吾聞諸夫子，人未有自致者也，必也親喪乎。”

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②子貢曰：“君子之過也，如日月之食焉。過也，人皆見之；更也，人皆仰之。”

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③子曰：“不知命，無以為君子也；不知禮，無以立也；不知言，無以知人也。”

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參考譯文

(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.”