【2023.5.11】六分钟英语 乐队巡演与气候变化 Touring bands
Introduction
When music bands tour, it comes at a cost to the environment. Huge amounts of carbon are generated when the musicians and fans travel the world to attend a gig. But now some bands are trying to develop a blueprint for performers and artists who want to continue what they do but reduce their environmental impact. In 6 Minute English we discuss some of the ideas and teach some useful related vocabulary.
This week's question
One British band recently announced they would stop going on tour until they were 100% carbon neutral, but which band? Was it:
a) The 1975
b) The Rolling Stones, or
c) Coldplay
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.
Transcript
Note: This is not a word for word transcript
Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
Rob
And I’m Rob.
Neil
I’ve been reading about ways to protect the environment, Rob, and I’ve decided to eat less meat. And maybe drive my car less too.
Rob
Good for you, Neil! And flying less can also help reduce air pollution.
Neil
Right. Flying and driving less are two good ways to combat climate change because they reduce your carbon footprint – that’s the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities.
Rob
The idea of reducing carbon emissions is catching on in the music industry too. Bands and artists who go on tour around the world generate large carbon footprints.
Neil
So recently some music groups like Massive Attack and Green Day started thinking about ways to reduce the impact their tours are having on the environment.
Rob
Ha! Green Day – what a good name for a band trying to be environmentally friendly!
Neil
Today we’ll be finding out about bands and musicians who want to continue going on tour but do it in ways which reduce their environmental impact. And of course we’ll be learning some related vocabulary on the way.
Rob
So, it seems like the days of rock and roll stars flying around the world in private jets may soon be a thing of the past.
Neil
Indeed, Rob, and that brings me neatly to my quiz question. One British band recently announced they would stop going on tour until they were 100% carbon neutral, but which band? Was it:
a) The 1975
b) The Rolling Stones, or
c) Coldplay
Rob
Well, Coldplay had a hit with their song The Scientist, and we are talking about carbon dioxide and the climate, so I’ll say c) Coldplay.
Neil
Good thinking, Rob! We’ll find out the answer later. But first let’s hear from another artist concerned about her carbon impact. Fay Milton is the drummer of the band Savages and co-founder of the climate pressure group Music Declares Emergency. She spoke to BBC Radio 4’s programme You & Yours:
Fay Milton
This year I have actually turned down a tour. My income comes from touring so it has put me in a bit of a precarious situation but I actually feel quite good about it – it feels like the right thing to do in this moment.
Neil
Even though Fay earns a living as a drummer by going on tour, she has started to turn them down – meaning to reject or refuse the offer of touring.
Rob
Losing the income she usually gets from touring puts Fay in a precarious situation – a situation where things could become difficult, in this case financially difficult, because she isn’t making money from playing the drums.
Neil
But she still wants to do the right thing – in other words, do what is most fair, ethical and just. For Fay, fighting climate change is even more important than doing what she loves – going on tour with the band.
Rob
Well, good for her! I’m not sure if I’d be so committed as Fay. But if bands stopped touring altogether, fans wouldn’t get to see gigs – or live concerts and hear the music they love.
Neil
Well, that’s an interesting point because it might be possible for bands to carry on touring and also reduce their environmental impact at the same time. Bristol band, Massive Attack, want to do exactly that. Their singer Robert Del Naja explains:
Robert Del Naja
We’re working with an electric bus company. We’re going to look at all the energy being renewable and obviously the power we can create will go back to the grid, so we’re hoping we can actually create legacy green infrastructure which can then power future gigs. We plan to travel to Europe solely by train, with the band, the crewand all the gear.
Rob
Swapping tour planes for trains and encouraging fans to travel to gigs by bus are two good ways to reduce the total carbon footprint of the concert.
Neil
And by using renewable energy, the gig can create power. This can then be put back into the national grid, called the grid for short – the network supplying electrical power across a country.
Rob
Well, Massive Attack are certainly ticking all the green boxes, Neil, but who else is doing a good job? Remember your quiz question earlier?
Neil
Ah, yes. I asked which band has decided to stop touring until their tours were carbon neutral and you said?
Rob
I said c) Coldplay.
Neil
And you were right! Are you a Coldplay fan, Rob? Just remember to leave your car at home the next time you go to their gig!
Rob
Right! Today, we’ve been looking at some of the ways music bands and artists are trying to fight climate change. They want to reduce their carbon footprint – the amount of carbon they release into the air.
Neil
Some musicians are starting to turn down – or refuse, long world tour dates because flying from country to country playing gigs – or live musical concerts, generates so much carbon dioxide.
Rob
Bands like Savages, Green Day and Massive Attack are trying to do the right thing - taking the most fair and ethical course of action, even though for some artists, the income lost from not touring puts them in a precarious – or difficult situation.
Neil
But when they get it right, bands can be carbon neutral or even generate power which can be put back into the national grid – the network supplying electrical power across a country.
Rob
All of which means we can ‘keep on rocking’ into the next century without increasing carbon emissions and adding to climate change.
Neil
So, Rob, you could say you were ‘born to run’… on renewable energy!
Rob
Ha-ha! Very funny, Neil. That’s all for today but remember to join us again soon for more topical discussions and vocabulary from 6 Minute English, here at BBC Learning English.
Neil
Thanks for listening and bye!
Rob
Bye.
Vocabulary
1.carbon footprint
the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities.
2.turn down
reject or refuse an offer of something
3.a precarious situation
a situation where things could become difficult or dangerous
4.do the right thing
do what is most fair, ethical or just.
5.gig
live concert played by a music band
6.the (national) grid
the network supplying electrical power across a country
双语版Transcript
Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
大家好，这里是BBC教学英语的六分钟英语，我是尼尔。
Rob
And I'm Rob.
我是罗伯。
Neil
I’ve been reading about ways to protect the environment, Rob, and I’ve decided to eat less meat. And maybe drive my car less too.
我一直在阅读保护环境的方法，因此我决定少吃肉，也许少开车。
Rob
Good for you, Neil! And flying less can also help reduce air pollution.
减少飞行也有助于减少空气污染。
Neil
Right. Flying and driving less are two good ways to combat climate change because they reduce your carbon footprint – that’s the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities.
少乘飞机和少乘车是应对气候变化的好办法---它们可以减少你的碳足迹 carbon footprint–它是你日常活动所释放到大气中的二氧化碳的量。
Rob
The idea of reducing carbon emissions is catching on in the music industry too. Bands and artists who go on tour around the world generate large carbon footprints.
减少碳排放的想法在音乐界也很流行。世界巡演的乐队和艺术家会产生大量的碳足迹。
Neil
So recently some music groups like Massive Attack and Green Day started thinking about ways to reduce the impact their tours are having on the environment.
最近像Massive Attack和Green Day之类的一些音乐团体开始思考如何减少巡演对环境的影响。
Rob
Ha! Green Day – what a good name for a band trying to be environmentally friendly!
哈！Green Day-多合适的名字，对于一个环境友好型的乐队来说！
Neil
Today we’ll be finding out about bands and musicians who want to continue going on tour but do it in ways which reduce their environmental impact. And of course we’ll be learning some related vocabulary on the way.
今天我们将找来一些乐队和音乐家，他们希望继续巡回演出，但要以减少环境影响的方式进行。当然，我们还将在此过程中学习一些相关的词汇。
Rob
So, it seems like the days of rock and roll stars flying around the world in private jets may soon be a thing of the past.
看来，乘私人飞机满世界飞的摇滚明星的时代可能很快成为过去。
Neil
Indeed, Rob, and that brings me neatly to my quiz question. One British band recently announced they would stop going on tour until they were 100%
, but which band? Was it:
a)The 1975
b)The Rolling Stones, or
c) Coldplay
那使我想到了我的测验问题。一支英国乐队最近宣布，他们将停止巡回演出，直到100％碳中和为止，但是哪个乐队呢？是：
a）1975
b）滚石
c）酷玩
Rob
Well, Coldplay had a hit with their song The Scientist, and we are talking about carbon dioxide and the climate, so I’ll say c) Coldplay.
Coldplay的歌曲《The Scientist》大受欢迎，我们谈论的是二氧化碳和气候，所以我要说c）Coldplay。
Neil
Good thinking, Rob! We’ll find out the answer later. But first let’s hear from another artist concerned about her carbon impact. Fay Milton is the drummer of the band Savages and co-founder of the climate pressure group Music Declares Emergency. She spoke to BBC Radio 4’s programme You & Yours:
我们稍后会找到答案。但是首先让我们听听另一位关注碳影响的艺术家。Fay Milton是Savages乐队的鼓手，也是气候压力组织Music Declares Emergency的联合创始人。她在BBC电台4的节目You & Yours中说：
Fay Milton
This year I have actually turned down a tour. My income comes from touring so it has put me in a bit of a precarious situation but I actually feel quite good about it – it feels like the right thing to do in this moment.
今年，我实际上拒绝了巡回演出。我的收入来自巡回演出，这使我处于一种不稳定的境地，但实际上，我对此感觉很好–感觉这是正确的选择。
Neil
Even though Fay earns a living as a drummer by going on tour, she has started to turn them down – meaning to reject or refuse the offer of touring.
虽然Fay靠巡演当鼓手谋生，她已经取消了turn them down—拒接巡演的机会。
Rob
Losing the income she usually gets from touring puts Fay in a precarious situation – a situation where things could become difficult, in this case financially difficult, because she isn’t making money from playing the drums.
失去了从巡演获得的收入，这使Fay处于不稳定的precarious境地，在这种情况下事情可能变得艰难，这里指财务困难，因为她没有从打鼓中赚钱。
Neil
But she still wants to do the right thing – in other words, do what is most fair, ethical and just. For Fay, fighting climate change is even more important than doing what she loves – going on tour with the band.
但她仍然想做正确的事情do the right thing -换句话说，做最公平，道德和公正的事情。对于Fay来说，对抗气候变化比做自己喜欢做的事-与乐队一起巡回演出-更重要。
Rob
Well, good for her! I’m not sure if I’d be so c as Fay. But if bands stopped touring altogether, fans wouldn’t get to see gigs – or live concerts and hear the music they love.
我不确定我是否会像Fay那样坚定。但是，如果所有乐队都停止巡演，那么歌迷就不会去看(演奏)gigs---或现场音乐会，听他们喜欢的音乐。
Neil
Well, that’s an interesting point because it might be possible for bands to carry on touring and also reduce their environmental impact at the same time. Bristol band, Massive Attack, want to do exactly that. Their singer Robert Del Naja explains:
这很有趣，因为乐队进行巡回演出的同时减少对环境的影响，这是有可能的。布里斯托尔乐队Massive Attack想要做到这一点。他们的歌手Robert Del Naja解释说：
Robert Del Naja
We’re working with an electric bus company. We’re going to look at all the energy being renewable and obviously the power we can create will go back to the grid, so we’re hoping we can actually create legacy green infrastructure which can then power future gigs. We plan to travel to Europe solely by train, with the band, the crew and all the gear.
我们正在与一家电动巴士公司合作。我们将研究所有可再生能源，我们创造的能源将重新回到电网，所以希望我们可以创建传统绿色基础设施为将来的演出供电。我们计划去欧洲只乘火车，带乐队、成员和所有装备。
Rob
Swapping tour planes for trains and encouraging fans to travel to gigs by bus are two good ways to reduce the total carbon footprint of the concert.
由飞机改乘火车，鼓励粉丝乘公交车来现场，是减少音乐会总碳足迹的两种好方法。
Neil
And by using renewable energy, the gig can create power. This can then be put back into the national grid, called the grid for short – the network supplying electrical power across a country.
通过使用可再生能源，演出可以创造电力。这可以被放回国家电网，简称为the grid–为国家提供电力的网络。
Rob
Well, Massive Attack are certainly ticking all the green boxes, Neil, but who else is doing a good job? Remember your quiz question earlier?
Massive Attack肯定在勾选所有环保选项，尼尔，但还有谁做得很好？还记得你的测验问题吗？
Neil
Ah, yes. I asked which band has decided to stop touring until their tours were carbon neutral and you said?
是的。我问哪个乐队决定停止巡回演出，直到他们的巡回演出达到碳中和为止，你说呢？
Rob
I said c) Coldplay.
我说c）酷玩乐队。
Neil
And you were right! Are you a Coldplay fan, Rob? Just remember to leave your car at home the next time you go to their gig!
你说得对！你是酷玩乐队的粉丝吗，罗布？请记住，下次去看他们的演出时，把车留在家中！
Rob
Right! Today, we’ve been looking at some of the ways music bands and artists are trying to fight climate change. They want to reduce their carbon footprint – the amount of carbon they release into the air.
对！今天，我们一直在研究乐队和艺术家应对气候变化的一些方式。他们希望减少碳足迹carbon footprint -释放到空气中的碳量。
Neil
Some musicians are starting to turn down – or refuse, long world tour dates because flying from country to country playing gigs – or live musical concerts, generates so much carbon dioxide.
有些音乐家也开始turn down 拒绝-长时间世界巡演，因为飞来飞去办gig -现场音乐会，会产生大量二氧化碳。
Rob
Bands like Savages, Green Day and Massive Attack are trying to do the right thing - taking the most fair and ethical course of action, even though for some artists, the income lost from not touring puts them in a precarious – or difficult situation.
Savages，Green Day和Massive Attack等乐队都在尝试do the right thing -采取最公平和道德的做法，即使对于某些艺术家来说，由于不巡回演出而损失的收入使他们财务不稳定precarious—处于困难的境地。
Neil
But when they get it right, bands can be carbon neutral or even generate power which can be put back into the national grid – the network supplying electrical power across a country.
当他们做对了，乐队可以是碳中性的，甚至可以发电，然后再输回国家电网the national grid– 全国范围内的电力供应网络。
Rob
All of which means we can ‘keep on rocking’ into the next century without increasing carbon emissions and adding to climate change.
所有这一切意味着，我们可以在不增加碳排放量、不加剧气候变化的情况下“继续摇滚”到下一个世纪。
Neil
So, Rob, you could say you were ‘born to run’… on renewable energy!
你可以说你天生就是要运用可再生能源！
Rob
Ha-ha! Very funny, Neil. That’s all for today but remember to join us again soon for more topical discussions and vocabulary from 6 Minute English, here at BBC Learning English.
很好笑，尼尔。这就是今天的全部内容，但是请记住要再次加入我们！
Neil
Thanks for listening and bye!
感谢你的收听，再见！
