巴黎气候协定
The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year
heralded
a new era for climate action. For the first time, the world’s nations agreed to keep global warming well below 2℃.This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries
are responsible for
more than half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In a study
published in
Nature Scientific Reports, we
reveal
just how deep this
injustice
runs. 去年12月敲定的《巴黎气候协定》预示着气候行动进入了一个新时代。世界各国首次同意将全球变暖幅度控制在2℃以内。这对易受气候变化影响的国家至关重要。不到4%的国家对全球一半以上的温室气体排放负有责任。在《自然科学报告》上发表的一项研究中,我们揭示了这种不公正现象有多严重。 Developed nations
such as
Australia, the United States, Canada, and European countries are
essentially
climate “free-riders”: causing
the majority of
the problems through high greenhouse gas emissions, while
incurring
few of the costs
such as
climate change’s impact on food and water. In other words, a few countries
are benefiting enormously from
the consumption of fossil fuels, while
at the same time
contributing
disproportionately
to
the global burden of climate change. 发达国家,如澳大利亚、美国、加拿大和欧洲国家,基本上都是气候“搭便车者”:大部分问题都是由温室气体的高排放造成的,而气候变化对食物和水的影响等代价却很少。换句话说,少数几个国家从化石燃料的消费中获得了巨大的利益,同时也不成比例地加重了全球气候变化的负担。On the flip side, there are many “ forced riders”, who
are suffering from
the climate change impacts
despite
having
scarcely contributed to
the problem. Many of the world’s most climate- vulnerable countries,
the majority of
which are African or small island states, produce
a very small quantity of
emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancer from
second-hand smoke
, while the
heavy smoker
is fortunate enough to smoke in good health. 另一方面,有许多“被迫的乘客”,尽管他们几乎没有造成这个问题,但他们正在遭受气候变化的影响。世界上许多最易受气候影响的国家,其中大多数是非洲或小岛屿国家,产生的排放量非常少。这很像一个不吸烟的人因吸二手烟而患癌症,而重度吸烟者却很幸运地保持了健康。 The Paris agreement
has been widely hailed as
a positive step forward in addressing climate change for all, although the details on addressing “climate justice” can be best
described as
sketchy
. 《巴黎协定》被广泛誉为为所有人解决气候变化问题迈出的积极一步,尽管解决“气候正义”的细节只能用粗略来形容。 The goal of keeping global temperature rise “well below” 2℃ is commendable but the emissions- reduction pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Paris talks are very
unlikely
to deliver on this. 将全球气温上升幅度控制在“远低于”2摄氏度的目标是值得称赞的,但各国在巴黎会谈前提交的减排承诺,不太可能实现这一目标。 More than $100 billion in funding has been
put
on the table
for supporting developing nations to reduce emissions. However, the agreement
specifies
that there is no formal distinction between developed and developing nations in their responsibility to cut emissions, effectively ignoring historical emissions. There is also very little detail
on who
will provide the funds or, importantly,
who is responsible for
their provision.
Securing
these funds, and establishing
who
is responsible for
raising them will also be
vital
for the future of climate-vulnerable countries. 超过1000亿美元的资金已经提上日程,用于支持发展中国家减少排放。然而,该协议明确规定,发达国家和发展中国家在减排责任上没有正式区别,实际上忽略了历史排放量。关于谁将提供资金,或者更重要的是,谁负责提供资金的细节也很少。获得这些资金,并确定谁来负责筹集这些资金,对气候脆弱国家的未来也至关重要。 The most climate-vulnerable countries in the world have contributed very little to creating the global disease from which they now suffer the most. There must
urgently
be a meaningful
mobilisation
of the
policies
outlined in the agreement if we are to achieve national emissions reductions while helping the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. 世界上最易受气候影响的国家对造成这种全球疾病的贡献微乎其微,而它们现在却遭受了最多的痛苦。如果我们要在帮助最脆弱的国家适应气候变化的同时实现国家减排,就必须立即对协议中概述的政策进行有意义的动员。 And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high-emitting nations to decide whether they want to
be remembered as
climate change tyrants or pioneers. 显然,这取决于来自高排放国家的这一代领导人,他们是想被人们铭记为气候变化的暴君,还是开拓者。 heralded v. 预示……的来临; well below 2℃远远低于2℃ are responsible for 负责、导致 greenhouse gas emissions温室气体排放:人类活动所产生的二氧化碳、甲烷、氧化亚氮等气体的排放,导致全球气温升高,引发气候变化。 reveal v. 揭示,透露;表明,证明;展示,显示; injustice n. 不公正,无道义;非正义行为,不公正事件。Unfairdj. 不公平的,不公正的 Developed nations发达国家:指经济、社会和技术发展较为成熟的国家或地区。 Developing nations发展中国家:指经济、社会方面发展程度较低的国家,与发达国家相对。 published in发表于:指某篇文章、书籍、论文等在特定的出版物或媒体上发表或发布。 essentially adv. 本质上,根本上;大体上,基本上 the majority of大多数、大部分 incurring n. 招致(遭受) are benefiting enormously from从....获得巨大利益 contributing to有助于 /贡献 /作出贡献 Disproportionatelyad v. 不成比例地 are suffering from从....中遭受痛苦 scarcely adv. 勉强,几乎不。 hardlyad v. 几乎不,几乎没有 second-hand smoke,二手烟:指吸烟者吸烟时产生的烟雾,被周围的非吸烟者吸入,对他们的健康造成危害的现象。 heavy smoker重度吸烟者:指每天吸烟量较大的人,通常指每天吸烟超过20支香烟的人。 hail as v. 赞扬 称赞为 /称赞…为 commendable adj. 值得赞扬的
described as被描述为:用于表达某人或某物被描述为某种特定的品质、特征或状态。 sketchyadj. 粗略的,不完全的; pledges n. 誓言,保证,承诺 unlikely adj. 不大可能发生的;未必真实的,难以相信的; Put on the table在桌子上;(政治)提出正式讨论 specifies vt. 指定;详细说明 formal adj. 庄重的,合乎礼仪的;(语言)正式的,规范的;合法的;整齐的 Securing vt获得,设法得到 urgently adv. 迫切地;紧急地;急切地 mobilisation n. 动员(等于 mobilization);运用 outlined vt. 概述(outline 的过去式及过去分词);轮廓 be remembered as被记住为:作为某人或某事的历史遗产而被人们记住。 tyrants n. 暴君 Pioneers n. 先锋;拓荒者 be free from免受,免于;没有……的,不受……影响的 cope with应对处理 Pay for 为...而付出代价 be unaware of未意识到 be vulnerable to易受……影响/攻击/伤害 motivate v. 成为……的动机,是……的原因;激励,激发; clarification n. 阐明、说明 initiativen. 措施,倡议;主动性,积极性;主动权; come to a consensus达成共识 at once立刻、马上 46. The author is critical of the Paris climate agreement because
. 因为什么原因,作者对巴黎气候协议而持批评态度? A) it is
unfair
to those climate-vulnerable nations B) it
aims to
keep temperature rise below only C) it is
beneficial
to only fewer than 4% of countries D) it
burdens
developed countries
with
the sole responsibility A)对那些易受气候变化影响的国家是不公平的 B)它的目的仅仅是把气温上升控制在以下 C)只有不到4%的国家受益 D)它使发达国家承担了唯一的责任 47. Why does the author call some developed countries climate “free-riders”? 为什么作者称一些发达国家为气候“搭便车者”? A) They needn’t
worry about
the food and water they consume. B) They
are
better
able to
cope with
the global climate change. C) They
hardly pay
anything
for
the problems they have caused. D) They
are free from
the greenhouse effects affecting “forced riders”. A) 他们不必担心他们消耗的食物和水。 B) 他们能更好地应对全球气候变化。 C) 他们几乎不为自己造成的问题付出任何代价。 D) 它们不受温室效应的影响。 48. Why does the author compare the “forced riders” to second-hand smokers? 为什么作者将“被迫骑车者”比作二手吸烟者? A) They have little
responsibility for
public health problems. B) They
are vulnerable to
unhealthy environmental conditions. C) They have to bear consequences they are not responsible for. D) They
are unaware of
the potential risks they are confronting. A) 他们对公共卫生问题几乎没有责任。 B) 他们容易受到不健康环境条件的影响。 C) 他们必须承担不属于他们的后果 D) 他们没有意识到他们所面临的潜在风险。 49. What does the author say about the $ 100 billion funding? 关于1000亿美元的资金,作者说了什么? A) It will motivate all nations to reduce carbon emissions. B) There is no final agreement on where it will come from. C) There is no
clarification
of how the money will be spent. D) It will effectively reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide. A)它将激励所有国家减少碳排放。 B)没有最终的协议,它将来自哪里。 C)没有明确说明这笔钱将如何使用。 D)它将有效地减少全球温室气体排放。 50. What urgent action must be taken to realise the Paris climate agreement? 为实现巴黎气候协议,必须采取哪些紧急行动? A) Encouraging high-emitting nations to take the
initiative
. B)
Calling on
all the nations concerned to make joint efforts. C) Pushing the current world leaders to
come to a consensus
. D) Putting in effect the
policies
in the agreement
at once
. A)鼓励高排放国家采取主动。 B)呼吁所有有关国家共同努力。 C)推动当前的世界领导人达成共识。 D)立即实施协议中的政策