2020年经济学人 气候变化(2)

The average emission-intensity of power generation in 2019

根据IEA，2019年发电所产生的的平均排放强度

was "lower than all but the most efficient gas-fired power plants", according to the IEA.

“低于除了效率最高电厂之外的所有燃气发电厂”。

This is not the first time energy related emissions¹ have plateaued.

这并不是与能源相关的排放第一次停滞不前。

Between 2013 and 2016 they hovered² around 32.2bn tonnes a year,

2013年到2016年间，它们在每年322亿吨左右徘徊，

before rising again in 2017 as the use of coal to fuel developing economies increased.

直到2017年随着发展中经济体对煤炭的需求增加而再次上升。

This previous plateau was accompanied by excited declarations that such emissions had peaked.

在这之前的停滞期，伴随着令人兴奋的声明，即此类排放已经到达峰值。

Similar comments have been made this week, perhaps also prematurely³.

本周也有人发表了类似的评论，或许时机还不成熟。

In addition to changes in coal use, a sluggish⁴ economy may have played a part

除了煤炭使用量的变化外，经济不景气可能也是原因之一

and the data show that milder than usual weather caused a perceptible drop

并且数据表明较往常更为温和的天气导致

in emissions from several countries with large, carbon-hungry economies.

几个碳需求量大的国家的排放量明显下降。

The news is also tempered by the latest data from the Amazon rainforest.

来自亚马孙雨林的最新数据也缓和了这一消息。

This, one of the world's largest woodlands, has acted historically as an absorbing sponge for CO2

这个世界上最大的林地之一，在历史上一直充当着吸收二氧化碳的海绵，

by removing it from the atmosphere through photosynthesis⁵.

它通过光合作用将二氧化碳从大气中除去。

Researchers at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research have shown that a vast part of the south-east of the Amazon,

巴西国家太空研究所的研究人员称，亚马孙东南部的大部分地区

about one fifth of its area, has lost its ability to soak up the gas and is now a net source of emissions into the atmosphere instead.

约占整个区域的五分之一，已经失去了吸收二氧化碳的能力，转而成为了排放到大气中的净污染源。

This land has been widely deforested, so the result is little surprise. But it is disappointing.

这片土地已经遭大面积砍伐，所以这样的结果并不意外，但却令人失望。

1 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

2 hovered   

鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
• A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。

3 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

4 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

5 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。