TED演讲 :石油真正的代价(1)

 The world's largest and most devastating  世上最大、最具破坏性的

environmental and industrial project  环境及工业计划

is situated¹ in the heart  发生于

of the largest and most intact forest in the world,  世上最大、保存最完整的森林当中

Canada's boreal forest.  加拿大北方森林

It stretches right across northern Canada, in Labrador,  它横跨加拿大北部的拉布拉多省

it's home to the largest remaining wild caribou² herd³  为现存最大的野生驯鹿群家园

in the world, the George River caribou herd,  乔治河驯鹿群

numbering approximately 400,000 animals.  数量大约40万只

Unfortunately, when I was there I couldn't find one of them,  不幸的是 我前往当地时，并未见到任何一只

but you have the antlers as proof.  但有鹿角为证

All across the boreal, we're blessed with this  纵观整个北方森林，我们幸运地拥有

incredible abundance of wetlands.  丰富的湿地资源

Wetlands globally are one of the most endangered ecosystems⁵.  湿地是全球濒临最严重危机的生态系统之一

They're absolutely critical ecosystems,  它们是十分重要的生态系统

they clean air, they clean water,  它们能净化空气和水源

they sequester⁶ large amounts of greenhouse gases,  它们能吸收大量温室气体

and they're home to a huge diversity of species.  它们是许多物种的家园

In the boreal, they are also the home where  北方森林也是

almost 50 percent of the 800 bird species  北美所发现的800种鸟类中

found in North America migrate north to breed and raise their young.  半数为了抚育后代而北迁的鸟类家园

In Ontario, the boreal marches down south  在安大略省，北方森林向南延伸

to the north shore of Lake Superior.  直抵苏必利尔湖北岸

And these incredibly beautiful boreal forests  这片美不胜收的北方森林

were the inspiration for some of the most famous art  是加拿大历史中 某些著名艺术作品的灵感源泉

in Canadian history, the Group of Seven were very inspired  七人画派深受

by this landscape,  这片景观影响

and so the boreal is not just a really key part of our  因此，北方森林不仅是

natural heritage,  自然遗产的重要组成

but also an important part of our cultural heritage.  也是文化遗产的重要组成

In Manitoba, this is an image from the east side of Lake Winnipeg,  这是曼尼托巴省温尼伯湖东岸景观

and this is the home of the newly designated  它是联合国教科文组织新列的

UNESCO Cultural Heritage site.  世界文化遗产

In Saskatchewan, as across all of the boreal,  横跨北方森林的萨克其万省

home to some of our most famous rivers,  拥有一些著名湖泊

an incredible network of rivers and lakes  形成令人叹为观止的河流及湖泊网络

that every school-age child learns about,  这是每位学龄儿童都读过的知识

the Peace, the Athabasca, the Churchill here, the Mackenzie,  和平河、阿萨帕斯卡尔河 丘吉尔河、马更些河

and these networks were the historical routes  这些网络是具有历史意义的路线

for the voyageur and the coureur des bois,  对旅客和猎人来说

the first non-Aboriginal explorers of northern Canada  北加拿大第一位非原住民探险者

that, taking from the First Nations people,  仿效原住民的做法

used canoes and paddled to explore  使用独木舟

for a trade route, a Northwest Passage for the fur trade.  探索贸易路线，即进行毛皮交易的西北航道

In the North, the boreal is bordered by the tundra,  北方是被冻土带包围的北方森林

and just below that, in Yukon,  位于下方的育空省

we have this incredible valley, the Tombstone Valley.  拥有这座壮观的峡谷，墓碑谷

And the Tombstone Valley is home to the Porcupine⁷ caribou herd.  墓碑谷是豪猪驯鹿 （Porcupine caribou herd）的家园

Now you've probably heard about the Porcupine caribou herd  你或许听说过，豪猪驯鹿的

in the context of its breeding ground  繁殖地

in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  位于北极国家野生动物保护区

Well, the wintering ground is also critical  事实上这片渡冬地亦十分重要

and it also is not protected,  却未受到保护

and is potentially, could be potentially, exploited  它面临一個潜在危机

for gas and mineral rights.  即天然气和矿物的开采

The western border of the boreal in British Columbia  位于卑诗省的北方森林西部边界

is marked by the Coast Mountains,  即海岸山脉

and on the other side of those mountains  这座山脉的另一侧

is the greatest remaining temperate⁸ rainforest in the world,  是世上现存最大的温带雨林

the Great Bear Rainforest,  大熊雨林

and we'll discuss that in a few minutes in a bit more detail.  我们稍后会做详细介绍

All across the boreal, it's home for a huge  纵观整个北方森林，它是众多

incredible range of indigenous⁹ peoples,  原住民族群荟萃之地

and a rich and varied¹⁰ culture.  拥有丰富多样的文化

And I think that one of the reasons why  我认为大多族群

so many of these groups have retained a link to the past,  依然保有其固有文化的原因之一

know their native languages,  例如母语

the songs, the dances, the traditions,  歌曲、舞蹈、传统

I think part of that reason is because of the remoteness,  我认为部分原因在于它地处偏远

the span and the wilderness  幅员广大且依旧保持原始面貌

of this almost 95 percent intact ecosystem⁴.  在这片将近95%生态系统尚未遭受破坏的土地当中。

1 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

2 caribou   

n.北美驯鹿

参考例句：

• Afar off he heard the squawking of caribou calves.他听到远处有一群小驯鹿尖叫的声音。
• The Eskimos played soccer on ice and used balls filled with caribou hair and grass.爱斯基摩人在冰上踢球，他们用的是驯鹿的毛发和草填充成的球。

3 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

4 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

5 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

6 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

7 porcupine   

n.豪猪， 箭猪

参考例句：

• A porcupine is covered with prickles.箭猪身上长满了刺。
• There is a philosophy parable,call philosophy of porcupine.有一个哲学寓言，叫豪猪的哲学。

8 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

9 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

10 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。