名校励志英语演讲 08:给大学毕业生的几个忠告

 　　The climate problem is the unintended consequence of our success. We depend on fossil energy to keep our homes warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and lit at night; we use it to travel across town and across continents. Energy is a fundamental reason for the prosperity we enjoy, and we will not surrender this prosperity. The United States has 3 percent of the world population, and yet, we consume 25 percent of the energy. By contrast, there are 1.6 billion people who don’t have access to electricity. Hundreds of millions of people still cook with twigs² or dung. The life we enjoy may not be within the reach of the developing world, but it is within sight, and they want what we have.

　　气候问题是我们的经济发展在无意中带来的后果。我们太依赖化石能源在冬天取暖，夏天制冷，夜间照明，长途旅行，环球观光。能源是经济繁荣的基础，我们不可能放弃经济繁荣。美国人口占全世界的3%，但是我们消耗全世界25%的能源。与此形成对照，全世界还有16亿人没有电，数亿人依靠燃烧树枝和动物粪便来煮饭。发展中国家的人民享受不到我们的生活，但是他们都看在眼里，他们渴望拥有我们拥有的东西。

　　Here is the dilemma³. How much are we willing to invest, as a world society, to mitigate⁴ the consequences of climate change that will not be realized for at least 100 years? Deeply rooted in all cultures, is the notion of generational responsibility. Parents work hard so that their children will have a better life. Climate change will affect the entire world, but our natural focus is on the welfare of our immediate⁵ families. Can we, as a world society, meet our responsibility to future generations?

　　这就是新的挑战。全世界作为一个整体，我们到底愿意付出多少来缓和气候变化？这种变化至少在100年内还不会出现。代际责任的观念深深植根于所有文化中。父母为了他们的孩子有更好的生活而努力工作。气候变化将影响整个世界，但是我们的天性使得我们只关心个人家庭的幸福。我们能不能把全世界看作一个整体，为子孙后代承担责任？

　　While I am worried, I am hopeful we will solve this problem. I became the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in part because I wanted to enlist⁶ some of the best scientific minds to help battle against climate change. I was there only four and a half years, the shortest serving director in the 78-year history of the Lab, but when I left, a number of very exciting energy institutes at the Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley had been established.

　　虽然我忧心忡忡，但是还是对未来抱由希望，这个问题将会得到解决。我同意出任劳伦斯·伯克利国家实验室主任，部分原因是我想招募世界上一些最好的科学家，来研究应对气候变化的对策。我在那里干了4年半，是这个实验室78年的历史中任期最短的主任，但是当我离任时，在伯克利实验室和伯克利分校，一些非常激动人心的能源研究机构已经建立起来了。

　　twig¹

　　n. 小枝

　　eg. The snap of a twig broke the silence.

　　一根树枝突然折断打破了寂静。

　　dung

　　n. 粪

　　eg. They rushed about helter-skelter collecting dung and carrying earth.

　　他们忙忙乱乱地跑来跑去拾粪担土。

　　mitigate

　　vt. 使缓和

　　eg. The judge said that nothing could mitigate the cruelty with which the mother had treated her child.

　　法官说，这位母亲虐待孩子，罪行无法减轻。

　　enlist

　　vt. 征募；使入伍

　　eg. He decided⁷ to enlist in the Marines.

　　他决定入伍当美国海军陆战队士兵。

1 twig   

n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解

参考例句：

• He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

2 twigs   

细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
• Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

3 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

4 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 enlist   

vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍

参考例句：

• They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。
• The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。