PBS高端访谈:拜登:应对气候变化,我们是认真的

JUDY WOODRUFF: A sea change on climate change. As one of his first actions, President Biden is doing a 180-degree turn from his predecessors¹ policy and vowing² to confront the issue head on. White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor begins our coverage³.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: A climate crisis and a call for dramatic action. Today, President Biden underscored his sweeping⁴ break from former President Trump⁵, signing a new batch⁶ of executive orders.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: Our plans are ambitious, but we are America. We're bold. We're unwavering in the pursuit of jobs and innovation, science and discovery. We can do this.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: President Biden had already moved to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, the same accord that President Trump withdrew from. The new executive actions include pausing and reviewing new oil and gas leases on federal public lands and water, addressing environmental injustices⁷ faced by disadvantaged communities, and building jobs focused on clean energy. During the presidential campaign, candidate Biden advocated a $2 trillion effort to reduce global warming. Today, his presidential envoy⁸ for climate, former Secretary of State John Kerry, doubled down on that goal.

JOHN KERRY, U.S. Special Envoy For Climate Change: It's a lot of money, but you know what? It costs a lot more if you don't do the things we need to do. Workers are going to see that, with the efforts of the Biden administration, they're going to have a much better set of choices and, frankly⁹, it will create more jobs.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Most Republicans have pushed back on climate change efforts, saying they cost too much. They argue that clean energy means slashing¹⁰ jobs. The Biden administration, though, insists that these new policies will create new well-paid employment opportunities, jobs designed to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions¹¹ and developing new technology. Today, as part of that push, the president's nominee¹² for energy secretary, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, advocated his energy plans at her Senate confirmation¹³ hearing.

JENNIFER GRANHOLM, U.S. Energy Secretary Nominee: We don't want to see any jobs sacrificed. The president's plan of building back better, which would create more jobs in energy, clean energy.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Meanwhile, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard from Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. She warned that the U.S. must reengage with the world to challenge China's growing power.

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nominee: We know China is working across the U.N. system to drive an authoritarian¹⁴ agenda that stands in opposition¹⁵ to the founding values of the institution, American values. Their success depends on our continued withdrawal¹⁶. That will not happen on my watch.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The Veterans Affairs Committee heard from Denis McDonough, nominee for Veterans Affairs secretary.

DENIS MCDONOUGH, U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Nominee: If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to build and restore VA's trust as a premiere agency for ensuring the well-being¹⁷ of American veterans.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: And the Senate Commerce Committee advanced former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg's nomination¹⁸ for transportation secretary. And on the pandemic, today, the president's COVID response team held its first public briefing.

WOMAN: Thank you all for joining us today.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: It came amid growing calls to distribute vaccines²⁰ faster. Andy Slavitt is the White House senior adviser²¹ for COVID response.

ANDY SLAVITT, Senior White House Adviser For COVID Response: We are taking action to increase supply and increase capacity. But, even so, it will be months before everyone who wants a vaccine¹⁹ will be able to get one.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Yesterday, the president announced that the U.S. will order an additional 200 million vaccine doses. He said that will mean there will be enough doses for 300 million Americans by summer. Today, Slavitt said that, ultimately, the nation will need 500 million shots to vaccinate²² everyone 16 and older. For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Yamiche Alcindor.

朱迪·伍德乐夫：气候变化问题突出，是拜登首要解决的问题之一。和前任总统特朗普相比，拜登在该问题的态度上发生了180度大转弯，发誓要直面这一问题。白宫记者亚米什·阿尔金德为我们报道。

亚米什·阿尔金德：气候危机呼吁我们采取重大措施，今天，拜登总统强调了自己较特朗普总统所做的重大突破，签署了一批新的行政命令。

乔·拜登，美国总统：我们的计划目标远大，因为我们是美国人，我们胆子大。我们不会停止追求就业和创新、科学和发现，我们可以做到。

亚米什·阿尔金德：拜登总统已经采取行动重新加入特朗普总统退出的巴黎气候协议。新的行政措施包括：暂停并审查联邦公共土地和水域上新签订的石油和天然气租约，解决弱势社区面临的环境不公问题，以及为清洁能源领域创造就业机会。候选人拜登在总统竞选期间提出了一项2万亿美元的计划来减少全球变暖，今天他的总统气候特使、前国务卿约翰·克里正在这一目标上发力。

约翰·克里，美国气候变化特使：这是一大笔钱，但是你知道吗？如果我们不去做我们该做的事情，那么将来会付出更加沉重的代价。在拜登政府的努力下，工人们会看到更好的选择，就是说，他们会获得更多的就业机会。

亚米什·阿尔金德：大多共和党人反对在气候变化问题上做出努力，称其成本太高，他们认为清洁能源便意味着裁员。不过，拜登政府坚持认为这些旨在专注于减少温室气体排放和开发新技术的新政策将创造新的高薪就业机会。今天，作为发力的一部分，总统提名的能源部长、前密歇根州州长詹妮弗·格兰霍姆在她的参议院听证会上提出了自己的能源计划。

詹妮弗·格兰霍姆，美国能源部长提名人：我们不希望看到任何工作岗位牺牲，总统的重建计划将在能源和清洁能源领域创造更多的就业机会。

亚米什·阿尔金德：与此同时，参议院外交关系委员会听取了被提名的美国驻联合国大使琳达·托马斯-格林菲尔德的发言。她警告说美国必须重新和世界连接，以此来挑战实力日益增强的中国。

琳达·托马斯-格林菲尔德，美国驻联合国大使提名人：我们知道中国正在联合国系统内推动一种专制议程，以此来对抗该联合国成立时原有的价值观——美国价值观。他们的成功取决于我们的不断退出，我是不会允许这种事情在我眼皮子底下发生的。

亚米什·阿尔金德：退伍军人事务委员会听取了退伍军人事务部长提名人丹尼斯·麦克多诺的发言。

丹尼斯·麦克多诺，美国退伍军人事务部长提名人：如果提名通过，我将为建立和恢复确保美国退伍军人福祉的首要机构——退伍军人管理局的信任而不懈努力。

亚米什·阿尔金德：参议院商务委员会提名前印第安纳州南本德市市长皮特·布蒂吉格担任交通部长。今天，总统的新冠应对小组就新冠问题举行了首次公开简报会。

女子：感谢大家今天的到来。

亚米什·阿尔金德：与此同时，人们对分发疫苗的呼声越来越高。安迪·斯拉维特是白宫应对新冠肺炎的高级顾问。

安迪·斯拉维特，应对新冠的白宫高级顾问：我们正采取行动增加供应和产能。但即便如此，要想将疫苗分发到每个人的手中还需要几个月的时间。

亚米什·阿尔金德：昨天，总统宣布美国将额外订购2亿剂疫苗。他说，这样的话到了夏天美国就能够有足够的疫苗供3亿美国人使用。今天，斯拉维特表示美国将需要5亿剂疫苗来为所有16岁及以上的人接种疫苗。这里是“PBS新闻一小时”，我是亚米什·阿尔金德。

1 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

7 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

8 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

11 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。

12 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

13 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

14 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

15 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

16 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

17 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

18 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

19 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

20 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

21 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

22 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。