时代周刊:国际社会刚准备好直面气候问题 2020就来了(2)

For the past three years, the world outside the U.S. has largely tried to ignore Trump’s retrograde position on climate,

过去三年，外界社会大多选择尽量无视特朗普在气候问题上倒行逆施的立场，

hoping 2020 would usher¹ in a new President with a new position,

希望2020年美国能迎来一位带有新立场的新总统，

re-enabling the cooperation between nations needed to prevent the worst ravages² of climate change.

重启各国的合作，防止气候变化造成最严重的破坏。

But there’s no more time to wait.

问题是，时不我待。

We’re standing³ at a climate crossroads: the world has already warmed 1.1°C since the Industrial Revolution.

我们已经站在了气候问题的十字路口：自工业革命以来，地球已经变暖了1.1°C。

If we pass 2°C, we risk hitting one or more major tipping points,

如果变暖幅度超过2°C，我们就有可能触及一个或多个主要临界点，

where the effects of climate change go from advancing gradually to changing dramatically overnight, reshaping the planet.

气候变化的影响就会从循序渐进变为一夜沧海，整个地球都将因此易容。

To ensure that we don’t pass that threshold, we need to cut emissions⁴ in half by 2030.

为了确保我们不会跨过这一门槛，我们需要在2030年之前将排放量减少到现在的一半。

Climate change has understandably fallen out of the public eye this year as the coronavirus pandemic rages.

今年，随着新冠疫情肆虐全球，气候变化问题便逐渐淡出了公众的视线，这也可以理解。

Nevertheless, this year, or perhaps this year and next, is likely to be the most pivotal yet in the fight against climate change.

问题是，今年，也可能是今明两年，很可能是我们应对气候变化最为关键的念头。

"We’ve run out of time to build new things in old ways," says Rob Jackson,

“我们已经没时间用老办法解决问题了，”

an earth system science professor at Stanford University and the chair of the Global Carbon Project.

斯坦福大学地球系统科学教授，全球碳计划组织的主席罗布·杰克逊说。

What we do now will define the fate of the planet—and human life on it—for decades.

今天的决策将直接决定未来数十年整个地球——以及全人类——的命运。

The time frame for effective climate action was always going to be tight,

采取有效的气候行动的时间本就一直很紧迫，

but the coronavirus pandemic has shrunk it further.

新冠肺炎更是绷紧了这一张弦。

Scientists and policymakers expected the green transition to occur over the next decade,

科学家和政策制定者原本期望绿色转型能够在未来十年内完成，

but the pandemic has pushed 10 years of anticipated investment in everything from power plants to roads into a months-long time frame.

一场疫情直接将原本计划用10年完成的投资，从发电厂建设到道路建设，缩短到了几个月。

Countries have already spent $11 trillion to help stem the economic damage from COVID-19.

世界各国在阻止新冠疫情造成经济损失方面的耗资已经高达11万亿美元。

They could spend trillions more.

未来阶段可能还要耗费数万亿美元。

"It’s in this next six months that recovery strategies are likely to be formulated⁵ and the path is set," says Nicholas Stern,

“复苏政策可能会在未来六个月内制定出来，到时候，路就定了，”尼古拉斯·斯特恩说道。

a former World Bank chief economist⁶ known for his landmark⁷ 2006 report

此人为前世界银行首席经济学家，凭2006年具有里程碑意义的报告闻名于世，

warning that climate change could devastate⁸ the global economy.

该报告警告称，气候变化可能会摧毁全球经济。

We don’t know where the chips will fall:

我们不知道筹码会落在哪里：

Will a newfound respect for science and a fear of future shocks lead us to finally wake up,

新萌生的对科学的尊重和对未来冲击的恐惧会唤起我们最终的觉醒吗？

or will the desire to return to normal overshadow the threats lurking⁹ just around the corner?

又或是，回归常态的愿望会战胜潜伏在角落里的威胁？

1 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

2 ravages   

劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹

参考例句：

• the ravages of war 战争造成的灾难
• It is hard for anyone to escape from the ravages of time. 任何人都很难逃避时间的摧残。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 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。

5 formulated   

v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

7 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

8 devastate   

v.使荒芜，破坏，压倒

参考例句：

• A few days before,a fire had devastated large parts of Windsor Castle.几天前，温莎城堡的大部分被一场大火烧毁。
• Earthquakes can also cause tsunamis,which devastate coastal regions.地震还引发海啸，它直接破坏海岸地区。

9 lurking   

潜在

参考例句：

• Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
• There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》