世界节假日博览 第110期:世界海洋日

 Over seventy per cent of the Earth’s surface is ocean. Many of our oceans are being damaged by human activity. On June 8, we recognize the importance of the oceans with World Ocean Day. This important day in the environmental calendar began on 8 June 1992. It was started by a group of environmentalists at the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. On World Ocean Day, activities take place around the world. These let us appreciate how important the oceans are to us and how they are essential for our survival. It is a day for us to learn more about the diversity of life in the oceans and how our actions are killing¹ many species. The day also hopes to raise awareness² that our oceans are an important part of keeping our planet at the right temperature.

地球表面超70%为海洋。许多遭到人类活动破坏。通过6·8世界海洋日，唤醒人们对海洋的重视。世界海洋日发起于1992年6月8日。在里约“地球高峰会议”上，环保人士率先提出创建该节日。在6·8当天，全球活动人士会举行各种活动。认知海洋对人类以及人类生存的重要意义。通过海洋日，了解更多关于海洋生物多样性话题，什么样的人类活动能够对生物造成灭顶之灾。此外，海洋对维持全球气温起到重要作用，对此我们也要提高认识。

The world's oceans are under serious threat today. Over-fishing, pollution and global warming are just a few of the things damaging the seas. Climate change means sea levels are rising. Scientists say that within fifty years, many of today’s countries will be under water. A warming world also changes the way ocean water circulates. If parts of the world become too warm, ocean temperatures could change and cause havoc³ to the world’s weather patterns. Changing water temperatures could also make many marine⁴ species extinct. Oceans are becoming saltier because of global warming. This is killing many coral reefs, which lead to many species of ocean life dying. We really need to start thinking about how our lives damage the oceans.

当今，海洋世界遭受严重威胁。过度捕捞、海洋污染以及全球变暖，这些只是海洋破坏的小部分因素。气候变化引起海平面上升。科学家称未来五十年里，许多国家将被大海淹没。全球变暖改变水下循环。若气温升高，海洋气温也将发生变化，全球气候格局将遭遇浩劫。海水升温致大量海洋生物灭绝。由于全球变暖，海洋盐度升高。致大量珊瑚礁死亡，许多海洋生物正在垂死挣扎。对于人类对海洋的破坏，我们真的应该好好反思。

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。