A new study says that a global agreement on climate change will come too late to save the majority of the world's coral reefs. The research comes as the Queensland state government announces a new multi-million dollar plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef from agricultural pollution.
一项新的研究表示，目前还没有达成的全球气候变化协议，可能来不及拯救世界上绝大多数的珊瑚礁。就在这份研究出台之际，澳大利亚昆士兰州政府宣布要拿出三千万美元，来保护世界著名的珊瑚礁“大堡礁”不受农业污染。
The study, from Stanford University in the United States, makes gloomy assessments about the future health of the world's coral reefs.
美国斯坦福大学的这份报告对世界各地珊瑚礁未来的前景做出了悲观的预测。
It finds that carbon dioxide emissions are making seawater so acidic that coral reefs could begin to disintegrate within a few decades.
报告说，二氧化碳的大量排放，已经使得海水的含酸量大到再过几十年珊瑚礁就有可能开始分解的程度。
The report states that even ambitious plans to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions, thought by many to be the main cause of a warming climate, will not be enough to save the reefs.
这份报告还表示，即便制定出雄心勃勃的控制温室气体排放的各种计划，恐怕也来不及挽救珊瑚礁了。温室气体的增加被认为是全球气候变暖的主要原因。
About a third of carbon emissions is soaked up by the world's oceans, where it combines with seawater to form carbonic acid.
全球各地所有排放出的二氧化碳，其中有大约三分之一都被海洋吸收了；二氧化碳和海水综合以后，形成碳酸。
The research comes as the Queensland state government in Australia announces a new plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef from agricultural pollution.
就在斯坦福大学公布这份研究报告之际，澳大利亚昆士兰州政府宣布要实施一项新的举措，来保护世界著名的“大堡礁”不受农业污染。
The iconic reef is being damaged by pesticides and sediment from farms that seep into waterways.
农业生产中各种杀虫剂和废渣都流入海水当中，大堡礁因此受到破坏。
The Queensland government is to spend an extra $30 million to reduce this hazardous run-off. Farmers also will face tougher environmental regulations.
昆士兰地区政府计划再拿出三千万美元，来降低上述污染。农作物生产者也将面临更加严格的环保规定。
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says that man-made threats present serious challenges to the reef, which is a world heritage site.
昆士兰州的州总理安娜·布莱表示，人为的污染对“大堡礁”构成严峻的挑战。“大堡礁”是世界著名文化和地理遗产之一。
"We know that there are many contributing factors to the water quality of the reef," she said. "We are already addressing a number of those activities, particularly around increased population levels, sewerage treatment, etc. But what the science is telling us is that the highest levels of damaging chemicals and nutrients are in those areas that have intense farming activity."
安娜·布莱说：“我们知道，影响‘大堡礁’水质的因素有很多，我们已经针对其中一些因素采取了应对措施，尤其是针对人口增加、污水处理等等。但是科研结果告诉我们，遭受化学物质污染最严重的地区，就是那些农作物生产最密集的地区。”
Coral reefs are common in warm southern and equatorial oceans, and provide homes and feeding grounds for thousands of species, including fish that are important to the diets of millions of people in the developing world. In Asia, Indonesia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are among the many countries that rely on reefs to provide food and to draw in tourists eager to explore the ocean.
Environmental groups welcome the Queensland plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
环保组织对昆士兰州政府保护大堡礁的规划，表示欢迎。
Farmers, however, argue they have already taken significant steps to stop the spread of pollutants from their land.
但是另一方面，农作物生产者则表示，他们已经采取了很多的措施，来控制污染物质的扩散。
The Great Barrier Reef stretches for more than 2,000 kilometers along Australia's northeast coast. It is not only an ecological marvel, but generates billions of dollars for Australia's tourism industry, drawing in thousands of scuba divers and others who want to see the marine animals that live along the reef.
大堡礁位于澳大利亚东北部海岸，绵延两千多公里，堪称世界生态环境中的一个壮观，它同时还给澳大利亚的旅游业带来亿万美元的收入；每年都有大批的游客到这里来潜水、或者是观看海洋生物。 |