Activists, rights groups and citizens from around the world took to the streets of Durban Saturday to urge government negotiators at the U.N. climate change conference to take their demands seriously.
In a peaceful show of force, thousands of people marched through the streets of Durban toward the downtown conference center where delegates from nearly 200 nations are debating efforts to combat climate change.
数以千计的人们聚集在德班街头，朝市区会议中心的方向和平地游行。将近两百个国家的代表在这里就如何对抗气候变化展开辩论。
The diverse crowd - representing groups from all across Africa, the United States and Latin America - were all united in their disappointment so far in the U.N. negotiations.
游行群众的背景非常多元化，有来自非洲、美国和拉丁美洲各地的团体。他们团结起来表达对联合国气候变化会议迄今为止的谈判结果感到失望。
Sanele and Shepherd are two high school students from just outside Durban.
萨尼雷和薛佛是德班市郊外的两名高中生。
"What we are demanding? We are demanding for COP 17 to stop," said Sanele.
萨尼雷说：“我们要求终止第17次缔约方大会(COP17)。”
"Must end," said Shepherd.
薛佛说：“一定要停止。”
"Must end actually, yes," Sanele echoed.
萨尼雷说：“对，一定要停止。”
"It's been many years speaking about climate change, it's been 17 years now," said Shepherd.
薛佛说：“气候变化已经讲了好多年，现在都17年了。”
"There must be a solution," said Sanele.
萨尼雷说：“一定要有解决办法。”
COP-17, as it is known, is the 17th Conference of Parties - an annual meeting of world governments and interested parties aimed at forging large-scale agreements to tackle climate change.
气候变化框架公约第17次缔约方大会是各国政府和有关各方召开的第17次年度会议，目的在于达成一项应对气候变化的大规模协议。
But at the march in Durban the Conference of Parties was known by another name: the "Conference of Polluters."
但在德班的游行队伍中，缔约方大会被称为“污染者大会”。
Nigerian environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey addressed the crowd outside the gates of the Durban convention center.
尼日利亚环保人士巴塞在德班会议中心的大门外向群众讲话。
"We don't want Africa to be cooked, we don't want Africa to be roasted, we don't want Africa to be boiled, we demand, we the people of Africa, demand that our leaders should hear us," said Bassey.
巴塞说：“我们不想让非洲被煮、被烤、被烫，我们非洲人民要求我们的领导人听从我们的声音。”
Bassey also demanded that negotiators agree to a new legally-binding mandate to cut carbon dioxide emissions, blamed for global warming.
巴塞同时要求，谈判者达成一项具法律约束力的协议来减少二氧化碳排放量。碳排放被认为是全球暖化的元凶。
Governments at COP17 are considering a second commitment period to the Kyoto protocol - the current legal mandate in place to curb carbon emissions.
第17次缔约方大会的各国政府在考虑制定京都议定书第二承诺期。京都议定书是目前的抑制碳排放的法令。
While the European Union is strongly in favor of the move, other countries that were part of Kyoto, including Canada, Russia and Japan are losing interest. The United States has said it will not accept any legally-binding mandate.
尽管欧盟强烈赞成这项举措，但其他京都议定书的缔约国例如加拿大、俄罗斯和日本都在丧失兴趣。美国说，它不会接受任何具有法律约束力的命令。
Demonstrators handed a letter over to the South African president of COP17, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and the U.N. executive secretary of the conference, Christina Figueres.
抗议者将一封信交给了第17次缔约方大会的南非主席马沙巴内以及会议执行秘书费格雷斯。
Figueres thanked the crowd for their enthusiasm.
费格雷斯对群众的热情表示感激。
"I'm well aware that it's not just you that it's millions around the world. Minister Mashabane and I are working to push governments in that direction. We are working tirelessly. I want you to know they were working until four o'clock this morning and we will continue to work," said Figueres.
费格雷斯说：“我很了解不只是你们，全世界很多人都很关心。马沙巴内部长和我在努力推动各国政府朝那个方向前进。我们不敢懈怠。我想让你们知道他们一直工作到今天早上四点。我们会继续努力。”
Negotiations will continue over the weekend on several key issues including the second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol and the establishment of a Green Climate Fund to help developing nations.
谈判者周末将继续讨论几项关键议题，包括京都议定书第二承诺期，以及建立绿色气候基金帮助发展中国家。
Expectations for a major climate deal have been low, while the call for action has been as loud as ever.
各界并不看好会议将达成重大的气候协议，但采取行动的呼声却是前所未有的强烈。 |