VOA常速英语2013--努力减少对热带雨林的破坏（在线收听）

Working To Reduce Rainforest Destruction 努力减少对热带雨林的破坏

Rainforests are critically important to our well-being. Because they absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and produce oxygen, they are sometimes called the lungs of the planet. Despite the fact that rainforests cover only 12 percent of the land-area of the Earth, they are home to between 50 and 90 percent of the world's plant and animal species, and for local populations they are a vital source for food, fiber, fuel and medicines. Tropical forests regulate global and regional climate-systems, and release moisture into the atmosphere, which then returns to earth in the form of rain.  

雨林对于人类福祉来说至关重要，因为雨林能吸收温室气体二氧化碳并制造氧气，有时还被称为地球的肺。尽管雨林只覆盖了地球陆地总面积的12%，却是全世界50%到90%的植物和动物品种的栖息地，对于当地人来说，雨林还是非常重要的食物、纤维、燃料和医药来源。热带雨林调节全球和地区的气候系统，并向大气释放湿气，这些湿气能转化为雨水降落到大地。

But where the land has been logged, there are no longer trees to produce the rain cycle which cools down the atmosphere, or to reduce carbon dioxide levels, contributing to climate change. Because of tropical deforestation, animal and plant habitat is disappearing, and at least one species dies out every day. 

在砍伐森林的地方，不再有能制造冷却大气并减少二氧化碳水平的雨循环，这样就影响了气候变化。由于热带森林遭到砍伐，动物和植物的栖息地正在消失，每天至少有一种物种消失。

Thus, the United States has partnered with the private sector, other governments and civil society organizations to form the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, or TFA 2020. The alliance aims to mobilize and coordinate actions by all partners to reduce tropical deforestation related to key agricultural commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef, and paper and pulp. 

因此，美国和企业界、外国政府和民间社会组织一道组建了2000热带雨林联盟(TFA 2000)。该联盟意在动员和协调各伙伴的行动，从而减少与关键农业产品相关的热带雨林砍伐，这些产品包括棕榈油、大豆、牛肉、纸和木浆。。

TFA 2020 was born out of discussions between the U.S. Government and the Consumer Goods Forum, a network of over 400 companies with annual sales topping $3 trillion. This is a whole-of-government effort engaging agencies from across the U.S. government, with leadership from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Other partners are the Governments of the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom and civil society organizations, Conservation International, the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative, and World Resources Institute.

TFA 2020是经美国政府和消费者食物论坛商讨后诞生的，消费者食物论坛是年销售量达到3万亿美元的400家公司组成的网络。这是有整个政府参与的网络，参与者来自美国政府各机构，领导者是美国国际开发署。其他伙伴包括荷兰、挪威、英国政府和民间社会组织、国际保育组织、荷兰可持续贸易行动计划和世界资源研究所。

In support of TFA 2020, USAID announced in early July that it will contribute $5.5 million to a separate but related public-private partnership with the World Resources Institute and private sector partners. With the help of this new tool, TFA 2020 partners will be able to more easily monitor tropical deforestation, and then quickly act on the information.

为了支持TFA 2020，美国国际开发署于六月初宣布将提供550万美元给另一个独立但相关的公私合营关系，其参与者是世界资源研究所和企业界。有了这一新组织的帮助，TFA 2020合作者将更容易地监控热带雨林砍伐，并就该情况作出快速反应。

The United States has consistently worked to promote the conservation of tropical forests by advancing innovative and cooperative development approaches, diverse technical expertise and services, and diplomatic leadership. With the new multi-national, public-private TFA 2020 partnership, we look forward to further increasing the breadth of our engagement.

美国一直致力于通过加快创新和合作开发途径、促进专业技术和服务多样化，以及外交领导权来促进对热带雨林的保护。有了新的多国、公私合作的TFA 2020伙伴关系，我们期待进一步拓宽参与的广泛度