Global warming may or not be the great environmental crisis of the 21st century, but—regardless of weather it is or isn't— we won't do much about it. We will argue over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed.
全球变暖有可能是21世纪巨大的环境危机，也有可能不是，但是无论它是或不是我们对此都无能为力。我们会争论不休，作为一个国家，或许会做出一些听起来相当认真的承诺来避免这一危机。但是这些承诺看起来越是令人印象深刻、越是有意义，就越是不太可能被遵守。
Al Gore calls global warming an “inconvenient truth,” as if merely recognizing it could put in on a path to a solution. But the real truth is that we don't know enough to believe global warming, and — withour major technological breakthroughs — we can't do much about it.
Al Gore 称全球变暖是一个“让人感到麻烦的事实”，似乎只要认识到它的存在就可以把我们带往一条解决问题的途经上去。但是真正的事实是，我们没有掌握足够的知识去缓解全球变暖，并且如果没有重大的技术突破，我们对此也束手无策。
No government will adopt rigid restrictions on economic growth and personal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel）that might cut back global warming. Still, politicians want to show they're “doing something”. Consider the Kyoto Protocol. It allowed countries that joined to punish those that didn't. But it hasn't reduced CO? emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories didn't adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008 — 2012 targets.
没有哪个政府会对经济增长和个人自由（限制电力的使用，驾驶和旅游）采取严格的限制令，虽然这样的限制可以缓解全球变暖。即便事实如此，执政者们还是想表明他们在“采取措施”。就拿《京都协议》来说吧，它允许其成员国惩罚非成员国。但是它并没有起到减少二氧化碳的排放量（自从1990年以来上升了25%）的作用，并且，许多签字国并没有采取足够严格的政策来尽力完成他们所制定的2008—2012年度的目标。
The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potentail disaster, the only solution is new technology. Only an aggressive research and development program might find ways of breaking our dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it.
比较实际的结论是，如果全球变暖是一个潜在的灾难，那么唯一的解决办法就是新技术。只有积极进取的研究开发项目才可能会找到办法打破我们对于化石燃料的依赖，或者找到应对这一难题的办法。
The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem when it's really engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don't solve the engineering problem, we're helpless.
全球变暖这场辩论所存在的问题是，它本是一个技术问题，却都已经变成了一个道德问题。这个被忽视的真相就是，如果不能解决这个技术问题，我们将对此束手无策。
英语单词词汇整理:
1. solemn adj.严肃的，庄重的
eg：His solemn little face broke into smiles.
他那严肃的小脸绽开了笑容。
短语
solemn promise 庄严承诺 ; 誓言 ; 郑重承诺 ; 庄严的誓言
solemn profession 终身圣愿 ; 隆重终身圣愿
solemn serious 岸然
2. commitment n. 承诺，托付
eg: They made a commitment to peace.
他们承诺要维护和平。
短语：
commitment fee 承担费；承诺费；承约费
loan commitment 贷款承诺；货款承诺；放款承诺；贷款委托书
Service commitment 服务承诺；效劳许诺
Management commitment 管理承诺；管理委员会；管理的承诺
Commitment Document 承诺文件
3. dramatic adj. 引人注目的，戏剧性的
eg: Their arrival was dramatic and exciting.
他们的到来令人激动不已，难以忘怀。
短语：
Dramatic Lyrics 戏剧抒情诗；诗剧抒怀诗
Dramatic Arts 戏剧艺术
Dramatic Writing 编剧；话剧写作
dramatic rights 改编权
4. observe v. 遵守，观察
eg: Everyone should observe the law.
任何人都必须遵纪守法。
短语：
witness observe 目睹 ; 目击
observe silence 默哀
observe things 观察事物 ; 观察东西
observe that 对某人说
5. breakthrough n. 突破
eg: Scientists have made a breakthrough in their treatment of that disease.
科学家在治疗那种疾病方面已有突破。
短语：
breakthrough point 切入点；突破点
breakthrough time 突破时间
technological breakthrough 技术突破
6. aggressive adj. 进取的，攻击性强的
eg: The dogs are trained to be aggressive.
这些狗被训练得具有攻击性。
短语：
aggressive mode 积极模式；主动模式；挑战模式；激进模式
aggressive active 积极主动
aggressive Driving 侵略性驾驶；攻击性驾驶
7. fossil fuel 矿物燃料
eg: Coal is usually referred to as a fossil fuel.
煤通常被称为矿物燃料.
短语：
Fossil-Fuel Resources Utilization in China 中国能源资源消费及其经济性分析
fossil-fuel power station 火力发电厂
fossil-fuel boiler 化石燃料锅炉
佳句采摘：
We will argue over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed.
我们会争论不休，作为一个国家，或许会做出一些听起来相当认真的承诺来避免这一危机。但是这些承诺看起来越是令人印象深刻、越是有意义，就越是不太可能被遵守。 |