VOA慢速英语2021 气候变化影响秋色（在线收听）

Leaf peeping is a beloved yearly activity in many parts of the world, including parts of the United States.

在世界上许多地方，包括美国的部分地区，窥叶是一项备受欢迎的年度活动。

The northeastern and mid-Atlantic states are especially popular for beautiful fall colors.

东北部和大西洋中部各州因美丽的秋色而特别受欢迎。

Leaf peeping is when people travel to see the beautiful colors of fall foliage.

窥叶是指人们旅行去看秋叶的美丽颜色。

Foliage is another name for leaves, and fall is another word for autumn.

“foliage”是“leaves”的同义词，“fall”是“autumn”的同义词。

However, recent fall leaf peeping seasons have been changed by weather conditions.

然而，最近的秋叶观赏季节已经随着天气状况的变化而发生了变化。

A lack of rain causes leaves to turn brown and die before they can reach the best color.

雨水不足会导致树叶在达到最佳颜色之前就变成褐色并脱落。

Heat waves cause leaves to fall before autumn even arrives.

热浪导致树叶在秋天到来之前就落下了。

And extreme weather events, like hurricanes, take the leaves off trees altogether.

极端天气事件，如飓风，会使树叶完全脱落。

Climate change also creates longer-term threats that could harm leaf peeping.

气候变化还会对窥叶造成更长期的威胁。

The spread of diseases and insects is also tied to warming temperatures.

疾病和昆虫的传播也与气温升高有关。

These are all affecting autumn's famous fall colors.

这些都会影响秋天著名的秋色。

Scientists say that this is likely to continue as the planet warms.

科学家们表示，随着地球变暖，这种情况可能会持续下去。

Some of these scientists recently spoke with The Associated Press.

其中一些科学家最近接受了美联社的采访。

Typically, by the end of September, some leaves turn colors throughout the U.S.

通常情况下，到9月底，美国各地的一些树叶会变色。

However this year, trees in many areas are still green.

然而今年，许多地区的树木仍然是绿色的。

For example, in northern Maine, the best time for leaf colors usually happens in late September.

例如，在缅因州北部，树叶变色的最佳时间通常是在9月底。

But on September 29, Maine forest officials had reported less than 70 percent color change of the leaves and only moderate leaf drop.

但在9月29日，缅因州森林官员报告说，树叶的颜色变化不到70%，只有适度的落叶。

Across the country in Denver, Colorado, high temperatures have left "dead, dry edges of leaves" early in the season, said Michael Sundberg.

迈克尔·桑德伯格说，在科罗拉多州丹佛市，高温在秋季初留下了“枯死的叶子边缘”。

He is a tree expert in the area.

他是该地区的树木专家。

Sundberg told the AP that instead of slow change, trees are affected by abnormal weather.

桑德伯格告诉美联社，树木不是缓慢变化，而是受到异常天气的影响。

"They change all of a sudden, or they drop leaves early," Sundberg said.

桑德伯格说：“它们突然变了，很早就落叶了。”

"Its been a few years since we've had a really good leaf year..."

“我们已经有几年没有过一个真正好的树叶年了……”

The reason climate change can be bad for fall leaves has to do with plant biology.

气候变化对秋叶不利的原因与植物生物学有关。

When fall arrives, days lengthen and temperatures drop.

当秋天到来时，白天变长，气温下降。

The chlorophyll in a leaf breaks down.

叶子中的叶绿素会分解。

And that causes the leaf to lose its green color.

这会导致叶子失去绿色。

The green leaf turns into a beautiful yellow, red or orange autumn leaf.

绿色的叶子变成了美丽的黄色、红色或橙色的秋叶。

Getting those beautiful colors requires a balance, said Paul Schaberg.

保罗·沙伯格说，获得这些美丽的颜色需要一种平衡。

He is a research plant physiologist with the U.S. Forest Service based in Burlington, Vermont.

他是佛蒙特州伯灵顿市美国林务局的一名植物生理学家。

Warm fall temperatures, he said, can cause leaves to remain green longer.

他说，温暖的秋季气温会使树叶保持绿色的时间更长。

Worse than that, Schaberg said, very dry summers can stress trees and cause their leaves to miss the fall colors completely.

沙伯格说，更糟糕的是，非常干燥的夏季会给树木带来压力，导致它们的叶子完全失去秋天的颜色。

A 2003 study in the journal Tree Physiology that Schaberg co-wrote stated that "environmental stress" can speed up leaf decay.

2003年发表在《树木生理学》杂志上的一项沙伯格与他人合著的研究指出，“环境压力”会加速树叶的腐烂。

He said in severe droughts trees experience difficulty.

他说，在严重干旱的情况下，树木会遇到困难。

That is happening already.

这种情况已经在发生了。

This summer's heatwave in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. led to a condition called "foliage scorch."

今年夏天，美国西北部太平洋地区的热浪导致了一种名为“树叶焦化”的情况。

Foliage scorch is when leaves brown too early, explained Chris Still.

克里斯·斯蒂尔解释说，“树叶焦化”是指树叶过早变成褐色。

He is a professor at the Forest Ecosystems & Society department at Oregon State University.

他是俄勒冈州立大学森林生态系统与社会系的教授。

In some parts of Oregon, leaves lost their color early and then quickly fell to the ground.

在俄勒冈州的一些地区，树叶很早就褪色，然后很快就落到地上。

This led to a shorter and less beautiful leaf peeping season.

这导致了一个更短、更不漂亮的窥叶季节。

"That's a really big example of color change just due to heatwave shock," Still said.

斯蒂尔说：“这是热浪冲击导致颜色变化的一个很大的例子。”

The economic impact of poor leaf peeping seasons could also be significant.

糟糕的窥叶季节对经济的影响也可能是显著的。

Officials throughout New England have said fall tourism brings billions of dollars into those states every year.

新英格兰地区的官员表示，秋季旅游每年为这些州带来数十亿美元的收入。

Conservationists say that is one good reason to work to preserve forests and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

环保人士说，这是努力保护森林和减少使用化石燃料的一个很好的理由。