2006年VOA标准英语-Native Alaskans Feel the Heat of Global Warming

By Brian Padden
Anchorage, Alaska
10 August 2006
 
watch Alaskans Feel Heat

Native Alaskans have seen many changes in the last century. Many have been converted by Christian¹ missionaries².  Their hand-made canoes have been replaced by motorboats.  And their meager³ existence has been supplemented by government assistance.   Despite these outside influences, Alaskans have been able to maintain reliance on their traditional way of life.   But that could soon change.  As VOA's Brian Padden reports, conditions attributed to global warming are now threatening the environment itself.  

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Mike Williams 
  
Mike Williams has spent much of his life on the Kushokwim River in the western region of sub-arctic Alaska.  He says rising temperatures during the last decade have been melting the permafrost layer of Earth, causing increased erosion. Bethel, Alaska and other towns have had to constantly reinforce their sea walls. 

"Millions and millions of dollars have been spent on this erosion control program for Bethel, Alaska."

Nipaciak and other smaller villages had to be totally relocated. Mr. Williams points out where the villages once stood. "This used to be a village here and because of the erosion, it had wiped it out and people are moving way back."

Williams is a leader of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, which represents 229 native Alaskan tribes.  He is a Yupiaq Eskimo, a tribe of native Alaskans who have survived here on the outskirts⁴ of the tundra⁵ for thousands of years.  Most still rely on hunting and fishing done in the summer months to sustain them during the winter freeze.  

James Willie   
  
The Elders of the tribes have witnessed many changes to their traditional way of life over the years, such as motorized vehicles to get around, and government assistance to augment⁶ their meager existence.  But they say global warming is changing the environment itself.  Seventy-seven year-old James Willie says even the snow is not the same.   "It was a different cold.  Snow wasn't, you know, it's just like feather.  When it got a little bit warm it melted away fast."  

Katie Kernak   
  
Williams describes Katie Kernak as his wife's grandmother. She says the biggest change brought on by the warmer, dryer⁷ climate has been forest fires in recent years. "When she was growing up she never used to hear about any fires at all.  But now in the summer it is smoky and there are all kinds of fires." 
 
 
Global warming also affects the wildlife
  
Williams says what may seem like small changes are having a major impact.  The forest fires threaten delicate ecosystems⁸.  The warmer snow and thinner ice are making crossing the river more dangerous.  And climate change is also affecting the wildlife, altering migration⁹ routes and feeding habits.   

"It has a huge impact and little changes in climate makes a whole lot of difference on our lives. "

Williams says unless action is taken on a global scale, this way of life in the Alaskan wilderness¹⁰ could end. 

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Note:  Not all scientists agree that global warming is connected to the extreme weather changes we showed you in the story ... or that rising temperatures will have catastrophic effects.  Some dispute the rate of rising temperatures and sea levels and say the scientific community should refrain from making premature¹¹ and alarmist predictions. See our other reports in this series.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

4 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

5 tundra   

n.苔原，冻土地带

参考例句：

• The arctic tundra is at the top of the world around the North Pole.北极冻原是指北极点周边的地区，是世界最高的地方。
• There is a large amount of methane gas under the Siberian tundra.西伯利亚的冻土地带之下有大量的甲烷气体。

6 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

7 dryer   

n.干衣机，干燥剂

参考例句：

• He bought a dryer yesterday.他昨天买了一台干燥机。
• There is a washer and a dryer in the basement.地下室里有洗衣机和烘干机。

8 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

9 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

10 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

11 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。