2007年VOA标准英语-One of World's Largest Annual Science Conferenc

By Art Chimes
San Francisco
16 February 2007

One of the world's largest annual science conferences has opened in San Francisco. VOA's Art Chimes reports that this year's theme links science and a sustainable world.

The head of the group sponsoring¹ this meeting says achieving a sustainable future requires facing challenges on a variety of fronts, from protecting oceans from overfishing to avoiding the use of nuclear weapons.

John Holdren

Other challenges, such as climate change, would seem more likely to have solutions based on science and technology. But the president of the American Association² for the Advancement³ of Science or AAAS, John Holdren, himself a leading environmental scientist, says it would be a mistake to rely on science alone for the answer. "I'm a great believer in progress in science and technology, but the notion⁴ that science and technology are always going to ride to the rescue just in time is a very dangerous notion," he said.

Instead, he says, answers will come not just from scientists, but from economists⁵, policymakers and academics, as well as from consumers making sustainability-friendly choices in their everyday lives.

Holdren says consumers do need more help in making those choices. "That is, consumers need to know what their options are, they need to know which ones will save them money, as well as energy and greenhouse⁶ gases, and we can do a lot better at that. We need more efforts to reach out to consumers with the information they need. But a lot of progress has been made. We have appliance⁷ labeling in many parts of the world, where you can look at a refrigerator you're about to buy and it tells you right on the label how many kilowatt⁸ hours a year it will use and how that compares to the average and the best and the worst, but we need to work much harder at that," he said.

Although consumers and other non-scientists have a role to play, AAAS President John Holdren said the scientific community also must take part. He said they should insist that policymakers get the facts right as they debate policy. And he is urging scientists to donate 10 percent of their time to helping⁹ solve the larger problems of the human condition.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting continues through Monday.

1 sponsoring   

v.赞助( sponsor的现在分词 )；资助（某人的培训或教育）；为慈善活动捐资；倡议

参考例句：

• To be allowed entry, one had to have a sponsoring U.S. employer. 一个人要获准入境，必须有一个美国雇主作为保证人。 来自辞典例句
• That bank responsible for sponsoring a social programme does not wallow in self-glory. 银行不要因为承担了赞助社会活动的责任而自我陶醉。 来自辞典例句

2 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

3 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

4 notion   

n.概念，意念，看法

参考例句：

• One common Chinese notion is that the elders ought to be respected.中国人共有的一种观念是长者应受到尊敬。
• He had a sudden notion to visit all his relatives.他心血来潮，突然想去拜访他所有的亲戚。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 greenhouse   

n.花房，温室，玻璃暖房

参考例句：

• Behind the green house was a greenhouse.在那所绿房子后面是一个花房。
• The tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.这些西红柿是在温室栽培的。

7 appliance   

n.用具，器具，器械

参考例句：

• This appliance is good for homes,offices,pubs,restaurants cafes and etc.本产品使用于:家庭，办公室，酒吧，酒店，咖啡馆等场所。
• You must connect this appliance to a properly grounded branch circuit.你必须连接这个设备到正确地地面线路。

8 kilowatt   

n.千瓦

参考例句：

• They pay thirty fen per kilowatt hour.他们每度电付三角钱。
• The watt is a small unit of power so that we use the kilowatt instead.瓦特是小功率的单位，因此我们用千瓦代之。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。