2007年VOA标准英语-Gore Urges US Congressional Action on Global Wa

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
21 March 2007

Former Vice² President Al Gore³ has testified before Congress on the dangers posed by global warming. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, the environmentalist and former presidential candidate urged lawmakers to take steps to move the United States toward greater energy efficiency and de-facto compliance⁴ with the Kyoto Treaty.

Mar1 2007, before a joint5 hearing of the House Energy and Commerce, and Science and Technology subcommittees on climate change" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070528/1427090.jpg" width="180" vspace="2" border="0" />

Al Gore testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, 21 Mar 2007, before a joint hearing of the House Energy and Commerce, and Science and Technology subcommittees on climate change

Al Gore's Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient⁶ Truth, tracked his efforts around the world to raise international awareness⁷ about global warming.

In a statement to a joint hearing of two congressional committees, he returned to the theme of his film, saying there is irrefutable evidence that the Earth is experiencing an unprecedented⁸ period of climate change.

Gore says the United States must take the lead, and lawmakers must summon the courage, to take steps that will help reverse the process, so future generations will not ask this question.

"What in God's name were they doing? Didn't they realize that four times in 15 years the entire scientific community in this world issued unanimous reports calling on them to act? What was wrong with them? Were they too blinded and numbed⁹ by the business of political life, or daily life, to take a deep breath and look at the reality of what we are facing?," said Gore.

"Did they think it was perfectly¹⁰ all right to keep dumping 70 million tons every single time of global warming pollution into this atmosphere? Did they think all the scientists were wrong?," he continued.

Gore cited recent studies saying that global warming may be worse than previously¹¹ thought, and that the Arctic ice cap is melting more rapidly than previously predicted, and could disappear in as little as 34 years.

"This problem is burning a hole at the top of the world in the ice cover that is one of the principal ways that our planet cools itself. If it goes, it will not come back in any time scale relevant to the human species," said former vice president.

Gore appeared at a time when majority Democrats¹² have made the issue of climate change a key part of their agenda.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created a special committee on climate change and is encouraging legislation that would promote reduction in greenhouse gas emissions¹³ and encourage use of renewable fuels.

Republicans took the opportunity to renew criticisms of several aspects of Gore's film, and question conclusions he drew from scientific findings.

Congressman¹⁴ Joe Barton took aim at two of Gore's recommendations.

"Some of your ideas though, Mr. Vice President, I think are just flawed," said Joe Barton. "Your suggestion of a carbon tax is something that would harm our competitiveness, raise costs to American families, export jobs and actually do very little to improve our environment."

"Likewise a Kyoto-style cap and trade system for carbon dioxide will mainly increase the price of electricity while providing few if any environmental benefits," he added.

Gore urged Congress to pass legislation to encourage energy efficiency, including tighter standards for automobiles¹⁵, and bar the construction of any new coal-fired power plants not capable of capturing carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases) that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

He also advocates steps to bring the United States into effective compliance with the existing Kyoto treaty, and says the effective date of a new treaty to succeed it should be moved up to 2010.

Gore's appearances in House and Senate committees marked his first return to the Capitol since 2001, when he presided over a congressional session that certified¹⁶ the victory of George W. Bush based on electoral college votes after the contested 2000 presidential election.

Although he has said he has no intention of running for president again, he still scores high in public opinion polls and has spoken out strongly against Bush administration policies in Iraq and other issues.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

4 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

9 numbed   

v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His mind has been numbed. 他已麻木不仁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was numbed with grief. 他因悲伤而昏迷了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

11 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

12 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

14 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

15 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。