VOA标准英语2009年-Polar Explorer Takes Clean Energy Camp

Rosanne Skirble | Washington 09 December 2009
 

Having witnessed signs of global warming in Antarctica, polar explorer Robert Swan has dedicated¹ his life to saving the fragile wilderness²

Among the many activists³ at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit is polar explorer Robert Swan, whose life story carries an environmental message that he hopes can help save the planet.
   
Even as a child, Robert Swan knew he wanted to be an explorer when he grew up. By 1989, at age 33, he'd achieved that goal, becoming the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles.  Swan says his early mentors⁴ instilled⁵ in him a simple environmental ethic⁶ that has guided him through life:"That was that at the end of our expeditions, we would always leave wherever we went, clean and tidy, take away our garbage, take away everything, just leave our footsteps."

Making a promise to protect

A promise fulfilled: The cleanup of 1,500 tons of debris⁷ from a Russian station on Bellingshausen Beach King George Island, Antarctica

Swan did that and more. As he gained experience on his first expeditions, he developed a talent for raising money and hiring accomplished⁸ guides who could teach him.  But trekking⁹ into the wilderness, even for seasoned explorers, can be risky¹⁰ business. Swan remembers a pact¹¹ he made one very cold day en route to the South Pole.  "And I went out of the tent, and I said to Antarctica, 'Look, don't kill us. And if you don't kill us I'll do my best to protect you.'"

Swan has kept the promise, his eyes opened to environmental problems made worse by a warming climate. "We walked across ice caps that were melting, even 20 years ago at the North Pole. We'd seen garage and rubbish at both poles. But the really important thing we saw by 1992 was that people were not really engaged at all on this issue."

 

Robert Swan trucked a sailboat overland in Africa to raise awareness¹² about the environment and HIV/AIDS

Swan set out to change that. Invited to speak to world leaders at the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 he outlined a plan. First, he had 1,500 tons of debris removed from a Russian field station in Antarctica.  Then he trucked a sailboat through South Africa, coordinating¹³ that journey with the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. "It was all to do with inspiring kids to care about the environment, care about themselves and looking after themselves."

At the Johannesburg summit, Swan pledged to focus his efforts on protecting Antarctica from mineral or oil exploitation when treaty obligations are renewed in 2041. "What we've got to do is to make sure that in the year 2041 that we are not stupid enough as a world to go to Antarctica, which is not owned by anybody, and exploit it for fossil fuels."  To promote that mission Swan has just published an autobiography¹⁴ in which he writes passionately¹⁵ about the importance of a clean energy agenda.

Backing up the promise with 2041

 

Courtesy of 2041 and Robert Swan
The 2041 sails by Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco en route to its global tour which runs through 2012

He's also founded an organization called 2041. Among its many initiatives 2041 offers an annual leadership training voyage for students, entrepreneurs and teachers to Antarctica. In 2008 the group launched a five-year global tour of a specially-designed sailboat with the date "2041" emblazoned on its side. With a solar powered sail and using the sun and wind to power the batteries, the purpose of the mission is to show that renewable energy works. 

Robert Swan says he is bringing to Copenhagen that same spirit that led him to the North and South Poles twenty years ago. He says he is proud of what he's achieved, but believes his job has just begun. "I'm on year 18 of 2041. We've got 32 years to go and I won't back up easily."

Swan is optimistic that humans can take the necessary collective steps to address climate change and put the brakes on global warming.  On the 2041 website he writes: "For the future's sake we can get this right. And we must."

 

1 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

2 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。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

5 instilled   

v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nature has instilled in our minds an insatiable desire to see truth. 自然给我们心灵注入了永无休止的发现真理的欲望。 来自辞典例句
• I instilled the need for kindness into my children. 我不断向孩子们灌输仁慈的必要。 来自辞典例句

6 ethic   

n.道德标准，行为准则

参考例句：

• They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
• The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。

7 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

8 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

9 trekking   

v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• She can't come pony trekking after all because she's in a delicate condition. 她结果还是不能坐小马车旅行，因为她已怀孕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. 我们整个夏天都在喜马拉雅山的山麓艰难跋涉。 来自互联网

10 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

11 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

12 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。

13 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

14 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

15 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。