VOA标准英语2010年-WHO Warns Climate Change Bad For Healt

Photo: AP
Margaret Chan, Director General of World Health Organization speaks at a press conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva, 29 Dec 2009

World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan says she is disappointed a deal on climate change was not struck in Copenhagen.  But she says important steps were taken that, she believes, will ultimately result in an agreement to stop or retard¹ climate change. 

She says the relationship between climate change and health is obvious.  For example, she says millions of people will suffer from either too much water or too little water under climate change.

Chan says extensive flooding may lead to loss of life from drowning and disease.  She says contaminated floodwaters can cause fatal illnesses, such as diarrhea and cholera². 

On the other hand, she says some areas will have too little water and prolonged drought will affect the kind of crops people normally grow.

"The prediction is that in the next 20 years to 30 years, if the situation continues to get worse, the productivity from the agricultural sector³ and from subsistence farming in Africa, the production would reduce by as much as 50 percent," she said.  "If there is any truth to that, can you imagine the impact on hunger, on acute and chronic⁴ malnutrition⁵?" 

Scientists say the warming of the planet will be gradual, but that extreme weather events will increase in frequency and intensity⁶. 
They say the effects of more storms, floods, droughts and heat waves will be abrupt⁷ and profound. 

The World Health Organization says the effects of so-called climate-sensitive diseases already are killing⁸ millions of people.  WHO reports more than three-and-a-half million people die every year from malnutrition-related causes.  It says diarrhea-related diseases kill nearly two million people and almost one million die from malaria⁹.

WHO Chief Margaret Chan says such problems will be magnified under climate change. "With the changes in temperature – vectors - disease vectors like mosquitoes have been reported to cause malaria in places that had never reported malaria cases," she said.

Chan says climate change is a global phenomenon.  While no country will be exempt¹⁰, she says its consequences will not be evenly distributed.  The WHO chief says poor countries that already are struggling with huge problems will be most affected¹¹. 

Chan says fragile health systems in the developing world will come under increased stress.  She says they will have great difficulty coping with the increased burden of disease and other health problems.

1 retard   

n.阻止，延迟；vt.妨碍，延迟，使减速

参考例句：

• Lack of sunlight will retard the growth of most plants.缺乏阳光会妨碍大多数植物的生长。
• Continuing violence will retard negotiations over the country's future.持续不断的暴力活动会阻碍关系到国家未来的谈判的进行。

2 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

6 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

7 abrupt   

adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的

参考例句：

• The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
• His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

10 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。