VOA标准英语2010年-Extreme Weather Experienced Worldwide

Pakistani villagers flee a flood-hit area of Kot Addu, Pakistan, 4 Aug 2010

These past few months have been filled with extreme weather in many parts of the world, and climatologists are trying to figure out what to make of it.

From flooding in China to wildfires in Russia, strong winds in Australia to stiffling heat in the United States, with waterspouts over Miami Beach, Florida.  It's the season of unusual weather.

In Pakistan, floodwaters have swallowed whole villages and killed 1,500 people. "It rained the whole day and night. We did not sleep," said Mohammad Yaseen, a retired¹ solder².

In China, torrential rains brought on the worst floods in a decade. Roads under two meters of water. Landslides³ surprising drivers. "I saw a rock falling down and then suddenly I heard a terrible noise, and another boulder⁴ hit my car and I was stunned," said Jiang Qidi, a driver.

In Russia, weeks of record-breaking heat and little rain are hampering⁵ efforts to extinguish⁶ wildfires.  Flames surrounded and nearly trapped this group of volunteers.

Analysts⁷ say the world should be aware of the consequences. "We pray to God day and night for rain to fall, to change this weather.  It is the only thing which can help us," said Igor Vlaznev, a Russian firefighter.

Russia is the world's third largest wheat exporter and officials there say the drought will cut the grain harvest by 25 percent. Grain exports could drop by a half this year.  World wheat prices are already up nearly 50 percent since early June.

"Grain prices are going up.  Food prices are going to be going up," said Lester Brown, who is with the Earth Policy Institute.

So what is going on?  Is it simply a coincidence that this extreme weather is occurring at the same time worldwide. Or is it a warning of catastrophic climate change?  The U.S. National Atmospheric⁸ and Oceanic Administration says the earth has been warming over the past three decades and the most recent decade is the hottest ever.

"Even if the temperature trend were flat, we would see extreme weather. What we will see in a changing climate is that these things are more frequent. They may be of higher magnitude⁹, meaning more severe when they happen and that's what we can truly see in a changing climate," said Deke Arndt, with NOAA.

Brown says it does not necessarily mean global warming, but "what we can say is that given the projections¹⁰ for future temperature rises, that we will be seeing more and more Russias around the world.  The next time it may be in China, may be in the U.S. midwest or Great Plains.  Could be in two or three of them at once. Then we are in real trouble."

Brown says to watch for three key indicators¹¹ -- the number of hungry people in the world, the price of grain and the number of failing states.  
 

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 solder   

v.焊接，焊在一起；n.焊料，焊锡

参考例句：

• Fewer workers are needed to solder circuit boards.焊接电路板需要的工人更少了。
• He cuts the pieces and solders them together.他把那些断片切碎，然后把它们焊在一起。

3 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

4 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

5 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

6 extinguish   

v.压制，压抑，熄灭，扑灭（火）等

参考例句：

• You may extinguish a nation,but not the love of liberty.你可以消灭一个国家，但不能消灭对自由的热爱。
• It took about 50 minutes to extinguish the fire.大约花了50分钟才把火扑灭。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

9 magnitude   

n.大小；重大；星等

参考例句：

• I want to know the magnitude of this equipment.我想知道这个设备的大小。
• I hadn't realized the magnitude of the problem.我没有认识到这个问题的重要性。

10 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

11 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。