VOA标准英语2018--2018世界海洋日

World Oceans Day 2018

On June 8th, much of the world observes United Nations World Oceans Day. The idea is to remind people how important the world's oceans are to all life on Earth, to celebrate their beauty, and to bring attention to the impact human activity has on the oceans. This year, the theme is preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean.

The world's oceans cover nearly three fourths of the Earth's surface, and contain 97 percent of our planet's water. They produce over half of our oxygen, help regulate our climate, absorb carbon dioxide, and support the greatest abundance of life on our planet. Nearly half of all species on Earth depend on the oceans for survival, and for many of the rest, including for people, the oceans improve the quality of life.

The oceans are also indispensable to the world's economy, because they are key to transportation and recreation. And inasmuch as over 95 percent of the underwater realm remains¹ unexplored, it is nearly a certainty that their depths may hold the cure to many a disease, the resolution to many a problem.

And yet, as much as 40 per cent of the world's oceans are heavily affected² by human activities that result in pollution, over-fishing, and loss of coastal³ habitats. Of particular concern is plastic debris⁴. Some of it comes from ships that ply⁵ our rivers, lakes and seas, and eventually makes its way into the ocean. But about 8 million metric tons of plastic waste washes off land into the ocean each year. Once there, it begins to break down until it turns into small fragments known as microplastics.

Plastics are a serious threat, because they degrade very slowly, entangle⁶ sea creatures, damage habitats like coral reefs, and are ingested by marine⁷ animals. Researchers have documented impacts of plastic on over 650 different marine species – including sea turtles, seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises⁸, seabirds, and fish.

On World Oceans Day, we must remember that the health and safety of our oceans is our collective responsibility, one that we cannot afford to neglect. Only through good stewardship⁹ can we safeguard the health of our oceans, and ensure that the oceans continue to meet the needs of future generations.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 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。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 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。

5 ply   

v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲

参考例句：

• Taxis licensed to ply for hire at the railway station.许可计程车在火车站候客。
• Ferryboats ply across the English Channel.渡船定期往返于英吉利海峡。

6 entangle   

vt.缠住，套住；卷入，连累

参考例句：

• How did Alice manage to entangle her hair so badly in the brambles?爱丽丝是怎么把头发死死地缠在荆棘上的？
• Don't entangle the fishing lines.不要让钓鱼线缠在一起。

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 porpoises   

n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句

9 stewardship   

n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后，但当然不是微不足道的，是工作和道德规范的问题。