2019年经济学人 IPCC土地使用报告(1)

 

After 29 hours of uninterrupted negotiations¹ the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),

29个小时的无间断谈判后，8月7日下午，政府间气候变化专门委员会（IPCC）关于

on how alterations² in land use are contributing to such change, was gavelled through in Geneva on the afternoon of August 7th.

土地使用的改变如何促成这种变化的最新报道在日内瓦通过。

When, minutes later, your correspondent asked to speak with some of the researchers, she was informed they had "gone to bed".

几分钟后，当记者要求采访研究人员时，她被告知他们已经“上床睡觉了”。

The report these exhausted³ delegates produced—all 1,300 pages of it—

这些精疲力尽的代表们的这份报告—共1300页—

fires another warning shot about the state of the planet and the way people are transforming virtually every corner of every continent.

对地球现状以及人们改变几乎每个大陆每个角落的方式发出了另一个警告。

Human activities affect roughly three-quarters of Earth's ice-free land, with huge consequences for the climate.

人类活动对影响到了地球约四分之三的非冰覆陆地，对气候也产生了巨大影响。

Land masses are natural carbon sinks, absorbing greenhouse gases by a variety of processes, including photosynthesis⁴.

大陆块是天然的碳汇，通过各种方式吸收温室气体，包括光合作用。

They also produce such gases—for instance, when vegetation decomposes⁵ or burns.

它们也产生气体—如植物分解或燃烧的时候。

By conserving⁶ some ecosystems⁷ and destroying others to make way for pastures and fields,

通过保护一些生态体系以及破坏其他生态体系为牧草和农田让步

or chopping down trees for timber, human activities on the land add an extra layer of complexity⁸ to already complex natural cycles.

或是砍伐树木，陆地上的人类活动为本就复杂的自然循环增加了一层额外的复杂性。

The report found that between 2007 and 2016 such activities produced emissions⁹ equivalent to 9bn-15bn tonnes of carbon dioxide each year,

该报告发现在2007年到2016年间，这样的活动每年产生的排放量相当于90亿至150亿公吨二氧化碳，

or roughly 23% of all manmade greenhouse-gas emissions. During that time, land surfaces soaked up 8.6bn-13.8bn tonnes of carbon dioxide.

或是约占所有人为温室气体排放的23%。在此期间，陆地表面吸收了86亿至138亿吨二氧化碳。

At the moment, then, these sinks and sources are roughly in balance.

目前，这些碳汇和碳源大致处于平衡状态。

But climate change, deforestation and agriculture mean the CO2-soaking-up ability of the continents is being depleted¹⁰.

但气候变化、采伐森林和农耕意味着陆地吸收二氧化碳的能力正在枯竭。

The accelerating destruction of the Amazon forest, which researchers fear may be approaching a point of no return, is of particular concern.

研究人员担心，亚马逊丛林的加速破坏可能将临近不可逆转的地步，这一点让人尤为担忧。

And across the world, depending on the type of husbandry practised,

在世界各地，根据实施畜牧业方式的不同，

farming is eroding¹¹ soil at a rate between ten times and more than 100 times faster than new soil forms.

农业侵蚀土地的速度是新土壤形成速度的10倍到100多倍。

Climate change, moreover, creates a vicious feedback loop. Higher temperatures promote the degradation¹² of land through drought,

此外，气候变化创造出了一个恶性反馈循环。更高的温度促使土地因干旱、

desertification and rising seas, and the promotion¹³ of wildfires like the ones currently blazing in Alaska, Siberia and Greenland.

沙漠化和海平面上升以及像目前在阿拉斯加、西伯利亚和格陵兰那样燃烧的野火而退化。

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 alterations   

n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变

参考例句：

• Any alterations should be written in neatly to the left side. 改动部分应书写清晰，插在正文的左侧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code. 基因突变是指DNA 密码的改变。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

4 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。

5 decomposes   

腐烂( decompose的第三人称单数 )； （使）分解； 分解（某物质、光线等）

参考例句：

• The debris slowly decomposes into compost. 这些垃圾慢慢地分解成了堆肥。
• Plastic is a substance that hardly decomposes in the nature. 塑料是一种在自然中极难降解的物质。

6 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

7 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

8 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

9 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。

10 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

11 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

12 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

13 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。