【英语时差8,16】全球变暖1

Ya?l: Today on A Moment of Science, global warming . . .

D: Uhm, right . . .

Y: That's your cue¹, Don.

D: I know, Ya?l . . . but . . .

Y: What's wrong?

D: Well, we're a science program, right? And I know that the accepted scientific wisdom is that human activity is causing the Earth to get warmer. But I can't help but think that the melting of polar ice and everything else we're seeing is at least partly caused by natural warming. I mean, weather patterns do change naturally over time.

Y: Of course. And we know that the earth was going through heating and cooling cycles long before people started pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And, in fact, scientists have observed a strange weather pattern over the past twenty or so years. Normally, cold winds from the Arctic² blow south. But during the past few decades, warmer air and clouds from the south have blown north toward the Arctic. All that warm air is a big reason why so much Arctic ice has melted.

D: But warming caused by human activity still plays a role, right?

Y: A big role. Natural warming combined with man-made warming has melted so much Arctic ice that it's created a sort of feedback loop. Snow and ice reflect sunlight. But the darker ocean water absorbs light and heat, causing even more ice to melt.

D: So natural warming or man-made warming in isolation³ would cause some ice to melt...

Y: But not nearly as much as the two forces combined. That's what's really put us where we are today. 

1 cue   

n.暗示，信号，提示；vt.提示，暗示

参考例句：

• When she coughs,it's my cue to come onto the stage.她一咳嗽，就是给我暗号出场。
• The actor missed his cue and came onto the stage late.这演员错过了向他发出的提示，上场晚了。

2 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。