名校励志英语演讲 06:给大学毕业生的几个忠告

 　　I began teaching with the idea of giving back; But I received more than I gave. This brings me to the final movement of this speech. It begins with a story about an extraordinary scientific discovery and a newdilemmathat it poses. It’s a call to arms and about making a difference.

　　我怀着回报社会的想法，开始了教学生涯。然而，我得到的多于我付出的。这就引出了这次演讲的最后一篇乐章。首先我要讲一个了不起的科学发现，以及由此带来的新挑战。它是一个战斗的号令，到了做出改变的时候了。

　　So here is the movement.In the last several decades, our climate has been changing. Climate change is not new: the Earth went through six ice ages in the past 600,000 years. However, recent measurements show that the climate has begun to change rapidly. The size of the North Polar Ice Cap in the month of September is only half the size it was a mere² 50 years ago. The sea level which been rising since direct measurements began in 1870 is now five times faster, at a rate now five times faster, than at the beginning of recorded measurements. Here’s the remarkable³ scientific discovery. For the first time in human history, science is now making predictions of how our actions will affect the world 50 and 100 years from now. These changes are due to an increase in carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The Earth has warmed up by roughly 0.8 degreesCelsiussince the beginning of the Revolution. There is already approximately a 1 degree rise built into the system, even if we stop all greenhouse gas emissions⁵ today. Why? It will be decades to warm up the deep oceans before the temperature reaches a newequilibrium.

　　现在开始本次演讲的第一章。过去几十年中，我们的气候一直在发生变化。气候变化并不是现在才有的，过去60万年中地球就发生了6次冰河期。但是，最新的测量表明气候变化加速了。9月份，北极冰盖的覆盖面积只相当于50年前的一半。1870年起，人们开始测量海平面上升的速度，现在海平面上升的速度是那时的5倍。一个重大的科学发现就这样产生 了。科学第一次预测出我们的行为对50到100年后的世界有何影响。这些变化的原因是，从工业革命开始，人类排放到大气中的二氧化碳增加了。这使得地球的平均气温上升了0.8摄氏度。即使我们立刻停止所有温室气体的排放，气温仍然将比过去上升大约1度。为什么呢？因为在气温达到均衡前，海水温度的上升将持续几十年。

　　dilemma¹

　　n. 困境；进退两难

　　eg. So the real dilemma lies not in what handset you choose, but which network you opt⁷ for.

　　所以真正的困境不在于你选择什么手机，而在于你选择什么网络。

　　Celsius⁴

　　adj. 摄氏的

　　eg. When water is cooled below 0 degrees Celsius, it freezes and becomes ice.

　　水冷却到0摄氏度以下时, 会冻结成冰。

　　equilibrium⁶

　　n. 均衡

　　eg. He can't maintain enough equilibrium to ride a bike.

　　他骑自行车不能保持平衡

1 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

5 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。

6 equilibrium   

n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静

参考例句：

• Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。
• This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

7 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？