时代周刊:散落在太平洋深处的黑矿石--解锁气候密码(7)

The final amounts could be even less, especially if the ISA establishes more stringent¹ environmental protections, which would require consistent monitoring, an expensive undertaking² when it has to happen thousands of miles from port and three miles deep.

而最终的实际金额可能更少，特别是如果《国际海底管理局》建立了需要持续监测的更严格的环境保护制度，如果必须在离港口数千英里和三英里深的地方这么做，将耗资巨大。

“The more money put into monitoring, the less gets distributed to the developing states,” says Pradeep Singh, a research associate at IASS in Germany who focuses on seabed-mining issues, and who frequently attends ISA meetings as a consultant³ for member nations.

普拉迪普-辛格（Pradeep Singh）说：“投入监测的钱越多，分配给发展中国家的钱就越少。”他是德国IASS的一名研究人员，专注于海底采矿问题，并经常作为成员国的顾问出席ISA会议。

Apart from a small number of private contractors⁴ and supporting states who could potentially receive a windfall, he says, few others would benefit.

他说，除了少数私人承包商和支持国有可能获得意外之财外，其他国家很少会受益。

Any member nation can sponsor a contract application , but developing nations are given preferential access to concessions⁵ with proven deposits, a practice meant to level the playing field.

任何成员国都可以赞助合同申请，但发展中国家可以优先获得已探明矿藏的特许权，这种做法是为了创造公平的竞争环境。

Most sponsoring countries work with their own government-run mining contractors.

大多数赞助国与他们自己的政府经营的采矿承包商合作。

Nauru partnered with the Metals Company, giving the Canadabased startup preferential access to a 75,000-sqkm area rich in nodules.

瑙鲁与金属公司合作，让这家位于加拿大的初创公司优先进入一个75000平方公里的富含结核的地区。

The details of the Metals Company’s agreement with the government of Nauru are not public, but according to the company’s regulatory filing with the SEC in advance of its pending⁶ public listing, the startup estimates that it will earn $95 billion over 23 years of production, of which it will pay 7.6% in royalties⁷ to Nauru and the ISA.

金属公司与瑙鲁政府的协议细节并不公开，但根据该公司在即将上市前向美国证券交易委员会提交的监管文件，这家初创公司估计在23年的生产期间将获得950亿美元的收入，其中它将向瑙鲁支付7.6%的特许权使用费。

The rest, presumably, goes to the investors⁹ that Barron is now courting.

其余的，估计是交给巴伦现在正在争取的投资者。

Singh suspects that Nauru’s recent triggering of the two-year countdown to mining activity was directly linked to the Metals Company’s desire to create investor⁸ hype ahead of the listing.

辛格怀疑，瑙鲁最近触发了采矿活动的两年倒计时，这与金属公司希望在上市前制造投资者的炒作直接相关。

Either way, Barron has managed to crown what is at its core an expensive, untested and risky¹⁰ underwater-mining operation with a green halo, promising¹¹ a surefire—and lucrative¹², at least for investors—shortcut for saving the planet.

不管怎么说，巴伦已经成功地为这个核心是昂贵的、未经测试的和有风险的水下采矿作业戴上了绿色的光环，承诺为拯救地球提供一条万无一失的、有利可图的捷径，至少对投资者来说是如此。

A self-styled mAverick¹³ with the requisite¹⁴ long hair, beard and leather jacket, Barron professes¹⁵ to be shocked that conservation groups have not wholeheartedly embraced his plan to mine the ocean for the battery metals that will help replace fossil fuels.

巴伦自诩为拥有必要的长发、胡须和皮夹克的思想独立的人，他声称保护组织没有接受他在海洋中开采有助于替代矿物燃料的电池金属的计划，他为此感到震惊。

The alternative, he says, is to keep plundering¹⁶ terrestrial mines with all their devastating¹⁷ environmental and social consequences: biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, contaminated waterways, displaced Indigenous¹⁸ groups and labor¹⁹ exploitation.

他说，另一种选择是继续掠夺陆地上的矿山，并带来所有破坏性的环境和社会后果：生物多样性的丧失、栖息地的破坏、水路的污染、原住民群体的流离失所和劳动剥削。

1 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

2 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

3 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

4 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

7 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

8 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

12 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

13 maverick   

adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者

参考例句：

• He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
• You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。

14 requisite   

adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
• Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。

15 professes   

声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉

参考例句：

• She still professes her innocence. 她仍然声称自己无辜。
• He professes himself to be sad but doesn't look it. 他自称感到悲伤，但外表却看不出来。

16 plundering   

掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went. 部队经过乡村，一路抢劫掳掠。
• They amassed huge wealth by plundering the colonies. 他们通过掠夺殖民地聚敛了大笔的财富。

17 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

18 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

19 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。