UN officials, climate experts, environmental activists, and more than 60 world leaders gather in Copenhagen for a two-week conference on climate change to begin December 7. Their aim is to achieve a legally binding agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But there are questions about how much can be achieved and how any agreement would be implemented.
联合国官员、气候专家、环保活动人士和来自60多个国家的领导人12月7日开始齐聚哥本哈根参加为期两周的气候变化峰会。会议宗旨是为削减温室气体排放取得一项具有法律约束性的协议书。不过现在的问题是，会议到底能取得多少成果？达成的任何协议将如何得到执行？
The Copenhagen conference has been billed as the last best chance to clinch a deal, but doubts have been raised whether it can do that.
哥本哈根峰会被视为是达致减排协议的最后一个最佳时机，但是有人质疑，哥本哈根峰会是否能够取得如此成果。
Environmental groups will press the case for urgent action, says Charlie Kronick, climate advisor at Greenpeace UK.
绿色和平伦敦分部的气候问题顾问查理·克罗尼克说，环保组织将提出要求，采取紧急减排行动。
"We need to have a legally binding agreement to reduce carbon emission in developed countries as quickly as possible," he urged. "And what we need along with that is a significant commitment for funding from the developed countries to the developing countries - to fund technology transfer, to fund forest protection and also to fund adaptation to climate change, that we're already committed to," he said.
他说：“为了要发达国家尽快削减二氧化碳排放，我们需要一个有约束力的协议书。除此之外，我们还需要发达国家为发展中国家做出有意义的承诺，为发展中国家提供资金，用于技术转让、森林保护和已经用于对应气候变化的一些措施。”
The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for heating up the atmosphere. And, since industrialized nations were the greatest polluters for years, they, more than others, are under pressure to cut emissions.
大气温度的升高被归咎于温室气体的排放，而他们的目标就是减排。由于工业化国家多年来曾经是最大的污染者，现在他们比其他国家承受更大的减排压力。
But, many say developing countries also need to do more. They in turn want financial help to make the transition.
但是也有很多人认为，发展中国家也需要采取过多行动。他们为其转型则希望获得财政援助。
Both need to work together, says Nick Nuttall, spokesman for the UN Environment Program.
联合国环境规划署发言人尼克．纳托尔说，发达国家与发展中国家需要合作：
"What we're looking for in Copenhagen is a global partnership between the North and the South, between the developed, industrialized nations and the rapidly developing ones with the other developing nations also a part of that cooperative partnership deal, which is the only way we're going to deal with this," he said.
“我们希望，哥本哈根峰会开成一个富裕国家和贫穷国家、发达的工业化国家与正在迅速发展的国家和其他发展中国家结成国际伙伴的会议，他们也是合作伙伴协议的一部分，这是我们应对气候变化的唯一途径。”
Most scientists say human activity is behind global warming and that it's up to humans to make changes to stem the tide.
大多数科学家认为，人类活动是地球变暖的主因，因此需要人类做出改变，来扭转地球变暖的趋势。
But, politics and economics get in the way, says Charlie Kronick of Greenpeace.
但是绿色和平的查理·克罗尼克认为，政治和经济因素成为障碍。
"Governments in general and politicians all over the world are looking at a price tag that's attached to their term of office," he said. "They always forget, and it's rarely emphasized in public, that it's better to spend the money now than in the future. The worse the problem gets, the more it costs to adapt."
他说：“基本上来说，各国政府和全球的政界人士只考虑他们任期内所需支出的环保费用。他们总是忘记在公共场合强调一点：用于环保的钱现在花比将来花要好，环保问题越是恶化，花费就越大。”
Copenhagen is supposed to come up with a successor to the 1997 Kyoto agreement that mandated cuts in emissions. It expires in 2012. Some say Kyoto was doomed from the start because the United States never signed on.
预计哥本哈根气候变化峰会将产生一项议定书，以延续1997年的京都议定书。受国际社会认可的京都议定书减排协议将于2012年期满。一些人士认为，由于美国没有在京都议定书上签字，京都议定书从一开始就注定失败。
But, President Obama will come to Copenhagen. And the United States has put emission cut proposals on the table.
不过，这次，美国总统奥巴马将出席哥本哈根气候变化峰会，而且美国已经明确公布它的减排目标。
The conference is the moment of truth, says Nick Nuttall of the UN.
联合国环境规划署的纳托尔说，哥本哈根会议才是真正的考验时刻：
"This is the point at which governments really have to decide if they're serious about climate and if so, what they're going to do about it," he said.
“到那一刻，各国政府就必须下决心，他们是否要严肃应对气候问题，如果是，他们将采取何种行动。”
It now remains to be seen if politicians are listening.
人们正拭目以待，看看各国的政治家们是否认识到地球变暖的严重性。 |