2007年VOA标准英语-UN Sounds Global Warming Alarm

By Paul Sisco
Washington
09 April 2007
 
Watch World Climate report

Thousands of climate scientists and government policy administrators¹ from more than 120 countries worked on the report for six years.  After a reported all night session on April 5, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its second major report on global warming. VOA's Paul Sisco has more.

The climate experts' report predicts rising temperatures will lead to more heat waves in the United States and elsewhere. It also envisions more hunger, particularly in the developing world; continued glacier² melting; accelerated plant and animal extinctions; rising sea levels and associated environmental degradation⁴.

"The Working Group Two Report deals with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability," explains Panel Chairman Rajendra Pachauri. "And this is what determines responses that human beings and societies will make to counter this problem, to be able to manage this problem."

Panel co-chairman Martin Perry adds, "What they've done now is finally establish at the global level there is an anthropogenic, a man made, climate signal coming through on plants, animals, water and ice."

The report's conclusions are largely based on data that scientists see now. They include changing bird migrations⁵, earlier spring melts in temperate⁶ climate zones and rapidly declining tropical coral reefs in some warmer seas.

Life is sweet in the United States when you cast your fishing line in the Yellowstone River.  But the United States is not exempt⁷ from the report's findings. This river, like most in western and southwestern United States, is severely⁸ stressed.  The region is suffering from ten years of drought.  Nevada's Lake Meade is 24 meters below normal levels. Docks hang from newly formed cliffs.  And the once mighty⁹ Colorado River, from which seven U.S. states draw water, now trickles¹⁰ at the border between the United States and Mexico.

Heat wave means more drought

The report states clearly that poorer nations above and below the equator, are even worse off, with temperatures predicted to rise, and few resources to deal with resulting problems.

One observer commented, "It is getting worse every year."

Chairman Rajendra Pachauri says this is based on scientific evidence, "You don't need faith to believe what is being put forward, what you have is solid scientific evidence.

The report concludes that the situation is worse than previously¹¹ thought.  And it says that if temperatures continue to rise, one billion people could face dangerous flooding, three billion, water shortages and many species face mass extinction³.

1 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

2 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

3 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

4 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。

5 migrations   

n.迁移，移居( migration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It foundered during the turmoils accompanying the Great Migrations. 它在随着民族大迁徙而出现的混乱中崩溃。 来自辞典例句
• Birds also have built-in timepieces which send them off on fall and spring migrations. 鸟类也有天生的时间感应器指导它们秋春迁移。 来自互联网

6 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

7 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

8 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

9 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

10 trickles   

n.细流( trickle的名词复数 )；稀稀疏疏缓慢来往的东西v.滴( trickle的第三人称单数 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Trickles of sweat rained down my head and neck. 我颈上头上的汗珠，更同盛雨似的，一颗一颗的钻出来了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
• Water trickles through an underground grotto. 水沿着地下岩洞流淌。 来自辞典例句

11 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。