2007年VOA标准英语-UN Chief Says International Community Must Act

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
25 September 2007

An unprecedented¹ summit on climate change has ended at the United Nations. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the event has sent a powerful political signal to the world that there is the will and the determination at the highest level to act decisively on global warming. From U.N. headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

The Secretary-General said he heard a clear call from world leaders for a breakthrough on climate change. He added that he now believes there is the political commitment to achieving that at an upcoming conference in Bali later this year.

More than 150 nations and 80 heads of state and governments came together at Monday's summit, making it the highest-level meeting on climate change the United Nations has ever hosted.

Mr. Ban called on industrialized countries to take the lead in halting global warming.

"Undoubtedly², there is a need for much deeper emission³ reductions by industrialized countries, which must continue to take the lead in this respect," said Ban Ki-moon. "It was encouraging to hear many of the leaders from the industrialized countries themselves expressing their willingness to do so."

Mr. Ban said international cooperation needs to increase to assist developing countries with increasing energy needs to move in the direction of renewable energy and cleaner fossil fuel technologies.

Throughout the day world leaders, ministers and other figures addressed the issue of global warming.

Former U.S. Vice⁴ President Al Gore⁵ told a luncheon⁶ gathering⁷ that the world is facing what he called a "planetary emergency." Citing rising sea levels, he warned that global warming could create a new class of refugee.

"Even a one-meter rise would lead to 100 million climate refugees in our world," said Al Gore. "A six-meter rise would lead to 450 million climate refugees in our world."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, told reporters the world needs to make difficult decisions now, before it is too late and the atmosphere becomes too warm.

"It is our duty to take decisions straight away, because otherwise it is going to be too late," said Sarkozy. "And let me spell that out for you, 'too late' means one thing - it means an additional two degrees centigrade. And an additional two degrees centigrade means we have reached the point of no return."

Secretary-General Ban organized the summit on the sidelines of the 62nd General Assembly to build political momentum⁸ ahead of a U.N.-sponsored climate change conference in Bali in December. That meeting aims to launch negotiations⁹ for an emissions¹⁰ -reduction agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol¹¹ in 2012.

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

3 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

6 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

10 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。

11 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。