VOA常速英语2019--《柳叶刀》报告--气候变化损害儿童身体健康

After nearly eight years, California emerged from its longest drought of the millennium¹, just before the start of a fire season.

在经历了近8年的干旱之后，加州终于在火灾季节来临之前摆脱了千年来最长的干旱。

Experts say higher temperatures from climate change make for drier vegetation which provides ready fuel for wildfires.

专家表示，气候变化带来的高温使植被更加干燥，为野火提供了充足的燃料。

This is just one example of how a warming planet will affect public health in the future, says Dr. Nick Watts³, executive director of the Lancet Countdown.

这只是全球变暖将如何影响未来公共卫生的一个例子，《柳叶刀》倒计时组织的执行主任尼克·沃茨博士说。

“If we continue down sort of current, current trajectory⁵, it comes close to wiping out the last 50 years of gains that we have seen in public health all around the world.”

“如果我们继续沿着目前的轨迹走下去，它几乎会抹去过去50年我们在世界各地公共卫生方面取得的成就。”

An international report by the Lancet Countdown says a baby born today is likely to see the earth warm four degrees by his or her 71st birthday.

《柳叶刀》杂志的一份国际报告称，今天出生的婴儿在71岁生日时，很可能会看到地球变暖4度。

“In terms of the health impacts of climate change, this is anything from the spread of vector-borne diseases like dengue, like malaria⁶.

“就气候变化对健康的影响而言，这包括登革热和疟疾等病媒传播疾病的传播。”

It’s pretty vitriolic⁷ and that particularly again, it’s children under the age of five that are the most vulnerable.”

这非常残忍，尤其是五岁以下的儿童是最脆弱的。

Watt² says as climates warm unwelcome disease vectors will thrive like the Asian tiger mosquito.

瓦特说，随着气候变暖，不受欢迎的疾病带菌者将像亚洲虎蚊一样大量繁殖。

“It’s moving up from Turkey, coming across Europe.

“它从土耳其向欧洲移动。

That target mosquito carries dengue fever.

这种蚊子携带登革热病毒。

It carries chikungunya when it’s there.

当它在那里的时候，它携带着基孔肯雅病。

It carries yellow fever.

它携带黄热病。

If you’re in South America that target mosquitoes can carry Zika virus as well.”

如果你在南美洲，目标蚊子也会携带寨卡病毒。”

Scientists are most concerned about the overall long-term impact of global warming on public health.

科学家们最关心的是全球变暖对公众健康的整体长期影响。

“We don’t worry about just heatwave and what that does to heart disease or kidney disease.

“我们不担心热浪会对心脏病或肾病造成什么影响。

We’re not worried about just malnutrition⁸.

我们不只是担心营养不良。

We’re worried about what happens to a community, to a population, to a child born today

我们担心的是一个社区，一群人，一个今天出生的孩子会发生什么，

when they are hit again and again and again by, from multiple different angles,

当他们一次又一次地受到来自不同角度的打击时，

and how that has a lifelong impact the whole way through.”

以及这对我一生的影响。”

Researchers say it will take political will to avert⁹ dire⁴ outcomes.

研究人员表示，要避免可怕的后果，需要政治意愿。

The authors are calling for next month’s United Nations climate conference to focus on the health impacts of a warming planet.

作者呼吁下个月的联合国气候会议关注全球变暖对健康的影响。

1 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

2 watt   

n.瓦，瓦特

参考例句：

• The invention of the engine is creditable to Watt.发动机的发明归功于瓦特。
• The unit of power is watt.功率的单位是瓦特。

3 watts   

（电力计量单位）瓦，瓦特( watt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• My lamp uses 60 watts; my toaster uses 600 watts. 我的灯用60瓦，我的烤面包器用600瓦。
• My lamp uses 40 watts. 我的灯40瓦。

4 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

5 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。

6 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

7 vitriolic   

adj.硫酸的，尖刻的

参考例句：

• The newspaper launched a vitriolic attack on the president.这家报纸对总统发起了一场恶意的攻击。
• Vitriolic impurity is contained normally in the sewage that vitriolic factory discharges.硫酸厂排放的污水中通常含有硫酸杂质。

8 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

9 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。