科技英语阅读翻译.pdf

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1、Unlocking the Climate Puzzle解开气候之谜(1)Life has prospered on this planet for nearly four billion years.In that time,climatehad fluctuated drastically,from ice ages lasting tens of thousands of years to epochs ofsteamy heat.With each change,sundry species have benefited and flourished.Othersadapted,fal

2、tered,or died.Now,many experts believe,humans are imperiling their ownecological niche with the threat of global warming.The vaporous by-products ofcivilization,in the form of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide(C02),have trappedenough heat in the atmosphere to raise Earths average surface air t

3、emperature a halfdegree Celsius(one degree Fahrenheit)during this century.If the trend continues,it couldalter climate patterns worldwide-thawing glaciers,boosting sea level,scorching plains intodeserts,and shifting vegetation zones.(1)生命在这个星球上已经发展了近四十亿年。在这段时间里，气候有大幅波动，从冰河时代到蒸汽时代延续了几千年。每一次改变，各种物种受益和

4、繁荣。其他适应，步履蹒跚，或死亡。现在，许多专家认为，人类正在通过全球变暖危及自己的生态位。在本世纪，文明的气态副产物，以二氧化碳(CO?)等温室气体的形式，把足够的热量困在大气中，来提高地球表面平均气温半摄氏度(1 华 氏 度)。如果这种趋势继续下去，它可能会改变世界范围内的气候模式一融化冰川，提高海平面，把平原烤成沙漠，以及改变植被区。(2)Or it might not.Global climate depends on combinations of factors interacting in subtleand complex ways that we do not yet ful

5、ly understand.It is possible that the warmingobserved during this century may have resulted from natural variations,even though theincrease has been much more rapid than what the planet has witnessed over the pasthundred centuries.Moreover,the supercomputer simulations used to project futureconditio

6、ns may not be accurate.(2)或者不可能。全球气候取决于各种因素的组合，这些因素以微妙和复杂的方式相互作用，我们还没有完全了解。这是可能的，在本世纪中观察到的变暖可能是由于自然的变化，即使增加已远远超过这个星球在过去的几百个世纪己经见证过的。此外，用于展现未来条件的超级计算机模拟可能是不准确的。(3)Nonetheless,in 1995,after years of intense study,the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change(IPCC),sponsored by the United Nations,conclu

7、ded tentatively that thebalance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on globalclimate.The amount of that influence,the group noted,is unknown because ofuncertainties in key factors*,including the degree to which clouds and the oceans affectthe rate of temperature change.I

8、t may take a decade or more of additional research toresolve those uncertainties.(3)然而，由联合国发起的政府间气候变化专门委员会，经过数年集中的研究，在 1995年，初步得到了“对照所有证据表明，人类对全球气候有明显的影响”这个结论。该委员会同时提到，由于“关键因素的不确定性”，包括云层和海洋对温度变化率的影响程度，人类对全球气候的影响量是未知的。解决这些不确定因素可能需要十年乃至更长时间的额外研究。(4)Meanwhile,much is known.And although the specific con

9、sequences of human activityremain ambiguous,our ability to alter the atmosphere is incontestable.(4)同时，大多是已知的。尽管人类活动的具体后果仍不明确，我们改变大气的能力是不可否认的。(5)What causes climate change?Weather is what happens outside your home thismorning.Climate is what you can expect to happen outside during your 30-year mortg

10、age.Over time small changes can make a big difference.Driven by tremendous flows of heatover the surface of the planet,Earth*s climate system is influenced by innumerableinteracting variables.(5)是什么导致了气候变化？天气是这个早上出现在户外的自然现象。气候是在30年内可以预测的发生在户外的自然现象。随着时间的流逝，微小的变化会造成巨大的影响。由于星球表面上的巨大热流，无数相互作用的变量影响着地球的气候

11、系统。Solar Input(6)Having traveled 93 million miles,solar energy hits the upper atmosphere at aboutthe intensity of three 100-watt bulbs per square yardone-third of which is reflected backinto space.The rest of the energy warms Earth and fuels its weather engine.太阳能输入(6)已经走了 9300万英里，太阳能达到高层大气时，每平方的强度大

12、约是3 个 100瓦灯泡一其中三分之一被反射回太空。其余的能量使地球变暖，并引起天气改变。The Atmosphere(7)A delicate balance of gases gives Earth an average temperature of 15(59T).Greenhouse gases-water vapor,C02,methane,nitrous oxide,and others-absorbheat energy,then re-radiate a portion of it back to the surface.大气(7)气体的一种微妙平衡使地球平均温度为15C(59

13、F)o 温室气体一水汽，C02,甲烷，一氧化二氮，和其他气体一吸收热能，然后再辐射一部分返回地面。The Oceans(8)Covering 70 percent of Earths surface,oceans are the chief source of watervapor in the air.Oceans store heat efficiently and transport it thousands of miles.Whenwarm water collects in one place,evaporation and cloud buildup may increase.M

14、arineorganisms consume huge amounts of C02.海洋(8)覆盖地球表面的百分之7 0,海洋是空气中的水蒸气的主要来源。海洋能有效地储存热能和把它运输数千英里。当温水聚集在一个地方，蒸发和云层积累可能会增加。海洋生物消耗大量的C 02。The Water Cycle(9)Higher air temperatures can mean increased water evaporation and the meltingof sea and land ice.Although water vapor is the most potent greenhouse

15、 gas,evaporation also leads to cloud formation,which can have a cooling effect.水循环(9)更高的空气温度可以增加水的蒸发和融化海洋和陆地的冰。虽然水蒸气是最有效的温室气体，蒸发也导致云的形成，它可以有一个冷却效果。Clouds(10)The role of clouds is poorly understood,but they are known to both cool Earthby reflecting solar energy and warm Earth by trapping heat being r

16、adiated up from thesurface.云层(1 0)人类对云层的作用了解很少，但是知道它们会通过反射太阳能使地面温度下降,且通过储存地表散发的热量使地面温度上升。Ice and Snow(11)Bright white expanses of ice and snow reflect sunlight back into space,coolingthe planet.Melting sea ice draws heat from the ocean.In the Northern Hemisphere,snowcover has decreased about 10 perc

17、ent in the past 21 years,but no significant melting ofthe Antarctic ice sheet has been detected.冰和雪(1 1)广阔区域的明亮白色的冰和雪把阳光反射回太空，使地球冷却。融化的海冰从海洋中吸取热量。在北半球，雪覆盖在过去的21年中减少了约百分之1 0,但没有明显的南极冰盖的融化已经被检测到。Land Surface(12)When solar energy penetrates the land surface,it is converted into heat,most ofwhich radiat

18、es upward quickly.Still,topography and land use can have major effects onclimate.Mountain ranges can block clouds,creating dry shadows downwind.Slopingland allows more water runoff,leaving the land and air drier.A tropical forest will soak upC02,but once cleared for cattle ranching,the same land bec

19、omes a source of methane.(1 2)当太阳能渗入地表时，会转化为热能，其中大部分会很快上升散发到空气中。地形和土地使用仍然对气候有主要的影响。在下风口，山脉会挡住云层，形成缺乏雨水的“阴影地”。坡地让更多的水分流失，使得土地和空气更加干燥。热带森林会吸收二氧化碳，但是一旦允许牲畜农场经营，这块土地将会产生大量的甲烷。Human Influences(13)Adding to the mix of greenhouse gases naturally present in the atmosphere,human activities magnify warming ef

20、fects.Fuel combustion is the chief cause ofrising C02 concentrations.Ranching,rice farming,and landfills have raisedmethane levels.Aerosols,such as smoke and sulfates from industry,reflect sunlight andhave temporary,localized cooling effects.人类的影响(1 3)增加在大气中自然存在的温室气体的混合，人类活动放大变暖的影响。燃料燃烧是CO?浓度上升的一个主要

21、原因。牧场，水稻种植，和垃圾填埋场已经提高甲烷的程度。悬浮颗粒，如来自工业的烟尘和硫酸盐，能反射阳光，有暂时的、局部的冷却效果。(14)If C02 emission increases are to blame for global warming,skeptics say,thentemperatures should have risen appreciably during the postwar economic boom,when fossil fuels were burned in escalating quantity.Jerry Mahlman,director of NO

22、AAsGeophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton,however,has calculated that thesurge in coal and oil use quickly increased the amount of sulfates aloft,prompting thecooling.After 1970 the longer term effect of C02 and methane overwhelmed theshort-lived aerosols,accounting for the temperature r

23、ise since then.(1 4)质疑者们说，如果CO2的增加应该对全球变暖负责，那么在战后经济繁荣期间化石燃料被越来越多的燃烧时，温度应该很明显的增加。不管怎样，Jerry Mahlman,美国国家海洋和大气局位于普林斯顿关于地球物理流体动力学实验室的主任，曾计算过煤和油的使用量的激增会迅速增加空气中大量的硫酸盐，并促进它们冷却。从 1970年后，CO2和甲烷覆盖了短期效应的气溶胶从而带来的长期效应，导致了温度的上升。(15)An enhanced greenhouse effect may not necessarily be catastrophic.Indeed,itmight

24、be good news for some farmers.High concentrations of C02 can have a fertilizingeffect on plants,which is why some commercial greenhouses use an artificial indooratmosphere containing C02 at about three times the level outside.Because plants usephotosynthesis to turn C02 into living tissue,more veget

25、ation also might mean more C02scavenged from the atmosphere,perhaps slowing global warming.(1 5)增强的温室效应可能不一定是灾难性的。事实上，这对一些农民来说可能是好消息。高浓度C 02对植物可以有施肥的效果，这就是为什么有些商业温室使用C 02浓度约为室外三倍水平的人工室内空气。由于植物利用光合作用将CO2转换为细胞组织，更多的植被也可能意味着更多来自于大气的CO2被清除，可能减缓全球变暖。(16)Furthermore,higher temperatures might be most welco

26、me where they are mostlikely to occur.Since 1900,the greatest warming has been observed between 40degrees and 70 degrees north latitude-including Europe,Russia,and the northernhalf of the U.S.where much of the worlds industrial greenhouse gas emissions originate.Most of the warming has taken place a

27、t night-presumably because increased cloud covershades the land by day and traps outgoing heat at night.The growing season in thenorthern U.S.has lengthened by about a week.(1 6)此外，高温在最可能发生的地方也许会最受欢迎。从 1990年开始，在人们北纬 40。一70。之间观察最主要的温室变化。包括欧洲、俄罗斯和美国北部半数地区，这些地区是世界上工业温室气体主要的排放地。大多数的温室变化是发生在晚上的，大概是因为在白天增

28、加的阴云遮住了大地并且晚上高温的散发受到了限制。在美国北部植物的增长期被延长了差不多一周左右。(17)Some scientists argue that hasty measures are pointless:Any appreciablealterations in climate,they say,are likely to be gradual enough that we will be able toadapt.And even if all greenhouse gas emissions stopped tomorrow,the planet almostcertainly

29、would continue to warm for several decades because of the gases longatmospheric lifetime.(1 7)一些科学家认为，草率的措施是毫无意义的：他们说，任何可预见的气候变化，有可能是渐进的，我们将能够适应。即使所有的温室气体在明天都停止排放，地球几乎肯定会继续温暖儿十年，因为气体的长的大气寿命。(18)On the other hand,there is evidence that some kinds of events could changeclimate radically in the span of

30、 decades.Perhaps the most feared is an abruptcollapse in the huge Atlantic conveyor belt1 system that brings warm water north from theequator,keeping Europe several degrees warmer than it would otherwise be.Evaporation of this incoming flow leaves the belt with a higher salt content than therest of

31、the North Atlantic,which is fed by substantial freshwater runoff fromcontinental watersheds.The belt cools and becomes denser as it approachesGreenland,where it sinks.It then travels far below the surface in a south-movingreturn flow.(1 8)从另一方面说，有证据表明一些事件会在数十年的时间内从根本上改变气候。也许人们大多数的担忧是巨大的大西洋“传送带”会发生一种

32、突然的崩溃。这个传送带从赤道北部带来了温暖的水，使它比原来的温度高几度。这种流入水的消失会使“传送带”变得比北大西洋其它地区的盐度都高，北大西洋其它的地区存储着大量从陆地流域流入的淡水。这个“传送带”中的水在接近格陵兰岛时会变得冰冷而且稠密，在那里它下沉了。然后它随着向南流动的回流表层下部远去。(19)But what if human-induced global warming altered the delicate temperaturedifference between the flows and at the same time caused increased rainfall

33、 over theoceans,diluting the salinity of the northward flow?The whole Atlantic conveyor belt couldsimply shut down,as ocean-sediment evidence suggests it has several times in the past.The effect would be locally disastrous.By one estimate,Ireland would have about thesame temperature as present-day S

34、pitsbergen,which is hundreds of miles above theArctic Circle.Much of northern Europe would be largely uninhabitable.(1 9)但是人类引起的全球变暖改变了水流之间的微妙的温度差，同时在海洋上引起的降雨量增加，稀释北上水流的盐度又怎样？整个大西洋输送带可以简单地关闭，因为海洋沉积物的证据表明，它在过去发生过好几次。影响会是局部灾难性的。根 据 一 个 预测，爱尔兰将会和现在位于北极圈数百英里以上的斯匹次卑尔根有大约相同的温度。欧洲北部的大部分将不适合居住。(20)No one kn

35、ows for certain whether such things will happen.Beyond that thespecific human effect on climate change will remain hauntingly indefinite until ourknowledge increases and the models improve.(2 0)没人确信这些事情是不是真的会发生。除了对气候做出特别的人为影响，这种不确定性将会一直萦绕人们的心头直到我们的知识增加和理论提高。The Greenhouse Effect温室效应(l)The air we bre

36、athe keeps us alive in more ways than one.Without our atmosphere,average global temperature would be about minus 18(minus 0.4T)instead of thepresent 15(59F),All the incoming sunlight,with energy equivalent to about three100-watt light bulbs per square yard,would strike Earths surface,causing it to e

37、mitinfrared waves like a giant radiator.That heat would simply travel unimpeded back out intothe void.(I)我们呼吸的空气不止从个方面确保我们活着。没有大气层，全球平均温度大约是零下18c(零下0.4F),而不是现在的15(5 9 F)。所有入射的太阳光，每平方码的能量相当于3 个 100瓦的灯泡，会撞击地球表面，使它像一个巨大的散热器一样发射出红外波。这种热将简单地传播，无阻碍地返回到虚空中去。(2)Because of the atmosphere,however,only a fract

38、ion of that heat makes it directlyback into space.The rest is trapped in the lower air layers,which contain a number ofgases 一 water vapor,C02,methane,and others-that absorb the outgoing infraredradiation.As those gases heat up,some of their warmth radiates back down to the surface.The entire proces

39、s is called the greenhouse effect,and most of it is caused by thepredominant greenhouse gas,water vapor-(2)然而，由于大气，只有一小部分的热量，使它直接回到太空。剩下的热量被困在低层大气中，其中含有一些气体一水汽，C02,甲烷和其他气体一吸收外面的红外辐射。由于这些气体加热，它们的一些温暖辐射回地面。整个过程被称为温室效应，大部分是由主要的温室气体，水蒸气引起的。(3)With increased heating,more water evaporates from oceans,lake

40、s,and soils.Because a warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor,this creates a powerfulfeedback loop:the hotter it gets,the higher the water vapor content of the air,and thus thegreater the greenhouse warming.(3)因为热量增加，更多的水从海洋、湖泊和土壤中蒸发掉。由于一个温暖的大气可以容纳更多的水蒸气，这创造了一个强大的反馈回路：它得到的热量越多，空气中水蒸气含量越高，从而温室变暖越

41、严重。(4)Human beings have little direct control over the volume of water in theatmosphere.But we produce other greenhouse gases that intensify the effect.The IPCCestimates that rising C02 emissions,mostly from burning fossil fuels,account for about60 percent of the warming observed since 1850.Carbon d

42、ioxide concentration has beenincreasing about 0.3 percent higher than it was before the industrial revolution.If currentrates continue,it will rise to at least twice pre-industrial levels by about 2060-and by theend of the century could be four times as high.That is particularly worrisome because CO

43、2 has a lifetime of more than a hundred years in the atmosphere,compared with eightdays for water vapor.(4)人类对大气中的水的体积几乎没有直接的控制权。但我们生产的其他温室气体可以加剧影响。IPCC估计：C02排放上升，大部分来自化石燃料的燃烧，占据了自1850年开始观察的气候变暖的60%。二氧化碳浓度比工业革命之前持续增加了约0.3%。如果目前的速度持续下去，到 2060左右至少会上升到工业化前水平的两倍一到本世纪末，可能高达四倍。这是特别令人担忧的，因为与水蒸气的八天寿命相比，C02在

44、大气中的寿命超过一百年。(5)Pushing their way through emerging cities like Barakar,India,automobiles carry unwanted cargo-C02 emissions.Since the late 1700s,theburning of fossil fuels and other human activities have increased atmospheric C02concentrations more than 30 percent.While the amount added to the air by

45、 humans,roughly 7 billion metric tons a year,is a tiny fraction of the total held by theatmosphere-750 billion tons-and an even smaller figure compared with that held in theoceansabout 35 trillion tonsit remains a significant amount.The reason:Naturalprocesses are in balance,drawing about as much C0

46、2 from the air as they deposit.Human activity,however,only adds C02.(5)通过印度Barakar这样的新兴城市推动它们的方式，利用汽车运载无用的货物C02排放。自 18世纪晚期，化石燃料和其他人类活动燃烧使大气C 02浓度超过30%。然而人类向空气中每年大约增加70亿吨量的CO2,是大气C 02总容量的一小部分的750亿吨一与海洋中的容量相比是一个更小的数字一大约35兆吨一它仍然是一个重要的数量。原因是：自然过程是平衡的，空气吸收的C 02和它们存储的差不多从。然而人类活动,只是增加C 02容量。(6)Much remains

47、 to be learned about Earths carbon cycle and the roleof the oceans as a sink for CO2.Despite such uncertainties,the computerprograms used to model Earths climate are improving rapidly.Current models dowell in simulating seasonal variations and climate over thousands of years,leading mostscientists t

48、o take their overall projections seriously.（6）地球的碳循环和海洋汇集CO2作用还有许多有待了解。不管有这些不确定性，用于模拟地球气候的计算机程序正在迅速改善。目前的模型很好地模拟了几千年的季节性变化和气候，导致大多数科学家认真地接受他们的全部预测。(7)Methane,the principal ingredient of natural gas,has caused an estimated 15percent of the warming in modem times.Generated by bacteria in rice fields,d

49、ecomposing garbage,cattle ranching,and fossil fuel production,methane persists in theatmosphere for nearly a decade and is now about 2.5 times as prevalent as it was in the18th century.Other major greenhouse gases include nitrous oxide-produced by bothagriculture and industry-and various solvents an

50、d refrigerants likechlorofluorocarbons,or CFCs,which are now banned by international treaty becauseof their damaging effect on Earths protective ozone layer.(7)甲烷是天然气的主要成分，在现代已造成约15%的气候变暖。在稻田细菌，分解垃圾，养牛，和化石燃料生产的过程中产生，甲烷在大气中持续了将近十年，现在是在第十八世纪普遍存在的2.5倍。其他主要的温室气体包括NO在农业和工业中产生一各种溶剂和制冷剂如氯氟烧，或者C FC s,现在已经被国