China’s Manmade Contribution to Natural Disasters
中国对自然浩劫的人为因素
By Daniel Chen, David Lee
【新闻关键字】
1. manmade adj. 人造的; 人为的
2. drought n. 旱灾
3. step up ph. 加紧; 加强
4. compromise v. 连累
5. Mother Nature ph. 大自然
6. degenerated adj. 衰退; 变坏
7. plantations n. 人造林
8. retain v. 保持
With southwest China experiencing its worst drought in a hundred years, the country’s ecological experts are warning authorities to step up its efforts on protecting the environment.
随着中国西南方经历了几百年来最严重的旱灾，中国的生态学专家们提出警告，政府当局应该加紧努力保护环境了。
Professor Xie Yan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences—or CAS—says the pursuit of economic growth has compromised ecological balance.
来自中科院 (又称CAS) 的教授谢元表示，中国追求经济成长已经连累了生态平衡。
[Professor Xie Yan, College of Life Science, CAS]:
“Mother Nature seems to be bringing more and more disasters to China. Part of the reason is that our own ecological system has severely degenerated, and the protective effects of the ecological system have greatly decreased.”
[谢元教授，中科院生命科学院]：
“大自然似乎给中国带来了愈来愈多的灾难。部分原因在于我们自己的生态系统已经严重地衰退，而且生态系统的保护效应也已经大大地减弱了。”
Professor Xie says the replacement of natural forests with man-made plantations has disrupted the cycle of water in the environment.
谢教授说，人造林取代了天然森林，已经破坏了环境中水循环。
[Professor Xie Yan, College of Life Science, CAS]:
“Forests serve a wonderful ecological purpose, including protecting water resources and retaining water in the air, increasing humidity and protecting water in the land. But once it is transformed into man-made plantations of just one type of tree, its ecological role is significantly reduced.”
[谢元教授，中科院生命科学院]：
“森林的存在，提供了一个很棒的生态目的，包括保护水资源、保持空气中水分、增加湿度、以及保护土壤中的水分。不过一旦它转变成只有一种树木的人造林，它的生态角色就明显地减弱了。”
【新闻关键字】
1. vegetation n. 植被
2. overgrazing n. 过度放牧
3. sandstorm n. 沙尘暴
4. frequent v. 经常造访
5. atmospheric circulation ph. 大气环流
6. desertification n. 沙漠化
7. in store ph. 储存着
8. in the long run ph. 从长远来看
The loss of vegetation and overgrazing is also being blamed for sandstorms that have frequented northern China.
植被的减少以及过度放牧，也被归咎为经常侵袭中国北方的沙尘暴的原因。
[Professor Qian Zhengan, Sandstorm Expert, CAS]:
“The main cause of sandstorms is atmospheric circulation, but desertification and the loss of vegetation is definitely a significant factor. Without these, there wouldn’t be a source for the sand.”
[钱教授，中科院沙尘暴专家]：
“沙尘暴的主要起因是大气环流，但荒漠化和植被的流失肯定是一个重要因素。没有这些，就不会有沙尘的来源。”
Professor Qian says authorities need to be realistic in what can be taken from the environment. Otherwise more disasters will be in store for future generations.
钱教授表示，当局必需很务实地思考：从环境的角度，应该采取什么行动。否则，将会有更多的灾难，遗祸给后代子孙。
[Professor Qian Zhengan, Sandstorm Expert, CAS]:
“The number of people that can be supported, the amount of land that can be grazed needs to be viewed realistically. Otherwise our surroundings will be destroyed. Perhaps there may be short term gains and some developments, but in the long run, you have taken away everything for the future generations to develop upon, and leaving them only with a disaster.”
[钱教授，中科院沙尘暴专家]：
“可以支撑的人口数目、可以放牧多少土地，这些都必须务实地看待。否则我们的周遭环境将会被破坏。也许可以获得短期的收益和一些发展，但长远来看，你若带走一切给子孙后代发展的本钱，留给他们的将只有灾难。”
本新闻影音出处：新唐人电视台英语新闻
http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_china/2010-04-01/234426943036.html
