Ⅰ篇章翻译

Ⅰ　篇章翻译
Global Warming

原文

Scientists learned long ago that the earth’s climate has powerfully shaped the history of the human species—biologically,culturally and geographically.But only in the last few decades has research revealed that humans can be a powerful influence on the climate as well.

A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that since 1950,the world’s climate has been warming,primarily as a result of emissions from unfettered burning of fossil fuels and the razing of tropical forests.Such activity adds to the atmosphere’s invisible blanket of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases.Recent research has shown that methane,which flows from landfills,livestock and oil and gas facilities,is a close second to carbon dioxide in impact on the atmosphere.

That conclusion has emerged through a broad body of analysis in fields as disparate as glaciology,the study of glacial formations,and palynology,the study of the distribution of pollen grains in lake mud.It is based on a host of assessments by the world’s leading organizations of climate and earth scientists.

In the last several years,the scientific case that the rising human influence on climate could become disruptive has become particularly robust.

Some fluctuations in the Earth’s temperature are inevitable regardless of human activity—because of decades-long ocean cycles,for example.But centuries of rising temperatures and seas lie ahead if the release of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation continues unabated,according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.The panel shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for alerting the world to warming’s risks.

Despite the scientific consensus on these basic conclusions,enormously important details remain murky.That reality has been seized upon by some groups and scientists disputing the overall consensus and opposing changes in energy policies.

For example,estimates of the amount of warming that would result from a doubling of greenhouse gas concentrations (compared to the level just before the Industrial Revolution got under way in the early 19th century) range from 3.6 degrees to 8 degrees Fahrenheit.The intergovernmental climate panel said it could not rule out even higher temperatures.While the low end could probably be tolerated,the high end would almost certainly result in calamitous,long-lasting disruptions of ecosystems and economies,a host of studies have concluded.A wide range of economists and earth scientists say that level of risk justifies an aggressive response.

Other questions have persisted despite a century-long accumulation of studies pointing to human-driven warming.The rate and extent at which sea levels will rise in this century as ice sheets erode remains highly uncertain,even as the long-term forecast of centuries of retreating shorelines remains intact.Scientists are struggling more than ever to disentangle how the heat building in the seas and atmosphere will affect the strength and number of tropical cyclones.The latest science suggests there will be more hurricanes and typhoons that reach the most dangerous categories of intensity,but fewer storms over all.

The debate over such climate questions pales next to the fight over what to do,or not do,in a world where fossil fuels still underpin both rich and emerging economies.With the completion of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Earth Summit in 1992,the world’s nations pledged to avoid dangerously disrupting the climate through the buildup of greenhouse gases,but they never defined how much warming was too much.

Nonetheless,recognizing that the original climate treaty was proving ineffective,all of the world’s industrialized countries except for the United States accepted binding restrictions on their greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol,which was negotiated in Japan in 1997.That accord took effect in 2005 and its gas restrictions expire in 2012.The United States signed the treaty,but it was never submitted for ratification,in the face of overwhelming opposition in the Senate because the pact required no steps by China or other fast-growing developing countries.

It took until 2009 for the leaders of the world’s largest economic powers to agree on a dangerous climate threshold: an increase of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from the average global temperature recorded just before the Industrial Revolution kicked into gear.(This translates into an increase of 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit above the Earth’s current average temperature,about 59 degrees.)

The Group of 8 industrial powers also agreed this year to a goal of reducing global emissions 50 percent by 2050,with the richest countries leading the way by cutting their emissions 80 percent.But they did not set a baseline from which to measure that reduction,and so far firm interim targets—which many climate scientists say would be more meaningful—have not been defined.

At the same time,fast-growing emerging economic powerhouses,led by China and India,still oppose taking on mandatory obligations to curb their emissions.They say they will do what they can to rein in growth in emissions—as long as their economies do not suffer.The world’s poorest countries,in the meantime,are seeking payments to help make them less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,given that the buildup in climate-warming gases so far has come mainly from richer nations.Such aid has been promised since the 1992 treaty and a fund was set up under the Kyoto Protocol.But while tens of billions of dollars are said to be needed,only millions have flowed so far.

In many ways,the debate over global climate policy is a result of a global “climate divide.’’ Emissions of carbon dioxide per person range from less than 2 tons per year in India,where 400 million people lack access to electricity,to more than 20 in the United States.The richest countries are also best able to use wealth and technology to insulate themselves from climate hazards,while the poorest,which have done the least to cause the problem,are the most exposed.

In Copenhagen in December 2009,negotiators had planned to try to settle on the basic terms of two new global climate agreements.One would renew the commitments of countries bound by the Kyoto emissions limits; the other would rein in emissions of all countries to varying extents,depending on their wealth and emissions history.Given the many competing interests,and the reality that any big emissions shifts would have substantial economic impacts,the negotiations have been called one of the most complex diplomatic challenges ever.(1,077 words)

生词

unfettered　adj.无拘无束的

raze　v.消除；抹去；破坏

carbon dioxide　n.二氧化碳

heat-trapping　adj.吸热的

methane　n.甲烷；沼气

landfill　n.填埋；垃圾堆

glaciology　n.冰河学；冰川学

palynology　n.孢粉学

disruptive　adj.破坏的；制造混乱的

fluctuation　n.起伏；波动

deforestation　n.采伐森林

unabated　adj.不减弱的；不衰退的

intergovernmental　adj.政府间的

consensus　n.共识；一致

murky　adj.黑暗的；阴郁的

concentration　n.浓度；专心

calamitous　adj.灾难的；不幸的

erode　v.侵蚀；腐蚀

disentangle　v.解开；松开

cyclone　n.旋风；气旋

hurricane　n.飓风；暴风

typhoon　n.台风

intensity　n.强度；亮度

underpin　v.巩固；支持；

ratification　n.批准；认可

threshold　n.阀值；门槛

Celsius　n.摄氏度

Fahrenheit　n.华氏温标

gear　n.齿轮；v.开动

baseline　n.基线；底线

interim　adj.临时的；暂时的

powerhouse　n.强者；强队

mandatory　adj.强制的

vulnerable　adj.易受攻击的；易受伤害的

insulate　v.隔离；使绝缘

diplomatic　adj.外交的

注释

1.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change：联合国政府间气候变化专业委员会。

A scientific intergovernmental body,set up at the request of member governments.It was first established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations,the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP),and later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 43/53.Its mission is to provide comprehensive scientific assessments of current scientific,technical and socioeconomic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity,its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences,and possible options for adapting to these consequences or mitigating the effects.

2.Nobel Prize：诺贝尔奖。A set of annual international awards bestowed in a number of categories by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and/or scientific advances.The will of the Swedish philanthropist inventor Alfred Nobel established the prizes in 1895.The prizes in Physics,Chemistry,Physiology or Medicine,Literature,and Peace were first awarded in 1901.The related Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was created in 1968.Between 1901 and 2012,the Nobel Prizes and the Prize in Economic Sciences were awarded 555 times to 863 people and organizations.

3.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change：《联合国气候变化框架条约》。1992年5月在纽约联合国总部通过的国际公约，1992年6月在巴西里约热内卢召开的由世界各国政府首脑参加的联合国环境与发展会议期间开放签署。1994年3月21日，该公约生效。

4.The Earth Summit：地球峰会。即The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)（联合国环境与发展会议，也被称为里约热内卢峰会 (Rio Summit)），于1992年6月3日至14日在巴西里约热内卢召开。

5.The Kyoto Protocol：京都议定书。是《联合国气候变化框架公约》（United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change，UNFCCC）的补充条款。1997年12月在日本京都府京都市的国立京都国际会馆所召开联合国气候变化框架公约参加国三次会议制定。其目标是“将大气中的温室气体含量稳定在一个适当的水平，进而防止剧烈的气候改变对人类造成伤害”。

6.The Group of 8：八国集团，简称G8。是指现今世界八大工业领袖国联盟。始创于1975年的六国集团，始创国有6个，包括法国、美国、英国、西德、日本、意大利。其后，加拿大于1976年加入，成为七国集团（简称“G7”）。第八个成员国为俄罗斯，该国于1991年起参与G7峰会的部份会议，直至1997年，被接纳成为成员国，正式成为G8。

翻译解析

1.【原文】Scientists learned long ago that the earth’s climate has powerfully shaped the history of the human species—biologically,culturally and geographically.

【译文】很久以前科学家们就知道地球的气候对于人类历史的发展产生了巨大的影响，无论在生物学、文化还是地理方面，莫不如此。

【解析】此句难处理的是外位结构biologically，culturally and geographically,译文在汉语中同样把它们处理成外位结构，增加“莫不如此”概括，让前半部分的信息密度减小，使句子更好接受。如果译为“很久以前科学家们就知道地球的气候对于人类历史的发展无论在生物学、文化还是地理方面都产生了巨大的影响，”则信息密度过大，增加读者认知难度。

2.【原文】Recent research has shown that methane,which flows from landfills,livestock and oil and gas facilities,is a close second to carbon dioxide in impact on the atmosphere.

【译文】最近的研究显示从填埋的垃圾、牲畜以及油与天然气设施中漂浮出的甲烷对于大气的影响仅次于二氧化碳。

【解析】本句有两点需要注意，一是methane后面的定语中methane的来源有三个，尽管内容丰富，但在译文中都放在methane前面，是较合适的做法；二是“a close second to”这个词虽然有“close”，但也只好用“仅”来说明。

3.【原文】That conclusion has emerged through a broad body of analysis in fields as disparate as glaciology,the study of glacial formations,and palynology,the study of the distribution of pollen grains in lake mud.

【译文】这一结论是通过宽泛的不同学科领域的分析中得出的，这其中既包括冰河学，冰川形成学，孢粉学，也包括花粉粒在湖泥中的分布研究。

【解析】这里翻译时不好处理的是fields的修饰成分，译文中把disparate提前解出来，然后把后面的具体内容单句列出，就显得意义清晰，句子有层次感，要注意的是前后部分的连贯手段，增加了“这其中”，还有衔接手法“既……也……”。

4.【原文】In the last several years,the scientific case that the rising human influence on climate could become disruptive has become particularly robust.

【译文】在最近几年里，人们更加相信人类对气候越来越多的影响可能是破坏性的这种科学主张。

【解析】此处“the scientific case”中，“case”的意义有“实例，事例；情况，状况；诉讼（事件），案件，判例；容器（箱，盒）；”等，如何选择要看语境，此处引申为“科学主张”。

5.【原文】But centuries of rising temperatures and seas lie ahead if the release of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation continues unabated,according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

【译文】但依照联合国政府间气候变化专业委员会的报告，如果焚烧矿物燃料排放的气体以及采伐森林不能减少，接下来的几个世纪，气温以及海平面将持续上升。

【解析】本句为条件句，句子顺序需要做相应调整，此外，消息来源在翻译成汉语时也需要依照汉语的习惯调整到前面；在词层面上，rising修饰“temperatures and sea”,译文中将它们调整为主谓结构，更为合理。

6.【原文】That reality has been seized upon by some groups and scientists disputing the overall consensus and opposing changes in energy policies.

【译文】有些组织和科学家抓住这一事实，对能否达成全面共识展开辩论，反对对能源政策做出改变。

【解析】本句的分词结构有两个部分，即“disputing the overall consensus”与“opposing changes in energy policies”，译文分而解之，但要注意理解这两部分的相承关系。

7.【原文】While the low end could probably be tolerated,the high end would almost certainly result in calamitous,long-lasting disruptions of ecosystems and economies,a host of studies have concluded.

【译文】一系列研究得出的结论是，虽然低温端人类能够承受，高温端则几乎肯定会给生态系统以及经济带来灾难性的、长期的破坏。

【解析】句子最后的部分“a host of studies have concluded”依照汉语习惯调整到前面，“conclude”由动词依照需要变为名词；这里的“the low end”与“the high end”依照语境应是就“温度”而言，所以译为“低温端”与“高温端”。

8.【原文】Other questions have persisted despite a century-long accumulation of studies pointing to human-driven warming.

【译文】尽管一个世纪以来的研究都表明变暖是由人类造成的，但有些问题依然悬而未决。

【解析】原文中的“persist”表明“问题依然存在，此处译为“悬而未决”；“pointing to”后面是一个单句结构，不宜解为“指向”。

9.【原文】The debate over such climate questions pales next to the fight over what to do,or not do,in a world where fossil fuels still underpin both rich and emerging economies.

【译文】虽然对这些气候问题的争论很激烈，但与面对这些问题要做什么、不做什么的争论相比，这些问题变得相形见绌，因为在我们生活的这个世界，无论富裕的还是正在兴起的经济体仍然需要矿物燃料作支撑。

【解析】原文中的“pale”是一个词意难以确定的词，此处考虑“the debate”与“the fight”的逻辑关系，增加“很激烈”和“相形见绌”把词意拖出，并且在句子结构上用“虽然……但……”把逻辑关系理顺。

10.【原文】That accord took effect in 2005 and its gas restrictions expire in 2012.The United States signed the treaty,but it was never submitted for ratification,in the face of overwhelming opposition in the Senate because the pact required no steps by China or other fast-growing developing countries.

【译文】美国虽然在议定书上签了字，但却在其参议院的一片反对声中从未将其提交以获得批准，因为这一协议中没有要求中国或其他快速增长的发展中国家采取措施。

【解析】本句的理解需要了解一些美国政府参、众两院决策的程序，这样对于“it was never submitted for ratification”就好理解了；“overwhelming opposition”应是美国政策在参议院表决通过时，“反对票占据绝大多数”，此处为表达方便，解为“一片反对声”。

11.【原文】But they did not set a baseline from which to measure that reduction,and so far firm interim targets—which many climate scientists say would be more meaningful—have not been defined.

【译文】但他们没有设定衡量减排的基准，这样一来，刚性的过渡期减排目标就没有确定下来，而这在很多科学家看来是更有意义的。

【解析】本句中“firm interim targets”的修饰语处理到后面，独立成句，能使句子意义更清晰，如果处理成“在许多气候科学家看来更有意义的刚性的过渡期减排目标还是没有确定”则信息排列过分密集，层次不够清晰。

12.【原文】The world’s poorest countries,in the meantime,are seeking payments to help make them less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,given that the buildup in climate-warming gases so far has come mainly from richer nations.

【译文】而世界上最贫穷的国家则正在寻求补偿以帮助自己在面对气候变化的影响时可以少受些伤害，因为导致气候变暖的气体排放主要来自更富裕的国家。

【解析】本句中有转折关系，有因果关系，翻译时需要明确的补充以把这些逻辑关系明示出来。此处“而”和“因为”都是逻辑关系标志词。

参考译文

全 球 变 暖

很久以前科学家们就知道地球的气候对于人类历史的发展产生了巨大的影响，无论在生物学、文化还是地理方面，莫不如此。但只有在最近的几十年，科学研究才揭示出人类对于气候也有着巨大的影响。

越来越多的科学证据显示，自1950年以来，世界气候一直在变暖，这其中主要的原因是无节制地焚烧矿物燃料，排放气体，以及对热带雨林的破坏。这些行为使大气中隐形的二氧化碳层以及其他吸收热量的“温室”气体增加。最近的研究显示从填埋的垃圾、牲畜以及油与天然气设施中漂浮出的甲烷对于大气的影响仅次于二氧化碳。

这一结论是通过宽泛的不同学科领域的分析中得出的，这其中既包括冰河学，冰川形成学，孢粉学，也包括花粉粒在湖泥中的分布研究。其建基于由世界领先的气候与地球研究机构科学家所做出的一大堆评估。

在最近几年里，人们更加相信人类对气候越来越多的影响可能是破坏性的这种科学主张。

无论是否有人类的活动，地球气温的波动不可避免，因为，举例而言，有几十年的海洋循环。但依照联合国政府间气候变化专业委员会的报告，如果焚烧矿物燃料排放的气体以及采伐森林不能减少，接下来的几个世纪，气温以及海平面将持续上升。这一组织2007年与美国前副总统艾伯特·戈尔一起因提醒全球注意变暖的危险而获得诺贝尔和平奖。

虽然科学界对这些基本的结论达成了共识，但一些极为重要的细节仍然含糊不清。有些组织和科学家抓住这一事实，对能否达成全面共识展开辩论，反对对能源政策做出改变。

比如，有估计称温室气体浓度（与工业革命刚刚起步的十九世纪早期以前的水平相比）增加一倍，地球温度会升高3.6至8华氏度。而联合国政府间气候专业委员会则认为不能排除温度更高的可能性。一系列研究得出的结论是，虽然低温端人类能够承受，高温端则几乎肯定会给生态系统以及经济带来灾难性的、长期的破坏。一大批经济学家以及地球科学家认为危险的程度让我们有理由采取大胆的回应。

尽管一个世纪以来的研究都表明变暖是由人类造成的，但有些问题依然悬而未决。本世纪冰层融蚀能够多快和在多大程度上带来海平面的上升仍然无法确定，甚至一直在预言的几个世纪以来一直在退缩的海岸线也是毫无损伤。科学家们正以前所未有的努力在解开海面上以及大气中的热量积聚会如何影响热带气旋的强度和频率。最近科学界的说法是未来会有更多强度级别最危险的飓风以及台风，但总体而言，风暴会减少。

虽然对这些气候问题的争论很激烈，但与面对这些问题要做什么、不做什么的争论相比，这些问题变得相形见绌，因为在我们生活的这个世界，无论富裕的还是正在兴起的经济体仍然需要矿物燃料作支撑。1992年的全球峰会上《联合国气候变化框架协议》达成，世界各国誓言避免由于温室气体的增长给气候带来引起危险的破坏，但这些国家从未界定过变暖程度怎样才算过度。

不过，由于认识到最初的气候条约正在变得无效，除美国之外的所有世界发达国家都接受了1997年在日本通过协商达成的《京都议定书》中对各自温室气体排放所做的约束性限制。这一协议2005年生效，其气体排放限制将于2012年终止。美国虽然在议定书上签了字，但却在其参议院的一片反对声中从未将其提交以获得批准，因为这一协议中没有要求中国或其他快速增长的发展中国家采取措施。

直到2009年，世界主要经济大国的领导人才就危险气候的起始点达成一致：比工业革命驶入快车道之前记录的全球平均气温增加摄氏2度（或华氏3.6度）。（换句话说，就是比地球目前大约59华氏度的平均气温增加1.3华氏度）。

八国集团今年也通过了至2050年将全球气体排放量减少50%的目标，这其中最富有的国家将起表率作用，将自身的排放量减少80%。但他们没有设定衡量减排的基准，这样一来，刚性的过渡期减排目标就没有确定下来，而这在很多科学家看来是更有意义的。

与此同时，以中国和印度为首的发展迅速、正在崛起的经济强国仍然反对接受强制性的义务以控制自身的气体排放。它们说它们将在不影响经济增长的前提下尽一切可能控制气体排放的增加。而世界上最贫穷的国家则正在寻求补偿以帮助自己在面对气候变化的影响时可以少受些伤害，因为导致气候变暖的气体排放主要来自更富裕的国家。1992协议达成后就有国家承诺提供这样的援助，并且依照《京都议定书》，设立了援助基金会。但据说这需要几十亿美元的资金，而截至目前可用资金才只有几百万美元。

在很多方面，对于全球气候政策的争论是全球“气候分化”的结果。在印度，人均年二氧化碳排放量不足2吨，4亿人用不上电，但在美国人均年二氧化碳排放量则是20多吨。最富有的国家也能很好地利用他们的财富和技术以使自己远离气候威胁，而那些最贫穷的国家，没有做太多带来气候威胁的事情，却要面对最多的气候威胁。

2009年12月在丹麦首都哥本哈根，谈判者曾计划试图解决两个新的全球气候协议的基本概念问题。其中一项是更新受京都排放限制约束国家的责任问题，另一项则依照各个国家的富裕程度和排放历史，对其气体排放量进行不同程度的限制。考虑到有许多利益竞争，以及任何大的排放改变都会产生实质性的经济影响的现实，这些谈判被称为有史以来最为复杂的外交挑战之一。