assignments for students unit 9

This article is from TIMES , written by Bryan Walsh. Dec.1,2007

Team Activity: I.

background information 1. IPCC 2. UNFCCC 3. Kyoto Protocol

4. Bali Climate change conference ( Bali Action Plan) 5. President George Bush’s policy on climate change 6. Natural Resource Defense Council 7. General Electric 8. Johnson &Johnson 9. Shell II.

organization analysis

III. translate the following sentences:

1. This year the UN's Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a series of reports that laid to rest any doubts that global warming is real — and outlined the frightening consequences of continued inaction. （para1 line 2）今年政府间气

候变化专门委员会，联合国诺贝尔奖得主发表了一系列的报道，消除了关于全球变暖的一些疑问，全球变暖是真实的，并概述了继续不行动所带来的可怕后果。

2. Unfortunately, the global political community is a long way from

speaking with one voice on anything, and climate change is no exception.(Para.2) 遗憾的是，全球政治界对任何事情都无法

达成一致，气候变化问题也不例外。

3. It was at the 1997 conference, held in Japan, that the Kyoto Protocol was passed, but since then, there’s been little progress, thanks in no small part to President George W. Bush’s determined foot dragging on climate change.(Para. 2)

1997年在日本举行的会议上，京都议定书获得通过，但自此以后，进展甚微，主要原因是由于美国总统乔治布什决定在气候变化方面缓慢推行。

4. Given how long international treaties take to be developed and ratified, the world needs to begin immediately at Bali the process of preparing a successor to Kyoto to be ready by the end of 2012 — otherwise, we’ll be faced with a global vacuum at the very moment when greenhouse emissions must begin falling in order to avoid dangerous climate change. (Para.3)鉴于国际条约的制定和批准

旷日持久，全世界都需要立即在巴厘岛起草京都议定书之后的国际条约，并于2012年末完成。否则，到2012年为避免危险的气候变化而必须开始降低温室气体排放量之时，全球将处于缺乏保护的真空状态。

5. The good news is that the White House is seemingly the only place green hasn't gone mainstream. （para4 line 1）好消息是说，白宫

似乎是唯一环保没有成为主流的地方。

6. Just last week, 150 top global corporations — including General Electric, Johnson & Johnson and Shell — endorsed a petition calling for mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, a business position unthinkable just a year ago. （para4 line 2） 就在上周， 全球前

150强公司-包括通用电气公司，强生公司和壳牌公司-签署了一项请愿书，要求强制削减温室气体排放量，商界这样的举动在一年前是无法想象。

7. The U.S. has long maintained that it won’t sign onto a new deal unless the developing countries are included in a more substantive way — a position unlikely to change even when the occupant of the White House does. (Para.5)美国长久以来一直认为，它不会签

署一项新的协议，除非发展中国家以更实质性的方式参与其中—即使白宫易主，这个立场也不可能去改变。

8. Despite the fact that we are rapidly running out of time to cap carbon emissions（para6 line 1）尽管事实上我们正迅速流逝碳排放

量上限时间

9. With the Bush Administration nearing lame duck status, a 2010 deadline would give a new U.S. Administration time — though not much time — to enter the process and hopefully take a leading

position. (Para.6)随着布什即将离任， 2010年的最后期限

将会给予美国新政府一些时间，--尽管没有多少时间--来进入这一过程并且希望能够起到领导作用。

10. That extra time might also allow China or India to soften their negotiating tactics, and perhaps accept lesser limitations, such as mandatory targets in energy efficiency or renewable power use. （para6 line 7）这一额外的时间也可能让中国或印度去软化

他们的谈判战术，并且或许接受较小的局限性，如在能源效率或可再生能源电力的使用方面的强制性目标。

11. The whole process can seem frustratingly slow, considering how dire the threat of climate change is — as if we were convening a town hall meeting to decide to put out a fire that is already raging. （para7 line 1）在整个过程中似乎缓慢的令人沮丧，考虑如此可怕的

气候变化所带来的威胁。好像我们正在召开会议决定去扑灭火一样，而现在已经是烈火熊熊。