0.Title
讓煤炭成為歷史,or 告別煤炭(西方發達國家的煤炭用量下降了,慶祝的同時,亞洲應當緊隨步伐)
1.First paragraph
Around the world the mood is shifting.(世界的現狀正發生著轉變)Xi Jinping has adopted a target to cut China's net carbon emissions to zero by 2060.(習主席正式通過一項計劃,目標是在2060年實現全中國的凈碳排放量為0) Under Joe Biden, America will rejoin the Paris agreement, which it adopted five years ago.(拜登政府將使美國重新加入巴黎協定,就像他們5年前做的一樣) In the Financial markets clean-energy firms are all the rage.(在金融市場上,大量清潔能源公司掀起一股熱潮) This month Tesla will join the S&P 500 share index—as one its largest members.(本月,特斯拉將加入標準普爾500指數,并成為指數權重占比最大的公司之一,句中省略了of(as one of its largest members. ))
mood n. 心情; 情緒; 氣氛; 壞心境; 壞脾氣; 氛圍
adopt v.收養; 領養; 采用(某方法); 采取(某態度); 正式通過,表決采納(建議、政策等);
net n.網; 網狀物; 有專門用途的網; 球門網; adj.凈的; 凈得的; 純的; 最后的; 最終的; v.凈賺; 凈得; 用網捕捉(魚等); (巧妙地)捕獲,得到;
all the rage. adj.時尚; 風行一時; 風行一時的事物;
clean-energy n.清潔能源 clean-xxx
2.Second paragraph
Remarkably, in a realm where words are cheap, there has been action, too.(出乎意料地,在一個人人都可以吹上兩句的領域(指環保),也是有實際行動的。) In America and Europe the consumption of coal, the largest source of greenhouse gases, has fallen by 34% since 2009.(美國和歐洲的煤炭消耗量(煤炭是最主要的產生溫室氣體的能源)和2009的數據相比下降了34%) The International Energy Agency, an Intergovernmental body, reckons that global use will never surpass its pre-covid peak.(國際能源署(一個國際組織),估計全球的煤炭需求量將不會超過疫情前的最高峰)
remarkably adv. 非常;極為;格外;出乎意料地
3.Third paragraph
Yet coal still accounts for around 27% of the raw energy (which is省略) used to power everything from cars to electric grids.(然而,煤炭仍然大概占了原生能源的27%(原生能源為包括火車,電網等幾乎所有東西提供動力)) Unlike natural gas and oil, it is concentrated carbon, and thus it accounts for a staggering 39% of annual emissions of CO2 from fossil fuels (see Briefing).(不像天然氣或者石油,它的主要成分是濃縮碳,也正因如此,每年燃燒煤炭所產生的CO2占所有化石燃料所釋放的CO2排放總量的比例達到驚人的39%。(有興趣的可以看看Briefing專欄的文章)) If global emissions are to fall far enough, fast enough, the task now is to double down on the West's success and repeat it in Asia. It will not be easy.(如果想讓全球的溫室氣體排放量下降得更多更快,那么現在西方世界應該加倍努力(減少煤炭的使用),亞洲的國家也要努力這樣做,這件事不會一帆風順。)
raw adj.生的;未烹制的;未煮的;未經加工的 n. 痛處;生的食物;純酒;粗糖
4th paragragh
Coal came of age in the Industrial Revolution.(在工業革命時期,人們開始使用煤炭。) In the rich world its use in furnaces and boilers peaked in the 1930s and faded as cleaner fuels became available. (在發達國家,煤炭在熔爐以及蒸汽鍋的使用在20世紀30年代達到了頂峰,之后逐漸被可用的清潔能源取代)Consumption in the West has recently collapsed.(在西方,煤炭的消耗量最近暴跌了) In Britain the last coal-fired power plants could close as soon as 2022.(英國最后一批燃煤發電廠將最快在2022年關閉) Peabody Energy, a big American coal miner, has warned that it may go bankrupt for the second time in five years. (煤企巨頭皮博迪能源公司發出通告稱,其有可能在接下來的5年中再次破產。)
5th paragragh
Although carbon prices accelerated the shift in Europe, the Trump administration has favoured America's coal industry with deregulation and political suppport—and still it has declined.(盡管煤炭的價格加速了歐洲的轉型,然而特朗普政府曾經放松監管來給予美國的煤炭工業政策支持—不過它還是呈衰退趨勢) One reason is competition from cheap natural gas produced in America by fracking.(其中一個原因是來自美國用水力壓裂技術挖掘出來的廉價的天然氣的競爭。) Tax credits and subsidies have prompted renewables to scale up , which has in turn helped drive down their costs.(稅收抵免以及補貼也促使可再生能源發展壯大起來,同時也減少了他們的成本。) Solar farms and onshore wind are now the cheapest source of new electricity for at least two-thirds of the world's population, says BloombergNEF, a data group.(太陽能發電廠以及海風能源是現在是最便宜的新電力能源,它們惠及了全世界至少2/3的人口。) As coal faces cleaner rivals and the prospect of more regulation, banks and investors are turning away, raising coal's cost of capital. (當煤炭面對更加清潔的“對手”以及更嚴格的挖煤規則,銀行和投資者勢必不看好它,這也提高了煤炭的資本成本。)
6th paragragh
This is a victory, but only a partial one.(這是一次勝利,不過僅僅是小部分的) In the past decade, as Europe has turned against coal, consumption in Asia has grown by a quarter.(過去十年,當歐洲開始抵制使用煤炭,亞洲的煤炭消耗量卻增長了1/4.) The continent now accounts for 77% of all coal use.(現在亞洲對煤炭的使用量占了全世界的77%。) China alone burns more than two-thirds of that, followed by India.(中國就燃燒了其中超過2/3的煤炭,印度緊隨其后。) Coal dominates in some medium-sized, fast-growing economies, including Indonesia and Vietnam.(煤炭在一些包括印度尼西亞以及越南的中等大小,發展迅速的經濟體中占主導地位。)
7th paragragh
If the aim is to limit global temperature rises to 2℃ above pre-industrial levels, it is no good waiting for Asia's appetite for coal to fade.(如果不想讓全球氣溫升高2℃,這個氣溫是相較于工業革命之前的時期的水平,等待亞洲對煤炭的胃口逐漸消失不是明智的做法。(潛臺詞等亞洲不用煤炭的時候,黃花菜都涼了)) New plants are still being built.(大量的工廠仍然在建設當中。) Many completed ones are not yet fully utilised and still have decades of life in them.(許多剛開始運營的工廠也還沒有100%地投入使用,況且它們還有幾十年的壽命在等著它們) Nor is it enough to expect a solution from "clean coal" technologies, which aim to capture and store emissions as they are released.(僅僅依靠靠“潔凈煤”科技來解決問題遠遠不夠,所謂潔凈煤百度一下是指在釋放溫室氣體的過程中盡量減少它們的排放) They may help deal with pollution from industrial used, such as steelmaking, but they are too expensive for power generation.(它們可能會對處理工業污染有幫助,比如說鋼鐵制造行業,但是這樣用來運轉的成本就太高了。)
8th paragragh
Hence Asia needs new policies to kick its coal habit, and soon.(因此亞洲需要盡快出臺新的政策來降低煤炭使用) The goal should be to stop new coal-fired power plants being built and to retire existing ones.(基本目標是禁止更多的燒炭廠被建造,同時將現存的燒炭廠淘汰掉。) Some countries have taken a first step, by imposing new targets and bans.(許多國家已經通過頒布新的禁令和目標邁出了第一步。) The Philippines has declared a moratorium on new plants; Japan and Bangladesh are slowing construction, too.(菲律賓已經宣布終止新建工廠;日本和孟加拉國也作出了相關的規劃。) China's new five-year-plan, which will be published next year, may limit coal use.(中國將于下一年發布的新五年計劃中可能會限制煤炭的使用。) It should set its cap at current levels, so that the decline can start immediately.(全世界應該設置這些規則,這樣煤炭的使用量才能開始下降。)
kick the habit v. + n. 戒掉壞習慣。
imposing v. 出臺規矩
moratorium [?m?r??t??ri?m] n. 暫停
Bangladesh n. 孟加拉國
construction n. 施工;建筑;建立;建造 (這里翻譯成規劃好點)
9th paragragh
If targets are to be credible, Asian countries must tackle deeper problems.(如果想要讓以上的目標成為現實,亞洲的國家應該處理更深層次的問題。) The strategy that worked in Europe and America will get them only so far, because the mining firms, power stations, equipment-makers and the banks that finance them are often state-controlled.(在美國和歐洲實行的策略不足以解決亞洲的問題,因為挖煤公司、發電站、設備制造商以及資助這條產業鏈的銀行大多數都是國營企業。) Market forces and carbon taxes, which use price signals to change incentives, are therefore less effective.(市場的力量以及對煤征收的稅(它們通過價格改變激勵機制)也會因此大大減少影響力。言外之意,國營企業比較不care市場以及這個東西收多少稅。)The coal economy forms a nexus of employment, debt, tax revenues and exports.(煤炭經濟創造了一條融合各種職業,銀行貸款,政府稅收以及煤炭出口的產業鏈。) China has used its Belt and Road Initiative to sell both mining machinery and power plants.(中國用他們的一帶一路賣了很多的大型挖煤機器和發電廠。) Across the region, local governments depend on coal for revenues.(一帶一路上各個地方的當地政府都十分依賴煤炭來增加稅收。) Many will defend it ferociously.(很多人不會輕易放棄他們的利益。)
10th paragragh
One step in fighting regional lobbies is to redesign power systems so that renewables can compete fairly and incentives work.(應對區域游說活動的第一步是重新設計電力系統,以使可再生能源能夠公平競爭并采取激勵措施。) Most renewables provide only intermittent power, because the weather is changeable.(大多數可再生能源只能提供斷斷續續的電力支持,因為天氣總是變化的。(google翻譯)由于天氣多變,大多數可再生能源僅提供間歇性電力。)National smart grids can mitigate this by connecting dfferent regions.(國家智能電網能通過將不同區域相連來減輕天氣的影響。(google翻譯)國家智能電網可以通過連接不同地區來緩解這種情況。) Too many of Asia's electricity systems muffle market signals because they are locked into legacy long-term supply contracts with coal firms, and because they are riddled with opaque subsidies and price caps.(太多的亞洲電力系統受限于與煤礦公司歷史遺留的長期合約,其中也充斥著不透明的津貼和價格上限問題,所以導致他們壓抑市場信號。(Google翻譯)亞洲太多的電力系統會模糊市場信號,因為它們被鎖定在與煤炭公司的長期長期供應合同中,并且因為它們充斥著不透明的補貼和價格上限。) Removing these so that markets and taxes work better will let renewable power undercut coal.(將這些東西移除掉,為了市場和稅收政策能更好地運作,能使可再生能源逐步取代煤炭。)
intermittent adj. 斷斷續續的;間歇的
11th paragragh
The other step is to compensate losers.(第二個是要補償相應的受害者) The lesson from destitute miniing towns in south Wales and West Virginia is that job losses store up political tensions.(從威爾士南部和維吉尼亞西部的案例來看,失業會制造政治緊張局勢。) Coal India, the national mining colossus, has 270,000 workers.(Coal India 擁有27萬個員工,它是一個國家采礦業巨頭。) From Shanxi province in China to Jharkhand in India, local governments will need fiscal transfers to help rebalance their economies.(從中國的山西省到印度的Jharkhand, 當地的政府需要相應的財政遷移政策來幫助重建經濟平衡。) Banks may need to be recapitalised: China's state lenders may have up to $1trn at stake. (銀行也需要重新注入資金:中國國家銀行涉及到的資金達一萬億美元。)
loser n. 輸家;受害者.
12th paragragh
Europe and America have shown that King Coal can be dethroned, but they cannot be bystanders as Asia works to complete the revolution.(歐洲和美國已經證明了不可一世的煤炭“國王”也有被拉下神壇的一天,但是當亞洲致力于完成這場革命的同時,他們不能袖手旁觀。) Coal powered the West's development.(西方能發展到今天靠的是煤炭。) In 2019 coal consumption per person in India was less than half that in America.(2019年印度的人均煤耗量不到美國人的一半。) It is in Asia's long-term interests to topple coal, but the short-term political and economic costs are large enough that action may be too slow.(抵制煤炭確實符合亞洲的長遠利益,但從短期利益來看,它對政治的影響以及造成的經濟損失太大,所以亞洲不會那么快落實政策。) If politicians in Europe and America are serious about fighting global warming, they must work harder to depress coal elsewhere.(如果歐美的政治家們打算認真應對全球變暖危機,他們需要更加努力致力于減少其他地方的煤炭消耗量。) That includes honouring prior promises to help developing countries deal with climate change. (那樣意味著他們應該信守之前的承諾來幫助發展中國家應付氣候變化帶來的問題。)
13th paragragh
Ultimately, though, the responsibility will lie with Asia itself.(最終地,亞洲還是得靠自己擔起職責。) And the good news is that it is overwhelmingly in Asia's interest to do so.(好消息是亞洲有絕對的好處去做這件事。) Its people, infrastructure and agriculture are dangerously exposed to the droughts, flooding, storms and rising sea levels caused by climate change.(他們的人民,基礎設施以及農業正危險地暴露在由氣候變化帶來的干旱,洪澇,風暴以及海平面上升的自然災害的風險當中。) A growing middle class yearns for their governments to clean up Asia's choking metropolises.(正在成長的中產階級渴望他們的政府讓他們生活的大都市變得干凈一些。) And renewable energy offers a path to cheaper power, generated at home, as well as a source of industrial employment and innovation.(還有,可再生能源提供了一種更經濟的能源,它們無需進口,在家就能生產,與此同時,它們還是工業崗位和創新的源泉。) Coal's days are numbered. (煤炭剩下的日子屈指可數。)The sooner it is consigned to museums and history books, the better. (越快將煤炭放進博物館和歷史書對人類就越好。)
ultimately adv. 最終;最后;歸根結底;終究
overwhelmingly adv.壓倒性地
yearn v.渴望;向往
clean up na.收拾干凈;【機械工程】改正;〔俚語〕賺厚利
consign v.委托;【商】托運;托賣;用作
Summary
從去年的12月28號到2021年1月27號,前前后后足足一個月。本想著一天一個段落的話,只需要13天就可以完成這篇文章的翻譯,但是,人類總喜歡高估自己的能力。這篇文章每個段落平均用時超過兩天。這讓我感到有點焦慮,因為時間過得太快,而時間又是如此的寶貴。學習真的是一個痛苦的過程,一遍下來,感覺自己收獲的東西并不多。古人云:學習不可以停止。想想問題還是出在自己身上,不珍惜時間,總是拖延,總是不專心,想東想西,浪費了太多寶貴的時間。這也啟發了我,時間管理很重要。如何合理地分配每天的學習時間很重要。人的精力有限,不可能面面俱到,得有取舍。
關于取舍
不能浪費寶貴的時間,一天至少得保證10小時以上的時間來準備考研的東西。網絡直播,手機等等浪費時間的東西一刻也不可以碰。人不可以拿時間開玩笑。唯有這樣,才能以一個準研究生的心態參加考試。不然的話,就是在浪費時間。后果很嚴重!后果很嚴重!后果很嚴重!
明后兩天再將這篇文章復習一遍,將里面的重點詞匯短語,總之,可以用的上的東西提煉出來,以列清單的方式來做,這樣以后復習的時候就可以輕松很多。
三個小時看似很多,實際上也完成不了太多的東西。