大学英语自学教程 上册 un24

[00:00.00]Unit 24 taxt A
[00:04.60]Saving the Rainforests for Future Generations
[00:07.77]为子孙后代救救热带雨林
[00:10.95]Rainforests are being cut and burned from Brazil to Indonesia
[00:14.93]从巴西到印度尼西亚，热带雨林正在以极快的速度被砍伐和烧毁，
[00:18.91]at such a rate that they could well disappear from the earth's surface before the year 2050.
[00:23.44]它们很可能在2050年以前从地球表面消失。
[00:27.98]They are being cleared for valuable timber
[00:30.71]砍伐的目的在于获取珍贵木材
[00:33.44]and other resources
[00:35.36]和其他资源
[00:37.28]to speed up the economic growth of the nations in which they are located.
[00:40.96]以加快森林所在国家的经济发展速度。
[00:44.64]The most recent figures
[00:46.77]最近的数字表明，
[00:48.90]show that the area of rainforestdestroyed last year alone
[00:52.02]仅去年一年热带雨林被毁的面积
[00:55.14]was bigger than the size of Great Britain and Ireland.
[00:58.41]大于大不列颠及爱尔兰的面积总和。
[01:01.68]If the present rate of deforestation is allowed to continue
[01:05.16]如果目前这种砍伐森林的速度听在发展下去，
[01:08.65]the consequences for the earth will be great.
[01:11.58]给地球带来的后果会很严重。
[01:14.50]We shall see a massive upsetting of ecosystems,
[01:18.03]我们将看到的是，大规模的生态失衡，
[01:21.55]very large increases in soil erosion,
[01:24.58]泥土流失大量增加，
[01:27.61]increases in flooding and in drought,
[01:30.55]水灾旱灾增多，
[01:33.49]changes in rainfall patterns and regional
[01:36.22]降雨模式的变化，
[01:38.95]quite possibly global, changes in climate.
[01:41.98]地区性气候、很可能全球气候的改变，
[01:45.01]We shall also probably lose many rare plant and animal species.
[01:48.89]我们还可能失去很多珍贵树种和珍奇动物物种。
[01:52.77]According to many scientists,
[01:55.10]据许多科学家说，
[01:57.42]the burning of rainforests is also directly contributing
[02:00.75]热带雨林被烧毁还直接起因于
[02:04.08]to the so-called greenhouse effect.
[02:06.67]所谓的温室效应。
[02:09.25]This effect, they say,
[02:11.23]他们说，
[02:13.20]is raising average temperatures and sea levels as the polar ice caps recede.
[02:17.38]随着北极冰冠的消融，这一效应正在使平均气温与海平面升高。
[02:21.56]The rainforest is essential in other areas also.
[02:24.94]热带雨林对其他地区也必不可少。
[02:28.32]It is a medicine chest of unlimited potential.
[02:31.41]它是一个具有无限潜力的医药宝库。
[02:34.49]The US National Cancer Institute has identified 2,000 rainforest plants
[02:38.96]美国国家抗癌协会找到的2000多种
[02:43.42]which could be beficial in fighting cancer.
[02:46.31]雨林植物对战胜癌症可能有益。
[02:49.20]In today's pharmaceutical market
[02:51.42]在今天的药品市场上，
[02:53.64]15 of the 125 drugs derived from plants were discovered in the rainforest.
[02:58.66]125种从植物中提炼的药品中有15种是在雨林中发现的。
[03:03.69]Plant species are not the only forms of lifethreatened with extinction in the rainforest.
[03:07.87]植物种类并不是热带雨林中唯一受灭绝威胁的生物。
[03:12.05]Rare birds and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world
[03:15.98]在世界上其它地区无法找到的稀有鸟类和动物
[03:19.92]have been disappearing at the rate of one a year
[03:23.09]以每年一种的速度在消失。
[03:26.26]since the turn of the century.
[03:28.55]自本世纪初以来
[03:30.83]In the face of all these facts,
[03:33.26]那些国家面对所有这些事实
[03:35.69]it seems senseless for countries to continuedestroying their rainforests.
[03:39.52]仍然继续毁灭它们的雨林，
[03:43.35]However, the problem is not so simple.
[03:45.97]这是遇蠢的。
[03:48.60]The countries in which the rainforests are located are all
[03:51.58]雨林所在的国家非常穷，
[03:54.55]quite poor and overpopulated.
[03:57.04]人口过多，
[03:59.52]One of them, Brazil, has a population of 140 million,
[04:03.15]其中之一的巴西就有1。4亿人口，
[04:06.78]about half of whom are living in absolute poverty.
[04:09.81]差不多一半的人生活在绝对贫困状态之中。
[04:12.84]The governments in these countries are usually also too weak
[04:16.03]这些国家的政府往往太弱，
[04:19.21]to stop large companies and powerful individuals