BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

BBC學習英語。我是尼爾。

And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜

With no end in sight to the coronavirus

由於冠狀病毒沒有結束的跡象。

pandemic, many people can't wait for

疫情，很多人都迫不及待地想知道

the year 2020 to end.

到2020年結束。

But with the coronavirus dominating

但隨著冠狀病毒的主導

the newspaper headlines, attention

報頭，關注

has moved away from an equally

已從一個同樣的

serious global issue which has

嚴重的全球問題，它已經

quietly been getting worse -

悄悄地變壞

climate change.

氣候變化；

August 2020 saw the hottest

2020年8月迎來了最熱的

temperature recorded anywhere

隨地溫度

in modern times - 54.4 degrees

現代-54.4度

Celsius in California's Death Valley.

加州死亡谷的攝氏度。

The same month also saw record

同月還出現了創紀錄的

amounts of ice melting into the

的冰塊融化成的數量。

oceans around Greenland and the

格陵蘭島周圍的海洋和

Arctic - huge icebergs breaking

北極 - 巨大的冰山破裂

away from the edge of the ice

遠離冰面

sheet - a thick layer of ice which

冰層--厚厚的冰層，它

has covered a large area

鋪天蓋地

for a long time.

長久以來。

Greenland's ice sheet is three

格陵蘭島的冰層有三個

times the size of Texas and almost

德州的兩倍，幾乎

2 kilometres thick. Locked inside

2公里厚。鎖在裡面

is enough water to raise sea levels

是否有足夠的水來提高海平面

by 6 metres.

由6米。

But global heating and melting

但全球升溫和融化

polar ice has many scientists

極地冰層讓許多科學家

asking whether it's now too late

問時遲那時快

to stop. Have we have reached the

停止。我們是否已經到了

point of no return? In this programme,

不歸點？在這個方案中。

we'll looking at the effects of climate

我們將關注氣候的影響

change on the Arctic and asking

氣候變化對北極地區的影響，並要求

if it s too late to change.

如果為時已晚，改變。

And learning some of the related

並學習一些相關的

vocabulary too. Now, Georgina,

詞彙量也很大現在，喬治娜

you mentioned record levels of

你提到了創紀錄的水準

ice melt in the North Pole but

北極的冰雪融化，但

the scale is hard to take in. The

規模難以接受。的

amounts are so big they're

金額巨大

measured in gigatonnes - that's

以千兆噸為組織、部門--那是

a billion metric tonnes.

十億公噸。

Imagine a giant ice cube

想象一個巨大的冰塊

1 kilometre by 1 kilometre

1公里乘1公里

by 1 kilometre.

由1公里。

So my quiz question is this:

所以我的考題是這樣的。

how many gigatonnes of ice

多少千兆噸冰

are now melting into the ocean

現在正在融化在海洋裡

every year? Is it: a) 450 gigatonnes?,

每年？是：a)450千兆噸？

b) 500 gigatonnes?, or

(b) 500千兆噸？

c) 550 gigatonnes?

(c) 550千兆噸？

I'll take a guess at b)

我猜是b)

500 gigatonnes.

500千兆噸。

OK, Georgina, we'll find out

好吧，喬治娜，我們會知道的。

later. Now, glaciologist Michalea

後來。現在，冰川學家Michalea

King has been monitoring the

金一直在監測

melting of Arctic ice by satellite.

通過衛星觀測北極冰的融化情況。

Here she is answering a question

她在這裡回答一個問題

from BBC World Service programme,

來自英國廣播公司世界服務節目。

Science in Action, on whether the

科學在行動》，關於是否有必要在《科學在行動》中

destruction of the ice sheet is

冰層的破壞是

now unavoidable:

現在不可避免的。

If we were to say ... define a

如果我們說......定義一個。

tipping point as a shift from

轉捩點為從

one stable dynamic state to

穩態

another, this certainly meets

其一，這當然符合

that criteria, because we're

的標準，因為我們

seeing now that the ice sheet

眼看著冰層

was more or less in balance prior

之前多少有些平衡

to 2000 where the amount of ice

至2000年，其中冰量

being drained from the glaciers

冰川流失

was approximately equal to

約等於

what we are gaining on the

我們的收穫

surface via snow every year.

每年通過雪的表面。

Ice is made from snow falling on

冰是由雪落在

Greenland's glaciers - large,

格陵蘭的冰川--大。

slow-moving masses of ice.

緩慢移動的冰塊。

At the same time though, ice is

但與此同時，冰是

also lost through melting.

也會因融化而失去。

These two processes of

這兩個過程

making and melting ice kept

製冰和融冰

the ice level in balance - having

冰面平衡--有

different parts or elements

異物

arranged in the correct

對號入座

proportions. Essentially the

比例。從本質上講

melting ice was replaced

融冰被取代

by newly frozen ice.

由新凍結的冰。

But now, the glaciers are

但現在，冰川已經

shrinking faster than new ice

縮水比新冰快

is being accumulated and the

正在積累和

situation may have reached

勢如破竹

a tipping point - the time at

拐點

which a change or an effect

變化或影響

cannot be stopped.

擋不住的。

So, does this mean that global

那麼，這是否意味著全球

heating and ice melting are now

加熱和融冰是現在的

running automatically, separate

自動運行，單獨

from the amount of greenhouse

溫室的數量

gases humans are pumping into

人類正在將氣體注入

the atmosphere? And does that

大氣層？那是否

mean should just give up on

意思是應該放棄

the planet?

這個星球？

In fact, the situation is far from

事實上，情況遠非如此。

simple, as Michalea King explains

簡單，正如Michalea King所解釋的

here to BBC World Service programme,

這裡是BBC世界服務節目。

Science in Action:

科學在行動。

We can definitely control the rate of

我們一定能控制好速度

mass loss, so it's definitely not a

品質損失，所以它絕對不是一個。

'throw your hands up' and jus

舉手之勞

not do anything about it - give up

不為所動

on the ice sheet kind of situation -

在冰層上的那種情況 -

that's certainly not the message

此言差矣

I want to send... but it does seem

我想發送... 但它似乎... ...

likely that we will continue to lose

我們很可能會繼續失去

mass... but of course, a slow rate

品質......但當然，速度很慢。

of mass loss is highly preferred

品質損失的高度優先

to large annual losses every year.

以至於每年都有大量的損失。

Michalea thinks that changes in

Michalea認為，變化在

human activity can still slow the

人類的活動仍然可以減緩

rate - or speed at which something

速率

happens, in this case the speed of

發生，在這種情況下，速度的

Greenland's ice sheet melting.

格陵蘭島的冰層正在融化。

She's convinced it's not too late

她相信現在還不算太晚。

for collective action to save the

集體行動起來拯救世界

planet, so it's not yet time to

地球，所以現在還不是時候。

'throw your hands up' - an idiom

舉手之勞

meaning to show frustration and

意思是說

despair when a situation becomes

見勢不妙

so bad that you give up or submit.

如此糟糕，你放棄或提交。

It's a positive message but one

這是一個積極的資訊，但一個

which calls for everyone to do

其中呼籲大家

what they can before it really

趁早

is too late.

為時已晚。

Because the rate of ice melt is

因為冰的融化速度是

still increasing, right, Neil?

還在增加，對吧，尼爾？

Yes, that s right - in fact, that

是的，這是正確的 - 事實上，這一點。

was my quiz question, Georgina...

這是我的測驗題，喬治娜... ...

do you remember?

你還記得嗎？

Yes, you asked me how many

是的，你問我有多少

gigatonnes of Greenland's ice sheet

格陵蘭島冰層的千兆噸級變化。

are now melting every year. I said

現在每年都在融化。我說過

b) 500 gigatonnes.

(b) 500千兆噸；

And you were correct! In fact, some

你說的沒錯!事實上，有些

of these giant ice cubes are like

這些巨大的冰塊就像

small towns, almost a kilometre tall!

小城鎮，高近一公里!

So there's still work to be done.

所以，還有工作要做。

In this programme, we've been

在這個節目中，我們已經

looking at the rate - or speed -

看速度

of ice melt in Greenland's ice

格陵蘭島的冰層融化的影響

sheet - the thick layer of ice

冰層

covering a large area of the Arctic.

覆蓋北極大面積地區。

Previously, the melting ice was

以前，融化的冰是

replaced by newly formed ice on

被新形成的冰層所取代

glaciers - large masses of

冰川--大塊的

slow-moving ice. This kept the

緩慢移動的冰。這使得

Arctic in balance having

北極地區的平衡有

different elements arranged

異構

in proportion.

按比例。

But the effects of global

但全球的影響

heating have brought us

暖氣給我們帶來的好處

close to a point of no return,

接近不歸點。

called a tipping point - the

稱為臨界點--

time at which a change or an

何時

effect cannot be stopped.

效果是無法阻止的。

The situation is serious but

形勢雖然嚴峻，但

there's still time to take action

時不我待

and not simply throw your

而不是簡單地把你的

hands up - show frustration and

舉起手來--表示沮喪和

despair when you want to give up.

當你想放棄的時候，就會感到絕望。

That's all for this programme, but if

這個節目就到此為止，但如果...

you want to find out more about

您想了解更多關於

climate change and Greenland's ice

氣候變化和格陵蘭的冰層

sheets, search BBC's Science in

單，搜索BBC的Science in

Action website.

行動網站。

And for more trending topics

更多熱門話題

and useful vocabulary, remember

和有用的詞彙，記住

to join us again soon at 6 Minute

即將在6分鐘再次加入我們

English. Bye for now!

英文。再見！

Goodbye!

再見！