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DeAndreaSalvador_2018U-_如何让低收入家庭负担得起能源费用_

So, as a child, 年幼时,
I used to spend all of my time at my great-grandmother 's house. 我的大部分时间都在曾祖母家里度过。
great-grandmother:n.曾祖母;外曾祖母;
On hot, humid , summer days, I would dash across the floor and stick my face in front of her only air conditioner . 在炎热潮湿的夏日, 我会小跑到房间另一端, 并把脸凑到家中唯一的空调前面。
humid:adj.潮湿的;湿润的;多湿气的; air conditioner:n.空调;
But I didn't realize that that simple experience, though brief, was a privileged one in our community . 但我没有意识到,这种单纯的体验 虽然短暂, 却是我们社区独有的。
privileged:adj.有特权的; v.给予特权; (privilege的过去式和过去分词) community:n.社区;[生态]群落;共同体;团体;
Growing up, stories of next-door neighbors having to set up fake energy accounts or having to steal energy seemed normal to me. 在我成长的过程中, 邻居捏造假能源帐户 或偷取能源 是很正常的事。
next-door:adj.隔壁的;邻家的;adv.邻家; fake:n.假货;骗子;假动作;v.捏造;假装…的样子;adj.伪造的;
During the winter, struggling to get warm, my neighbors would have no choice but to bypass the meter after their heat was shut off, just to keep their family comfortable for one more day. 在燃气被关闭后, 为了冬天能取暖, 我的邻居只好绕开燃气表, 好让家人再勉强捱过一天。
bypass:vt.绕开;忽视;设旁路;迂回;n.旁路;[公路]支路;
These kinds of dangerous incidents can take root when people are faced with impossible choices. 这些危险的举动往往发生在 人们别无选择的时候。
In the US, the average American spends three percent of their income on energy. 在美国,能源费占人均收入的3%。
In contrast , low-income and rural populations can spend 20, even 30 percent of their income on energy. 相比之下,低收入或农村人口 可能要花20%,甚至30%的 收入来缴能源费。
contrast:n.对比;对照;反差;明显的差异;v.对比;对照;形成对比; rural:adj.农村的,乡下的;田园的,有乡村风味的;
In 2015, this caused over 25 million people to skip meals to provide power to their homes. 在2015年,超过2500万人 为了不耗尽家中的能源 而不得不减少用餐次数。
This is when energy becomes a burden . 能源在此刻变成了一种负担。
burden:n.负担;责任;船的载货量;v.使负担;烦扰;装货于;
But energy burdens are so much more than just a number. 但能源负担更并不只是一个数字。
burdens:n.负担;责任;船的载货量;v.使负担;烦扰;装货于;
They present impossible and perilous choices: 它让人们不得不面临许多 艰难甚至危及生命的抉择:
perilous:adj.危险的,冒险的;
Do you take your child to get her flu medicine, or do you feed her? 你会为孩子买流感药, 还是买吃的?
Or do you keep her warm? 或者是为她保暖?
It's an impossible choice, and nearly every month, seven million people choose between medicine and energy. 这是一个困难的选择, 但几乎每个月 都有700万人要面对 药物还是能源这样的难题。
This exposes a much larger and systemic issue . 这暴露了一个更大的系统性问题:
exposes:v.暴露;;揭露;揭穿;使面临(expose的第三人称单数) systemic:adj.系统的;全身的;体系的; issue:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;发行;
Families with high energy burdens are disproportionately people of color, who spend more per square foot than their white counterparts . 能源负担较大的家庭 都是一些有色人种, 他们每平方英尺要比 白人负担更多的能源开销。
disproportionately:adv.不成比例地; counterparts:n.(契约)副本(counterpart的复数);相对物;相对应的人;
But it's also nurses, veterans and even schoolteachers who fall into the mass of 37 million people a year who are unable to afford energy for their most basic needs. 但护士,退伍军人,甚至教师, 往往也成为无法负担 基本能源需求的3700万人中的一部分,
veterans:n.老兵;退伍军人(veteran的复数形式); schoolteachers:n.教师; mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集; afford:v.给予,提供;买得起;
As a result , those with high energy burdens have a greater likelihood of conditions like heart disease and asthma . 结果,那些能源负担沉重的人 有更大的机率罹患心脏病和气喘。
As a result:结果; likelihood:n.可能性,可能; disease:n.病,[医]疾病;弊病;vt.传染;使…有病; asthma:n.[内科][中医]哮喘,气喘;
Look -- given our rockets to Mars and our pocket-sized AI, we have the tools to address these systemic inequities . 想想看——我们能把火箭送上火星, 制造能放进口袋的人工智能设备, 我们其实有能力解决这些不平等问题。
Mars:n.火星 pocket-sized:adj.袖珍的;可放进衣袋中的(等于pocket-size); inequities:n.不公平待遇(inequity的复数形式);
The technology is here. 我们拥有科技,
technology:n.技术;工艺;术语;
Cost of renewables , insulation , microgrids and smart home technology are all decreasing . 可再生能源,保温材料, 微电网和智能家居的造价 都在下降。
renewables:n.可再生能源(renewable的复数); insulation:n.绝缘;隔离,孤立; decreasing:v.(使大小、数量等)减少,减小,降低;(decrease的现在分词)
However, even as we approach cost parity , the majority of those who own solar earn much more than the average American. 然而,即使能源接近成本平价, 大多数拥有太阳能的人 都比普通的美国人富裕。
approach:n.方法;路径;v.接近;建议;着手处理; parity:n.平价;同等;相等; majority:n.大部分:大多数:多数票:成年人:
This is why, when I was 22, I founded the nonprofit RETI. 这就是为什么我在22岁的时候 创立了非营利组织RETI。
nonprofit:adj.非赢利的;不以赢利为目的的;
Our mission is to alleviate energy burdens by working with communities , utilities and government agencies alike to provide equitable access to clean energy, energy efficiency and energy technology. 减轻能源负担是我们的使命。 我们与社区、公用事业、和政府机构合作, 提供平等的清洁能源, 能源效率,和能源技术。
mission:n.使命,任务;代表团;布道;v.派遣;向…传教; alleviate:v.减轻,缓和; communities:n.社区;社会;团体;共有(community的复数) utilities:n.公用事业;实用工具,[计]实用程序;公用程式;(utility的复数) agencies:n.代理;代理处(agency的复数); equitable:adj.公平的,公正的;平衡法的; efficiency:n.效率;效能;功效;
But there's no one way to solve this. 但却没有一个方法能根除这个问题。
I believe in the power of local communities, in the transforming effect of relationships. 我相信当地社区的力量, 也相信关系能够转变,
transforming:v.使改变形态;使改变外观(或性质);使改观;(transform的现在分词)
So we start by working directly with the communities that have the highest energy burdens. 所以我们开始与能源负担最高的 社区展开合作。
directly:adv.直接地;立即;马上;正好地;坦率地;conj.一…就;
We host workshops and events for communities to learn about energy poverty , and how making even small updates to their homes like better insulation for windows and water heaters can go a long way to maximize efficiency. 我们在社区举办研讨会和各种活动, 去探讨能源匮乏的问题, 以及如何轻微改进他们设备, 例如提高窗户和热水器的保温性 来将能源效率最大化。
workshops:n.工作坊,[工业]车间;研习会,讲习班(workshop的复数形式); poverty:n.贫困;困难;缺少;低劣; updates:v.使现代化; n.现代化; (update的第三人称单数和复数) heaters:n.[建]加热器;取暖器(heater的复数形式); maximize:vt.取…最大值;对…极为重视;vi.尽可能广义地解释;达到最大值;
We're connecting neighborhoods to community solar and spearheading community-led smart home research and installation programs to help families bring down their energy bills. 我们正在用太阳能连接社区, 并引领以社区为主导的 智能家居研究 和安装项目, 以帮助家庭降低能源开支。
spearheading:v.做…的先锋;带头做;领先突击;(spearhead的现在分词) installation:n.安装;设施;设置;安装的设备(或机器); bring down:降低;打倒,打死;击落;
We're even working directly with elected officials, advocating for more equitable pricing, because to see this vision of energy equity and resilience succeed, we have to work together sustainably . 我们甚至直接与民选官员合作, 倡导更公平的能源定价, 因为要实现这种能源平等和弹性, 我们必须朝可持续的方向共同努力。
advocating:v.拥护;支持;提倡;(advocate的现在分词) vision:n.视力;美景;幻象;想象力;v.想象;显现;梦见; equity:n.公平,公正;衡平法;普通股;抵押资产的净值; resilience:n.恢复力;弹力;顺应力; sustainably:adv.支撑得住;能保持住地;
Now, the US spends over three billion a year on energy bill payment assistance. 美国每年拨款超过30亿 来补助能源帐单,
payment:n.付款;支付;收款;款项;报答;
And these programs do help millions of people, but they're only able to help a fraction of those in need. 这些计划确实帮助了数百万人, 但这些人只是冰山一角。
fraction:n.分数;小部分;小数;少量;
In fact, there is a 47-billion-dollar home-energy affordability gap , so assistance alone is not sustainable . 事实上, 家庭能源负担 缺口将近470亿美元, 因此单靠补助只是杯水车薪。
affordability:n.支付能力;负担能力;可购性; gap:n.差距;间隙;缺口;间隔;v.使豁裂;豁开; sustainable:adj.可以忍受的;足可支撑的;养得起的;可持续的;
But by building energy equity and resilience into our communities, we can assure fair and impartial access to energy that is clean, reliable and affordable . 但通过在社区建立能源公平和弹性, 我们可以公平和公正地获得 干净,可靠,且实惠的能源。
assure:vt.保证;担保;使确信;弄清楚; impartial:adj.公平的,公正的;不偏不倚的; reliable:adj.可信赖的;可依靠的;真实可信的;可靠的; affordable:adj.负担得起的;
At scale , microgrid technology, clean technology and energy efficiency dramatically improve public health. 大规模的微电网技术, 清洁技术和能源效率 大大改善了公共健康。
scale:n.规模;比例;鳞;刻度;天平;数值范围;v.衡量;攀登;剥落;生水垢; dramatically:adv.戏剧地;引人注目地;adv.显著地,剧烈地; improve:v.改进;改善;
And for those with high energy burdens, 20 percent of a person's income who's struggling to make ends meet . 对于那些能源负担高的人来说, 对努力维持生计的人来说,20%的收入。
make ends meet:收支相抵;量入为出;
This is life-changing . 这足以改变人生。
life-changing:改变人生的;
This is an opportunity for families to use their energy savings to sponsor their future. 这是一个家庭通过节省能源开支 来开拓未来的机会。
savings:n.节省物;节省;节约;储蓄金;存款;(saving的复数) sponsor:n.赞助商; v.主办;
I think back to my great-grandmother and her neighbors, the impossible choices that they had to make and the effect it had on our whole community. 我想起了我的曾祖母 和她的邻居们需要做出的 那些困难的选择, 以及这对整个社区的影响。
But this is not just about them. 但这不仅仅与他们有关。
There are millions nationwide having to make the same impossible choices today. 全国有数百万人也 面临着同样艰难的选择。
And I know high energy burdens are a tremendous barrier to overcome , but through relationships with communities and technology, we have the paths to overcome them. 我知道高能源负担是一个 需要克服的巨大障碍, 但通过社区合作和技术, 我们有了克服它们的途径。
tremendous:adj.极大的,巨大的;惊人的;极好的; barrier:n.屏障;障碍;障碍物;关口;v.用栅围住; overcome:vt.克服;胜过;vi.克服;得胜;
And when we do, we will all be more resilient . 当我们采取行动时, 生活将会变得更加舒适和从容。
resilient:adj.弹回的,有弹力的;
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) (掌声)