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TimKruger_2017-_我们能否将二氧化碳从空气中除去,来阻止气候变迁?_

To avoid dangerous climate change, we're going to need to cut emissions rapidly. 若要避免危险的气候变迁, 我们需要快速地将排放缩减。
emissions:n.(光、热、气等的)发出,排放;排放物;散发物;(emission的复数)
That should be a pretty uncontentious statement , certainly with this audience. 这段声明应该是不会引起争论的, 对你们这些观众肯定是如此。
statement:n.声明;陈述,叙述;报表,清单;
But here's something that's slightly more contentious : it's not going to be enough. 但,以下就稍微比较争议一点了: 这么做还不够。
slightly:adv.些微地,轻微地;纤细地; contentious:adj.诉讼的;有异议的,引起争论的;爱争论的;
We will munch our way through our remaining carbon budget for one and a half degrees in a few short years, and the two degree budget in about two decades. 我们会把剩余的碳预算给用尽, 用在 1.5 度上, 只要短短几年就会用尽, 至于 2 度的预算, 大约会在二十年后用尽。
munch:vt.用力咀嚼;大声咀嚼;vi.用力咀嚼;大声咀嚼;n.用力的咀嚼; carbon:n.[化学]碳;碳棒;复写纸;adj.碳的;碳处理的; budget:n.预算,预算费;v.安排,预定;把…编入预算;adj.廉价的;
We need to not only cut emissions extremely rapidly, we also need to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere . 我们不仅需要极快速地将排放缩减, 我们也需要把二氧化碳 从大气中除去。
extremely:adv.非常,极其;极端地; carbon dioxide:二氧化碳; atmosphere:n.大气;气氛;气压;风格;
Thank you. 谢谢你们。
(Laughter) (笑声)
I work assessing a whole range of these proposed techniques to see if they can work. 我的工作是在评估 各种这类的技术提案, 判断它们能否奏效。
assessing:v.评估,评定(性质、质量);估算,估定;(assess的现在分词) proposed:adj.建议的;推荐的;v.提议;建议;计划;求婚;(propose的过去分词和过去式) techniques:n.技巧;技艺;工艺;技术;(technique的复数)
We could use plants to take CO2 out, and then store it in trees, in the soil, deep underground or in the oceans. 我们能用植物来除去二氧化碳, 把二氧化碳储存在树木中、 土壤中、地底深处,或海底深处。
We could build large machines, so-called artificial trees, that will scrub CO2 from the air. 我们能建立大型机器, 所谓的人工树木, 它们能把二氧化碳从空气中清除。
so-called:adj.所谓的;号称的; artificial:adj.人造的;仿造的;虚伪的;非原产地的;武断的; scrub:n.矮树; v.用力擦洗; adj.矮小的;
For these ideas to be feasible , we need to understand whether they can be applied at a vast scale in a way that is safe, economic and socially acceptable . 若要让这些点子变成可行的, 我们得要了解它们是否能用 安全、经济,且被社会 接受的方式,做大范围应用。
feasible:adj.可行的;可能的;可实行的; applied:adj.应用的;实用的;v.应用;使用;申请,请求;(apply的过去分词和过去式) 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; economic:adj.经济的,经济上的;经济学的; acceptable:adj.认同的;可接受的;令人满意的;
All of these ideas come with tradeoffs . 所有这些点子都有得失要权衡。
tradeoffs:n.权衡;折衷;(公平)交易(等于trade-off);
None of them are perfect, but many have potential . 没有一个是完美的, 但许多都有潜力。
potential:n.潜能;可能性;[电]电势;adj.潜在的;可能的;势的;
It's unlikely that any one of them will solve it on its own. 不太可能只用一个点子就解决问题。
unlikely:adj.不大可能发生的;非心目中的;非想象的;难以相信的;
There is no silver bullet , but potentially together, they may form the silver buckshot that we need to stop climate change in its tracks . 没有银子弹(无敌的杀手鐧), 但若把它们一併使用, 可能可以形成银猎鹿霰弹, 让我们可以就地阻止气候变迁。
silver:n.银; v.给…镀(或包)银; adj.银色的; bullet:n.子弹;只选某党全部候选人的投票;豆子;vi.射出;迅速行进; potentially:adv.可能地,潜在地; buckshot:n.大号铅弹;鹿弹; tracks:n.小道;足迹;车辙;轨道;v.追踪;跟踪;(track的第三人称单数和复数)
I'm working independently on one particular idea which uses natural gas to generate electricity in a way that takes carbon dioxide out of the air. 我自己在独立进行一个特别的点子, 这个点子是用天然气来发电, 这个方式可以把 二氧化碳从空气中除去。
independently:adv.独立地;自立地; natural gas:n.天然气; generate:v.产生;引起; electricity:n.电力;电流;强烈的紧张情绪;
Huh? How does that work? 啊?这是什么原理?
So the Origen Power Process feeds natural gas into a fuel cell. Origen Power 处理程序是 将天然气送入燃料电池中。
Process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的;
About half the chemical energy is converted into electricity, and the remainder into heat, which is used to break down limestone into lime and carbon dioxide. 大约一半的化学能会被转换成电力, 剩下的部分转换成热能, 热能是要用来分解石灰石, 将之变成石灰和二氧化碳。
chemical:n.化学制品,化学药品;adj.化学的; converted:adj.修改的;改变信仰的;v.转变;改变信仰(convert的过去式和过去分词形式); remainder:n.[数]余数,残余; adj.剩余的; vt.廉价出售; vi.廉价出售; limestone:n.[岩]石灰岩;
Now at this point, you're probably thinking that I'm nuts. 在这个时点,你们可能认为我疯了。
It's actually generating carbon dioxide. 它是在产生二氧化碳啊。
generating:v.产生;引起;(generate的现在分词)
But the key point is, all of the carbon dioxide generated , both from the fuel cell and from the lime kiln , is pure, and that's really important, because it means you can either use that carbon dioxide or you can store it away deep underground at low cost. 重点是,所有产生出来的二氧化碳, 包括来自燃料电池和石灰窑的 二氧化碳,都是纯的, 这点非常重要, 因为那意味着, 你可以用那些二氧化碳, 或是你可以用低成本 将它们储存在地底深处。
generated:v.产生;引起;(generate的过去式和过去分词) kiln:vt.烧窑;在干燥炉干燥;n.(砖,石灰等的)窑;炉;干燥炉;
And then the lime that you produce can be used in industrial processes , and in being used, it scrubs CO2 out of the air. 而你产生的石灰就能被 用在工業生产过程中, 在使用的时候,它们就会把 空气中的二氧化碳清除。
industrial:adj.工业的,产业的; n.工业股票; processes:n.过程; v.处理(process的第三人称单数形式); scrubs:n.实习医生风云(电视剧名);
Overall , the process is carbon negative . 整体上,这个处理程序 产生的二氧化碳量是负值。
Overall:v.全部; n.外套; adj.全面的; negative:adj.[数]负的;消极的;否定的;阴性的;n.否定;负数;[摄]底片;v.否定;拒绝;
It removes carbon dioxide from the air. 意即它会把二氧化碳从空气中除去。
If you normally generate electricity from natural gas, you emit about 400 grams of CO2 into the air for every kilowatt-hour . 一般来说如果你用天然气来发电, 每产生一千瓦小时的电力, 就会释放出大约 400 公克的 二氧化碳到空气中。
normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地; emit:v.发出,射出,散发(光、热、声音、气等); kilowatt-hour:n.千瓦时;一度电(能量单位);
With this process, that figure is minus 600. 有了这个处理程序, 那个数字就变成了 -600 公克。
minus:prep.减,减去;n.负号,减号;不足;负数;adj.减的;负的;
At the moment, power generation is responsible for about a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions. 目前,所有的二氧化碳排放量 当中大约四分之一 是由发电所造成的。
responsible:adj.负责的,可靠的;有责任的;
Hypothetically , if you replaced all power generation with this process, then you would not only eliminate all of the emissions from power generation but you would start removing emissions from other sectors as well, potentially cutting 60 percent of overall carbon emissions. 根据假设,如果把所有的 发电方式都换成这个处理程序, 那么不但所有发电产生的 二氧化碳都会被除去, 还会开始除去其他部门 所排放的二氧化碳, 可能可以缩减整体碳排放的 60%。
Hypothetically:adv.假设地;假想地; eliminate:v.消除;排除; sectors:n.部门; v.把…划成扇形;
You could even use the lime to add it directly to seawater to counteract ocean acidification , one of the other issues that is caused by CO2 in the atmosphere. 你甚至可以使用石灰, 把它直接加到海水中, 来对抗海水酸化, 这是大气中的二氧化碳 会造成的另一个问题。
directly:adv.直接地;立即;马上;正好地;坦率地;conj.一…就; seawater:n.海水; counteract:vt.抵消;中和;阻碍; acidification:n.[化学]酸化;成酸性;使…发酸; issues:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;(issue的第三人称单数和复数)
In fact, you get more bang for your buck. 事实上,这是物超所值的。
bang:n.猛敲; v.猛敲; v.正好;
You absorb about twice as much carbon dioxide when you add it to seawater as when you use it industrially . 比起把它用在工業上, 当你把它加到海水中时, 可以吸收两倍的二氧化碳。
absorb:v.吸收;使并入;吞并;同化;理解;吸收;耗费;承受; industrially:adv.企业(工业)地;
But this is where it gets really complicated . 但这就是复杂的地方了。
complicated:adj.复杂的;难懂的;v.使复杂化;(complicate的过去分词和过去式)
While counteracting ocean acidification is a good thing, we don't fully understand what the environmental consequences are, and so we need to assess whether this treatment is actually better than the disease that it is seeking to cure. 虽然对抗海水酸化是好事, 我们尚未完全了解这么做 对于环境会造成什么后果, 所以我们得要评估这项处理方式是否 真的有比它所想要治疗的疾病更好。
counteracting:vt.抵消;中和;阻碍; consequences:n.后果,结果;影响(consequence的复数); treatment:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论; disease:n.病,[医]疾病;弊病;vt.传染;使…有病; seeking:v.寻找;寻求;谋求;争取;(向人)请求(seek的现在分词)
We need to put in place step-by-step governance for experiments to assess this safely. 我们需要准备好 按步就班的实验管理, 来安全地评估它。
step-by-step:adj.按部就班的; governance:n.管理;统治;支配;
And the scale: to avoid dangerous climate change, we are going to need to remove trillions -- and yes, that's trillions with a T -- trillions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the decades ahead. 还有规模: 若要避免危险的气候变迁, 我们会需要从大气中除去数兆── 是的,我说的是「兆」── 数兆吨的二氧化碳, 且在接下来的数十年中要完成。
trillions:n.[数]万亿;adj.万亿的;num.[数]万亿;
It will cost a few percent of GDP -- think defense-sized expenditure , lots of industrial activity and inevitably harmful side effects. 会需要花上几个百分点的 GDP ──想想国防等级的花费、 许多的工業活动, 以及无可避免的有害副作用。
expenditure:n.支出,花费;经费,消费额; inevitably:adv.不可避免地;必然地;
But if the scale seems enormous , it is only because of the scale of the problem that we are seeking to solve. 但,如果觉得这个规模似乎很巨大, 那也是因为我们打算要解决的 问题本身的规模。
enormous:adj.庞大的,巨大的;凶暴的,极恶的;
It's enormous as well. 它的规模也是很巨大的。
We can no longer avoid these thorny issues. 我们无法再继续避开这些棘手议题。
thorny:adj.多刺的;痛苦的;令人苦恼的;
We face risks whichever way we turn: a world changed by climate change or a world changed by climate change and our efforts to counter climate change. 不论我们转向哪一边, 都会面对风险: 一个被气候变迁改变的世界, 或是一个被气候变迁改变的世界加上 我们为了反击气候变迁所做的努力。
whichever:pron.任何一个;无论哪个;adj.无论哪个;无论哪些;
Would that it were not so, but we can no longer afford to close our eyes, block our ears, and say la-la-la. 希望情况不是那样, 但我们没有本钱再 闭上眼睛、关上耳朵, 然后说啦啦啦(表示不想听)。
afford:v.给予,提供;买得起;
We need to grow up and face the consequences of our actions. 我们得要长大,并面对 我们的行为造成的后果。
(Applause) (掌声)
Does talk of curing climate change undermine the will to cut emissions? 谈论消除气候变迁是否 低估了想要缩减排放的意愿?
undermine:vt.破坏,渐渐破坏;挖掘地基;
This is a real concern , so we need to emphasize the paramount importance of reducing emissions and how speculative these ideas are. 这是真正该关心的事, 所以我们得要强调 排放减量的重要性有多高, 以及这些点子是多么推测性的。
concern:v.涉及,关系到;使担心;n.关系;关心;关心的事; emphasize:v.强调;重视;着重;使突出; paramount:adj.最重要的,主要的;至高无上的;n.最高统治者; speculative:adj.投机的;推测的;思索性的;
But having done so, we still need to examine them. 但这么做了之后, 我们仍然得要檢验它们。
Can we cure climate change? 我们能够消除气候变迁吗?
I don't know, but we certainly can't if we don't try. 我不知道,但如果 我们不试肯定就不行。
We need ambition without arrogance . 我们需要有野心但不能自大。
ambition:n.追求的目标;野心;志向;抱负; arrogance:n.自大;傲慢态度;
We need the ambition to restore the atmosphere, to draw down carbon dioxide back to a level that is compatible with a stable climate and healthy oceans. 我们需要野心来恢复大气, 减少二氧化碳, 减回到一个能配合 稳定气候和健康海洋的量。
restore:v.恢复;修复;恢复(某种情况或感受);使复原; compatible:adj.兼容的;能共处的;可并立的; stable:n.马厩;牛棚;adj.稳定的;牢固的;坚定的;vi.被关在马厩;赶入马房;
This will be an enormous undertaking . 这会是一项庞大的工作。
undertaking:n.事业;企业;保证;殡仪业;v.同意;担任;许诺;(undertake的现在分词)
You could describe it as a cathedral project. 你们可以把它形容是 一个大教堂专案计画。
describe:v.描述;形容;把…称为;画出…图形; cathedral:n.大教堂;
Those involved at the outset may draft the plans and dig the foundations , but they will not raise the spire to its full height. 一开始就涉入的人, 可以拟草图、挖地基, 但他们无法把尖塔建到最高。
involved:adj.有关的; v.涉及; (involve的过去式和过去分词) outset:n.开始;开端; draft:n.草案; v.起草; adj.供役使的; foundations:n.基础;地基;基金会;粉底;(foundations是foundation的复数) spire:n.[建]尖顶;尖塔;螺旋;vi.螺旋形上升;vt.给…加塔尖;
That task, that privilege , belongs to our descendants . 那项工作任务,那项特权, 属于我们的后代子孙。
privilege:n.特权;优待;v.给与…特权;特免; descendants:n.后裔;后代;子孙;派生物;(descendant的复数)
None of us will see that day, but we must start in the hope that future generations will be able to finish the job. 我们都无法看见那一天, 但我们必须要带着希望开始进行, 希望未来的世代能够完成这项工作。
So, do you want to change the world? 所以,你们想要改变世界吗?
I don't. 我不想。
I do not seek the change the world, but rather keep it as it's meant to be. 我寻求的不是改变世界, 而是让它保持它该有的样子。
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) (掌声)
Chris Anderson: Thanks. I just want to ask you a couple of other questions. 克里斯安德森:谢谢。 我想要问你几个其他的问题。
Tell us a bit more about this idea of putting lime in the ocean. 多告诉我们一点关于 将石灰放进海洋的这个点子。
I mean, on the face of it , it's pretty compelling -- anti-ocean acidification -- and it absorbs more CO2. 我的意思是,乍听之下, 它蛮引人入胜的── 抗海洋酸化── 且它会吸收更多二氧化碳。
on the face of it:adv.从表面判断;乍看起来; compelling:adj.引人入胜的; v.强迫; (compel的现在分词) absorbs:v.吸收;吸引…的注意(absorb的第三人称单数形式);
You talked about, we need to do an experiment on this. 你刚谈到我们需要对此进行实验。
What would a responsible experiment look like? 负责的实验应该是什么样子的?
Tim Kruger: So I think you need to do a series of experiments, but you need to do them just very small stage-by-stage. 提姆庫格:我想, 你需要做一系列的实验, 但做法上需要以非常 细微的阶段式进行。
series:n.系列,连续;[电]串联;级数;丛书;
In the same way, when you're trialing a new drug, you wouldn't just go into human trials straight off . 和试验新药物时用的方法相同, 你不会直接去做人体实验。
trialing:跟踪;跟踪(trial的变体);拖拽(trial的变体);伸展出;流出(trial的变体); straight off:立即;马上;
You would do a small experiment. 你会先做一些小实验。
And so the first things to do are experiments entirely on land, in special containers, away from the environment. 所以,最先要做的 是完全在陆地上的实验, 在远离环境的特殊容器中进行。
And then once you are confident that that can be done safely, you move to the next stage. 等到你有信心能够安全进行, 你再进入下一个阶段。
confident:adj.自信的;确信的;
If you're not confident, you don't. 如果你没信心,就不要。
But step by step . 要一步一步来。
step by step:adj.按部就班的;
CA: And who would fund such experiments? 克里斯:谁会资助这样的实验?
fund:n.基金;资金;存款;v.投资;资助;
Because they kind of impact the whole planet at some level. 因为在某种层面来说, 这些实验是对整个地球有影响的。
impact:n.影响;效果;碰撞;冲击力;v.挤入,压紧;撞击;对…产生影响;
Is that why nothing is happening on this? 这是不是它还没有发生的原因?
TK: So I think you can do small-scale experiments in national waters, and then it's probably the requirement of national funders to do that. 提姆:我认为你可以在国家 水域内先做一些小规模的实验, 这可能会需要国家级的 资助者才能办到。
small-scale:adj.小规模的;
But ultimately , if you wanted to counter ocean acidification in this way on a global scale, you would need to do it in international waters , and then you would need to have an international community working on it. 但,最终,如果你想要 用这种方式对抗海洋酸化, 要做到全球的规模, 你就会需要在国际水域上进行, 那么你就会需要 国际社会来协助进行。
ultimately:adv.最终;最后;归根结底;终究; global:adj.全球的;总体的;球形的; international waters:国际海域; community:n.社区;[生态]群落;共同体;团体;
CA: Even in national waters, you know, the ocean's all connected. 克里斯:在国际水域, 你知道的,海洋都是相连的。
That lime is going to get out there. 石灰会跑出去。
And people feel outraged about doing experiments on the planet, as we've heard. 人们对于对地球做实验感到愤慨, 我们听过这样的事。
outraged:adj.义愤填膺的;愤慨的,气愤的;v.使愤怒(outrage的过去式,过去分词);
How do you counter that? 你要如何对付那样的问题?
TK: I think you touch on something which is really important. 提姆:我想,你提到了很重要的事。
It's about a social license to operate. 就是执行上的社会执照。
license:v.许可;批准;
And I think it may be that it is impossible to do, but we need to have the courage to try, to move this forward, to see what we can do, and to engage openly. 我想,也许不可能做到, 但我们得要有勇气去尝试, 来把这件事向前推进, 看看我们能什么, 并且公开进行。
engage:v.吸引,占用;使参加;雇佣;使订婚;预定;
And we need to engage with people in a transparent way. 我们需要用透明的方式让人们参与。
transparent:adj.透明的;显然的;坦率的;易懂的;
We need to ask them beforehand . 我们需要事先询问他们。
beforehand:adv.事先;预先;adj.提前的;预先准备好的;
And I think if we ask them, we have to be open to the possibility that the answer will come back, "No, don't do it." 我想,如果我们询问他们, 我们就得要开放接受 有可能会得到这样的答案: 「不,不要做。」
CA: Thanks so much. That was really fascinating . 克里斯:非常谢谢。很棒的演说。
fascinating:adj.极有吸引力的;迷人的;v.深深吸引;迷住;(fascinate的现在分词)
TK: Thank you. (Applause) 提姆:谢谢你。(掌声)