双语新闻：中国艰难的减排之路胜利还在远方

2014-05-08 14:42:16来源：可可英语

　　But its addiction to coal is far from over. Fossil fuels, mostly coal, still make up nearly 70 per cent of its power generating capacity. Although it plans to boost sharply its nuclear and renewable power, it is also expected to add 248GW of coal capacity between now and 2020, according to IHS, the consultancy – equal to about three new coal plants every month.

　　但中国对煤炭的依赖还远未结束。化石燃料(主要是煤炭)仍占发电能力的近70%。尽管中国计划大幅增加核电和可再生能源发电的比重，但咨询机构IHS表示，预计2020年前中国也将新增24800万千瓦的燃煤发电装机容量，相当于每月新建约三座燃煤电厂。

　　Other factors underline the immense scale of the challenge China faces as it tries to wean itself off the coal choking its cities. Hydropower dams are by far is main source of renewable energy but cannot be expanded infinitely. Nuclear power is expensive. The country’s shale gas industry is in its infancy. Coal is not just cheap – it is ingrained in an economy that is the world’s workshop.

　　燃煤让中国的城市乌烟瘴气。但在中国试图摆脱对煤炭的依赖之际，其它一些因素突显中国面对的巨大挑战。水电大坝目前是中国遥遥领先的最主要可再生能源，但不可能无止境地建设下去。核电成本高昂。中国的页岩气行业仍处于发展初期。煤炭不仅廉价，在身为世界工厂的中国经济中，煤炭也根深蒂固、盘根错节。

　　Interviews with officials and advisers working on energy and climate policies suggest China has something in common with St Augustine, who prayed for chastity but not yet.

　　对能源和气候政策领域的官员和顾问的采访似乎表明，中国与圣奥古斯丁(St Augustine)有共同之处。后者曾祈祷：“赐予我贞洁吧，但不是现在。”

　　Yes, it wants to reduce its emissions, but perhaps not as fast as climate science might dictate.

　　没错，中国希望减少排放，但它或许不想以气候科学可能要求的速度迅速减排。

　　Despite 30 years of remarkable economic growth, China still has almost 100m people living below the national poverty line of Rmb2,300 a year, or less than $400. The idea that it should cut its emissions as fast as western countries before it achieves a comparable standard of living remains deeply unpopular. “China is not Chad,” says Mr Xie, referring to one of the world’s poorest countries. “But on the other hand, China is not the US, the EU or even Japan.”

　　虽然30年来中国的经济增长令人瞩目，但中国仍有近1亿人生活在每年2300元人民币(不到400美元)的国家贫困线以下。中国应当在实现与西方可比的生活水平之前像西方那么快地减排——这种观点仍极不受欢迎。“中国不是乍得，”解振华提到的乍得是世界最贫穷的国家之一，“但另一方面，中国也不是美国、欧盟或日本。”

　　Those countries’ emissions peaked when per capita GDP was $10,000 to $15,000, and sometimes as much as $30,000, he says, yet the figure in China is still around $6,000.

　　他表示，这些国家的碳排放在人均GDP达到1万至1.5万美元(一些情况下甚至是3万美元)时达到顶峰，而中国的人均GDP还在6000美元左右。

　　So what does China really want? Part of the answer may come in September when heads of state are expected to spell out how they plan to tackle climate change at the UN.

　　那么，中国真正想要的是什么?今年9月各国首脑在联合国(UN)阐述各自的气候变化对策时，我们或许将看出一些眉目。

　　The event has been designed to focus attention on the international climate negotiations, which are due to produce a global deal on tackling carbon emissions late next year in Paris.

　　按计划，此次联合国会议将重点关注国际气候谈判。此轮谈判定于在明年后期的巴黎气候大会上达成应对碳排放的全球协议。

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