1
A UN climate change report sounded① a code red② for humanity③
联合国一份气候变化报告向全人类发出红色警报
The UN climate panel④ sounded a dire⑤ warning last Monday, saying the world is close to runaway⑥warming—and that humans are “unequivocally⑦” to blame. Already, greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere are high enough to guarantee climate disruption⑧ for decades if not centuries, scientists warn in a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. That’s on top of the deadly heat waves, powerful hurricanes and other weather extremes that are happening now and are likely to become more severe. Describing the report as a “code red for humanity,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged an immediate end to coal energy and other high-polluting fossil fuels. Unless immediate, rapid and large-scale action is taken to reduce emissions, the average global temperature will likely cross the 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold⑨ within the next 20 years. The IPCC report comes just three months before UN COP26⑩ climate conference in Glasgow, where nations will be under pressure to pledge ambitious climate action and substantial financing. (Reuters)
8月9日，联合国气候小组发出严重警告，称全球变暖濒临失控，人类“无疑”应对此负责。在联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会（以下简称“气专委”）的一份报告中，科学家警告称，大气中的温室气体水平现已足够高，即便不会导致几个世纪的气候破坏，也必将破坏气候几十年。这种破坏是在现有极端天气的基础上发生。致命热浪和强劲飓风等极端天气可能会变得更加严重。联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯将这份报告称为“全人类的红色警报”，敦促立即停止使用煤炭能源等高污染化石燃料。除非立即采取快速、大规模的行动来减少排放，否则全球平均气温很可能在未来20年内突破1.5摄氏度的升温临界值。就在这份气专委报告发布的3个月后，第26届联合国气候变化大会将于格拉斯哥召开。届时，各国将面临承诺宏远气候行动并保证大量经费的压力。
【注释】
① sound: [saʊnd] vt. to publicly give (a warning) 公开发布（警告）
② code red: (also with capital initials) (an urgent warning signalling) a state of emergency or imminent danger 红色警报
③ humanity: [hjuːˈmænəti] n. people in general 人类
④ panel: [ˈpænl] n. a group of specialists who give their advice or opinion about something 专家小组
⑤ dire: [ˈdaɪə(r)] adj. very serious 非常严重的
⑥ runaway: [ˈrʌnəweɪ] adj. happening very easily or quickly, and not able to be controlled 失控的
⑦ unequivocally: [ˌʌnɪˈkwɪvəkəli] adv. without doubt 无疑地
⑧ climate disruption: the new term scientists are using to explain the extreme fluctuations that can and will occur to our weather systems 气候破坏〔用以解释极端的气候波动〕
⑨ threshold: [ˈθreʃhəʊld] n. the level at which something starts to happen or have an effect 阈值
⑩ COP26: the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference 联合国气候变化大会
(Credit: AFP)
2
Messi signed a contract with Paris Saint-Germain
梅西签约巴黎圣日耳曼
Lionel Messi signed his Paris Saint-Germain contract last Tuesday night to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona and sends PSG into a new era. The French club said in a statement that the 34-year-old Argentina star signed a two-year deal with the option① for a third season. Messi became the most desired free agent② in soccer history after his attempts to stay at Barcelona were rejected two weeks ago by the Spanish league because the salary would not comply with financial regulations, with the club burdened by debts of more than 1.2 billion euros. PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino quickly made contact with his fellow Argentine after Barcelona announced on August 5 that Messi would be leaving the club. (AP News)
8月10日晚，利昂内尔·梅西签下与巴黎圣日耳曼俱乐部（以下简称“大巴黎”）的合同，完成了转会。梅西的职业生涯始于巴塞罗那俱乐部（以下简称“巴萨”），此次转会正式结束了他的巴萨生涯，并开启了“大巴黎”的新时代。这家法国的俱乐部在一份声明中表示，这位34岁的阿根廷球星与俱乐部签下了一份为期两年的合同，附带第三个赛季的续约选择权。两周前，因梅西工资不符合财务规定，加上巴萨背负逾12亿欧元（约合91亿人民币）的债务，他留在巴萨的想法遭到西甲联盟拒绝。梅西遂成为足球史上最抢手的自由球员。巴萨于8月5日宣布梅西将离队后，“大巴黎”主帅毛里西奥·波切蒂诺迅速与这位阿根廷同胞取得了联系。
【注释】
① option: [ˈɒpʃn] n. the right to buy or sell something at some time in the future 选择权
② free agent: a player who is not under contract to any specific team 自由运动员
Lionel Messi arrived in Paris to join Paris Saint-Germain.
(Credit: Reuters)
3
New York Gov.① Cuomo resigned
纽约州州长科莫辞职
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced his resignation last Tuesday in an effort to head off②a looming③ impeachment effort in the state Assembly, a precipitous④ fall triggered by a state investigation that found he sexually harassed 11 women and oversaw⑤ an unlawful attempt to exact⑥retribution⑦ against one of his accusers. He said his resignation will be effective in 14 days. Cuomo will be replaced by Lt.⑧ Gov. Kathy Hochul, who will be New York’s first female governor. Mr. Cuomo’s dramatic fall was shocking in its velocity and vertical drop: A year ago, the governor was being hailed as a national hero for his steady leadership amid the coronavirus pandemic. From the start, Mr. Cuomo’s tenure⑨ in office was a study⑩ in vivid contrasts, marked by a head-spinning⑪ scale of accomplishment—the passage of marriage equality, the construction of bridges and train stations—and political scandals, such as his decision to shut down a panel investigating public corruption before its work was completed. ( The Washington Post and The New York Times )
8月10日，纽约州州长安德鲁·M. 科莫宣布辞职，以阻止州议会即将进行的弹劾。纽约州的一项调查发现，科莫对11名女性进行过性骚扰，还曾指使他人非法报复其中一名指控者。这项调查令科莫陡然倒台。科莫表示，他的辞呈将在14天后生效。副州长凯茜·霍楚尔将接替科莫，成为纽约州首位女州长。科莫戏剧性倒台，其速度和落差都令人震惊。一年前，这位州长在新冠病毒疫情期间展示出稳健的领导力，被誉为国家英雄。科莫的任期从一开始就显得与众不同，既有令人眼花缭乱的成就，也有政治丑闻：在成就方面，科莫通过了婚姻平等法案、建造了桥梁和火车站；在丑闻方面，他曾在一个公共腐败调查小组完成工作之前，就决定将之关停。
【注释】
① Gov. = governor 州长
② head off: to take action in order to prevent (something) from happening 防止……发生
③ looming: [ˈluːmɪŋ] adj. that likely to happen very soon 可能快要发生的
④ precipitous: [prɪˈsɪpɪtəs] adj. sudden and great 急促的；猛冲的
⑤ oversee: [ˌəʊvəˈsiː] vt. to see to officially, as one in charge of work done by others 负责，看管
⑥ exact: [ɪɡˈzækt] vt. to make (something bad) happen to somebody 施加
⑦ retribution: [ˌretrɪˈbjuːʃn] n. severe punishment for something seriously wrong that somebody has done 惩罚，报复
⑧ Lt. = lieutenant: an officer just below the rank mentioned 副的
⑨ tenure: [ˈtenjə(r)] n. the act of holding an important job, especially a political one（尤指政治要职的）占有
⑩ study: [ˈstʌdi] n. a perfect example 典型
⑪ head-spinning: [hed ˈspɪnɪŋ] adj. dizzying, bewildering 令人炫目的
Andrew M. Cuomo
(Credit: Getty Images)
4
Mexico built a replica① Aztec temple
墨西哥复刻阿兹特克神庙
Mexico is building a towering② replica of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec civilisation’s most sacred site, in the downtown of Mexico City to mark 500 years since the Spanish conquest of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. The mostly white mock③ temple will be on show in Mexico City’s bustling main square, the Zocalo, close to the ruins of the real Templo Mayor, where the Aztecs venerated④ two main deities with elaborate pageantry⑤ and sacrificial offerings. The temple was destroyed by Spanish forces after their 1521 conquest and subsequent razing⑥ of Tenochtitlan. At 16 meters high, it will be the biggest ever replica of the Templo Mayor. (Reuters)
墨西哥正在墨西哥城市中心复刻雄伟的大神庙，以纪念西班牙征服阿兹特克帝国首都特诺奇蒂特兰500周年。大神庙是阿兹特克文明最神圣的地方。这座复制品大体呈白色，将在墨西哥城繁华的主广场宪法广场亮相，靠近真正的大神庙的遗址。阿兹特克人曾在大神庙举办华丽的庆典，献上祭品，敬奉两个主神。1521年，西班牙*队军**占领特诺奇蒂特兰，将之夷为平地。随后，大神庙被西班牙*队军**摧毁。这座复制品高16米，将成为史上最大的大神庙复制品。
【注释】
① replica: [ˈreplɪkə] n . a very good or exact copy of something 复制品；复刻品
② towering: [ˈtaʊərɪŋ] adj. extremely tall or high and therefore impressive 高耸的
③ mock: [mɒk] adj. done or performed to look like the real thing 仿制的；模拟的
④ venerate: [ˈvenəreɪt] vt. to have and show a lot of respect for (somebody/something, especially somebody/something that is considered to be holy or very important) 敬重；崇敬
⑤ pageantry: [ˈpædʒəntri] n. impressive and exciting events and ceremonies involving a lot of people wearing special clothes 盛大庆典
⑥ raze: [reɪz] vt. to completely destroy (a building, town, etc.) so that nothing is left 夷平
the replica of the Templo Mayor
(Credit: Reuters)
5
The Taliban swept across Afghanistan’s south
塔利班扫荡阿富汗南部
The Taliban completed their sweep of the country’s south last Friday as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning① offensive that brought them closer to the capital, Kabul, just weeks before the US is set to officially end its two-decade war in Afghanistan. The insurgents now hold half of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals and control more than two-thirds of the country. The US invasion beginning in October 2001 broke up the Afghanistan-based al-Qaida that had plotted the Sept. 11 attacks. It overthrew, with Afghan allies, the Taliban government that had refused to surrender Osama bin Laden. Now, the withdrawal of foreign forces and the swift retreat of Afghanistan’s own troops have raised fears the Taliban could return to power or the country could be shattered by factional fighting, as it was after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. ( The Politico )
8月13日，塔利班完成了对阿富汗南部的横扫——他们通过闪电进攻又占领了4座省会城市，逼近阿富汗首都喀布尔。就在数周后，美国将正式结束其在阿富汗长达20年的战争。塔利班现已占领阿富汗34座省会城市中的一半，并控制该国三分之二以上的地区。策划“9·11袭击”的基地组织的大本营就在阿富汗——为此，2001年10月，美国开始入侵该国，瓦解了基地组织。美国与阿富汗盟友一起*翻推**了拒绝交出奥萨马·本·拉登的塔利班政府。如今，外国*队军**的撤出和阿富汗本国政府军的迅速后退，令人们担心塔利班可能重新掌权，或者出现1989年苏联撤军后的情况，该国可能被派系斗争摧毁。
【注释】
① lightning: [ˈlaɪtnɪŋ] adj. (of a war) marked by surprise and speed of movement and intended to achieve victory quickly for the attacking power（战争）闪电式的
Smoke rose after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, in Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.
(Credit: AP News)
复旦大学 江默柔 编译
英汉大词典编纂处 王暖流 审订兼朗读