重整能源结构 应对环境危机（节选）

随刊音频附有本次讲演全部视听文件。

【文章大意】

每年的4月22日是“世界地球日”。目前，世界环境问题愈发突出，很多组织和个人都致力于环境保护，美国前副总统、诺贝尔奖获得者戈尔就是其中一位佼佼者。本文摘选自戈尔关于调整能源结构的一篇演说，在演说中，戈尔呼吁美国发挥“登月”精神，在未来10年内结束化石能源时代，实现100%以可再生能源发电，敦促国家和个人承担起应对气候变化的义务。戈尔强调这样做不但有助于缓解环境危机，解决由于依赖化石燃料而引发的经济与国家危机，并且关系到美国及人类文明的存亡。

【关键词句】

1. step aside

意为“走到一边、从权威地位退下”。

例句：I stepped aside so that she might come in.

我往旁边走一步, 以便她能进来。

I'm not ready to step aside yet.

我还没有准备让位。

2. be at stake

意为“危如累卵、在危险中”。

例句：His reputation was at stake.

他面临身败名裂的危险。

3. grab hold of

意为“抓紧、抓住”。

例句：I managed to grab hold of the jug before it fell.

在它跌落之前我设法抓住了那个罐子。

4. status quo

意为“现状”。

例句：He maintains his own status quo.

他维持现状。

5. recover from

意为“恢复、痊愈”。

例句：Has he recovered from his illness?

他的病好了吗？

6. embark on

意为“着手、开始做某事”。

例句：He is about to embark on a new business venture.

他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。

【原文】

Ladies and gentlemen:

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more - if more should be required - the future of human civilization is at stake.

I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously. Our economy is in terrible shape and getting worse, gasoline prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates. Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble. […]

[…]

But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard, all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we're holding the answer to all of them right in our hand.

The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels.

[…]

Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.

This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative. It represents a challenge to all Americans - in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen.

[…]

Of course there are those who will tell us this can't be done. Some of the voices we hear are the defenders of the status quo - the ones with a vested interest in perpetuating the current system, no matter how high a price the rest of us will have to pay. But even those who reap the profits of the carbon age have to recognize the inevitability of its demise. As one OPEC oil minister observed, "The Stone Age didn't end because of a shortage of stones."

To those who say 10 years is not enough time, I respectfully ask them to consider what the world's scientists are telling us about the risks we face if we don't act in 10 years. The leading experts predict that we have less than 10 years to make dramatic changes in our global warming pollution lest we lose our ability to ever recover from this environmental crisis. When the use of oil and coal goes up, pollution goes up. When the use of solar, wind and geothermal increases, pollution comes down.

[…]

When President John F. Kennedy challenged our nation to land a man on the moon and bring him back safely in 10 years, many people doubted we could accomplish that goal. But 8 years and 2 months later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon.

[…]

I will never forget the inspiration of those minutes. The power and the vibration of the giant rocket's engines shook my entire body. As I watched the rocket rise, slowly at first and then with great speed, the sound was deafening. We craned our necks to follow its path until we were looking straight up into the air. And then four days later, I watched along with hundreds of millions of others around the world as Neil Armstrong took one small step to the surface of the moon and changed the history of the human race.

We must now lift our nation to reach another goal that will change history. Our entire civilization depends upon us now embarking on a new journey of exploration and discovery. Our success depends on our willingness as a people to undertake this journey and to complete it within 10 years. Once again, we have an opportunity to take a giant leap for humankind.