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(单词翻译)

This is Scientific American's 60-second Science, I'm Julia Rosen.

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列,我是朱莉娅·罗森。

Gross domestic product, the GDP, is a simple way to describe the health of big, complicated economies.

国内生产总值(简称GDP)是描述大型复杂经济体健康状况的简单方法。

And for the last century, the goal of many countries has been to make their GDP go up. But concentrating only on GDP has had some downsides.

上个世纪,许多国家的目标一直是让本国的国内生产总值上升。但往往只关注国内生产总值有一些弊端。

"In growing the economy, we have, as an unintended consequence, destroyed parts of nature, which are also important for our well-being2."

“在发展经济的过程中,我们会无意中破坏一部分自然,而这些部分对我们的幸福同样重要。”

Stephen Polasky, an environmental economist3 at the University of Minnesota.

明尼苏达大学的环境经济学家斯蒂芬·波拉斯基说到。

He and his colleagues have created a new measurement: the gross ecosystem4 product, or GEP.

他和同事创造了一种新的衡量方法:生态系统生产总值(简称GEP)。

"So that we actually have metrics that say how are we doing on ecosystems5 management, managing nature—

“这样一来,我们就有了指标,说明我们在生态系统管理和自然管理方面做得如何,

and not just for nature's sake but 'How is that coming back and influencing our own well-being?'

不仅是为了保护自然,也是为了说明‘自然如何反过来影响我们的幸福?’

So really, GEP is trying to say, 'What is the contribution of nature to the economy?'

因此,生态系统生产总值是尝试说明‘自然对经济的贡献是什么?’

So in a parallel way to what GDP does in measuring economic performance."

这与国内生产总值在衡量经济表现方面的作用不谋而合。”

Tallying6 up the economic value of timber and fisheries is fairly straightforward7.

统计木材和渔业的经济价值相当简单。

But other benefits of a healthy environment can be less obvious.

但健康环境的其他益处可能并不那么明显。

Insects pollinate crops. Intact rivers improve water quality and buffer8 downstream cities from floods.

昆虫为农作物授粉。完整的河流改善水质,保护下游城市名遭洪水侵袭。

Thriving ecosystems draw tourists, who spend money.

欣欣向荣的生态系统吸引游客前来消费。

"And part of the issue here is that it is difficult to price some of these things.

“存在问题的部分是,很难对其中一些东西定价。

Some people even say, 'Well, they are priceless.'

有些人甚至会说‘它们是无价的。’

Unfortunately, what it means in practice—priceless means it has zero value in much of the calculations."

不幸的是,在实际中,无价意味着在大多计算中是零价值。”

Zero value in the GDP but not in the GEP.

在国内生产总值中为零,但在生态系统生产总值中并非如此。

For example, Polasky and his colleagues calculated the figure for Qinghai, a province in western China.

比如,波拉斯基和同事为中国西部省份青海进行了计算。

They found that the gross ecosystem product exceeded GDP in the year 2000 and equaled three quarters of GDP in 2015.

他们发现,2000年该省的生态系统生产总值超过了国内生产总值,2015年时其生太系统生产总值相当于国内生产总值的四分之三。

Over that period, GEP rose by 127 percent, thanks to major restoration efforts and the increasing value of water.

在此期间,由于大型生态工程和和水价值增加,生态系统生产总值上升了127%。

The results are in the Proceedings9 of the National Academy of Science.

研究结果发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》上。

The researchers focused on Qinghai

研究人员关注青海省,

because it's one of several provinces where the Chinese government is experimenting with using GEP as part of its formal decision-making process.

因为中国政府在多个省份试验将生态系统生产总值作为正式决策过程的一部分,而青海省就是其中一个省份。

For instance, GEP can help officials weigh the pros10 and cons1 of potential projects like dams.

例如,生态系统生产总值可以帮助地方领导者权衡水坝等潜在项目的利弊。

Or it can be used to show whether local leaders are taking care of the environment and not just expanding the economy.

或者它可以用来显示地方领导人是否在保护环境,而不仅仅是在发展经济。

GEP could also serve as the basis for programs that pay residents to be good stewards11 of natural resources that benefit themselves and others.

生态系统生产总值还可以作为项目的基础,雇佣居民使其成为自然资源的好管家,造福自己和他人。

In Qinghai, such a program could work for water—

在青海省,这种项目可以为水资源运作,

the province is where the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers originate, and their waters sustain cities and farms across Asia.

青海省是黄河、长江和湄公河的发源地,其水资源供养着整个亚洲的城市和农场。

Polasky says their work is just a first step, and he expects GEP to be refined over time. But he says we have to start somewhere.

波拉斯基表示,他们的工作只是第一步,他希望生态系统生产总值能随着时间的推移不断完善。但他同时表示,我们必须从某个地方开始。

"If we are actually going to have a sustainable civilization, then we have to pay attention to, kind of, the infrastructure12, basically—

“如果我们想要有可持续的文明,那我们就必须关注基础设施,

the essential things that nature does for us—and not continue to just take them for granted."

关注大自然为我们做的基本事情,而不是继续将其视为理所当然。”

Thanks for listening for Scientific American's 60-second Science. I'm Julia Rosen.

谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学。我是朱莉娅·罗森。


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 cons eec38a6d10735a91d1247a80b5e213a6     
n.欺骗,骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗,哄骗( con的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前,应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 well-being Fe3zbn     
n.安康,安乐,幸福
参考例句:
  • He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
  • My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福,却被误解为多管闲事。
3 economist AuhzVs     
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人
参考例句:
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
4 ecosystem Wq4xz     
n.生态系统
参考例句:
  • This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
  • We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
5 ecosystems 94cb0e40a815bea1157ac8aab9a5380d     
n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样,从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句
6 tallying 15a874f08059a9770f1372b280d6754d     
v.计算,清点( tally的现在分词 );加标签(或标记)于;(使)符合;(使)吻合
参考例句:
  • In 2007 the state set a U.S. record, tallying 141 twisters. 该州在2007年以总计出现了141个龙卷风而创下了一个美国记录。 来自互联网
  • We charge extra fee at 100% of the rates of tallying fees. 我们按理货收费率的100%收取附加费。 来自互联网
7 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
8 buffer IxYz0B     
n.起缓冲作用的人(或物),缓冲器;vt.缓冲
参考例句:
  • A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时,很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
  • Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。
9 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
10 pros pros     
abbr.prosecuting 起诉;prosecutor 起诉人;professionals 自由职业者;proscenium (舞台)前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 );赞成的理由;抵偿物;交换物
参考例句:
  • The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前,应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 stewards 5967fcba18eb6c2dacaa4540a2a7c61f     
(轮船、飞机等的)乘务员( steward的名词复数 ); (俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的)管理员; (大型活动的)组织者; (私人家中的)管家
参考例句:
  • The stewards all wore armbands. 乘务员都戴了臂章。
  • The stewards will inspect the course to see if racing is possible. 那些干事将检视赛马场看是否适宜比赛。
12 infrastructure UbBz5     
n.下部构造,下部组织,基础结构,基础设施
参考例句:
  • We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
  • We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设,发展各类群众文化。

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