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(单词翻译)
Globes showing environmental challenges are lining1 the National Mall for Earth Day activities.
Week-long activities to commemorate2 the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States have kicked off with an eco-village on the National Mall and green volunteer service around national monuments.
An official with the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Donna Locks-Lewis, rallied volunteers to begin mulching around the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial.
Others raked, did some weeding or picked up trash. One of the volunteers, Wright Sigmund, took time from his busy work in commercial real estate to help.
The fifth-generation Washingtonian said even monuments need environmental help. "Over the course of the years, the National Parks service, there has been a huge deficit3 in their ability to work on projects to restore areas such as the Lincoln Memorial, which every year is sinking into the ground. When you walk around the National Mall, you see the grass is all torn up. Everything that should be the most beautiful landmark4 of our country is just falling apart," he said.
On the National Mall, artistic5 globes depicting6 the earth's environmental problems and possible solutions lined walkways.
Companies, embassies, government agencies and activists7 set up tents to promote products and programs.
A scientist with the National Aeronautics8 and Space Administration, Ruth Netting, set up a puzzle made up of satellite images. "This is our earth. This is our planet earth and we should take care of it. Young kids like here, they are getting excited about it and hopefully they will learn and take care of the planet earth that they live on," she said.
Historical footage also played on a big screen, including a speech about environmental problems, such as pollution, by former President Richard Nixon.
"It is a cause of particular concern to young Americans because they more than we will reap the grim consequences of our failure to act on programs which are needed now if we are to prevent disasters later," he said in one speech.
Earth Day was initiated9 by a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, as an environmental teach-in. The first event which took place on April 22, 1970, turned into a massive protest in which millions of Americans took part demanding government action to help stop environmental degradation10.
Activities this week on the National Mall will culminate11 with a rally and celebrity-filled concert on April 25th demanding Congress pass climate legislation to create green jobs and cap carbon emissions12.
1 lining | |
n.衬里,衬料 | |
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2 commemorate | |
vt.纪念,庆祝 | |
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3 deficit | |
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差 | |
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4 landmark | |
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标 | |
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5 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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6 depicting | |
描绘,描画( depict的现在分词 ); 描述 | |
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7 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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8 aeronautics | |
n.航空术,航空学 | |
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9 initiated | |
n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始,创始,启蒙,介绍加入 | |
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10 degradation | |
n.降级;低落;退化;陵削;降解;衰变 | |
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11 culminate | |
v.到绝顶,达于极点,达到高潮 | |
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12 emissions | |
排放物( emission的名词复数 ); 散发物(尤指气体) | |
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