Economic development is the premier mission of each nation. But, it should not be carried out at the expense of environment. Respiratory illness from air pollution is now China’s number one health problem. Every major body of water is polluted. The water table is dropping all over the country. China is about to assume the unfortunate distinction of replacing the United States as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases that are dangerously warning our planet.
發(fā)展經(jīng)濟是每一個國家的首要任務。然而，發(fā)展經(jīng)濟不能以犧牲環(huán)境作為代價。大氣污染引起的呼吸系統(tǒng)疾病是中國的頭號健康殺手。所有主要水體均被污染。全國范圍內(nèi)的地下水位下降。美國目前是世界上溫室氣體排放量最大的國家，然而不幸的是，中國可能會取而代之。溫室氣體嚴重威脅著我們所居住的星球。
Increasingly, pollution at home—whether in China or the United States or elsewhere—has become a worldwide environmental problem, as well as a health, environmental, and economic problem for people in their home countries. Climate is a real and growing issue. The five hottest years recorded on the planet since 1400 have all occurred in the 1990s. If present trends continue, this year will be the hottest year ever recorded.
國內(nèi)污染——不管是在中國、美國還是別的什么國家——已不僅是關(guān)系到本國人民衛(wèi)生、環(huán)境、經(jīng)濟的問題，而是一個全球性的環(huán)境問題。氣候變化是千真萬確的，是不斷發(fā)展的。自從1400年以來，紀錄中最熱的五年均出現(xiàn)在二十世紀九十年代。如果目前的狀況持續(xù)下去，今年將成為記錄中最熱的年份。
Now, unfortunately, it is still the dominant opinion in virtually all developing countries—and I might add, in many sectors of the United States, including among many in the Congress— that there is an iron, unbreakable link between economic growth and industrial age energy practices. If that is the link, we can hardly expect decision-makers in countries with a lot of poor people trying to come to grips with the enormous economic changes of the global economy, to do anything other than either deny the environmental problems or say that their children will have to fix them. Happily, it is not true. It is simply not true.
不幸地是，當前，幾乎所有發(fā)展中國家，還有美國很多部門甚至包括很多國會成員都認為經(jīng)濟增長與工業(yè)時代的能源使用模式之間存在著一種牢不可破的聯(lián)系。如果確是這種聯(lián)系的話，我們不可能指望有大批貧困人口的國家的決策者會跟上全球經(jīng)濟巨變的步伐。他們除了對環(huán)境問題熟視無睹，或者留給子孫后代去解決，恐怕無所作為。然而，值得慶幸的是，情況并非如此。
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