How green is China? Seems an odd thing to ask on the eve of a huge anniversary of red communist power. But, according to Thomas Friedman, the matter is settled.
中国能有多“绿”？似乎在一个红色政权庆祝其周年前夕讨论这个有些奇怪。但是根据托马斯弗里德曼的理论，这个问题能以解决。
The author and New York Times columnist argued this week that the most important global development of the past 18 months was that Red China became Green China.
本周，托马斯弗理德曼认为过去18个月中最重要的全球发展就是中国的由“红”变“绿”
Now I read Friedman's columns and most of the time I am struck with admiration and envy at his ability to provoke and convince. But I suspect he has spent too long sipping tea with Dalian's technocrats and not enough time breathing the air in Shanxi, Henan and Beijing.
我读弗里曼的专栏时，大部分时间都在羡慕和嫉妒他的激励和说服能力。但我怀疑（这次）他在和大连技术官僚喝茶上花了太多的时间而没能好好的呼吸山西、河南和北京的空气。
The politburo's decision to promote clean energy, he argues, is the 21st century equivalent of the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik, which convinced the United States that it was falling behind in missile technology.
他认为政治局关于推广清洁能源的决定，（其在）21世纪（的影响）相当于苏联在1957年第一个发射人造地球，那次发射使得美国相信他们在导弹技术方面落后（于苏联）。
China's renewable energy promotion policies are impressive and – if developed further – could transform the balance of power in the world. Friedman is absolutely right to prod the US to respond. But colour-coding such a big and diverse country is not so simple.
中国的可再生能源促进政策令人印象深刻——如果有一步发展的话——就能够改变世界能源的平衡（状态）。
Industrially, China is predominantly black and will remain so for decades. Coal consumption has grown as fast as renewable energy. Despite a huge investment in wind, solar and hydro, China continues to depend on coal for 70% of its power. Despite gains in the efficiency of thermal power stations, the country's carbon emissions are the highest in the world and will probably double again in the next 20 years.
在工业上，中国现在是黑色的，而这情况将持续几十年。煤炭消费的增长速度于可再生能源的消费速度几乎一致。尽管在风能、太阳能和水力上有了大力的投资，但中国的电力依然有70%是有赖于煤炭。尽管热电站的效率有所加大，但中国二氧化碳排放量仍是世界最高，并可能在接下来的20年里翻一番。
Environmentally, China has never been greyer. In the current surge of urbanisation and dam building, billions of tonnes of concrete have been poured onto farm fields and into rivers. A surge in car ownership has added to the haze that obscures the skies in most cities for much of the year.
在环境方面，中国已不能更“灰”了。当下城市化和水坝建设如潮，数十吨的混凝土已被灌入田地及流。而汽车有用量的激增，使得大部分城市的天空在大部分时间里都被排放的尾气所遮掩。
And politically, China remains uncompromisingly red in ways that will be all too evident tomorrow when PLA tanks and missiles parade past Mao's portrait in Tiananmen Square for the 60th anniversary of Communist party rule.
而在政治上，中国仍是不折不扣的走红色道路，当明天共产党统治60周年纪念，解放军的坦克和导弹从天安门广场的毛主席像前经过的时候，这将是再明显不过的了。
Yes, there will be splashes of green and not just because of the military uniforms. Twice as many trees are being planted in China as the rest of the world put together. But the same country is also importing far more illegally logged timber than anywhere else.
当然，绿色的不只有军装。中国种植的树木是世界其他国家总和的两倍多。但是其进口非法砍伐的木材的数量也远远超过了其他国家。
All of which is to say, Beijing is doing great things for the environment. But it also continues to join wealthy nations in doing even more damage.
这一些都在说明，北京在环境方面已有很大作为。但他也会继续和那些富裕的国家一起造成更多的危害。
Perhaps a "Green China" can emerge from the haze to lead a low-carbon revolution. I certainly hope so. But for the moment, the country is too big, too fast-changing and too uncertain to paint into a corner, or a colour.
或许一个“绿色中国”能够走出阴霾引导低碳革命。我也确信如此。但目前来看，这个国家太大，发展太快，仍有太多的不确定因素，因而难以预料今后到底会是如何。
翻译交流见#6
提个小意见：
But it also continues to join wealthy nations in doing even more damage.
但他也会继续和那些富裕的国家一起造成更多的危害。
但中国也是为了变得富裕而变本加厉的破坏环境的国家之一。 
狗仔卡
发表于 2009-10-22 17:44
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发表于 2009-10-22 17:45
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