UNIT 1 nature in the balance
高中英语课文Let us not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory nature takes its revenge on us. ——Friedrich Engels
Reading (P 2-3)
The Amazon rainforest: a natural treasure 亚马逊雨林：自然宝藏
Welcome to the jungle, a huge sea of green alive with the sounds of animals. This is the Amazon rainforest. As the largest rainforest in the world, it plays a significant role in maintaining the fine balance of the Earth’s ecosystem.
The Amazon rainforest crosses into eight countries, including Brazil and Peru, and one overseas region of France, all on the South American continent. With an area of around 6 million square kilometres , the Amazon rainforest is more than half the size of China. The Amazon River, from which the rainforest gets its name, is close to 6,400 kilometres in length—roughly 100 kilometres longer than the Yangtze River. On its journey from the mountains to the ocean, the river supports many different ecosystems. They give this area the richest biodiversity on the Earth: one in ten known species in the world can be found here.
亚马逊雨林穿过包括巴西、秘鲁在内的八个国家，以及一块法国的海外领地，都位于南美洲大陆。亚马逊雨林的面积约为600万平方千米，比中国国土面积的一半还要大。亚马逊雨林得名于亚马逊河，亚马逊河长约6,400千米，比长江还长大约100千米。这条河从高山流向海洋，沿途维系着多种不同的生态系统。它们赋予这片区域地球上最丰富的生物多样性：全世界十分之一的已知物种，都可以在这里到。
Of the 390,000 plant species known to us, more than 40,000 can be found in the Amazon.
This tall and ancient brazil nut tree produces nuts that we can eat; these water lilies are big enough to lie down on. The forest’s different levels support an unbelievable variety of wildlife. At the bottom, there is a system of roots beneath the ground. Above that is the mass of leaf litter on the dark forest floor. The next level is made up of shorter plants with large leaves. Then there are the towering ancient hardwoods, and finally the tops of the tallest trees many metres above the ground. Each level of the forest forms its own little world, home to different kinds of living things.
在人类已知的390,000种植物物种中，在亚马逊可以到40,000多种。这棵高大、古老的巴西坚果树结出的坚果我们可以食用；这些睡莲（叶片）大到可以躺在上面。雨林的不同层次养活的野生动物种类多到难以置信。最底层是地下的根系。往上是阴暗森林地表厚实的落叶层。再往上一层由低矮的阔叶植物组成。然后是高耸、古老的阔叶树，最后是那些离地数米之高的大树的树冠。雨林的每一层都自成一个小世界，成为各种生物的家园。
More than 1,300 species of birds and over 400 species of mammals hide among the jungle’s plant life. This jaguar is one example. It has a yellowish-brown coat with black sp
ots. While a significant number of jaguars survive here, they are only one on at least 87 species, including frogs. These frogs, in turn, feed on insects which eat leaves and fruit. When a jaguar dies, a tiny army of microorganisms helps break down its body and return the nutrients to the earth.
1,300多种鸟和400多种哺乳动物藏身于这片丛林的植被中。这只美洲豹就是个例子。它黄棕的皮毛上遍布着黑点。尽管这里生存着数量可观的美洲豹，但它们仅仅是雨林食物链上的一环。它们捕食的物种至少有87种，其中包括青蛙.相应地，这些青蛙的食物，是以树叶和水果为食的昆虫。美洲豹死后，一小支微生物军队会助力其尸体的分解，让营养素重回土壤之中。
The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by fixing carbon and producing over 20 per cent of all the Earth’s oxygen. Thus, it is often known as the “lungs of the planet”. Moreover, the Amazon rainforest is a treasure house of species that can be used for food or medicine. Yet there is one major danger to these irreplaceable plants and animals: us. Over the past 50 years, about 17 per cent of the rainforest has disappeared due to huma
n activities such as agriculture and cattie farming. As the impact of human activities continues to grow and the list of species in danger of extinction becomes longer, we are left with a question: can we afford to damage the “lungs of the planet”？
亚马逊雨林通过固定碳，并生成占全球总量20%以上的氧气，来为地球注入活力。因此，它也常常被称作“地球之肺”。此外，亚马逊雨林还是食用物种和药用物种的宝库。然而，这些无可取代的动植物面临的一个主要威胁就是：我们。在过去的50年里，由于农耕和养牛等人类活动，17%的雨林已经消失了。随着人类活动影响的不断增加，濒危物种的名单越来越长，这留给我们一个问题：我们能承担得起损害“地球之肺”的后果吗？
Extended reading (P 12-13)
News that Matters: pollution in Norgate《焦点新闻》：诺盖特市的污染
HOST: Good evening and welcome to News that Matters. Our topic today is pollution in Norgate. Joining us in the studio tonight are James Smith, a local resident; Vincent Brown, senior manager of a local factory; and Julie Archer, chief of the Norgate Environmental Protection Committee. Welcome.
Norgate’s rapid development has had significant environmental costs. Mr Smith, you’ve lived in this city for over 20 years. How would you describe the effects of pollution over that time?
主持人: 晚上好，欢迎收看《焦点新闻》。我们今天的话题是诺盖特市的污染。今晚来到我们演播室的有本地居民詹姆斯·史密斯、本地一家工厂的高管文森特·布朗，还有诺盖特环境保护委员会的负责人朱莉·阿彻。欢迎你们。
诺盖特市的高速发展付出了高昂的环境代价。史密斯先生，您已经在这座城市生活了二十多年。您能说说这二十年间污染造成的影响吗？
SMITH: It’s been awful, really. When I first moved here, the air was fresh, the grass green and the water clear. Then heavy industry factories moved in, and things became entirely different. I don’t enjoy outdoor activities any more. The river is dirty and smelly. The smog in the air has coloured the sky a smoky grey; it’s also given me a cough that I can’t get rid of. For health and safety reasons alone, heavy industry has to go.
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