.PAGE/NUMPAGES高级英语第一册lesson3shipsinthedesert课文 ShipsintheDesertALGoreIwasstandinginthesunonthehot steeldeckofafishingshipcapableofprocessingafifty-toncatchonagoodday.Butitwasn'tagoodday.WewereanchoredinwhatusedtobethemostproductivefishingsiteinallofcentralAsia,butasIlookedoutoverthebow,theprospectsofagoodcatchlookedbleak.Wherethereshouldhavebeengentleblue-greenwaveslappingagainstthesideoftheship,therewasnothingbuthotdrysand–asfarasIcouldseeinalldirections.Theothershipsofthefleetwerealsoatrestinthesand,scatteredinthedunesthatstretchedallthewaytothehorizon.TenyearsagotheAralwasthefourth-largestinlandseaintheworld,comparabletothelargestofNorthAmerica'sGreatLakes.Nowitisdisappearingbecausethewaterthatusedtofeedithasbeendivertedinanill-consideredirrigationschemetogrowcottonIntheusert.Thenewshorelinewasalmostfortykilometersacrossthesandfromwherethefishingfleetwasnowpermanentlydocked.Meanwhile,inthenearbytownofMuynakthepeoplewerestillcanningfish–broughtnotfromtheAralSeabutshippedbyrailthroughSiberiafromthePacificOcean,morethanathousandmilesaway.Mysearchfortheunderlyingcausesoftheenvironmentalcrisishasledmetotravelaroundtheworldtoexamineandstudymanyoftheseimagesofdestruction.Attheverybottomoftheearth,highintheTrans-AntarcticMountains,withthesunglaringatmidnightthroughaholeinthesky,Istoodintheunbelievablecoldnessandtalkedwithascientistinthelatetallof1988aboutthetunnelhewasdiggingthroughtime.Slippinghisparkabacktorevealabadlyburnedfacethatwascrackedandpeeling,hepointedtotheannuallayersoficeinacoresampledugfromtheglacieronwhichwewerestanding.Hemovedhisfingerbackintimetotheiceoftwodecadesago."Here'swheretheU.SCongresspassedtheCleanAirAct,"hesaid.Atthebottomoftheworld,twocontinentsawayfromWashington,D.C.,evenasmallreductioninonecountry'semissionshadchangedtheamountofpollutionfoundintheremotestendleastaccessibleplaceonearth.Butthemostsignificantchangethusfarintheearth'satmosphereistheonethatbeganwiththeindustrialrevolutionearlyinthelastcenturyandhaspickedupspeedeversince.Industrymeantcoal,andlateroil,andwebegantoburnlotsofit–bringingrisinglevelsofcarbondioxide
,withitsabilitytotrapmoreheatintheatmosphereandslowlywarmtheearth.FewerthanahundredyardsfromtheSouthPole,upwindfromtheicerunwaywheretheskiplanelandsandkeepsitsenginesrunningtopreventthemetalpartsfromfreeze-lockingtogether,scientistsmonitortheairseveraltimeseverydaytochartthecourseofthatinexorablechange.Duringmyvisit,Iwatchedonescientistdrawtheresultsofthatday'smeasurements,pushingtheendofasteeplinestillhigheronthegraph.Hetoldmehoweasyitis–thereattheendoftheearth–toseethatthisenormouschangeintheglobalatmosphereisstillpickingupspeed.TwoandahalfyearslaterIsleptunderthemidnightsunattheotherendofourplanet,inasmalltentpitchedonatwelve-toot-thickslaboficefloatinginthefrigidArcticOcean.Afteraheartybreakfast,mycompanionsandItraveledbysnowmobilesafewmilesfarthernorthtoarendezvouspointwheretheicewasthinner–onlythreeandahalffeetthick–andanuclearsubmarinehoveredinthewaterbelow.Afteritcrashedthroughtheice,tookonitsnewpassengers,andresubmerged,Italkedwithscientistswhoweretryingtomeasuremoreaccuratelythethicknessofthepolaricecap,whichmanybelieveisthinningasare-suitofglobalwarming.IhadjustnegotiatedanagreementbetweenicescientistsandtheU.S.Navytosecurethereleaseofpreviouslytopsecretdatafromsubmarinesonartracks,datathatcouldhelpthemlearnwhatishappeningtothenorthpolarcap.Now,Iwantedtoseethepoleit-self,andsomeeighthoursafterwemetthesubmarine,wewerecrashingthroughthatice,surfacing,andthenIwasstandinginaneerilybeautifulsnowcape,windsweptandsparklingwhite,withthehorizondefinedbylittlehummocks,or"pressureridges"oficethatarepushedupliketinymountainrangeswhenseparatesheetscollide.Butheretoo,CD,levelsarerisingjustasrapidly,andultimatelytemperaturewillrisewiththem–indeed,globalwarmingisexpectedtopushtemperaturesupmuchmorerapidlyinthepolarregionsthanintherestoftheworld.Asthepolarairwarms,theiceherewillthin;andsincethepolarcapplayssuchacrucialroleintheworld'sweathersystem,theconsequencesofathinningcapcouldbedisastrous.Consideringsuchscenariosisnotapurelyspeculativeexercise.SixmonthsafterIreturnedfromtheNorthPole,ateamofscientistsreporteddramaticchangesinthepatternoficedistributionintheArctic,andasecondteamreportedastillcontroversialclaimthat,overall,thenorthpolarcaphasthinnedby2percentinjustthelastdecade.Moreover,scientistsestablishedseveralyearsagothatinmanylandareasnorthoftheArcticCircle,thespringsnowmeltnowcomesearliereveryyear,anddeepinthetundrabelow,thetemperatureeoftheearthissteadilyrising.Asithappens,someofthemostdisturbingimagesofenvironmentaldestructioncanbefoundexactlyhalfwaybetweentheNorthandSouthpoles–preciselyattheequatorinBrazil–wherebillowingcloudsofsmokeregularlyblackentheskyabovetheimmensebutnowthreatenedAmazonrainforest.Acrebyacre,therainforestisbeingburnedtocreatefastpastureforfast-foodbeef;asIlearnedwhenIwentthereinearly1989,thefiresaresetearlierandearlierinthedryseasonnow,withmorethanoneTennessee'sworthofrainforestbeingslashedandburnedeachyear.Accordingtoourguide,thebiologistTomLovejoy,therearemoredifferentspeciesofbirdsineachsquaremileoftheAmazonthanexistinallofNorthAmerica–whichmeanswearesilencingthousandsofsongswehaveneverevenheard.Butonedoesn'thavetotravelaroundtheworldtowitnesshumankind'sassaultontheearth.Imagesthatsignalthedistressofourglobalenvironmentarenowcommonlyseenalmostanywhere.Onsomenights,inhighnorthernlatitudes,theskyitselfoffersanotherghostlyimagethatsignalsthelossofecologicalbalancenowinprogress.Iftheskyisclearaftersunset--andifyouarewatchingfromaplacewherepollutionhasn'tblottedoutthenightskyaltogether--youcansometimesseeastrangekindofcloudhighinthesky.This"noctilucentcloud"occasionallyappearswhentheearthisfirstcloakedintheeveningdarkness;shimmeringaboveuswithatranslucentwhiteness,thesecloudsseemquiteunnatural.Andtheyshould:noctilucentcloudshavebeguntoappearmoreoftenbecauseofahugebuildupofmethanegasintheatmosphere.Eventhoughnoctilucentcloudsweresometimesseeninthepast.,allthisextramethanecarriesmorewatervaporintotheupperatmosphere,whereitcondensesatmuchhigheraltitudestoformmorecloudsthatthesun'sraysstillstrikelongaftersunsethasbroughtthebeginningofnighttothesurfacefarbeneaththem.Whatshouldwefeeltowardtheseghostsinthesky?Simplewonderorthemixofemotionswefeelatthezoo?Perhapsweshouldfeelaweforourownpower:justasmen"teartusksfromelephants’headsinsuchquantityastothreatenthebeastwithextinction,wearerippingmatterfromitsplaceintheearthinsuchvolumeastoupsetthebalancebetweendaylightanddarkness.Intheprocess,weareonceagainaddingtothethreatofglobalwarming,becausemethanehasbeenoneofthefastest-growinggreen-housegases,andisthirdonlytocarbondioxideandwatervaporintotalvolume,changingthechemistryoftheupperatmosphere.But,withoutevenconsideringthatthreat,shouldn'titstartleusthatwehavenowputthesecloudsintheeveningskywhichglistenwithaspectrallight?Orhaveoureyesadjustedsocompletelytothebrightlightsofcivilizationthatwecan'tseethesecloudsforwhattheyare–aphysicalmanifestationoftheviolentcollisionbetweenhumancivilizationandtheearth?Eventhoughitissometimeshardtoseetheirmeaning,wehavebynowallwitnessedsurprisingexperiencesthatsignalthedamagefromourassaultontheenvironment--whetherit'sthenewfrequencyofdayswhenthetemperatureexceeds100degrees,thenewspeedwithwhichthe-unburnsourskin,orthenewconstancyofpublicdebateoverwhattodowithgrowingmountainsofwaste.Butourresponsetothesesignalsispuzzling.Whyhaven'twelaunchedamassiveefforttosaveourenvironment?Tocomeatthequestionanotherway'Whydosomeimagesstartleusintoimmediateactionandfocusourattentionorwaystorespondeffectively?Andwhydootherimages,thoughsometimesequallydramatic,produceinsteadaKindofparalysis,focusingourattentionnotonwaystorespondbutratheronsomeconvenient,lesspainfuldistraction?Still,therearesomanydistressingimagesofenvironmentaldestructionthatsometimesitseemsimpossibletoknowhowtoabsorborcomprehendthem.Beforeconsideringthethreatsthemselves,itmaybehelpfultoclassifythemandthusbegintoorganizeourthoughtsandfeelingssothatwemaybeabletorespondappropriately.Ausefulsystemcomesfromthemilitary,whichfrequentlyplacesaconflictinoneofthreedifferentcategories,accordingtothetheaterinwhichittakesplace.Thereare"local"skirmishes,"regional"battles,and"strategic"conflicts.Thisthirdcategoryisreservedforstrugglesthatcanthreatenanation'ssurvivalandmustbeunderstoodinaglobalcontext.Environmentalthreatscanbeconsideredinthesameway.Forexample,mostinstancesofwaterpollution,airpollution,andillegalwastedumpingareessentiallylocalinnature.Problemslikeacidrain,thecontaminationofundergroundaquifers,andlargeoilspillsarefundamentallyregional.Inbothofthesecategories,theremaybesomanysimilarinstancesofparticularlocalandregionalproblemsoccurringsimultaneouslyallovertheworldthatthepatternappearstobeglobal,buttheproblemsthemselvesarestillnottrulystrategicbecausetheoperationoftheglobalenvironmentisnotaffectedandthesurvivalofcivilizationisnotatstake.However,anewclassofenvironmentalproblemsdoesaffecttheglobalecologicalsystem,andthesethreatsarefundamentallystrategic.The600percentincreaseintheamountofchlorineintheatmosphereduringthelastfortyyearshastakenplacenotjustinthosecountriesproducingthechlorofluorocarbonsresponsiblebutintheairaboveeverycountry,aboveAntarctica,abovetheNorthPoleandthePacificOcean–allthewayfromthesurfaceoftheearthtothetopofthesky.Theincreasedlevelsofchlorinedisrupttheglobalprocessbywhichtheearthregulatestheamountofultravioletradiationfromthesunthatisallowedthroughtheatmospheretothesurface;anditweletchlorinelevelscontinuetoincrease,theradiationlevelswillallsoincrease–tothepointthatallanimalandplantlifewillfaceanewthreattotheirsurvival.Globalwarmingisalsoastrategicthreat.Theconcentrationofcarbondioxideandotherheat-absorbingmoleculeshasincreasedbyalmost25percentsinceWorldWarII,posingaworldwidethreattotheearth'sabilitytoregulatetheamountofheatfromthesunretainedintheatmosphere.Thisincreaseinheatseriouslythreatenstheglobalclimateequilibriumthatdeterminesthepatternofwinds,rainfall,surfacetemperatures,oceancurrents,andsealevel.Theseinturndeterminethedistributionofvegetativeandanimallifeonlandandseaandhaveagreateffectonthelocationandpatternofhumansocieties.Inotherwords,theentirerelationshipbetweenhumankindandtheearthhasbeentransformedbecauseourcivilizationissuddenlycapableofaffectingtheentireglobalenvironment,notjustaparticulararea.Allofusknowthathumancivilizationhasusuallyhadalargeimpactontheenvironment;tomentionjustoneexample,thereisevidencethateveninprehistorictimes,vastareasweresometimesintentionallyburnedbypeopleintheirsearchforfood.Andinourowntimewehavereshapedalargepartoftheearth'ssurfacewithconcreteinourcitiesandcarefullytendedricepaddies,pastures,wheatfields,andothercroplandsinthecountryside.Butthesechanges,whilesometimesappearingtobepervasive,have,untilrecently,beenrelativelytrivialfactorsintheglobalecologicalsystem.Indeed,untilourlifetime,itwasalwayssafetoassumethatnothingwedidorcoulddowouldhaveanylastingeffectontheglobalenvironment.Butitispreciselythatassumptionwhichmustnowbediscardedsothatwecanthinkstrategicallyaboutournewrelationshiptotheenvironment.Humancivilizationisnowthedominantcauseofchangeintheglobalenvironment.Yetweresistthistruthandfindithardtoimaginethatoureffectontheearthmustnowbemeasuredbythesameyardstickusedtocalculatethestrengthofthemoon'spullontheoceansortheforceofthewindagainstthemountains.Anditwearenowcapableofchangingsomethingsobasicastherelationshipbetweentheearthandthesun,surelywemustacknowledgeanewresponsibilitytousethatpowerwiselyandwithappropriaterestraint.Sofar,however,Weseemobliviousofthefragilityoftheearth'snaturalsystems.Thiscenturyhaswitnesseddramaticchangesintwokeyfactorsthatdefinethephysicalrealityofourrelationshiptotheearth:asuddenandstartlingsurgeinhumanpopulation,withtheadditionofoneChina'sworthofpeopleeverytenyears,andasuddenaccelerationofthescientificandtechnologicalrevolution,whichhasallowedanalmostunimaginablemagnificationofourpowertoaffecttheworldaroundusbyburning,cutting,digging,moving,andtransformingthephysicalmatterthatmakesuptheearth.Thesurgeinpopulationisbothacauseofthechangedrelationshipandoneoftheclearestillustrationsofhowstartlingthechangehasbeen,especiallywhenviewedinahistoricalcontext.Fromtheemergenceofmodernhumans200000yearsagountilJuliusCaesar'stime,fewerthan250millionpeoplewalkedonthefaceoftheearth.WhenChristopherColumbussetsailfortheNewWorld1500yearslater,therewereapproximately500millionpeopleonearth.BythetimeThomasJeffersonwrotetheDeclarationofIndependencein1776,thenumberhaddoubledagain,to1billion.Bymidwaythroughthiscentury,attheendofWorldWarII,thenumberhadrisentojustabove2billionpeople.Inotherwords,fromthebeginningofhumanity'sappearanceonearthto1945,ittookmorethantenthousandgenerationstoreachaworldpopulationof2billionpeople.Now,inthecourseofonehumanlifetime--mine--theworldpopulationwillincreasefrom2tomorethan9million,anditisalreadymorethanhalfwaythere.Likethepopulationexplosion,thescientificandtechnologicalrevolutionbegantopickupspeedslowlyduringtheeighteenthcentury.Andthisongoingrevolutionhasalsosuddenlyacceleratedexponentially.Forexample,itisnowanaxiominmanyfieldsofsciencethatmorenewandimportantdiscoverieshavetakenplaceinthelasttenyearsthat.intheentireprevioushistoryofscience.Whilenosinglediscoveryhashadthekindofeffectonourrelationshiptotheearththatunclearweaponshavehadonourrelationshiptowarfare,itisneverthelesstruethattakentogether,theyhavecompletelytransformedourcumulativeabilitytoexploittheearthforsustenance--makingtheconsequences,ofunrestrainedexploitationeverybitasunthinkableastheconsequencesofunrestrainednuclearwar.Nowthatourrelationshiptotheearthhaschangedsoutterly,wehavetoseethatchangeandunderstanditsimplications.Ourchallengeistorecognizethatthestartlingimagesofenvironmentaldestructionnowoccurringallovertheworldhavemuchmoreincommonthantheirabilitytoshockandawakenus.Theyaresymptomsofanunderlyingproblembroaderinscopeandmoreseriousthananywehaveeverfaced.Globalwarming,ozonedepletion,thelossoflivingspecies,deforestation--theyallhaveacommoncause:thenewrelationshipbetweenhumancivilizationandtheearth'snaturalbalance.Thereareactuallytwoaspectstothischallenge.Thefirstistorealizethatourpowertoharmtheearthcanindeedhaveglobalandevenpermanenteffects.Thesecondistorealizethattheonlywaytounderstandournewroleasaco-architectofnatureistoseeourselvesaspartofacomplexsystemthatdoesnotoperateaccordingtothesamesimplerulesofcauseandeffectweareusedto.Theproblemisnotoureffectontheenvironmentsomuchasourrelationshipwiththeenvironment.Asaresult,anysolutiontotheproblemwillrequireacarefulassessmentofthatrelationshipaswellasthecomplexinterrelationshipamongfactorswithincivilizationandbetweenthemandthemajornaturalcomponentsoftheearth'secologicalsystem.Thereisonlyoneprecedentforthiskindofchallengetoourthinking,andagainitismilitary.TheinventionofnuclearweaponsandthesubsequentdevelopmentbytheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionofmanythousandsofstrategicnuclearweaponsforcedaslowandpainfulrecognitionthatthenewpowerthusacquiredforeverchangednotonlytherelationshipbetweenthetwosuperpowersbutalsotherelationshipofhumankindtotheinstitutionatwarfareitself.Theconsequencesofall-outwarbetweennationsarmedwithnuclearweaponssuddenlyincludedthepossibilityofthedestructionofbothnations–completelyandsimultaneously.Thatsoberingrealizationledtoacarefulreassessmentofeveryaspectofourmutualrelationshiptotheprospectofsuchawar.Asearlyas1946onestrategistconcludedthatstrategicbombingwithmissiles"maywelltearawaytheveilofillusionthathassolongobscuredtherealityofthechangeinwarfare–fromafighttoaprocessofdestruction."Nevertheless,duringtheearlierstagesofthenucleararmsrace,eachofthesuperpowersassumedthatitsactionswouldhaveasimpleanddirecteffectonthethinkingoftheother.Fordecades,eachnewadvanceinweaponrywasdeployedbyonesideforthepurposeofinspiringfearintheother.Buteachsuchdeploymentledtoaneffortbytheothertoleapfrogthefirstonewithamoreadvanceddeploymentofitsown.Slowly,ithasbecomeapparentthattheproblemofthenucleararmsraceisnotprimarilycausedbytechnology.Itiscomplicatedbytechnology,true;butitarisesoutoftherelationshipbetweenthesuperpowersandisbasedonanobsoleteunderstandingofwhatwarisallabout.Theeventualsolutiontothearmsracewillbefound,notinanewdeploymentbyonesideortheotherofsomeultimateweaponorinadecisionbyeithersidetodisarmunilaterally,butratterinnewunderstandingsandinamutualtransformationoftherelationshipitself.Thistransformationwillinvolvechangesinthetechnologyofweaponryandthedenialofnucleartechnologytoroguestates.Butthekeychangeswillbeinthewaywethinkabouttheinstitutionofwarfareandabouttherelationshipbetweenstates.Thestrategicnatureofthethreatnowposedbyhumancivilizationtotheglobalenvironmentandthestrategicnatureofthethreattohumancivilizationnowposedbychangesintheglobalenvironmentpresentuswithasimilarsetofchallengesandfalsehopes.Somearguethatanewultimatetechnology,whethernuclearpowerorgeneticengineering,willsolvetheproblem.Othersholdthatonlyadrasticreductionofourrelianceontechnologycanimprovetheconditionsoflife--asimplisticnotionatbest.Buttherealsolutionwillbefoundinreinventingandfinallyhealingtherelationshipbetweencivilizationandtheearth.Thiscanonlybeaccomplishedbyundertakingacarefulreassessmentofallthefactorsthatledtotherelativelyrecentdramaticchangeintherelationship.Thetransformationofthewaywerelatetotheearthwillofcourseinvolvenewtechnologies,butthekeychangeswillinvolvenewwaysofthinkingabouttherelationshipitself.NOTESI>AlGore:bornin1948inWashingtonD.C.,U.S.Senator<1984-1992>fromtheStateofTennessee,andU.S.Vice-PresidentunderPresidentBillClinton.HeistheauthorofthebookEarthintheBalancefromwhichthispieceistaken.2>AralSea:inlandseaandtheworld’sfourthlargestlake,c.26000sqmiles,SWKazakhstanandNWUzbekhstan,EoftheCaspianSea3>GreatLakes:groupoffivefreshwaterlakes,CentralNorthAmerica,betweentheUnitedStatesandCanada,largestbodyoffreshwaterintheworld.Fromwesttoeast,theyareLakeSuperior,LakeMichigan,LakeHuron,LakeErie,andLakeOntario.4>Trans-AntarcticMountains:mountainchainstretchingacrossAntarcticafromVictoriaIandtoCoatsIand;separatingtheEAntarcticandWAntarcticsubcontinents5>CleanAirAct:oneoftheoldestenvironmentallawsoftheU.S.,aswellasthemostfar-reaching,thecostliest,andthemostcontroversial.Itwaspassedin1970.6>WashingtonD.C.:capitaloftheUnitedStates.D.C..isaddedtodistinguishitfromtheStateofWashingtonand3othercitiesintheU.Sbearingthesonicname.7>freeze-locking:themetalpartsarefrozensolidandunabletomovefreely8>midnightsun:phenomenoninwhichthesunremainsvisibleintheskyfor24hoursorlonger,occurringonlyinthepolarregions9>globalwarming;Theearthisgettingwarmer.Thetemperatureoftheearth'satmosphereanditssurfaceissteadilyrising.10>Submarinesonartracks:thetermsonarisanacronymforsoundnavigationranging.Itisusedforcommunicationbetweensubmergedsubmarinesorbetweenasubmarineandasurfacevessel,forlocatingminesandunderwaterhazardstonavigation,andalsoasafathometer,ordepthfinder.11>greenhouse:processwherebyheatistrappedatthesurfaceoftheearthbytheatmosphere.Anincreaseofman-madepollutantsintheatmospherewillleadtoalong-termwarmingoftheearth'sclimate.12>JuliusCaesar:<102?B.C--44B.C:.>,Romanstatesmanandgeneral13>ChristopherColumbus:<1451-1506>,discovererofAmerica,bornGenoa,Italy14>ThomasJefferson:<17-13-1826>,3dPresidentoftheUnitedStates<1801-1809>,authoroftheDeclarationofIndependence.15>DeclarationofIndependence:fullandformaldeclarationadoptedJuly4,1776,byrepresentativesofthethirteencoloniesinNorthAmericaannouncingtheseparationofthosecoloniesfromGreatBritainandmakingthemintotheUnitedStates16>Ozonedepletion:Alayerofozoneinthestratospherepreventsmostultravioletandotherhigh-energyradiation,whichisharmfultolife,frompenetratingtotheearth'ssurface.Some.environmental,scientistsfearthatcertainman-madepollutants,e.g.nitricoxide,CFCs,etc.,mayinterferewiththedelicatebalanceofreactionsthatmaintainstheozone’sconcentration,possiblyleadingtoadrastic
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