考研英语阅读命题思路透析和真题揭秘(58)

Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn't know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.

There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Albert, added this key point in the preface to the panel's report "Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions."

Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it's OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.

Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it's obvious that a majority of the president's advisers still don't take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research -- a classic case of "paralysis by analysis."

To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research.  But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won't take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound.

记得那些年科学家争论说吸烟会致命、但是怀疑者坚持说我们不能肯定这一点吗、证据不确定且科学上也还没有定论吗？反对吸烟的游说活动是要破坏我们的生活方式，而政府对吸烟这件事应该置身事外吗？许多美国人相信了那套废话，结果就是在30年里，大约1000万名吸烟者过早地进入了坟墓。

随着科学家一次又一次努力提醒我们当今日益增长的全球变暖威胁，这种令人不安的情况又在发生着。最近的一次活动是由国家科学院在白宫的支持下召开的一次专题讨论会，告诉我们地球的空气肯定正变暖，而且这个问题基本上是人为造成的。其中的信息很明确，就是我们应该开始行动起来保护自己。科学院院长布鲁斯·艾伯茨在小组提交的报告前言中加进了关键的一点："科学从来就不能提供所有的答案，但科学确实能为我们的未来提供最好的指导；而且最关键的是，关于现在采取的行动将来会产生什么影响，科学往往能够做出最好的判断，我们的国家和全世界一些最好的政策应该建立在这些最好的判断之上。"

和现在对待吸烟问题上的看法一样，来自很多地方的意见认为，科学关于全球变暖的证据不足，在我们有确切证据之前还是可以继续把废弃排放到空气中。这是一个危险的游戏：等到我们得到确凿的证据，可能就已经太迟了。随着危险日益变得显著却不断增长，一个谨慎的民族更愿意现在就采取保险措施。

幸运的是，白宫已经开始关注这个问题。但是显然大多数总统顾问仍然没有认真考虑全球变暖问题。他们不但没有制定切实可行的行动计划，而是继续督促进行更多的研究--典型的"分析性瘫痪"案例。

作为对地球负责任的管理者，我们应当进一步对大气层和海洋的状况做出更深入的研究，但是，仅仅停留于研究是不够的。如果现政府不采取法律行动，国会应该帮助着手制定保护措施。西弗吉尼亚州的民主党参议员Robert Byrd提出了一项法案，该法案提议将为私营企业提供经济刺激，这是一个良好的开端。许多人看到，我们国家正准备建设许多新的发电厂来满足我们的能源需求，如果我们还想保护大气层，这些新电站必须要具备有利于环境的条件。