经济学人详解

Climate Change States’ Rights

America is not such a laggard on climate change as it seems

本篇文章选自leader这一部分，讲的是美国对待气候变化问题的态度和采取的措施。文章非常的通俗易懂，没有什么生词。但是对观点论证环环相扣，可以当作议论文作文模版来学习。

Is AMERICAN INACTION climate change going to render bits of the planet uninhabitable by 2100? Or will American grit and ingenuity lower the risks? There is evidence for both views.

inaction: n.无为;无作为 If you refer to someone's inaction, you disapprove of the fact that they are doing nothing.He is bitter about the inaction of the other political parties. 对其他政党的无作为他多有挖苦。

bits of: 小部分a small part or p of it

uninhabitable: a.无法居住的；不适合居住的 If a place is uninhabitable, it is impossible for people to live there, for example because it is dangerous or unhealthy.About 90 percent of the city's single-family homes are uninhabitable... 该市约90％的独户住宅都不适合居住。

grit: 勇气；坚毅；果敢 If someone has grit, they have the determination and courage to continue doing something even though it is very difficult.You've got to admire her grit. 你不得不佩服她的勇气。

ingenuity: n.心灵手巧;善于创造发明 Ingenuity is skill at working out how to achieve things or skill at inventing new things.Inspecting the nest may require some ingenuity. 探查鸟巢是需要些技巧的。

开头抛出两个观点相反的问题，接着用 “There is evidence for both views.” 引出下文。

While the White House was issuing an edict seeking to offer relief to coal-fired power stations last week, New York’s state legislature was passing a bill that called on the state to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. America’s political divide often creates split-screen moments. For the 7.3bn people who live beyond the country’s borders, this one matters more than most.

edict: n.法令;敕令 An edict is a command or instruction given by someone in authority.与issue搭配：issue an edict 颁布法令；下发指令He issued an edict that none of his writings be destroyed. 他下令不得毁坏他的任何作品。

seek to: 力图；想方设法

political divide: 政治分歧

split-screen: a.分画面，分屏的

第二段立马指出美国颁布了减少碳排放的法案，树立一个积极正面的形象。而不是立即对第一段的问题作出回答与反驳。

America is often denounced as a laggard on climate change. The reality is less bad than that suggests. More than half of all Americans now live in states that have championed legislation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. In the past year California, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico and Washington have all joined the club of states with policies to decarbonise electricity generation. Oregon and New York look set to join them.

sb / sth be denounced as: 被谴责为...

laggard: n.落后者；技不如人者 If you describe a country, company, or product as a laggard, you mean that it is not performing as well as its competitors.The company has developed a reputation as a technological laggard in the personal-computer arena. 该公司在个人电脑领域因技术落后遭人诟病。

champion: v.支持；拥护；捍卫 If you champion a person, a cause, or a principle, you support or defend them.He passionately championed the poor... 他满腔热情地捍卫穷人的利益。

decarbonise: v.去碳化

set to: 做好准备的；可能的

这一段首先对第一段的观点：美国被谴责在气候变化问题中无所作，进行反驳：“The reality is less bad than suggests.” 紧接着用美国人民的支持以及美国城市采取的措施来论证这个观点。

Those who think global warming is not man-made are, inevitably, opposed to states setting long-range targets to decarbonise the economy. Even some who accept the overwhelming scientific consensus have their doubts. Targets are not the best way to go about reductions, they argue. A carbon price would be better. Market forces are already reducing carbon emissions, as power stations switch to natural gas. There is no point in some states taking action if others do not bother, or if the federal government cannot get its act together, because energy markets do not respect state boundaries. Besides, the targets are too distant: they allow politicians to pose as green while pushing the costs of action onto their successors.

consensus: n.一致看法；共识an opinion that everyone in a group agrees with or acceptsThe question of when the troops should leave would be decided by consensus. 部队应该何时撤离的问题将由大家共同决定。

switch to: 转换；改变

respect: v.遵守if you respect a law or moral principle, you agree not to break it

pose as: 冒充；假装If you pose as someone, you pretend to be that person in order to deceive people.The team posed as drug dealers to trap the ringleaders. 该队队员装扮成毒品贩子，诱捕罪犯头目。

这一段我认为是在进一步佐证上一段的观点，虽然仍然有人不支持或者持有怀疑的态度，但是美国还是努力的在采取措施减少碳排放。并且指出了存在的一些问题：各个州没有联合行动，以及目标太长远了。

These objections are too gloomy. A carbon price is indeed the optimal way to reduce pollution, but getting people to pay for carbon has been a vote-loser in America and Europe. In a world of second or third-best options, targets backed by credible plans to reach them are reasonable. Emissions are indeed coming down thanks to the fracking boom, but there is a limit to how far they can fall if natural gas is the primary material from which electricity is generated. Yes, the targets are far into the future, but in New York’s case they come with a legal requirement to show progress in the next four years (see United States p).

indeed: ad.确实；的确

optimal: a.最佳的the best or most suitable

这一段对上一段的两个观点的反驳，开头第一句就说这些反对的观点都是极其悲观的。接着说明调整碳价虽然是减少排放的最佳方案，但是让人民买单会使其输掉选票。所以减少碳排放才是最合理的计划。

Waiting for Washington to take the climate seriously is a counsel of despair. It also ignores the magnitude of states’ plans. Pledges by states help set America on the path to a 17% cut in emissions by 2025, using 2005 as a baseline. Add a few more and the total would increase to nearly 25%, putting America within striking distance of the (albeit modest) commitment the previous White House made in Paris in 2016, even though the federal government has promised to withdraw from that agreement.

a counsel of despair: 一个不抱希望的提议

magnitude of: ...的重要性

within striking distance of: 接近

albeit: ad.即使，尽管

withdraw from: 退出（活动或组织）

This matters for two reasons. First, because the world’s largest economy is a significant source of pollution. America, like every other country, needs to be on a path to eliminate all emissions by mid-century or shortly thereafter if it is to reduce the risks posed by climate change. Second, because the assumption that America is a laggard gives other countries an excuse to do nothing, undermining international climate diplomacy.

undermine: v.（常指间接地）削弱，损害，动摇（某人的地位或权威） If you undermine someone or undermine their position or authority, you make their authority or position less secure, often by indirect methods.She undermined him and destroyed his confidence in his own talent... 她暗中打击他，让他对自己的才华信心全无。

diplomacy: n.(处理人际关系等的)手腕，策略，手段 Diplomacy is the skill of being careful to say or do things which will not offend people.He stormed off in a fury, and it took all Minnelli's powers of diplomacy to get him to return. 他愤然离去，米内利使出了浑身解数才把他劝了回来。

这一段是对上一段现象的解释。“This matters for two reasons. First... .Second... .”

States like California with ambitious laws on emissions can encourage the development of technologies that will then be used by others. And if America can stay on track through state actions, the nationwide politics of climate change might just change in the coming decades. Just over half of Americans aged 55 or over think climate change is man-made and worry about it, according to polling by Gallup. Among Americans aged 18-34, three-quarters do. America’s economy has been through transformations before. It can go through another.

最后一段从侧面指出美国应该积极采取行动，并且美国人民也希望这样做。

之前的经济学人都选自China这个板块，可能文章内容会涉及到敏感话题，导致我老是被屏蔽。所以以后的文章我会选择我自己喜欢的内容发出来，不过都会是经济学人的内容。我也会做一些我自己的分析，但我不是专业的，如果有错误希望可以谅解。大家也可以私信给我提意见，我都会虚心接受的。