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全新版大学英语综合教程第二册单元8课文解读
导语：保护自然肯定是有好处的，但也需要成本，怎样权衡利弊呢，下面是一篇关于保护环境的英语课文，欢迎大家学习。
Protecting Our Environment
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. What kind of paradise is described in the song?
2. Why do people have to pay to see the trees?
3. What would happen if farmers continued to use DDT?
4. What is the theme of the song?
The following words in the recording may be new to you:
pink
a. 粉红色的
boutique
n. 时装店
hot spot
n. (sl.) nightclub 夜总会
insect
n. 昆虫
Part II
Text
Protecting nature certainly has benefits, but it has costs as well. How are we to balance the two when deciding how far we should go in caring for the environment?
SAVING NATURE, BUT ONLY FOR MAN
Charles Krauthammer
Environmental sensitivity is now as required an attitude in polite society as is, belief in democracy or aversion to nylon. But now that everyone has claims to love Mother Earth, how are we to choose among the dozens of conflicting proposals, restrictions, projects, regulations and laws advanced in the name of the environment? Clearly not everything with an environmental claim is worth doing. How to choose?
There is a simple way. First, distinguish between environmental luxuries and environmental necessities. Luxuries are those things it would be nice to have if costless. Necessities are those things we must have regardless. Then apply a rule. Call it the fundamental principle of sensible environmentalism: Combating ecological change that directly threatens the health and safety of people is an environmental necessity. All else is luxury.
For example: preserving the atmosphere, by both protecting the ozone layer and halting the greenhouse effect, is an environmental necessity. In April scientists reported that ozone damage is far worse than previously thought. Ozone reduction not only causes skin cancer and eye cataracts, it also destroys plankton, the beginning of the food chain on top of which we humans sit.
The reality of the greenhouse effect is more speculative, though its possible consequences are far deadlier: melting ice caps, flooded coastlines, disturbed climate, dried up plains and, ultimately, empty breadbaskets. The American Midwest feeds the world. Are we prepared to see Iowa acquire Albuquerque's climate? And Siberia acquire Iowa's?
Ozone reduction and the greenhouse effect are human disasters. They happen to occur in the environment. But they are urgent because they directly threaten man. A sensible environmentalism, the only kind of environmentalism that will win universal public support, begins by unashamedly declaring that nature is here to serve man. A sensible environmentalism is entirely man-centered: it calls for man to preserve nature, but on the grounds of self-preservation.
A sensible environmentalism does not sentimentalize the earth. It does not ask people to sacrifice in the name of other creatures. After all, it is hard enough to ask people to sacrifice in the name of other humans. (Think of the public resistance to foreign aid and welfare.) Ask hardworking voters to sacrifice in the name of the snail darter, and, if they are feeling polite, they will give you a shrug.
Of course, this man-centeredness runs against the grain of a contemporary environmentalism that worships the earth to the point of excess. One scientific theory — Gaia theory — actually claims that Earth is a living organism. This kind of environmentalism likes to consider itself spiritual. It is nothing more than sentimental. It takes, for example, a highly selective view of the kindliness of nature. My nature worship stops with the May storms that killed more than 125,000 Bengalis and left 10 million homeless.
A non-sentimental environmentalism is one founded on Protagoras' principle that "Man is the measure of all things." Such a principle helps us to fight our way through the jungle of environmental argument. Take the current debate raging over oil drilling in a corner of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Environmentalists, fighting against a bill working its way through Congress to permit such exploration, argue that we should be conserving energy instead of drilling for it. This is a false either/or proposition. The country does need a substantial energy tax to reduce consumption. But it needs more production too. Government estimates indicate a nearly fifty-fifty chance that under the ANWR lies one of the five largest oil fields ever discovered in America.
We have just come through a war fought in part over oil: Energy dependence costs Americans not just dollars but lives. It is a ridiculous sentimentalism that would deny ourselves oil that is peacefully attainable because it risks disrupting the breeding grounds of Arctic reindeer.
I like the reindeer as much as the next man. And I would be rather sorry if their mating patterns are disturbed. But you can't have everything. And if the choice is between the welfare of reindeer and reducing oil dependence that gets people killed in wars, I choose man over reindeer every time.
Similarly the spotted owl. I am no enemy of the owl. If it could be preserved at no or little cost, I would agree: the variety of nature is a good, a high aesthetic good. But it is no more than that. And sometimes aesthetic goods have to be sacrificed to the more fundamental ones. If the cost of preserving the spotted owl is the loss of livelihood for 30,000 logging families, I choose family over owl.
The important distinction is between those environmental goods that are fundamental and those that are merely aesthetic. Nature is our charge. It is not our master. It is to be respected and even cultivated. But it is man's world. And when man has to choose between his well-being and that of nature, nature will have to accommodate.
Man should accommodate only when his fate and that of nature are bound up together. The most urgent accommodation must be made when the very integrity of man's environment — e.g., atmospheric ozone — is threatened. When the threat to man is of a lesser order (say, the pollutants from coal- and oil-fired generators that cause death from disease but not fatal damage to the ecosystem), a more moderate accommodation that balances economic against health concerns is in order. But in either case the principle is the same: protect the environment — because it is man's environment.
The sentimental environmentalists will call this saving nature with a totally wrong frame of mind. Exactly. A sensible — a humanistic — environmentalism does it not for nature's sake but for our own.
New Words and Expressions
environmental
a. (自然)环境的
environment n.
sensitivity
n. 敏感(性)
belief
n. 信念，信仰;相信
democracy
n. 民主(制度)
conflicting
a. being in disagreement, collision, or opposition 不一致的，冲突的，矛盾的
conflict vi.
proposal
n. sth. proposed 提议，建议
restriction
n. sth. that restricts, such as a law or rule 限制;限制性规定
regulation
n. an official rule or order 规章;规定
in the name of
for the reason of; using the excuse of 以…为由，以…为借口，以…的名义
distinguish
v. recognize the difference (between) 区别，辨别
regardless
ad. in spite of everything; anyway 不顾一切地;无论如何
fundamental
a. of the basis or foundation of sth. 基本的，根本的
environmentalism
n. 环境保护论;环境论
combat
v. fight or struggle (against) (与…)斗争，战斗
ecological
a. of ecology 生态的;生态学的
atmosphere
n. 大气;气氛
ozone▲
n. 臭氧
layer
n. a single thickness of a material covering a surface 层
reduction
n. making or becoming less or smaller 减少
cancer
n. 癌，恶性肿瘤
cataract
n. 白内障
plankton
n. 浮游生物
reality
n. 现实;真实
speculative
a. 猜测性的，推测的
consequence
n. the result or effect of an action or condition 后果，结果
deadly
a. causing or able to cause fatal injury or serious damage 致命的，毁灭性的
melt
v. (cause a solid to) become liquid (使)融化，(使)熔化
urgent
a. calling for immediate attention 紧急的`;急迫的
universal
a. 全世界的;普遍的，全体的
unashamedly
ad. without showing guilt or embarrassment 坦然地，满不在乎地
man-centered
a. 以人为中心的，只考虑人类的利益的
call for
require, demand 要求
on the grounds of/on…grounds
for reasons of 因为;以…为理由
self-preservation
n. 自我保护
sentimentalize
vt. treat or consider in a sentimental way 感情用事地对待(或看待)
creature
n. a living being, especially an animal 生物(尤指动物)
resistance
n. opposition 反对，反抗
voter
n. 投票者，(法定)选举人
vote
v. express one's choice in favour of (a person or political party) at an election 投票选举
snail darter
n. 蜗牛鱼(一种濒临绝种的很小的淡水鱼)
run/go against the grain (of sth. or to do sth.)
be contrary to one's inclination, desire, or feeling 与(…)格格不入;违反意愿(做某事)
contemporary
a. current; modern 当代的，现代的
worship
n., vt. 崇拜;崇敬
to the point of
to a degree that can be described as 达到…的程度
excess
n. more than the reasonable degree or amount 过节，无节制
organism
n. 生物体，有机体
spiritual
a. of the spirit as opposed to matter 精神的;非物质的
nothing more than
just the same as; only 无异于;只不过，仅仅
sentimental
a. 感情用事的;多愁善感的
selective
a. of or characterized by selection 选择的;有选择性的
Bengali
n., a. 孟加拉人(的);孟加拉语(的);孟加拉的
jungle
n. 杂乱无章的事物;(热带)丛林
current
a. occurring in or existing at the present time 当前的，现在的
debate
n. 辩论;争论
rage
vi. continue with great force; be intense 激烈地进行
wildlife
n. wild animals and vegetation, especially animals living in a natural state (总称)野生动物(尤指野生动物)
refuge▲
n. a place providing protection or shelter 庇护所;避难处
work one's way
manage to reach or go through; make efforts to attain one's goal 设法抵达(或获得通过);努力达到目标
congress
n. 国会;立法机关;代表大会
exploration
n. the act or an instance of exploring 勘查，探测;探索
conserve▲
vt. protect from loss or harm; preserve 保护;保存
either/or
a. 只能两者择其一的
proposition▲
n. 提议;命题
consumption
n. the act of consuming; the amount consumed 消费(量)
come through
experience, survive or overcome (a difficulty, etc.) 经历;从(…中)活下来(或挺过来)
in part
to some extent; partly 在某种程度上;部分地
dependence
n. the state of being dependent 依靠，依赖
ridiculous
a. absurd 可笑的，荒谬的
sentimentalism
n. 感情用事;多愁善感，感伤主义
deny
vt. refuse to grant or allow 不给;不准
attainable
a. that can be reached or achieved 可达到的;可得到的
attain
vt. 达到;取得
disrupt▲
vt. throw into confusion or disorder 使陷于混乱;干扰
breeding ground
动物繁殖的地方
breed (bred)
v. bear, produce (young) (使)繁殖;产(后代)
reindeer
n. (单复同)驯鹿
Arctic
a., n. 北级(的)，北极圈(的)
mate
v. (使)交配
similarly
ad. in a similar way 同样地，相同地
owl▲
n. 猫头鹰
aesthetic▲
a. 美学的;美感的;美的
livelihood
n. a means of living 生计
logging
n. 伐木业
log
v. cut down, trim, and haul (timber) 砍伐;伐(木)
distinction
n. difference 区别，差别
charge
n. a person or thing committed to the care of another 被照管的人(或事物)
well-being
n. the state of being healthy, happy, or prosperous 幸福;福祉
accommodate▲
vi. adapt 适应新的情况;迁就
vt. 容纳，向…提供住处;协调
accommodation n.
fate
n. 命运，结局
bind (bound)
vt. tie or fasten; tie together 捆，绑;将…绑在一起
e.g. (abbr.)
for example 例如
atmospheric
a. of, relating to, or existing in the atmosphere 大气的
threat
n. 威胁
lesser
a. smaller in amount, value, or importance 较小的，更少的，次要的
pollutant
n. something that pollutes 污染物
generator
n. 发电机
fatal
a. causing death; bringing ruin 致命的;毁灭性的
ecosystem
n. 生态系统
moderate
a. not extreme; within sensible limits 适中的;适度的
concern
n. 有利害关系的事，关心的事，担扰
frame
n. state, condition; basic structure around which sth. is built 状态;框架，构架
frame of mind
mental attitude or outlook 心绪;心境
humanistic
a. of humanism or humanists 人本主义的，人文主义的
Proper Names
Charles Krauthammer
杰尔斯·克劳特哈默
Midwest
美国中西部
Lowa
(美国)爱荷华州
Albuquerque
阿尔伯克基(美国新墨西哥州城市)
Siberia
西伯利亚(俄罗斯一地区)
Gaia
(希神)盖亚(大地女神)
Protagoras
普罗泰戈拉 (c.481 — c.411 B.C.，古希腊哲学家)
Alaska
(美国)阿拉斯加州
Language sense Enhancement
1. Read aloud paragraphs 1-5 and learn them by heart.
2. Read aloud the following poem:
The Beauty of Nature
James Teh
One cool evening, I put aside all duty,
To sit alone, watching the sun set,
And as I do, I think of scenes filled with beauty,
Scenes I wish to never forget.
I think of the beach, with the sand and the sea,
The waves roaring up, then gently lapping the beach,
The cries of the seagulls, so happy, so free,
It only men realized the lesson it can teach.
I think of a lake, the crystal clear water,
So pure, so smooth, and cool on my skin,
The air, so clean, no toxic slaughter,
There's a key, a lesson held within.
I think of a waterfall, water freely flowing,
The gentle gush, gurgling in my ears,
The wind on my face, calmly blowing,
So many have not learnt in so many years.
The sunset, the beach, the lake, the waterfall,
They're things of nature, not man-made at all,
Characteristics unbeatable by man have they all,
They're peace and beauty, both of which it seems men want to fall.
3. Read the following quotations. Learn them by heart if you can. You might need to look up new words in a dictionary.
Complete adaptation to environment means death. The essential point in all response is the desire to control environment.
—— John Dewey
We won't have a society if we destroy the environment.
—— Margaret Mead
We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.
—— Orison Swett Marden
When man is happy, he is in harmony with himself and his environment.
—— Oscar Wilde
4.Read the following joke for fun:
Man: how many environmentalists does it take to change a light bulb?
Woman: Ten. One to install the new bulb and nine to figure out what to do with the discarded bulb for the next 10,000 years.
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