歷年六級閱讀理解逐句翻譯：2008年12月（1）

　　一、

　　Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use.

　　可持續發展適用于諸如能源，凈水，經濟增長等幾乎所有的方面，因此，要對可持續發展的基本假設或其概念的實施方法提出質疑也變得日益困難。

　　This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

　　這在農業方面尤其顯著，可持續發展經常被認為是農業進步的唯一標準，而這并沒有從歷史和文化的角度進行適當的評估。

　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today.

　　首先，重要的是認識到農業的本質隨著歷史的發展已經發生了顯著的變化，并且這種變化仍將持續。中世紀北歐的農業為以農業為主導的社會提供了衣食和住所，而當時的人口密度遠低于現在。

　　It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized.

　　那是的農業對生物多樣性的影響有限，產生的任何污染通常都是地方性的。

　　In terms of energy use and the nutrients(營養成分)captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

　　當時的農業在能源利用以及農產品的營養成分方面是相對低效的。

　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution.

　　對比一下工業革命開始以后出現的農場化。

　　Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields.

　　來自國外的競爭促使農民專業化并且提高產量。

　　Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable.

　　在這個時期，食品價格下降，安全性和可靠性都有所提高。

　　However, these changes have also led to habitat(棲息地)loss and to diminishing biodiversity.

　　但是，這些變化也是導致了棲息地的流失和生物多樣性的減少。

　　Whats more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.

　　此外，發展中國家隊畜產品的需求增長如此迅速，以至于在2050年之前每年需要額外收貨3億噸谷物才能滿足該需求。但是城市和工業的發展導致在很多地區農業可利用的水資源越來越少。

　　All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.

　　所有這些都意味著21世紀的農業將非常不同于20世紀的農業。

　　This will require radical thinking.

　　這需要激進的思考方式。

　　For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones.

　　例如，我們需要摒棄傳統生產比新型生產注定更有利于可持續發展的方法，而這些方法的核心在于需要在保持生產的同時避免產生更多的破壞。

　　We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be zero impact.

　　我們同樣需要拋棄農業可以零污染的觀念。

　　The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.

　　關鍵在于放棄相對簡單和靜態的衡量可持續發展性的方法，而這些方法的核心在于需要在保持生產的同時避免產生更多的破壞。

　　Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons(正反兩方面)of all the various way land is used.

　　取而代之的是更加動態的解釋，可以兼顧到種種土地使用方式的正反兩面。

　　There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity.

　　除了糧食產量以外，還有很多不同的方式可以衡量農業的效益;能源利用，環境成本，水源純凈程度，碳排放和生物多樣性。

　　It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting.

　　例如，顯然把番茄從西班牙運到英國的碳排放量要少于在英國用額外的供暖和照明設備種植番茄。

　　But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

　　但是我們不知道降低碳排放量是否總是對生物多樣性是有益的。

　　What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

　　關鍵是要意識到農業可持續的發展并不僅僅是關于可持續的食物生產。

　　一、

　　Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use.

　　可持續發展適用于諸如能源，凈水，經濟增長等幾乎所有的方面，因此，要對可持續發展的基本假設或其概念的實施方法提出質疑也變得日益困難。

　　This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

　　這在農業方面尤其顯著，可持續發展經常被認為是農業進步的唯一標準，而這并沒有從歷史和文化的角度進行適當的評估。

　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today.

　　首先，重要的是認識到農業的本質隨著歷史的發展已經發生了顯著的變化，并且這種變化仍將持續。中世紀北歐的農業為以農業為主導的社會提供了衣食和住所，而當時的人口密度遠低于現在。

　　It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized.

　　那是的農業對生物多樣性的影響有限，產生的任何污染通常都是地方性的。

　　In terms of energy use and the nutrients(營養成分)captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

　　當時的農業在能源利用以及農產品的營養成分方面是相對低效的。

　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution.

　　對比一下工業革命開始以后出現的農場化。

　　Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields.

　　來自國外的競爭促使農民專業化并且提高產量。

　　Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable.

　　在這個時期，食品價格下降，安全性和可靠性都有所提高。

　　However, these changes have also led to habitat(棲息地)loss and to diminishing biodiversity.

　　但是，這些變化也是導致了棲息地的流失和生物多樣性的減少。

　　Whats more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.

　　此外，發展中國家隊畜產品的需求增長如此迅速，以至于在2050年之前每年需要額外收貨3億噸谷物才能滿足該需求。但是城市和工業的發展導致在很多地區農業可利用的水資源越來越少。

　　All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.

　　所有這些都意味著21世紀的農業將非常不同于20世紀的農業。

　　This will require radical thinking.

　　這需要激進的思考方式。

　　For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones.

　　例如，我們需要摒棄傳統生產比新型生產注定更有利于可持續發展的方法，而這些方法的核心在于需要在保持生產的同時避免產生更多的破壞。

　　We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be zero impact.

　　我們同樣需要拋棄農業可以零污染的觀念。

　　The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.

　　關鍵在于放棄相對簡單和靜態的衡量可持續發展性的方法，而這些方法的核心在于需要在保持生產的同時避免產生更多的破壞。

　　Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons(正反兩方面)of all the various way land is used.

　　取而代之的是更加動態的解釋，可以兼顧到種種土地使用方式的正反兩面。

　　There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity.

　　除了糧食產量以外，還有很多不同的方式可以衡量農業的效益;能源利用，環境成本，水源純凈程度，碳排放和生物多樣性。

　　It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting.

　　例如，顯然把番茄從西班牙運到英國的碳排放量要少于在英國用額外的供暖和照明設備種植番茄。

　　But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

　　但是我們不知道降低碳排放量是否總是對生物多樣性是有益的。

　　What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

　　關鍵是要意識到農業可持續的發展并不僅僅是關于可持續的食物生產。