标题：学会和自然灾害共存

来源：每日英语听力，经济学人-科技（The Economist-Science and technology)

Summary

    The latest forest fire in California, which gets steadily worse,  has killed thousand people and destroyed hundreds of arcs and buildings, which will cost a great amount of money to rebuild, treat casualties and restore. The reason is a double whammy of climate change and develop. On one hand, continuous dry season in this year stored up fuels for the fire. On the other hand, pricey housing forces people live close next to the forest. Since the sign is irreversible, residents have to learn to co-exist with flames. However, we can cut down the loss with special structure of buildings and communities and special building materials. With special structure, neighborhoods can be toughened up.

单词积累

fit a long-term trend    符合长期趋势

get steadily worse    持续恶化

steadily    adv.    稳定地;坚定地;坚固地;不断地

The reason is a double whammy of climate change and development.原因是气候变化和发展的双重打击。

whammy    n.    晦气；倒霉事an unpleasant situation or event that causes problems for sb/sth

pricey housing    高额房价

be linked to    与……有关

show sign of reversing    显示逆转的迹象

co-exist    v.    共存

intact    adj.    完好无损；完整complete and not damaged

resilient    adj.

1.可迅速恢复的；有适应力的able to feel better quickly after sth unpleasant such as shock, injury, etc.

2.有弹性（或弹力）的；能复原的returning to its original shape after being bent, stretched, or pressed

flame    n.

    1.[c][u]火焰；火舌a hot bright stream of burning gas that comes from sth that is on fire

    2.[u]鲜红色；橘红色；橙黄色a bright red or orange colour

    3.[c]强烈的感情；激情a very strong feeling

    4.[c](informal)火药味电邮（或互联网信息）an angry or insulting message sent to sb by email or on the Internet

            v.    

    1.[i](+ adj.)燃烧to burn with a bright flame

    2.[i][t](+ adj.).~ (sth)（因强烈情绪而）变红，使变红to become red as a result of a strong emotion; to make sth become red

    3.[t](informal)flame sb发送火药味电邮（或互联网信息）to send sb an angry or insulting message by email or on the Internet

Neighbourhoods can be toughened up, too. 邻里关系也可以得到增强。

toughen up    坚强起来；使强壮；困难

tactic    n.

1.[c][usupl]策略；手段；招数the particular method you use to achieve sth

2.[pl]战术；兵法the art of moving soldiers and military equipment around during a battle or war in order to use them in the most effective way

persistent    adj.

1.执着的；不屈不挠的；坚持不懈的determined to do sth despite difficulties, especially when other people are against you and think that you are being annoying or unreasonable

2.连绵的；持续的；反复出现的continuing for a long period of time without interruption, or repeated frequently, especially in a way that is annoying and cannot be stopped

原文表达

California burns every year. But amid a record-breaking heatwave, 2020 is the fieriest year yet.加利福尼亚每年都在燃烧。但在一场破纪录的热浪中，2020年是迄今为止最火热的一年。

record-breaking    adj.    破纪录的

fiery    adj.

1.火一般的；火的looking like fire; consisting of fire

2.暴躁的；易怒的quickly or easily becoming angry

3.充满激情的；（尤指）怒气冲冲的showing strong emotions, especially anger

4.辣的causing a part of your body to feel as if it is burning

Blazes in the 2010s burned 6.8m acres on average, up from 3.3m acres in the 1990s.2010年代的火灾平均烧毁面积为680万英亩，而上世纪90年代为330万英亩。

blaze    v.    

1.[i]熊熊燃烧to burn brightly and strongly

2.[i]闪耀；发亮光to shine brightly

3.[i]blaze (with sth)怒视；（怒火）燃烧if sb's eyesblaze , they look extremely angry

4.[t][usupass]blaze sth (across/all over sth)大肆宣扬to make news or information widely known by telling people about it in a way they are sure to notice

5.[i]blaze (away)连续射击if a gun or sb using a gun blazes , the gun fires continuously

            n.

1.[c]烈火；火灾a very large fire, especially a dangerous one

2.[sing]火焰strong bright flames in a fire

3.[sing]a blaze of sth（光或色彩等的）展现a very bright show of lights or colour; an impressive or noticeable show of sth

4.[sing](a) blaze of sth（感情的）迸发；发泄a sudden show of very strong feeling

5.[c][ususing]动物面部的白斑a white mark on an animal's face

Add the cost of rebuilding, treating casualties and restoration, says Headwaters Economics, a think-tank, and that is perhaps a tenth of the total cost.再加上重建、治疗伤亡人员以及修复的成本，智囊团Headwaters Economics表示，这大概是总成本的十分之一。

think-tank    （政治、社会、经济问题的）智囊团，智库，专家小组a group of experts who provide advice and ideas on political, social or economic issues

More homes are being built next to forests, in what experts call the "wildland-urban interface"(WUI).越来越多的房屋建在森林附近，专家们称 之为“森林-城镇交界域”(WUI)。

Pricey housing has pushed people onto cheaper land close to the wilderness.高额房价迫使人们搬到靠近荒野的廉价土地居住。

At the same time, climate change is extending the dry season, which stores up fuel for fires.与此同时，气候变化使旱季延长，为火灾储存了燃料。

In California, a chronic "megadrought"-in which dry years become more common and wet ones scarcer-is making matters even worse.在加州，一场漫长的“百年难遇的干旱”一千旱年份越来越常见，多雨年越来越罕见——让问题变得更加糟糕。

It, too, has been linked to climate change. Since neither trend shows much sign of reversing, people on America's west coast will have to learn to co-exist with more, and more frequent, fires.它也和气候变化有关。由于这两种趋势都没有显示出逆转的迹象，美国西海岸的人们将不得不学着与更多且更频繁的火灾共存。

"It's not that different to building on an earthquake-prone landscape, " says Max Moritz, a wildfire expert at the University of California at Santa Barbara.加州大学圣芭芭拉分校的一位森林大火专家Max Moritz表示，“这和在地震易发地区的建筑没有什么不同。”

Buildings and communities can be built in such a way that fires sweep through them-or better still, around them-leaving them more-or-less intact.建筑和社区建可以以这样一种方式建在， 即火灾会席卷，或者更好的是，将它们包围，使它们或多或少保持完整。

sweep through    un.    1.让(某人)倾心    2.飞越

Infrastructure can be made more resilient. And forests themselves can be managed to reduce the risk of catastrophic blazes.可以使基础设施更具恢复力。森林本身可以减少灾难性火灾的风险。

Start with the buildings. Most buildings burn not when the flaming front of a fire reaches them, but when embers (also called "firebrands") thrown off by distant fires land on them.先从建筑开始说起。大多数建筑物会在大火的火焰触及建筑物，而不是在远处的大火抛出的余烬(也被称 为“火种”)落在它们身上时燃烧。

ember    n.    余火未尽的木块（或煤块）a piece of wood or coal that is not burning but is still red and hot after a fire has died

throw off    na.    摆脱(习惯,拘束等)；抛弃；脱掉(衣服)；甩掉

by distant    遥远的

Vents can be covered with mesh, or eliminated entirely Heat-resistant windows, which are less likely to break, help keep firebrands out.通风口可以用网丝覆盖，或者完全不要通 风口。不易碎的隔热窗户有助于将火源挡在外面。

vent    n.

1.（空气、气体、液体的）出口，进口，漏孔an opening that allows air, gas or liquid to pass out of or into a room, building, container, etc.

2.（鸟、鱼等小动物的）肛门the opening in the body of a bird, fish, reptile or other small animal, through which waste matter is passed out

3.（大衣等的）衩口，开衩，背衩a long thin opening at the bottom of the back or side of a coat or jacket

【IDM】give (full) vent to sth（充分）表达；（淋漓尽致地）发泄to express a feeling, especially anger, strongly

            v.    vent sth (on sb)    表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）to express feelings, especially anger, strongly

firebrand    n.    火源→挑动政治争端者；煽动动乱者a person who is always encouraging other people to take strong political action, often causing trouble

Building near water is one tactic. But moats are not the only defence.建在水边是一种策略。但护城河并不是唯一的防御手段。

Burying electricity lines can help avoid blackouts, as well as subsequent costly rebuilding.埋线可以帮助避免停电，以及后续昂贵的重建费用。

It can also prevent power lines themselves sparking fires 还能防止电线本身引发火灾。

That is a persistent problem in California, and one which has cost Pacific Gas & Electric, a utility, billions in settlements.这在加州是一个长期存在的问题，已经让 太平洋煤气与电力公司花费了数十亿美元的和解费用。

Australia, which also suffers from wildfires, has experimented with bunkers specially designed to withstand flames for an hour or more- long enough for a flaming front to move through. These offer a last-resort option for trapped residents. 同样遭受野火袭击的澳大利亚已经试验 了一种特别设计的掩体，可以承受一个小时或更长时间的火焰足以让火头通过。这为被困居民提供了最后的选择。