America's most vulnerable suffer without AC during heat waves. We can do better
热浪来袭,美国最弱势的群体因没有空调而深受其苦;我们能做得更好
Record-breaking temperatures are starting to become the new normal. Just last week, Portland reached 116 degrees, Seattle reached 108 degrees, and British Columbia reached 121 degrees. And the extreme heat could last until mid-July in some areas.
破纪录的高气温正成为一种新的常态。就在上周,美国俄勒冈州波特兰市的气温达到 116 华氏度(46.7 摄氏度),华盛顿州西雅图市气温升至 108 华氏度(42.2 摄氏度),加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的气温也高达 121 华氏度(49.4 摄氏度)。而这种极端高温天气在某些地区可能会延续到 7 月中旬。
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Heat waves are a major cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. There were an average of 702 heat-related deaths annually from 2004 to 2018. And just last week, hundreds of reported deaths were believed to be related to the heat wave. The National Weather Service advises that one of the best ways to cool down, unsurprisingly, is an air conditioner.
在美国,热浪是导致人们死亡的主要天气因素。从 2004 年至 2018 年,美国平均每年有 702 人因天气炎热死亡。然而仅仅在上周,据信就有数百起上报的死亡事件和这股热浪有关。美国国家气象局建议,消暑最好的办法之一,不出所料,就是吹空调。
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That's fine if you can afford the bill.
如果你付得起这笔费用,那自然没问题。
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But many Americans cannot. While utility companies scramble to keep up with increasing demand for cooling, some low-income families cannot even afford the cost of an air conditioner, let alone the cost of the electricity needed to power the unit.
然而很多美国人都承担不起。为了消暑,人们的用电需求正在不断上涨,为了满足这种需求,电力公司的工作也变得紧张起来,然而另一边,许多低收入家庭却连一台空调都买不起,更不用说支付空调的电费了。
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The small solution the country has now isn't great. Low-income Americans can shelter in locally designated cooling centers, but many shelters have limited capacity because of pandemic regulations. It's also morally wrong — why should a family lose all privacy just because they do not earn enough money to pay their energy bills?
然而,美国目前采取的低成本方案作用并不理想。虽然低收入的美国人现在可以去当地指定的“纳凉中心”避暑,但其中许多避暑点都因为新冠疫情相关的法规而容量受限。而且这从道德层面来说也是错误的,试问为什么一个家庭仅仅因为赚不到足够的钱付电费,就要失去全部的隐私?
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There are better solutions. First, we need to make sure that all low-income families have access to cooling in their homes. Second, Congress needs to fully fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help the most vulnerable afford to keep their homes cool.
针对极端高温天气这个问题,有更好的解决方案。首先,我们要确保所有的低收入家庭在家都能用上制冷设备。其次,国会需要为“低收入家庭能源援助计划(LIHEAP)”提供充足的资金,从而帮助那些最弱势的群体能够负担保持室内凉爽的费用。
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Heat waves are a public health issue. And no family should be forced to leave their homes and move to a cooling center just because they cannot afford air conditioning.
极端高温天气是一个公共健康问题。任何家庭都不应该仅仅因为负担不起空调的费用,就被迫从家里搬到“纳凉中心”。
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主编:夏天
品控:Pita
审核:Felicity
重点词汇
vulnerable
/ˈvʌl.nɚ.ə.bəl/
adj. 易受伤的,脆弱的
搭配短语:vulnerable parts of the body
搭配短语:a vulnerable teenager
heat wave
热浪(一段时间的极端高温天气)
record-breaking
/ˈrek.ɚdˌbreɪ.kɪŋ/
adj. 破纪录的
相关词组:break the record(打破纪录)
normal
/ˈnɔːr.məl/
n. 常态
英文释义:the usual state or level
搭配短语:back to normal(恢复正常)
例句:My skin color finally returned back to normal.
weather-related
/ˈweðə.ɚˌrɪˈleɪ.t̬ɪd/
adj. 和天气有关的
相关词汇:pollution-related(adj. 和污染有关的)
相关词汇:stress-related(adj. 和压力有关的)
annually
/ˈæn.ju.ə.li/
adv. 每年地
相关词汇:annual(adj. 每年的)
搭配短语:annual income
搭配短语:annual meeting
utility
/juːˈtɪl.ə.t̬i/
n. 公用事业(如水电煤等)
英文释义:a service that is used by the public
例句:Does the rent include utilities?
搭配短语:utility bills
scramble
/ˈskræm.bəl/
v. 匆忙(做某事)
例句:I scrambled out of the door.
keep up with
跟上某种变化
搭配短语:to keep up with times
let alone
更不用说
英文释义:not to mention
shelter
/ˈʃel.t̬ɚ/
v. 躲避,避难
词性拓展:shelter(n. 庇护所,收容所)
搭配短语:an animal shelter
搭配短语:bomb shelter
搭配短语:We sheltered in the shade.
designated
/ˈdez.ɪɡ.neɪt/
adj. 指定的
相关词汇:designate(v. 选定,委派)
搭配短语:a designated driver
搭配短语:designated seats for those in need
capacity
/kəˈpæs.ə.t̬i/
n. 能力,才能;容纳能力,容量
搭配短语:a child's capacity for learning
例句:The room had a seating capacity of about 80.
regulation
/ˌreɡ.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/
n. 规章,条例
英文释义:an official rule or order
搭配短语:safety regulations
morally
/ˈmɔːr.əl.i/
adv. 道德方面地
相关词汇:moral(adj. 道德的)
搭配短语:moral standards
例句:It is morally unacceptable.
have access to
能够接近或使用……
例句:Cats should always have access to fresh and clean water.
搭配短语:have access to the Internet
fund
/fʌnd/
v. 提供资金,资助
词性拓展:fund(n. 基金,专款)
搭配短语:a pension fund(养老基金)
例句:The research is funded by the government.