韋恩食記

As more and more countries around the globe move towards industrialization in an attempt to compete in the global market, an environmental crisis over deforestation  — the cutting down, burning and general damaging of forests — is looming for mankind.
隨著全球越來越多國家走向工業化，試圖在全球市場上競爭，有關過度砍伐森林的環境危機 — 砍伐，燒毀和全面破壞森林 — 正在接近人類。(破折號的內容不用讀，細節的東西)

Over the last several decades, environmental specialists have proposed various strategies aimed at slowing down this process of deforestation in developing countries.
過去幾十年來，環境保育專家提出各種策略，旨在減緩發展中國家的森林砍伐進程。(從這句就大概知道破壞森林的國家主要是發展中國家，也要大概推測出整篇文章的意思了)

Many of these proposals are indeed valuable ideas in that they are realistic attempts to address some of the causes of deforestation, such as farming, cattle ranching, and commercial logging.
大多數建議確實是有價值的想法，因為它們試圖解決這些破壞森林的行為，例如：農業、畜牧業及商業伐木。(such as不用讀，細節的東西)

All of them rely on government involvement of some kind.
這些都依賴政府的某種介入。(them指的是上一局的主詞，也就是 proposals)

There are three broad categories of solutions: state economic policies, internal agreements, and international programs.
主要有三大類的解決方案，分別是國家經濟政策、內部協議和國際計劃。(通常每一段的第一句都是重點，這邊提出三個解決方案在後面都會詳細說明)

☐ Economic policies generally attempt to limit the activity of small farmers through government actions.
經濟政策通常透過政府的行動來限制小農。

☐ Government actions can include the clear and proper definition and enforcement of property rights, meaning that squatting, or illegally setting on land, would be more difficult.
政府的行動可以包含對財產權的明確定義和適當執行，這意味著非法佔用土地將更困難。

☐ Subsidies can be used to encourage conservation.
獎勵環境保育。(由這幾句得知政府透過獎勵保育行動，懲罰非法行為來達成政策)

That is, money may be paid to supplement the income of those farmers who make an effort to reduce the usual amount of damage to the forest that their farms cause.
也就是說，努力減少環境污染的農民可以得到補貼。(這句掃過即可，因為前面的句子就可以推斷出了，難道努力減少環境汙染還要被罰錢！？)

In addition, taxed can act as a deterrent to undesirable land use.
此外，徵稅可以達到遏阻非法使用土地的作用。(這句掃過即可，第三句就提過了)

☐ For example, certain kinds of agriculture, like the slash-and-burn method, as well as cattle ranching, may be taxed to discourage these activities.
舉例來說，特定類型的農業，像是刀耕火種和放牧，可能就會被徵稅來阻止這些活動。(for example不用讀，細節的東西)

An internal agreement may be made between governments and indigenous or native people living in the moist rainforests and open woodlands of the tropics, where the vast majority of this deforestation is occurring.
政府與生活在熱帶雨林和開闊林地中的原住民之間可能會達成內部協議，絕大部分的森林砍伐都發生在此地區。(得知內部協議為政府與原住民之間的協議)

Such an agreement would allow people to carry on traditional activities adapted for some economic benefit.
這樣的協議將使原住民適應某些經濟利益的傳統活動。

One example is the rubber-tappers in Brazil.
其中一個例子是巴西的割膠工人。(補充閱讀： https://www.npr.org/2015/11/04/452555878/deep-in-the-amazon-an-unseen-battle-over-the-most-valuable-trees )

These native people draw sap from rubber trees in the rainforest, without damaging or killing the trees.
這些原住民從熱帶雨林的橡樹中採取汁液，然而並沒有傷害或殺死樹木。

The sap, in turn, is sold to rubber companies, there by providing the native people with economic benefits.
原住民則將汁液賣給橡膠公司以獲取利益。

Finally, international agreements usually involve the exchange of monetary aid in return for government action to protect its forests.
最後，國際協議通常涉及金錢援助以換取政府保護森林的行動。(國際協議用錢來換取某些國家不要破換森林)

One such plan seeks to help pay a nation's debt in exchange for restrictions on certain kinds of activities in rainforests.
其中一項計畫是幫忙支付國際債務以換取在限制熱帶雨林中的特定活動。(這句掃過即可，因為前面的句子就可以推斷出了)

This is appealing for a poor country such as Brazil, which has an international debt of $160 billion.
這對於像巴西這樣的貧窮國家是有吸引力的，因為該國擁有1600億的國際債務。(such as不用讀，細節的東西)

Instead of selling logging concessions to pay down that obligation, the government receives money for banning or restricting logging in its forests.
政府獲得了禁止或限制森林砍伐的資金，而不是出售伐木特許權來還清債務。

There is also the proposal of a global fund created in order to grant money to countries that choose to protect their environments.
還建議建立一個全球基金以資助這些選擇保護環境的國家。

While all of these ideas could possibly work, if remains to be seen whether there will be any real progress in rainforest conservation.
儘管所有這些想法都可能奏效，但還有待觀察雨林保護是否會有真正的進展。

It is clear that something must be done to protect the forests of the world.
顯然，必須採取一些措施來保護世界森林。

If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rainforests will vanish within 100 years, causing numerous adverse effects on global climate and eliminating the majority of plant and animal species on the planet.
如果當前的森林砍伐速度持續下去，世界上的熱帶雨林將在100年內消失，對全球氣候造成許多不利影響，並消滅地球上大多數動植物物種。

Deforestation significantly increases the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere each year, which in turn causes an increases in global temperatures.
破壞森林使每年釋放到大氣中的二氧化碳量明顯增加，進而導致全球溫度升高。

Also, scientists speculate that the tropical rainforests, through covering only seven percent of the Earth's dry surface, contain more than half of the 5 million to 80 million species of plants animals that comprise the "biodiversity" of the planet.
此外，科學家推測熱帶雨林僅覆蓋了地球陸地的百分之七，就包含了地球生物多樣性中一半以上的500萬至8000萬種動植物。

The loss of species resulting from radical climate change will have a drastic effect.
劇烈的氣候變化將導致物種滅絕的巨大影響。

The Earth is losing species every day that could potentially prevent cancer or lead to a cure for AIDS.
地球每天都在流失著可能預防癌症或治癒艾滋病的物種。

In addition, other organisms are losing species they depend upon, and thus face extinction themselves.
此外，其他生物正在失去它們賴以生存的物種，因此面臨滅絕的危機。

Unless some form of concrete solution for deforestation is enacted quickly, the survival of all creatures living on Earth could be in jeopardy.
除非迅速採取某種具體的森林砍伐解決方案，否則地球上所有生物的生存都將處於危險之中。