10-23-07

奥委会检查北京奥运准备状况 (IOC Inspects Beijing Preparations for Olympics)

国际奥林匹克委员会星期二开始对中国进行三天视察访问，检查2008年北京奥运会准备工作的进展情况，讨论的首要议题包括对北京空气高度污染的担忧。空气质量是一个主要担忧。国际奥委会主席雅克.罗格曾经公开说过，北京污染物质的不安全程度可能会迫使室外耐力比赛项目推迟举行。

国际奥委会协调委员会星期二与北京奥运会组织者之间开始会谈之际，北京上空笼罩着浓厚的尘雾。协调委员会主席维尔布鲁根在开场白中将奥运会最后几个月准备活动比喻成一名长跑运动员。他说，主办者最后冲刺可能决定它将获得一枚金牌还是一枚银牌。

Concerns about high levels of air pollution in the Chinese capital were on the agenda Tuesday as the International Olympic Committee began a three-day inspection tour to monitor progress for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Air quality is a major concern and IOC President Jacques Rogge has publicly said that unsafe levels of pollutants in the city could force outdoor endurance events to be postponed.

Heavy smog covered the city Tuesday as talks began between the IOC's coordination commission and Beijing Olympic organizers. In opening the meetings, IOC commission chief Hein Verbruggen likened the final months of preparation for the Games to a long distance runner, saying the organizers' final sprint could be the difference between a gold medal and silver medal.

研究显示二氧化碳含量增加超预期(Study Shows CO2 Rising Faster Than Expected)

星期二刊登在一份科学杂志上的报告说，地球大气层中二氧化碳的聚结速度超过预期。刊登在美国国家科学院文献上的文章指出二氧化碳聚结速度加快的两大因素：一是中国和印度等发展中国家的煤炭使用量日益增多，二是地球海洋吸收二氧化碳的能力减弱。

澳大利亚国家科学院的卡纳德利率领一些研究人员撰写了这篇报告。这些研究人员还说，人们先前对二氧化碳的大部份预测都错误地假设人类会使用日益有效的方式开发能源。他们说，几乎没有预测想到地球吸收二氧化碳的能力会减弱。

A study published Tuesday in a scientific journal says carbon dioxide concentration in Earth's atmosphere is rising faster than expected. The article published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" cites two factors for the increase, the increasing use of coal by developing countries such as China and India and the decreasing amount of CO2 absorbed by the world's oceans.

The study was prepared by a group of researchers led by Joseph Canadell of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. The researchers said most forecasts of CO2 incorrectly presumed that humans would use increasingly more efficient ways to generate energy. They said few of the forecasts thought the Earth's ability to absorb the gas would decline.