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University bans hamburgers 'to tackle climate change' 英国一所大学禁止售卖牛肉汉堡以“应对气候变化”

 

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英国一所大学禁止在校内售卖牛肉汉堡,以应对全球气候变暖。伦敦大学金史密斯学院将禁止在校内售卖所有牛肉类产品,并对瓶装水和一次性塑料杯征收十便士的税。

文字稿

No mince, no burgers, and certainly no steak night. Beef is off the menu at Goldsmiths University in London. According to the UN, livestock accounts for 14.5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and cattle for almost half of that. That's why the new Warden of Goldsmiths, their word for the person in charge, has decided to take this step. Prof Frances Corner says declaring a climate emergency cannot be empty words.

没有肉,没有汉堡,当然也没有 “牛排之夜”。伦敦大学金史密斯学院(Goldsmiths University)的菜单上没有牛肉。根据联合国的统计数据,畜牧业占全球温室气体排放总量的14.5%,而养牛业占畜牧业温室气体排放总量的一半。这也正是为什么伦敦大学金史密斯学院的新任院长(Warden of Goldsmiths)—— 他们对负责人的称呼,决定采取这一举措。弗朗西斯•科纳教授表示,宣布气候紧急状态不能只是一片空话。

Banning beef, of course, isn’t that huge an intervention, but Goldsmiths is also charging a twelve-cent levy on bottled water and single-use plastic cups. It plans to install more solar panels and switch to 100% clean energy supplier.

当然,禁止销售牛肉并不是一个巨大的干预,所以伦敦大学金史密斯学院还分别对购买瓶装水和使用一次性塑料杯的人征收12美分(约十便士)的税。该学院还计划安装更多的太阳能电池板,并转用100% 的清洁能源供应商。

The beef ban has its critics. The UK’s National Farmers’ Union says removing beef from menus is an overly simplistic approach and that British beef farming is much more sustainable than average.

也有人对此牛肉禁令进行批评。英国全国农民联盟(National Farmers’ Union)说,将牛肉从菜单上移除是一种过于简单的做法,而且英国的牛肉养殖业比普通的牛肉养殖业更具可持续性。

Nevertheless, some companies are finding it profitable to offer cattle-free alternatives and not just when it comes to food. Dr Martens, the footwear company, has announced a 70% increase in profits thanks in part to its new range of vegan boots, now amounting to 4% of the company’s sales.

尽管如此,一些公司发现给顾客提供不含牛成分的其它选择是有利可图的,而这不仅限于食品行业。马汀博士(Dr Martens),一家鞋类公司,宣布其利润增长了70%,部分原因要归功于新推出的 “素食靴” 系列,目前占公司总销售额的4%。

词汇

mince 剁碎的牛肉末
off the menu 不在菜单上
livestock 家畜,畜牧业
climate emergency 气候紧急状态
empty words 空话
intervention 干预
levy 税款,征收额
bottled water 瓶装水
single-use 一次性的
solar panels 太阳能电池板
clean energy 清洁能源
critics 批评者,反对者
overly simplistic 过于简单化
sustainable 可持续的
cattle-free 不含“牛”的
vegan boots “素食靴”
amounting to 达到,总计

阅读理解:请在读完上文后,回答下列问题 。

1. True or false? Everyone is in favour of Goldsmiths’ beef ban.

2. How much of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions does livestock account for, according to the UN?

3. Besides banning beef, what else is Goldsmiths doing to tackle climate change?

4. Which word is used to mean ‘a set or collection of the same type of goods made by a company’?

答案

1. True or false? Everyone is in favour of Goldsmiths’ beef ban.

False. According to the report, the beef ban has its critics, meaning there are people who do not approve of it – in this case, the UK’s National Farmers’ Union.

2. How much of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions does livestock account for, according to the UN?

According to the UN, livestock accounts for 14.5% of the world's greenhouse  gas emissions.

3. Besides banning beef, what else is Goldsmiths doing to tackle climate change?

Apart from banning beef, Goldsmiths is charging a twelve cent levy on bottled  water and single-use plastic cups. It also plans to install more solar panels and  switch to 100% clean energy supplier.

4. Which word is used to mean ‘a set or collection of the same type of goods made by a company’?

Range.

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