听考研真题|2023年英二阅读1:塑料花草该不该被禁止?

In the quest for the perfect lawn, homeowners across the country are taking a shortcut--and it is the environment that is paying the price. 

【生词】In the quest for ....的过程中

shortcut n.捷径，近路

【翻译】为了打造理想的草坪，全国各地的房主们正在选择一条捷径——而环境正为此付出代价。

About eight million square metres of plastic grass is sold each year but opposition has now spread to the highest gardening circles. 

【翻译】每年销售的塑料草坪面积约为800万平方米，但反对声浪如今已蔓延至高端园艺领域。

The Chelsea Flower Show has banned fake grass from this year's event, declaring it to be not part of its ethos. 

【生词】ethos n.民族精神, 社会思潮, 气质

【翻译】切尔西花展已禁止在今年的活动中使用人造草坪，并声明此举不符合该展会的核心理念。

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which runs the annual show in west London, says it has introduced the ban because of the damage plastic grass does to the environment and biodiversity.

【生词】biodiversity 生物多样性

【翻译】在伦敦西部举办年度展会的英国皇家园艺学会（RHS）表示，鉴于塑料草坪对环境和生物多样性的危害，该学会已颁布此项禁令。

Ed Horne, of the RHS, said: “We launched our sustainability strategy last year and fake grass is just not in line with our ethos and views on plastic. We recommend using real grass because of its environmental benefits, which include supporting wildlife, alleviating flooding and cooling the environment.”

【生词】in line with 跟…一致，符合, 本着

alleviate v.减轻, 缓解

【翻译】英国皇家园林学会（RHS）的 Ed Horne 表示：“我们于去年启动了可持续发展战略，而人造草坪与我们秉持的理念以及对塑料问题的立场并不相符。基于天然草坪在环境效益方面的优势——包括促进野生动物生存、缓解洪涝灾害以及降低环境温度——我们建议采用天然草坪。”

The RHS’s decision comes as campaigners try to raise awareness of the problems fake grass causes. 

【翻译】RHS 的这一决定出台之际，相关倡导人士正致力于提高公众对人造草坪所引发问题的关注。

A Twitter account, which claims to “cut through the green-wash”of artificial grass, already has more than 20,000 followers. 

It is trying to encourage people to sign two petitions, one calling for a ban on the sale of plastic grass and another calling for an “ecological damage”tax on such lawns. They have gathered 7,276 and 11, 282 signatures.

【生词】petition n.请愿书, 请愿

【翻译】该组织正致力于鼓励民众签署两份请愿书：一份呼吁禁止销售塑料草坪，另一份则呼吁对此类草坪征收“生态损害税”。这两份请愿书已分别收集到 7,276 个和 11,282 个签名。

However, supporters of fake grass point out that there is also an environmental impact with natural lawns, which need mowing and therefore usually consume electricity or petrol. 

【生词】mow v.刈，割草；n.割草 牧草地 

petrol n.汽油

【翻译】然而，人造草坪的支持者指出，天然草坪同样会对环境造成影响——因为它们需要定期修剪，而这通常意味着消耗电力或汽油。

The industry also points out that real grass requires considerable amounts of water, weed killer or other treatments and that people who lay fake grass tend to use their garden more. 

【生词】weed killer  除草剂

【翻译】该行业还指出，天然草坪需要大量水分、除草剂或其他处理措施，而铺设人造草坪的人往往更频繁地使用其庭院。

The industry also claims that people who lay fake grass spend an average of £500 on trees or shrubs for their garden, which provides habitat for insects.

【生词】shrub n.灌木

In response to another petition last year about banning fake lawns, which gathered 30,000 signatures, the government responded that it has “no plans to ban the use of artificial grass”. 

【翻译】针对去年一项关于禁止使用人造草坪的请愿（该请愿已收集到3万份签名），政府回应称其“暂无禁止使用人造草坪的计划”。

It added: “We prefer to help people and organizations make the right choice rather than legislating on such matters. 

    【翻译】该机构补充道：“我们更倾向于帮助个人及组织做出正确选择，而非对此类事项进行立法干预。”

However the use of artificial grass must comply with the legal and policy safeguards in place to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable drainage, while measures such as the strengthened biodiversity duty should serve to encourage public authorities to consider sustainable alternatives.”

【生词】comply with 遵守

drainage n.排水，放水, 排水系统

alternative n.可供选择的事物; adj.替代的，备选的, 另类的

【翻译】然而，人造草坪的使用必须符合现行保护生物多样性及确保可持续排水的法律法规与政策保障要求，同时，诸如强化生物多样性义务等措施，亦应有助于推动公共管理机构考虑采用可持续替代方案。