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1. Scientists have discovered （that）plant life covering the surface of the world's oceans is disappearing at a dangerous rate. This plant life called phytoplankton is a vital resource that helps absorb the worst of the "greenhouse gases" involved in global warming. Satellites and ships at sea have confirmed the diminishing productivity of the microscopic plants, which (,) oceanographers say (,) is most striking in the waters of the North Pacific—ranging as far up as the high Arctic. "Whether the lost productivity of the phytoplankton is directly due to increased ocean temperatures that have been recorded for at least the past 20 years remains part of an extremely complex puzzle", says Watson W. Gregg, a NASA biologist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in the USA, but it surely offers a fresh clue to the controversy over climate change. According to Gregg, the greatest loss of phytoplankton has occurred where ocean temperatures have risen most significantly between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. In the North Atlantic summertime, sea surface temperatures rose about 1. 3 degrees Fahrenheit during that period, while in the North Pacific the ocean's surface temperatures rose about 0.07 of a degree.
1、科學家們發現覆蓋海洋表面的植物數量正在快速消失(賓語從句為現在進行時態，其中covering…oceans是現在分詞短語做定語，修飾plant life；at a dangerous rate 以危險速度)。這種被稱為“浮游植物”的(called phytoplankton)生物是一種至關重要的（vital adj. ）資源，它能夠吸收導致全球變暖的(involved in global warming)危害最大的“溫室氣體”(help 后接不帶to的不定式做賓語；absorb vt. 吸收；greenhouse gases 溫室氣體; bad-worse-worst)。衛星和海上船舶確認了這種細微生物正在減少(the diminishing productivity of the microscopic plants; diminishing adj. 逐漸縮小的；衰減的)。海洋研究者（oceanographers）認為這種生物在北太平洋里(in the waters of the North Pacific; waters 海域)的消亡速度最快(which引導非限制性定語從句，其指代的是the diminishing productivity of the microscopic plants；striking 偏意：adj. 顯著的，驚人的，引人注目的，其前的most更證明了striking在這里是作為形容詞使用)，甚至擴展到了北極圈（range vi 延伸；the Arctic n. 北極圈）(以給出的翻譯為基礎，本人認為oceanographers say的前后放一個逗號似乎更容易理解)。“浮游植物的減少(the lost productivity of the phytoplankton)是否是過去的至少（at least）20 年間所記錄的（that have been recorded）海洋溫度的升高直接導致的(is directly due to ; whether…the past 20 years是名詞性從句做句子主語)，這依然是一個未解之迷(remain vi. 依然; an extremely complex puzzle 一個極其復雜的迷)。”在美國的Goddard空間飛行中心的NASA生物學家Watson W·Gregg如是說。但他表示，這確實提供了一個解決氣候變化爭議的全新線索(a fresh clue to the controversy over climate change; clue to + n. 線索; controversy n. 爭論)。Gregg認為，從80年代初到90年代末，海洋溫度明顯升高的地方（where ocean temperatures have risen most significantly）往往是浮游植物大量減少的地方。在北大西洋的夏季(summertime)，海洋的表面溫度在那段時間里(during that period)升高了1.3華氏度，在北太平洋海洋表面，溫度升髙了0.07度。
2. While the link between ocean temperatures and the productivity of plankton is striking, other factors can also affect the health of the plants. They need iron as nourishment, for example, and much of it reaches them in powerful winds that sweep iron-containing dust across the oceans from continental deserts. When those winds diminish or fail, plankton can suffer. According to Gregg and his colleagues, there have been small but measurable decreases in the amount of iron deposited over the oceans in recent years.
2、雖然(while)海洋溫度的升高和浮游植物數量之間的關系非常明顯（或引人注目）（the link … is striking），但是其他因素也會影響(affect)這種海洋植物的健康。比如說它們需要鐵來當作養料(as nourishment)，這種養料源于大陸沙漠中含鐵的沙塵，強風把這些沙塵吹向海洋（across the oceans），當這些風減弱或者消亡，浮游植物的生存就會面臨威脅（suffer vi. 受損害；受痛苦）。Gregg和他的同事認為，近年來（in recent years）海洋中的鐵含量有所下降(deposited over the oceans 過去分詞修飾the amount of iron，即海洋中儲藏的鐵含量；decrease in 在…方面減少；)，盡管幅度較小，但是已經能夠通過儀器測量出來（there have been small but measurable; measurable adj.可測量的）。
3. The significant decline in plankton productivity has a direct effect on the world's carbon cycle. Normally, the ocean plants take up about half of all the carbon dioxide in the world's environment because they use the carbon, along with sunlight, for growth, and release oxygen into the atmosphere in a process known as photosynthesis. Primary production of plankton in the North Pacific has decreased by more than 9 percent during the past 20 years, and by nearly 7 percent in the North Atlantic, Gregg and his colleagues determined from their satellite observations and shipboard surveys. Studies combining all the major ocean basins of the world have revealed the decline in plankton productivity to be more than 6 percent.
3、浮游植物數量明顯減少(decline in 在…方面逐漸衰弱)對全球碳循環有著直接的影響（have/has a effect on … 對…有影響）。通常，這種海洋植物吸收（take up）了全球大約一半的二氧化碳（about half of all the Carbon dioxide），因為它們借助二氧化碳以及(along with)陽光來生長，并把氧氣釋放到大氣中(release vt. 釋放)，這就是我們熟知的(known as 被稱為)光合作用。浮游植物（plankton）的主要生長區域是北太平洋，那里的浮游植物數量在過去的20年里（during the past 20 years）降低了9%以上（decrease by + 數字 + percent 減少了“數字”%），在北大西洋降低了約7%，這是Gregg和他的同事利用衛星觀察和船舶測量得出的結論（determine vi. 確定；判決）。對世界上主要海洋盆地的(combining all the major ocean basins of the world現在分詞做定語，修飾studies；combine vt. 結合)研究表明（reveal vt. 顯示；透露；揭露），浮游植物的數量下降了6%以上（to be more than 6 percent不定式做賓語補足語）。
4. The ocean plankton is a major way in which the extra carbon dioxide emitted in the combustion of fossil fuels is eliminated. Whether caused by currently rising global temperatures or not, the loss of natural plankton productivity in the oceans also means the loss of an important factor in removing much of the principal greenhouse gas that has caused the world's climate to warm for the past century or more. "Our combined research shows that（引導賓語從句） ocean primary productivity is declining, and it may be the result of climate changes such as increased temperatures and decreased iron deposits into parts of the oceans. This has major implications for the global carbon cycle" said Gregg.
4、海洋浮游植物是吸收燃燒化石燃料而排放出的二氧化碳的主要功臣（即主要方法）（in which…eliminated是定語從句，修飾a major way, in which即in the way; 而emitted in the combustion of fossil fuels是過去分詞做定語，修飾the extra carbon dioxide, is eliminated被消滅，即“吸收”；emit vt. 排放；發出; combustion n. 燃燒; fossil fuel n. 化石燃料; eliminate vt. 消除；排除）。 無論是否是(whether … or not)由于（caused by ）當今氣候變暖造成，海洋浮游植物的減少意味著(means)一個消除溫室氣體的(in removing much of the principal greenhouse gas; principal adj. 主要的; greenhouse gas 溫室氣體)重要元素的消失，而溫室氣體已經使得全球氣溫在過去一百多年中不斷升高（that引導的定語從句被翻譯成另一個句子，在這個句子中被修飾的部分“the principal greenhouse gas”作為句子的主語）。Gregg說：“研究表明，海洋浮游植物數量持續下降，這有可能是氣候變化的結果，包括溫度上升以及海洋中鐵含量下降(such as increased temperatures and decreased iron deposits into parts of the oceans; increased adj. 增加的; decreased adj. 減少的)。這對全球碳循環會有重大影響(major implications; implication n. 含意；影響)”。
5. At the same time, Stanford University scientists using two other NASA satellites and one flown by the Defense Department have observed dramatic new changes in the vast ice sheets along the west coast of Antarctica. These changes, in turn, are having a major impact on phytoplankton there. They report that(引導賓語從句) a monster chunk of the Ross Ice Shelf—an iceberg almost 20 miles wide and 124 miles long—has broken off the west face of the shelf and is burying a vast ocean area of phytoplankton that is the base of the food web in an area exceptionally rich in plant and animal marine life.
5、與此同時(at the same time)，斯坦福大學的科學家們使用了另外兩個NASA衛星，其中一個是由國防部發射的(flown by the Defense Department過去分詞作定語，修飾one；fly-flew-flown)。他們觀察到了南極洲西海岸巨大冰層發生的重大變化(vast adj. 巨大的；dramatic adj. 引人注目；戲劇的；ice sheets 冰川)，這些變化正對那里的浮游植物產生嚴重影響（in turn 輪流，依次; have/has a impact on … 對…有影響）。他們發現，“羅斯陸緣冰”中的大冰山（monster adj. 巨大的; chunk n. 大塊）——一座大約有20英里寬、124英里長的冰山（iceberg n. 冰山）——己經從西海岸冰層上脫離（break off 折斷；中斷；break-broke-broken），覆蓋了一個有浮游植物生存的巨大海洋區域(bury vt. 埋葬)，這一區域是食物鏈的基礎（the base of the food web）特別是在區域中有豐富的海洋動物和植物（rich in 富有；marine life 海洋生物）（that 引導的定語從句被翻譯成另一個句子，不贅述了）。
6. Although sea surface temperatures around Western Antarctica are remaining stable, the loss of plankton is proving catastrophic to all the higher life forms that depend on the plant masses, say Stanford biological oceanographers Arrigo and Van Dijken. Icebergs in Antarctica are designated by letters and numbers for aerial surveys across millions of square miles of the southern ocean, and this berg is known as C-19. "We estimate from satellite observations that（引導賓語從句） C-19 in the Ross Sea has covered 90 percent of all the phytoplankton there" said Arrigo.
6、斯坦福大學的生物海洋學家Arrigo和Van Dijken認為，盡管（although）南極洲西部海洋表面的溫度保持了穩定(are remaining stable)，但是浮游植物的減少對所有依賴這些植物的(that depend on the plant masses)高等生物群會產生毀滅性影響(prove vi. 證明是；catastrophic adj. 災難的)。整個南極洲的海洋面積達幾百萬平方英里（across millions of square miles of the southern ocean），為了便于開展空中測量（for aerial surveys；aerial adj. 空中的），科學家們按照字母和數字的順序分類排列南極洲的冰山(icebergs in Antarctica are designated by letters and numbers; 被動語態; designate vt. 標出；指定)， 因此上述的這塊大冰山(berg n.)被命名為C-19(be known as 被稱為)。Arrigo說：“根據衛星觀測數據（from satellite observations），我們估計（estimate vt.）在羅斯海中的C-19已經覆蓋了那里90%的浮游植物。”
7. Huge as it is, the C-19 iceberg is only the second-largest recorded in the Ross Sea region. An even larger one, dubbed B-15, broke off, or "calved" in 2001. Although it also blotted out a large area of floating phytoplankton on the sea surface, it only wiped out about 40 percent of the microscopic plants. Approximately 25 percent of the world's populations of emperor penguins and 30 percent of the Adelie penguins nest in colonies in this area. This amounts to hundreds of thousands of Adelie and emperor penguins all endangered by the huge iceberg, which has been stuck against the coast ever since it broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf last year. Whales, seals and the millions of shrimplike sea creatures called krill are also threatened by the loss of many square miles of phytoplankton.
7、盡管(as)C-19非常龐大（Huge as it is, 這是一個倒裝句，as在句首時，表語huge提前；重要考點之一），它只是羅斯海區域中有記錄以來(recorded)位列第二的冰山。更大的那座叫B—15(dubbed 被稱為；dub vt. 授予…稱號)，于2001年分裂（broke off），或者說被給予了新生（calved；calve vt. 下仔；生小牛）。盡管它占據了海洋表面浮游植物的一大塊面積（blot out 遮蓋），不過只是毀滅了40%的微生植物群(wipe out 消滅；摧毀)。 世界上大約（approximately）25%的帝企鵝和30%的阿德烈企鵝在這個海域群體筑巢(nest in colonies; nest vi. 筑巢；colony n. 群體)。這些數以十萬計的阿德烈企鵝和帝企鵝都會因這個龐大的冰山(by the huge iceberg)而面臨滅絕的危險(endangered 是過去分詞作定語，修飾前面的阿德烈企鵝和帝企鵝; amount to 相當于，總計為; hundreds of thousands of 幾十萬；endanger vt. 危及; 直譯為：因這個龐大的冰山而受到危險的阿德烈企鵝和帝企鵝數以十萬計）。 這個冰山（which引導非限制性定語從句）自從去年從“羅斯陸緣冰”上脫離以來（since it broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf last year）一直被卡在海岸線上（stick vt. 伸出；粘貼stick-stuck-stuck）。鯨魚、海豹，還有數百萬只類似小蝦的被稱作磷蝦的海洋生物都將因為許多平方英里海洋浮游植物的銳減而面臨威脅(threaten vt. 威脅)。
