translation - 05

Chapter 1: ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES Khoa học và công nghệ vật liệu trên thế giới ngày nay phát triển rất nhanh và mạnh, liên tiếp tung ra thị tr-ờng hàng loạt vật liệu mới với tính năng -u vi

HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION TRANSLATION 5 is a basic course book written for the second-year students of the Department

of English, College of Foreign Languages, Hue University It is intended to equip the students with an overview of translating Vietnamese and English scientific texts It also helps the students get familiar with the terms related to science and technology as well as the typical structures frequently used in scientific and technological texts

Since the course book has been written for the students to learn either by themselves or in class

with a teacher, there will be a course book and assignments The course book contains the Vietnamese and English socio-politic texts with notes and suggested translations The assignments contain the Vietnamese and English socio-politic texts that will be translated into either English or Vietnamese by the students

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

- obtain general knowledge of the Vietnamese and English scientific and technological documents

- get familiar with and effectively use scientific and technological terms and typical structures

of scientific and technological texts in their translations

- accurately translate scientific and technological texts into English and Vietnamese

On the completion of this course book, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr Ton Nu Nhu Huong for her encouragement I would also like to be grateful to Dr Tran Van Phuoc and other colleagues of the College of Foreign Languages for their kind help

Errors are unavoidable in this course book Therefore, I appreciate and welcome any criticism on the course book

Hue, November 14th, 2006

Nguyen Van Tuan

Chapter 1: ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES

Khoa học và công nghệ vật liệu trên thế giới ngày nay phát triển rất nhanh và mạnh, liên tiếp tung ra thị tr-ờng hàng loạt vật liệu mới với tính năng -u việt ch-a từng thấy, tác động ngay đến thay đổi diện mạo và tăng hiệu quả kinh tế cùng sức cạnh tranh, nhất là trên các lĩnh vực xây dựng kết cấu hạ tầng, công nghiệp… Vật liệu luôn là một trong những sản phẩm chủ chốt quyết định sức mạnh kinh tế, quốc phòng, an ninh của mỗi quốc gia

Công nghệ vật liệu mới ở n-ớc ta hiện nay là một trong những khu vực công nghẹ đ-ợc coi là mũi nhọn, có vai trò góp phần tạo ra b-ớc nâng cao rõ rệt và hiệu quả và sức cạnh tranh của nền kinh

tế cũng nh- tăng c-ơng sức mạnh an ninh, quốc phòng Ngành khoa học và công nghệ vật liệu n-ớc ta có thị tr-ờng rộng lớn để đ-a nhanh các sáng chế mới, sản phẩm mới của mình vào thực tiễn sản xuất và xuất khẩu

Với đội ngũ cán bộ khoa học, kỹ thuật ngày càng tr-ởng thành, ph-ơng tiện nghiên cứu, thử nghiệm đ-ợc Nhà n-ớc đầu t- trang bị từng b-ớc hiện đại, chúng ta đã nghiên cứu, chế tạo thành công nhiều loại vật liệu mới đ-ợc các ngành kinh tế, an ninh, quốc phòng đón nhận, góp phần tăng sức cạnh tranh của hàng hoá Việt Nam Một số vật liệu mới đ-ợc xuất khẩu

Tài nguyên n-ớc ta dồi dào, đa dạng, độc đáo, tạo ra thế mạnh cho công nghệ vật liệu mới, làm ra sản phẩm mới chất l-ợng cao, giá thành hạ, cung cấp cho ngành then chốt của kinh tế quốc dân nh- năng l-ơng, xây dựng kết cấu hạ tầng, các công nghiệp điện tử, cơ khí, vật liệu dân dụng và xuất khẩu hiệu quả kinh tế cao

Khắc phục nhanh tình trạng còn lạc hậu, phân tán, thiếu đồng bộ của hệ thống cơ sở nghiên cứu khoa học và cộng nghệ vật liệu Giới khoa học bám sát thực tiễn sản xuất để bắt nhạy nhu cầu thị tr-ờng và các nhà sản xuất gõ cửa cơ quan khoa học để đặt hàng Nhà n-ớc có cơ chế, chính sách thích hợp đổi mới thiết bị nghiên cứu, nâng cao đội ngũ khoa học vật liệu, cũng nh- chính sách cần

thiết để rút ngắn thời gian từ phát minh, sáng chế đến sản xuất trực tiếp Triển vọng khoa học và công nghệ vật liệu mới n-ớc ta rất sáng sủa

Notes:

- công nghệ vật liệu : material technology

- tung ra thị tr-ờng : bring into the market

- tính năng -u việt : perfect feature

- diện mạo : face

- hiệu quả kinh tế : economic effect/ efficiency

- kết cấu hạ tầng : infrastructure

- mũi nhọn : key factor

- có vai trò : play an important role

- sức cạnh tranh : competition

- độc đáo : unique

- công nghiệp điện tử : electronic industry

- bám sát thực tiễn : have a hold of reality

- Khắc phục : overcome

Suggested Translation :

NEW MATERIALS -A KEY TECHNOLOGY

Nowadays, material technology and science in the world have strongly and rapidly developed, bringing into the market a variety of new materials with perfect features that have immediate effects on changing the countenance and promoting the economic effectiveness as well as competition especially in the infrastructure building, industry and so on Materials are always one

of the major products, which decide the power of economy, national defense, security of each country

Now, new material technology in our country is one of the fields, which is considered essential and makes contributions to the remarkable enhancement of effectiveness and the competing ability of the economy to the reinforcement of security and national defense Material technology and science sector in our country has a large market to apply new inventions, new products into production and export

With a staff of science and technology which is more and more developing, researching and testing facilities which are more and more modernly equipped, we have studied and successfully made a variety of new materials used in economic sector, security, national defense, partly increasing the competing ability of Vietnamese goods Some of our new materials have been exported

Out resources are abundant, diversified our unique, which facilitates our material technology to manufacture new products with high quality, low price, providing for the essential sectors of the national economy such as power, infrastructure building, electronic industry, mechanics, high economical domestic and export materials

To overcome the state of backwardness, divergence, lack unification of the basic system of research and material technology and science, the circle of science have hold of production reality to catch of with the market demand and manufactures have knocked on the door of scientific organizations to order The State has had suitable mechanisms and policies, renewed

he research equipment and improved the quality of the staff as well as the necessary policy to shorten the time from invention to direst production The prospect of our new material technology and science of our country is very bright

- Reason : lý do

* for various reasons : v× nhiÒu lý do

- Herbicide : thuèc diÖt cá

- Fungicide : thuèc diÖt nÊm mèc

- Fertilizer : ph©n bãn

- To be harmful to : cã h¹i

- To be subjected to : chÞu ph¶i

- Post-harvest treatment : xö lý sau thu ho¹ch

- Fungus : nÊm mèc

- To spray : phun

- Mental disorder : rèi lo¹n thµn kinh

- Speech impediment : rèi lo¹n ng«n ng÷

Notes:

- Fertility rate: tỷ lệ sinh đẻ

- To decline: giảm xuống

- To estimate: ước tính

- It is estimated that… : Người ta ước tính rằng……

- To stabilize: làm ổn định

- It is important to stabilize our population growth rates

- To match: sánh bằng

- Worldly pleasures cannot match those joys

Những thú vui trần tục không thể sánh bằng những niềm vui này

- Belief : niềm tin

to have belief in something: tin tưởng cái gì

freedom of belief: tự do tính ngưỡng

The patient comes to the hospital in the belief that he will be cured of his chronic disease Bệnh

nhân đến bệnh viện với niềm tin là mình sẽ được chữa khỏi căn bệnh mãn tính

- poverty: sự nghèo khổ

- Hunger eradication and poverty alleviation: xóa đói giảm nghèo

- population explosion/boom: bùng nổ dân số

- To wipe out: xoá sạch

- To achieve: đạt được

- Economic development: Sự phát triển kinh tế

- Consequence: hậu quả

- Social welfare payment: trợ cấp phúc lợi xã hội

- To be regarded as : được xem là

- additional income : khoản thu nhập thêm

- adequate: đủ

3 The natural world is under violent assault The seas and the rivers are being poisoned by radioactive wastes, by chemical discharges and by the dumping of dangerous toxins and raw sewage The air we breathe is polluted by smoke and fumes from factories and motor vehicles It

is little wonder forests and lakes are being destroyed and everywhere wildlife is disappearing The irreversible loss of biodiversity has a serious impact on the ability of maintaining species including humans to survive because humans depend on species diversity and healthy ecosystems The destruction continues despite the warnings of the scientific community and the deep concern of millions of ordinary people Governments and industries throughout the world are intensifying their efforts to extract the earth's mineral riches and to plunder its living resources The great rain forests and the frozen continents alike are seriously threatened However, we can create environmentally-clean industries, harness the power of the sun, wind and waves for our energy needs and manage the finite resources of the earth

Suggested Translation :

1 Hoá chất xâm nhập thực phẩm của chúng ta bằng nhiều cách và vì nhiều lý do khác nhau Nông dân sử dụng thuốc diệt cỏ để diệt cỏ dại, thuốc trừ sâu để diệt sâu bọ, và thuốc fiệt nấm để diệt nấm mốc và phân bón để tăng sự phát triển Tất cả các loại hoá chất này rất độc hại với sức khoẻ và môi trường của chúng ta Sau khi thu hoạch, phần lớn nông sản phải được xử lý hoá chất sau thu hoạch, Chẳng hạn như lúa gạo ở Nhật Bản được người ta phun thuốc methyl bromide Loại thuốc này có thể gây ra rối loạn thần kinh và rối loạn ngôn ngữ Trái cây và rau tươi được phun thuốc sulfite Loại thuốc gây dị ứng cho nhiều người Chuối, xoài và các loại trái cây nhiệt đới khác được phun những loại hoá chất thậm chí độc hại hơn

2 Trong những năm gần đây, mặc dù tỷ lệ sinh đẻ ở các nước nghèo có giảm xuống, nhưng Liên Hiệp Quốc ước tính rằng đến năm 2100 tỷ lệ sinh tử sẽ bằng nhau và lúc đó dân số thế giới sẽ ổn định ở mức xấp xỉ 10,2 tỉ người, tăng 2,25 lần so với dân số thế giới hiện nay Lâu nay nhiều

người cho rằng phát triển dân số ở các nước nghèo là nguyên nhân chính gây ra nạn đói nghèo

Sự bùng nổ dân số đang huỷ hoại mọi thành quả kinh tế mà các nước này đã đạt được Do vậy, cần phải đẩy mạnh công tác sinh đẻ có kế hoạch để thoát khỏi cảnh đói nghèo Tuy nhiên, quan điểm này bị các nước nghèo và một số người ở các nước giàu phê phán gay gắt Họ cho rằng gia đình đông con và dân số tăng nhanh là hậu quả hơn là nguyên nhân của sự đói nghèo Nhiều người nghèo xem gia đình đông con là cần thiết cho sự sống còn của các nước nghèo Con cái là

cơ sở đảm bảo cho tuổi già cũng như lúc ốm đau hay bị thất nghiệp ở những nước không có trợ cấp phúc lợi xã hội Con cái cũng là nguồn nhân lực góp phần vào việc tăng thu nhập cho gia đình ngay lúc chúng còn nhỏ Hơn nữa, do tỷ lệ trẻ em tử vong cao nên gia đình đông con thật sự cần thiết để đảm bảo chắc chắn ít nhất có một đứa con trai sống sót cho đến tuổi trưởng thành Một quan điểm khác cho rằng cơ hội tìm được việc làm và đảm bảo bảo phúc lợi xã hội thực sự đáng được xem là giải pháp cơ bản hạn chế sinh đẻ hữu hiệu nhất

3 Thế giới tự nhiên đang bị tấn công dữ dội Biển và sông đang bị ô nhiễm nặng do chất thải hạt nhân, chất thải hóa học và rác thải độc hại chưa xử lý Không khí chúng ta thở cũng bị ô nhiễm

do khói và khí thải của nhà máy và xe cộ Cũng chẳng phải ngạc nhiên khi rừng và hồ cũng dang bị tàn phá và cuộc sống hoang dã khắp mọi nơi đang biến mất Việc biến mất mà không cứu vãn nổi của đa dạng sinh học đã tác động rất lớn đến khả năng duy trì sự sống còn của các loài bao gồm cả con người vì con người phụ thuộc vào đa loài và môi trường sinh thái lành mạnh Cho dù giới khoa học cảnh báo và hàng triệu người dân thường bày tỏ mối quan tâm sâu sắc nhưng sự tàn phá vẫn cứ tiếp diễn Các chính phủ và ngành công nghiệp trên khắp thế giới đang

nổ lực khai thác nguồn khoáng sản phong phú và nguồn sinh vật dồi dào Rừng rậm nhiệt đới cũng như các lục địa đóng băng đang bị đe doạ nghiêm trọng Tuy nhiên chúng ta cũng có thể xây dựng nền công nghiệp thân thiện với môi trường, khai thác năng lượng từ mặt trời, gió và sóng biển để phục vụ cho nhu cầu năng lượng của chúng ta và quản lý nguồn năng lượng hạn hữu trên trái đất này

Lesson 3:

Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction However, it is a myth to assume that the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor The majority of deforestation in Latin America, South-East Asia and the Pacific is caused by clearing land to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, and not by „shifting‟ cultivators or landless peasants Each year commercial logging eliminates 45000 square kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to the United States and Japan

No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to grazing land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt payments These heavy payments, which affect the poor the most, have arisen largely from external loans taken out to finance the purchase of luxury items and arms by military and governing elite The establishment

of large ranch-style cattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the elimination of 20000 square kilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America The cleared land is mainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North America, Europe and Japan- the aptly named „hamburger connection‟

Suggested Translation :

Sự gia tăng dân số là một nhân tố gây ra nạn phá rừng nhiệt đới Tuy nhiên, nếu cho rằng việc mở rộng một nền nông nghiệp tự cung

tự cấp để nuôi sống nhiều miệng ăn hơn là nguyên nhân chính, thì

đây là một giải thích vô căn cứ Đại bộ phận rừng ở Châu Mỹ La Tinh, ĐNá và Thái Bình D-ơng bị tàn phá là do việc khai hoang để trồng các loại nông sản xuất khẩu và do các hoạt động buôn bán gỗ , chứ không phải do nạn du canh, du c- và tá điền gây nên Hàng năm hoạt động buôn bán gỗ đã phá huỷ 4500 km2 rừng, phần lớn gỗ

đ-ợc xuất khẩu sang Mỹ và Nhật

Mối liên hệ giữa nạn phá rừng và nhu cầu thành lập xã hội phồn vinh đ-ợc thấy rõ nét nhất ở Trung Mỹ và Brazin nơi những cánh rừng nhiệt đới đã bị biến thành đồng cỏ chăn thả vì việc nuôi gia súc mang lại các khoản lợi nhuận xuất khẩu giúp trả nợ n-ớc ngoài Khoản nợ n-ớc ngoài khổng lồ đang đè nặng lên vai dân nghèo chủ yếu đ-ợc dùng để trang trải cho các khoản mua sắm xa xỉ của chính phủ và quân đội Việc xây dựng các điền trang chăn thả rộng lớn là nguyên nhân chính dẫn đến việc phá huỷ 2000 km2 rừng nhiệt đới hàng năm ở Trung và Nam Mỹ Đất khai hoang chủ yếu dùng cho việc nuôi bò xuất khẩu phục vụ cho ngành công nghiệp thức ăn nhanh ở Bắc Mỹ, Châu Âu và Nhật- vùng xứng vỡi tên gọi là “ vùng giao l-u hamburger ”

At its source, the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier in Switzerland, the Rhein River is crystal clear But, by the time it reaches the North Sea near Rotterdam after a 1,320-kilometer journey, it has become a poisonous cocktail of chemicals and sewage Germany, like other industrial nations, shows little respect for her rivers even though the health and prosperity of her people depend on the availability of clean water

The most obvious cause of river pollution is industry German rivers contain thousands of different chemicals discharged by factories and mines In 1990, a million fish in the Mosel and Saar Rivers died when cyanide was carelessly released from a factory Germany has laws to prevent this sort of thing, but, as in most other industrial nations, penalties are too light to act as a deterrent

Surprisingly, however, factories account for less than 10% of the pollutants found in North American rivers, thanks to the Clean Water Act passed in 1972 The major source - responsible for 65% of all river pollution - is agriculture Farmers use large amounts of toxic chemicals on their crops in order to kill weeds and insects, and the residues are washed into nearby rivers by rain As long as the use of these chemicals is permitted, there is no way to prevent runoff pollution

Sewage from nearby towns and villages is another major cause of river pollution Many large cities lack sewage treatment facilities and the funds with which to build them It is true that traditional waste water treatment plants are very expensive to build and operate, but cheap alternatives are now available Sanitation engineers in New York have developed a system that uses microbes and marsh plants to transform raw sewage into clean water The bacteria produce methane gas, which can be sold to power companies and burned to generate electricity

The Clean Water Act has led to a steady improvement in the U.S.A Fish can now be seen swimming in rivers that were once full of deadly chemicals, and ducks have returned to formerly polluted lakes The improvement is largely due to careful monitoring of waste water from factories and strict enforcement of the law Now, most companies are eager to present an environmentally- friendly image and are willing to pay for it But further improvement will require changes in current farming practices Hopefully, the growing popularity of organically grown produce will eventually lead to the necessary transformation

Notes:

- source : nguån (s«ng)

* The source of the Red River : nguån s«ng Hång

* Where does the Perfume River have its source?

S«ng H-¬ng b¾t nguån tõ ®©u?

- to be crystal clear : trong nh- pha lª

* a necklace of crystal : vßng cæ lµm b»ng pha lª

- sewage : chÊt th¶i

* sewage treatment : (sù) xö lý chÊt th¶i

- prosperity : sù thÞnh v-îng, sù giµu cã, cña c¶i

* to live in prosperity : sèng trong giµu sang

* a life of happiness and prosperity

- prosperous : thÞnh v-îng

* a prosperous year : mét n¨m thÞnh v-îng

* a prosperous business : mét doanh nghiÖp ¨n ra lµm nªn

- to discharge sth : th¶i c¸i g×

- cyanide : chất xi a nua

- penalty : xử phạt

* the penalty for (not) doing sth : việc xử phạt vì (không)

đã làm gì

* death penalty : hình phạt tử hình

- deterrent : biện pháp ngăn ngừa

- to account for : chiếm

- pollutant : chất gây ô nhiễm

- Clean Water Act : đạo luật n-ớc sạch

* to monitor a project : giám sát một dự án

- strict enforcement of law : nghiêm chỉnh chấp hành luật pháp

What do the Okavango Swamp in Botswana, the Pantanal Marsh in Brazil and the Mekong Delta

in Vietnam have in common? All are wetlands, and all are threatened by development Wetlands -bogs, marshes, swamps and estuaries - exist in every region of the earth and shelter a wide variety of animals, birds, fish, insects and plants Their unique ecosystems help to purify water and to prevent flooding, and fish come to them to spawn

Why are they threatened? Many are being drained in order to provide land for farming Their rich alluvial soil is very fertile, but without a constant supply of water, it soon becomes barren The World Bank and other international development agencies have encouraged the draining of wetlands in the Third World with grants and loans, but have failed to allow for the environmental cost of their well-meant projects In Thailand, old canals were filled in order to eliminate malaria; but this has resulted in disastrous floods In Iraq, the Tigris Delta has been drained to facilitate a military campaign against Shiite rebels The vast area thus reclaimed may help to feed Iraq's cities, but at great cost to the indigenous wildlife and to the traditional lifestyle of local villagers

Another threat to wetlands is the construction of dams for hydroelectric projects Although these provide necessary electricity without causing air pollution, they also interrupt the flow of water

on which the wetland ecology depends Swamps and marshes are also very vulnerable to acid rain, chemical runoff from farms and sewage from villages The Danube Delta, a 500,000hectare wilderness visited by over 300 species of bird, has been badly polluted by pesticides as a result of projects carried out from 1983 to 1990 to cultivate the area

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, which came into force in

1975, identifies 450 major wetland areas in need of protection With an annual budget of less than $600,000, it is hard to see how the Convention can save the world's wetlands from projects paid for by the World Bank, the European Union and other powerful agencies currently more concerned with feeding people today than with protecting their environment for the future

Notes:

- to be in danger : bị nguy hiểm

- the Mekong Delta : Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long

- to have sth in common: có điều gì chun, giống nhau

- wetland ; vùng đầm lầy

- estuary : cửa sông

- unique : độc đáo, độc nhất

- ecosystem: hệ sinh thái

- to purify: làm tinh khiết

* purify water : làm cho n-ớc tinh khiết

- to spawn : sinh sản, đẻ trứng

- alluvial soil : đất phù sa

- fertile : phì nhiêu

* fertile land : vùng đất phì nhiêu

- barren : bạc màu, hoang hoá

- grants and loans : khoản viện trợ và cho vay

- dam : đập

- hydroelectric project : dự án thuỷ điện

- to interrupt : can thiệp

- flow of water : dòng chảy

- to be paid for : đ-ợc chi trả, đ-ợc tài trợ

* The projects are paid for by the World Bank : những dự án

đó đ-ợc Ngân Hàng Thế Giới tài trợ

- to be corncerned with : quan tâm đến

The Mediterranean Sea is closed except for a small gap between Spain and Morocco Because of this, it is extremely vulnerable to pollution Rivers flowing into the sea from surrounding countries bring massive amounts of industrial, agricultural and human waste from factories, farms and cities Oil spilled by tankers and from port terminals adds to the pollution Still more pollutants fall from the sky as acid rain

From ancient times, the sea has been regarded as a convenient disposal site for the waste products

of human civilization But by the 1970s, the ecological ruin of the Mediterranean was beginning

to alarm not only environmental activists concerned with dying dolphins and seals, but also fishermen and local residents It also disturbed people involved in the tourist industry when com-plaints by visitors of raw sewage on beaches and foul-smelling water began to hit the headlines Finally, representatives of surrounding nations adopted a plan known as the Nicosia Charter designed to protect the sea from further damage The plan called for the construction of proper sewage treatment facilities for 25 major cities and 75 smaller communities, and the setting up of

25 centers for the disposal of dangerous wastes

The Mediterranean is not the only sea with problems Studies have shown that the Baltic is suffocating Large quantities of nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates from farms in

Scandinavia, Russia and Poland are washed into the sea, where they stimulate the growth of algae that consume the oxygen needed by fish The seven adjacent nations have agreed on the need to cut the flow of nutrients and pollutants, but not on how to finance the necessary measures

The North Sea is more open than the Baltic, and is constantly rinsed; but it too is suffering a major crisis In 1988, about 70% of the native seal population died of a mysterious illness thought

to be caused by toxic chemicals in the fish they ate The two biggest sources of pollution are sewage from Britain and toxic chemicals from German factories Britain has recently agreed to ban the discharge of sewage into coastal waters and the dumping of sludge at sea by 1998; but by privatizing its waste treatment industry, the British Government has reduced the likelihood that its commitments will be met Germany, whose rivers deliver millions of tons of zinc and thousands of tons of other metals into the North Sea, has also made promises that the costs of unification between West and East have rendered impossible to fulfill If the necessary steps are not taken within the next 20 years, the North Sea fishing industry will probably be wiped out, along with many species of mammal

Notes:

- the Mediterranean Sea : Địa Trung Hải

- except for : ngoại từ

* The essay is good except for some minor grammatical mistakes

- acid rain : m-a a-xít

- massive # great : lớn,vĩ đại

- oil spill : váng dầu

- to be spilled : bị loang, bị tràn, tạo thành váng

- to be regarded as : đ-ợc xem là

* The immense network of rivers and canals is regarded as the great boon second to none in this area : hệ thống kênh rạch mênh mông đ-ợc xem là cái duyên có một không hai của vùng này

- disposal site : bãi rác thải

- human civilization : văn minh nhân loại

- ruin : sự tàn lụi

- to be ruined : bị lụi tàn, bị sụp đổ

- to alarm : boá động

* Everybody was alarmed that war might break out

Mọi ng-ời đ-ợc báo động rằng chiến tranh có thể xảy ra

- environmental activist : nhà bảo vệ môi tr-ờng, nhà hoạt động môi tr-ờng

- dolphin : cá heo

- seal : hải cẩu

- local ressident/inhabitant : c- dân địa ph-ơng

- to be/get involved in : có dính líu tới, có liên quan tới

* The prominent scientists have been involved in the scientific research

Các nhà khoa học tầm cỡ/có tiếng/nổi tiếng đã tham gia vào công trình nghiên cứu khoa học này

- foul-smelling water : n-ớc có mùi thối

- representative : ng-ời đại diện

- to adopt: chấp nhận

* The Congress adopted new measures

Đại hội đã chấp nhận các biện pháp mới

- to be designed : đ-ợc thiết kế/viết ra

- Charter : Bản hiến ch-ơng

- to call for : kêu gọi

* The Government called for foreign investment

Chính phủ đã kêu gọi đầu t- n-ớc ngoài

- the growth of algae: sự phát triển của tảo biển

- to consume # to use : sử dụng

- to rinse : xả/tẩy

* to rinse soap out of clothes : xả xà phòng khỏi quần áo

- mysterious illness : căn bệnh không rõ nguyên nhân

- to ban # to prohibit : cấm

* to ban firecrackers : cấm đốt pháo

- commitment : sự cam kết, sự ràng buộc

* Marriage should be a five-year renewable contract not a life-long commitment

Hôn nhân nên là một bản hợp đồng 5 năm có gia hạn hơn là một sự ràng buộc trọn đời

- to take necessary steps/measure : thực thi các biện pháp cần thiết

- to be wiped out : bị xoá sạch

The tropical rainforests are being destroyed primarily by greedy businessmen for a quick profit What they don't realize is that they could make a lot more money in the long run by preserving the forests A study by the New York Institute of Economic Botany found that one hectare of South American rainforest could produce $400-worth of fruit every year If rubber, drugs, rattan, nuts and other products of the forest are also sold, the value of a hectare of rainforest over a 10-year period could exceed $10,000 If, on the other hand, all the trees were cut down for sale and cattle raised on the exposed land, a mere $4,000 could

be earned before the soil became totally barren So over the long term, conservatio n and sustainable use of the forest turns out to be far more profitable

If the destruction of rainforests continues at the present rate, they will disap pear completely

by the year 2040 This will have serious consequences - economic, political and environmental - for the nations concerned Yet most Third World governments maintain short-sighted policies encouraging the export of timber Such policies will only be changed

if the politicians can be convinced of the long-term benefits of conservation Several European countries now prohibit the import of all tropical hardwood from countries lacking strict conservation and forest-management regulations If the government of Japan, which buys over half of the tropical hardwood sold on the world market, were to adopt similar import restrictions, the situation might improve greatly Rich countries could also help by offering financial assistance to countries such as Belize and Costa Rica which protect their rainforests and denying it to nations lacking effective conservation policies

Several large conservation groups have bought entire forests, and are now helping the indigenous people to earn a living through sustainable use of the forest Major drug manufacturers ought to do likewise, in view of the enormous profits they could make by discovering and marketing cures for serious diseases Merck, an American drug company, paid a million dollars to Costa Rica's National Biodiversity Institute in exchange for the supply of botanical samples This sum represents less than 0.1% of Merck's 1993 research

budget The company could easily afford to make a much larger investment in order to preserve the forests in which its future - and ours - lies

* to exceed the speed limit : v-ợt quá tốc độ giới hạn

- nut : hạt chứa dầu

* cashewnut: hạt điều

- to cut down for sale : đốn để bán

- cattle raising : chăn nuôi gia súc

- exposed land : vùng đất trống

- sustainable use : sử dụng bền vững/lâu dài

- to turn out to be : rốt cuộc là

- short-sighted policy : chính sách thiển cận

- to be convinced : bị thuyết phục

- long-term benefit : lợi ích lâu dài

- short-term benefit : lợi ích tr-ớc mắt

- to prohibit: cấm

* to prohibit the production of : cấm sản xuất

- forest-management regulation : điều lệ quản lý rừng

- restriction : sự hạn định

- financial assistance : giúp đỡ về mặt tài chính

- to lack : thiếu

* to lack capital : thiếu vốn

- to earn a living : kiếm sống

- in view of : nhằm để

- in exchange for : nhằm trao đổi cái gì

With daytime temperatures reaching 50°C and less than 10 centimeters of rain per year, the Negev Desert in Israel has a hostile climate Yet recently, it has become a major food-producing region, thanks to the introduction of new farming techniques Vegetables and fruit are grown using trickle irrigation, a system in which each plant receives a small but sufficient amount of water and fertilizers through perforated plastic pipes Most of the water is pumped up from underground Since this is too salty for normal plants, agricultural scientists had to develop special varieties of salt-resistant plants Now the region produces fruit, vegetables, cereals, peanuts and cotton, and is home to half a million people

Nearby Egypt is confronted with a double curse: rapid population growth and encroaching deserts The only way for the country to feed its people is by reversing the process of desertification Researchers are now experimenting with a resin which can absorb an amount of water equal to several hundred times its own weight When mixed with soil, it helps the earth to retain moisture The resin, which was originally developed in Japan for use in paper diapers, could enable Egyptian farmers to grow crops on arid land and eventually restore the forests which once covered North Africa

In Iran, large sand dunes are sprayed with oil When this dries, it keeps the sand in one place and retains moisture Grass seed is then planted, followed soon by saplings Farmers are later able to grow vegetables on the land reclaimed from the desert The new forests are protected from goats and sheep by guards riding motorcycles This is very important, because overgrazing is one of the main causes of desertification Camels, incidentally, present no problems; their flat feet do not disturb the soil and their sharp teeth cut the grass instead of tearing it out as goats and sheep do

Agriculture and reforestation need water This can be drawn from underground, using powered pumps, but eventually the source must dry up Seawater could be used, but removing the salt requires a very expensive and time-consuming process The only alternative is to bring fresh water from areas in which it is plentiful In Libya, Kirgistan and India, great waterways have been built to bring water from mountain streams to arid regions targeted for cultivation

solar-With enough money and effort, the battle against the desert can be won But unless population growth is controlled, our victory over the desert will turn out to be only a mirage

Notes:

- temprature : nhiệt độ

- reach : đạt đ-ợc, lên đến

* the growth rates reach 12%

* the mountains reach the sea

( núi v-ơn ra biển.)

- hostile climate : khí hậu khắc nghiệt

- food-producing region : vùng sản xuất l-ơng thực

- the introduction of : việc áp dụng, việc đ-a (cái gì)vào

- farming technique : kỹ thuật canh tác

- irrigation system : hệ thống t-ới, hệ thống thuỷ lợi

- sufficient : đủ

* sufficient amount : một l-ợng đầy đủ

- perforated plastic pipe : ống nhựa có lổ xung quanh

- to be pumped up from the ground : bơm từ mạch n-ớc ngầm lên

- salt-resistant plant : cây chống đ-ợc mặn, cây thích nghi với

đất măn

- cereal : ngũ cốc

- to be confronted with : đ-ơng đầu với

- to reverse: làm đảo ng-ợc, chống lại

- process of desertification : quá trình sa mạc hoá

- to absorb : thẩm thấu, hút n-ớc

- moisture : độ ẩm

- arid land : đất khô cằn

- solar-powered pump : bơm chạy bằng năng l-ơng mặt trời

- time-consuming : mất thời gian

* time consuming work : công việc chiếm nhiều thời gian

- alternative : một giải pháp thay thế

- waterway : đ-ờng dẫn n-ớc

- to be targeted for : nhằm để, đ-ợc nhắm đến để làm gì

Lesson 9: ANIMALS FACING EXTINCTION

Over a thousand species of animals are threatened with extinction, and humans are directly or indirectly to blame

Most of the big cats - lions, tigers, panthers, leopards and cheetahs - have 5 been hunted for thousands of years, sometimes to protect livestock, but more often for sport or for their skins The Asiatic Lion once inhabited a vast area from Israel to India; now only a few hundred remain, under strict protection, in the Gir Forest of India The Barbary Leopard, once found throughout North Africa, is even rarer: no more than 50 exist The Bengal Tiger has been much luckier; thanks to strict measures taken in 1972 by the Indian Government, it is now thriving

Hunters - or rather poachers, since their victims are under legal protection -also threaten elephants, killed for their ivory tusks, and rhinoceroses, whose horns are used to make traditional Chinese medicine and handles for Yemeni daggers The situation regarding rhinos is particularly desperate: fewer than 8,000 remain in Africa, just over 1,000 in North India and even fewer in Indonesia

Many of the primates are also suffering from human aggression, but the main cause of their decline

in numbers is environmental Deforestation has severely reduced the natural habitat of the Utan in Sumatra, the Golden Lion Tamarin in Brazil, the Lion-tailed Macaque in India and the Red Lemur in Madagascar, to name just a few of the worst cases

Orang-The panda's greatest enemy is its own natural vulnerability Not only is it dependent on a single source of food - a special kind of bamboo which sud- denly flowers and then dies once every 60 years - but it also has great difficulty breeding, especially in captivity Even if it could be completely protected from poachers, who face the death penalty if caught, and from encroachment

by loggers and farmers, it may become extinct, as fewer than a thousand now remain

Marine animals face three main dangers, all resulting from human activity Some types of whale have been hunted almost to extinction for their meat, oil and bone The blue whale, the largest mammal in the world, has become one of the rarest, owing to the use of radar by modern whaling ships Dolphins often swim with tuna and tend to get caught in the large nets used by many tuna fishermen The largest of these nets, known as drift nets, catch all sea creatures indiscriminately, resulting in serious depletion of fish stocks as well as the loss of dolphins and other marine animals For the inhabitants of shallow coastal waters, pollution is a major hazard The disappearance of the Monk Seal from the Caribean Sea may be attributed both to pollution and drift-net fishing

* He blamed the teacher for his failure

( Hắn đổ lỗi là thầy giáo đã làm hắn thất bại.)

- livestock : gia cầm

- to inhabit : sống

- strict protection : bảo vệ nghiêm ngặt

- ivory tusk : ngà voi

- rhinoceros: tê giác

- to suffer from : chịu phải

- aggression : sự xâm l-ợc

- decline : giảm

* decline in number : giảm về số l-ợng

- natural habitat : vùng c- trú tự nhiên

- panda : gấu trúc

- in captivity : (nuôi) trong chuồng

- logger : ng-ời khai thác gỗ

- marine animal : động vật biển

- to be attributed to : do, nhờ

Lesson 10: SAVING THE REMAINING FEW

After a long and desperate struggle to save endangered species from extinction, conservationists are finally winning victories over individual greed and official lethargy The establishment of the World Wildlife Fund in 1961 began a new era of aggressive campaigning which culminated in the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species The CITES bans or restricts trade in over 2,000 different species of animal, bird and plant Unfortunately, it depends for enforcement on its 103 member nations, and many of them are very lax Britain, for example, had only four customs officers in charge of CITES enforcement as of 1990 Some member nations failed to ratify the agreement, while others retained special exemptions Japan, for example, which ratified the Convention in 1980 and was at one time responsible for one half of the world's trade in endangered species, insisted on importing products made from 11 of the most

endangered species in order to protect the livelihoods of a few thousand artisans and the profits of large corporations

The WWF was so concerned about loopholes and lax enforcement of the CITES that it set up a special monitoring organization named TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) which frequently uncovers illegal trade ignored or even encouraged by the authorities of member nations

The most visible success of the wildlife conservation movement has been the complete ban on the ivory trade, imposed in January 1990 at a time when fewer than 600,000 African elephants remained There is, however, a much earlier precedent In 1907, the American Bison Society reported that only a few hundred bison remained and demanded action; Congress responded with legislation establishing reserves in Oklahoma and Montana, and the native buffalo survived Recently, farmers have started raising bison instead of cows (buffalo meat is lower in calories and cholesterol than beef) and the population has increased to over 60,000

Crocodiles, alligators and caiman are also benefiting from the commercial farming approach In theory, so could all endangered species which can be raised in captivity and which have commercial value This could free up precious conservation funds for use elsewhere Ironically, the elephant population increased in countries which paid for conservation efforts through the official sale of ivory, and will probably decrease now that such funds are no longer available

Another factor which may help endangered species if carefully managed is the rapid growth

of ecotourism East Africans replaced guns with cameras in their safari parks l ong ago when they realized the tourist potential of their vast wildlife reserves More recently, West Africans have discovered that their gorillas are worth more alive than dead and have started protecting these vulnerable assets from poachers The challenge is to expand tourism without damaging the animals' habitats

Notes:

- desperate : không khoan nh-ợng

* desperate struggle : đấu tranh không khoan nh-ợng

- endangered species : loài có nguy cơ diệt chủng

- The World Wildlife Fund : Quỹ Động Vật Hoang Dã Thế Giới

- era : kỷ nguyên

- culminate : đạt đến đỉnh điểm

- customs officer : hải quan

- to be in charge of : chịu trách nhiệm về

- ratify : phê chuẩn, ký (hiệp định)

* to ratify the agreement : phê chuẩn hiệp định

- gorilla : ®-êi -¬i

- vulnerable : dÔ bÞ lµm h¹i

* Young birds are vulnerable to predators

Chim non rÊt dÔ bÞ thó ¨n thÞt lµm h¹i

Chemicals enter our food in various ways and for various reasons Farmers use herbicides to kill weeds, pesticides to kill insects, fungicides to kill mold and fertilizers to promote growth All of them are harmful to health and also to the environment, as Rachel Carson observed over 30 years

ago in her provocative book, Silent Spring Air pollution and acid rain also contribute to the

chemical cocktail in which our food is grown

After harvesting, most crops are subjected to further "post-harvest" chemical treatment in order to protect them from fungus and keep them looking fresh Japanese rice, for example, is sprayed once a year with methyl bromide, which can cause mental disorders and speech impediments Fresh fruits and vegetables are sprayed with sulfites, to which many people are allergic Bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit are sprayed with even more dangerous chemicals

Meat eaters are exposed to even greater risks For one thing, they are ten times more likely to die from a heart attack than vegetarians For another, meat accounts for more than half of all pesticides consumed by Americans Moreover, meat contains antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline, used to prevent disease in farm animals, and also hormones used to promote growth Excessive consumption of the former leads to a breakdown of the human immune system, while the latter leads to hormone imbalance and diseases such as thyrotoxicosis

Finally, there are the additives used by food manufacturers - thousands of them, including preservatives, colors, flavors, aromas and emulsifiers The use of preservatives is often justified

by the need to prevent food poisoning Nitrates used in ham, for example, prevent contamination

by salmonella germs In most cases, however, additives are used simply to make food look, taste

or smell better and thus increase profits If consumers could be certain that all additives used were completely safe, there would be no problem In fact, however, most of the additives used in Britain have never been tested for safety, and of those that have been tested, many have been shown to cause health problems ranging from allergies to cancer Excessive consumption of food additives has also been linked to low academic achievement and mental instability

Notes:

- reason : lý do

* for various reasons : vì nhiều lý do

- herbicide : thuốc diệt cỏ

- fungicide : thuốc diệt nấm mốc

Ông ta đã đóng góp nhiều cho sự phát triển của công ty

- to be subjected to : chịu phải

- post-harvest treatment : xử lý sau thu hoạch

- fungus : nấm mốc

- to spray : phun

- mental disorder : rối loạn thàn kinh

- speech impediment : rối loạn ngôn ngữ

- to be allergic : bị dị ứng

- antibiotics : kháng sinh

- immune system : hệ miễn dịch

- imbalance : sự mất cân đối

- additive : chất phụ gia

- preservative : chất bảo quản

- flavour : mùi

- aroma : h-ơng

- contamination : sự nhiễm khuẩn

- to be tested for safety : kiểm tra an toàn

- excessive : quá nhiều

* excessive consumption : dùng quá nhiều

- mental instability : bất ổn tinh thần

Lesson 12: FARMING WITHOUT CHEMICALS

In an average year, 11,000 tons of herbicides and 2,000 tons of insecticides are sprayed on British farms A large proportion of this is washed into the soil or nearby rivers, but much is absorbed by the crops themselves, and thus eventually consumed by humans That these chemicals are harmful

to human health is no longer in doubt Until recently, however, it was assumed that farmers could not survive without using them Not any more

Organic farming, which shuns the use of agricultural chemicals, is not a new phenomenon; on the contrary, all farming was organic until the introduction of DDT early this century It is now, however, enjoying new popularity as more and more health-conscious consumers demand organically grown food and as the long-term costs of dependence on agricultural chemicals become clearer Traditionally, farmers rotated their crops each year Modern farmers, on the contrary, cultivate a single crop on the same soil for many years This leads to declining fertility of the soil, compensated for by the use of more and more chemical fertilizers It also results in the proliferation

of insects, which have to be killed by powerful chemicals that also wipe out natural predators such

as ladybugs and frogs

Ordinary farmers are starting to rebel against lower crop yields and higher bills for agricultural chemicals and are turning to organic farming instead Many now rotate crops, allowing the soil to recover its fertility and starving insects which feed only on a certain grain and cannot survive when their only source of food is replaced by a different crop Others interplant several crops together, each protecting the other from pest attacks and soil depletion Farmers prevent the growth of weeds

by planting on narrow ridges, a practice known as ridge tillage Organic farming has also benefited from the development of biological pest control, the use of one type of insect to get rid of another This was first used with success in the 1880s, when Australian beetles saved the Californian citrus industry Now that many insects have developed resistance to all known types of pesticide, biological pest control may turn out to be the only effective approach

Organic farming tends to be somewhat labor-intensive Instead of spraying crops from helicopters and planting and harvesting with huge machines, the farmer has to get his hands dirty This may be one reason why the only organic farmers until now were idealists But recently a new breed of organic farmer has appeared on the scene, one whose hands never become dirty because his or her only tool is a computer The new farm is a fully automated factory in which temperature, humidity, light, carbon dioxide density and the supply of nutrients are controlled by a computer Vegetables are grown all year round and supplied fresh on demand; and no chemicals are needed

So far, only lettuce and spinach are grown this way, but the new factory farms will soon be producing tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries and other high-value products

Notes:

- average : trung b×nh, b×nh qu©n

* average temperature : nhiệt độ trung bình

* average height : chiều cao trung bình

* The age of boys in this clas is 15

Tuổi trung bình của các cậu bé trong lớp là 15

* on average : tính bình quân

- herbicide : thuốc diệt cỏ

- insecticide : thuốc trù sâu

- to compensate : bồi th-ờng

* Nothing can compensate for the loss of our health

* compensation : sự bồi th-ờng

* He received $ 5000 in compesation/by way of compensation/as copensation for the loss

- proliferation : sự sản sinh

- to rebel against : chống lại

- yield : năng suất

- high bill for : chi phí cao cho

- to be replaced by : đ-ợc thay thế bởi

- fertility : độ phì nhiêu

- to interplant : xen canh

- to interplant several crops

- pest attack : sự phá hoại của côn trùng

- to benefit from : h-ởng lợi từ

- to get rid of : xoá bỏ

- to develop resistance to : kháng lại

Lesson 13: GOODBYE TO GARBAGE

Every year, the average British family throws away more than half a ton of rubbish What happens

to it? Nearly all of it ends up on a rubbish dump, where it is left to decay This is unpleasant to see and smell It can also be dangerous, since decaying organic waste gives off methane gas which can explode suddenly Other types of garbage discharge toxic liquids which seep into underground water resources Moreover, space for new landfills is becoming increasingly hard to find

Garbage can also be burned Twenty-five percent of all British rubbish is paper This, like the methane gas emitted by rotting waste, can be used as fuel to burn some of the other components of garbage But incineration results in the emission of dangerous pollutants such as dioxin and chlorine from paper, mercury from old batteries and lead from paint, and the resulting ash is usually highly toxic Furthermore, glass and metals can only be melted, not burned

Recycling thus makes a lot of sense Not only does it reduce the volume of garbage, it also saves scarce resources Waste paper can be processed into pulp and made into new paper In Japan, over 59% of all waste paper is dealt with in this way, saving thousands of trees Glass bottles can be melted down to make Other glass products Most European cities have "bottle banks" where empty bottles can be left for collection and recycling Metal waste is very profitable It can be sorted, using magnets, into low-value ferrous metals and high-value nonferrous metals such as silver, aluminum and chrome, for sale to scrap metal dealers and eventual recycling When organic waste, such as leftover food, is kept in bins and allowed to rot, it can be used as compost on gardens and fields Home compost kits which emit no unpleasant smells and do not attract flies are now available; and large-scale municipal composting plants are now being built to produce cheap organic fertilizer

Plastic waste is the most awkward type to recycle, since there are so many different varieties, each melting at a different temperature and each giving off toxic gas A German company named VEBA Oel AG has recently developed a technique for processing plastics into the oil from which they were originally made

Recycling is seldom profitable One reason is the cost of sorting the garbage 5 into different types This cost could be eliminated, however, by requiring householders to sort their own waste Different types of garbage would be collected on different days and delivered to the appropriate processing center A second problem is that recycled paper, plastic and glass cost more than newly manufactured materials If the fees for dumping waste were raised, however, and used to subsidize the sale of recycled materials, then these materials could be sold at competitive prices

Volkswagen, the German auto manufacturer, has recently set a new recycling standard Starting with the 1992 Golf, all of its new cars will be recyclable The company guarantees to take back without charge every car it produces whenever the current owner decides to get rid of it If automobiles can be completely recycled, why not other products?

Notes:

- garbage : rác

- rubbish : rác

* rubbish dump : đống rác

- to decay : thối rửa

* decaying organic waste : rác thải hữu cơ đang thối rửa

- methane gas: khí mê tan

- to explode : nổ tung

* When the boiler exploded many people were injured

Khi nồi hơi nổ nhiều ng-ời đã bị th-ơng

* to explode a bomb : làm cho bom nổ

* At last his anger exploded

Cuối cùng cơn giận dữ của anh ta đã bùng nổ

* The volcano emits smoke, lava and ashes

Núi lửa phun ra khói, nham thạch và tro bụi

* The ice melted when the sun shone on it

Băng tan ra khi mặt trời chiếu lên nó

- to recycle : tái sinh, tái chế

* recycled plastic : nhựa tái sinh

- volume : khối l-ợng

- to process : xử lý

- to be dealt with : đ-ợc giải quyết

- collection : sự thu gom

- composting plant : nhà máy phân hữu cơ

- awkward : bất tiện, khó sử dụng,gây khó khăn

* awkward shape/door

* You put me in an awkward position : bạn đặt tôi vào một tình trạng khó xử

- to process sth into sth : chế biến cái gì thành cái gì

- to sort sth into sth : phân loại cái gì thành cái gì

- to deliver : giao, phân phối

- to subsidize : bao cấp, trợ cấp

* subsidized industries : các ngành công nghiệp đ-ợc bao cấp

April 22nd being Earth Day, my wife and I decided to clean up the valley behind our village With the help of a couple of neighbors, we pulled out all of the litter from the bushes and piled it up beside the road There were dozens of used tires, proving my theory that most of the litter was left

by drivers Other items of note included several bicycles, a toaster and eight fashionable shoes, none matching The most numerous category, however, was empty drink cans, of which there were enough to build a jumbo jet

I personally feel that litterbugs should be thrown into prison and made to chew old car tires and empty cans for the rest of their lives Unfortunately, however, they are very hard to catch, as most

of them sneak out under cover of darkness to do their evil deeds A more practical solution would

be to put the burden of collection on dealers If, for example, tire retailers were obliged by law to collect one used tire for every new one they sold, very few would be dumped The used tires could either be recycled or used as fuel to generate electricity In Britain, there is a power station which is fueled solely by used tires Alternatively, the government could introduce a penalty tax on dispos-

able items such as tires and drink containers, which would be refunded to whoever returned the items for recycling

Most of the discarded cans littering the countryside were bought from vending machines The most effective solution, therefore, is to ban such machines This would also help reduce demand for energy, since the average vending machine consumes 600 watts of electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days every year, and it would cut consumption of antisocial products such as cigarettes, beer and bubble gum

Recycling enthusiasts often propose that drinks be sold in glass bottles instead of cans, since bottles can be washed and used again Having injured myself several times on broken bottles when hiking,

I am inclined to disagree Glass, unlike plastic or metal, does not decay If you leave a glass bottle,

a plastic bottle, an aluminum can and a paper container outside in the sunshine and rain, the paper container will decompose within three months, the aluminum can and plastic bottle will last 500 years, but the glass bottle will remain forever

Recycling is an excellent idea, but it is not a solution to the problem of litter The answer, in fact, is

to use biodegradable materials for all disposable products One such material, made from cornstarch, is as tough as plastic but decomposes and disappears within a year of exposure to the elements, with no jagged edges to harm the unwary hiker and no toxins to pollute the river Moreover, it is nutritious, and could be used to feed imprisoned litterbugs, thus saving taxpayers

* He proves hímelf to be an expert on English

Ông ta chứng tỏ mình rất lão luyện tiếng Anh

- fashionable : hợp thời trang

* fashionable clothes : áo quần hợp thời trang

- litterbug : ng-ời xả rác

- to be thrown into prison : bỏ tù

- to sneak out to do sth : lén lút làm cái gì, trốn chui trốn lũi làm cái gì

- retailer : ng-ời bán lẻ

- to be obliged to do sth: bị bắt buộc làm cái gì

- practical solution : giải pháp thực tế

- vending machine : máy bán hàng tự động

- to be inclined to do sth : cã chiÒu h-íng lµm c¸i g×

Situated on a basin surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Mexico City might be one of the world's most beautiful capitals Instead, it is the most polluted Toxic smoke from 35,000 factories and exhaust gas from three million motor vehicles frequently get trapped over the city

by a natural phenomenon known as thermal inversion, forcing 16 million residents to breathe a cocktail of toxic gases In 1986 it was so bad that dead birds dropped out of the sky

Mexico City may be the worst, but cities throughout the world suffer similar problems In 1953, a deadly smog killed more than 4,000 Londoners and led to the world's first legislation aimed at reducing air pollution The situation improved greatly with the construction of higher factory chimneys and a ban on domestic coal fires

Urban air pollution consists of five main ingredients: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone and suspended particulate matter These are accompanied by various other toxic gases, depending on what local factories are producing Approximately 1.3 million tons of toxic chemicals are released into American skies every year Only seven of the 320 chemicals are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency In some areas, air pollution is so severe that one in 10 residents is likely to suffer from cancer sooner or later Elsewhere, over a 100 million Americans breathe air which is certain to harm them over the long term

Sulfur dioxide is emitted mainly by coal-fired power stations, oil refineries, factories and foundries In the 1960s it was a serious problem in Japanese cit5 ies Since the introduction of strict controls in 1972, however, sulfur dioxide has become less of a problem On the other hand, there has been a drastic increase in the emission of nitrogen oxides These are also given off when coal, oil and gas are burned, but the main source is motor vehicles The relentless increase

in the number of cars and trucks on the roads has cancelled out any benefits from the decrease in sulfur emissions

Auto exhaust gas also contains carbon monoxide - another poison - and reacts with sunlight to form ozone, another harmful gas The fifth member of the evil toxic quintet is suspended particulate matter, small particles of a tarlike substance containing over 400 different harmful ingredients The biggest 5 cause of SPM is exhaust gas from diesel engines, and trucks in particular

These five gases, alone or together, cause lung cancer, asthma, chronic bronchitis, eye diseases and many other ailments familiar to city dwellers

Notes:

- smog = smoke + fog : mồ hóng

- mask : mặt nạ

* gas mask : mặt nạ phòng hơi độc

- to be situated # to be located : nằm, toạ lạc, chiếm cứ

- snow-capped mountain : núi có tuyết phủ

- exhaust gas : khí thải từ ô tô- phenomenon : hiện tợng

- similar : tơng tự

* to be similar to : tơng tự với

- thermal : thuộc về nhiệt

* thermal spring : suối néơc nóng

- to lead to : dẫn đến, gây ra

* The road leads to my school

Con đờng dẫn đến trờng tôi

- legislation : luật, đạo luật

- to be aimed at : nhằm để làm gì

* My project is aimed at helping poor people

Dự án của tôi nhằm giúp dân nghèo

- chimney : ống khói

- domestic : thuộc về trong nhà

* domestic animals : vật nuôi

* Horses, cows and sheep are domestic animals

Ngựa, bò, và cừu là những vật nuôi

- to consist of # to be made up of : gồm có, bao gồm

* The committee consists of 10 members

Uỷ ban gồm 10 ngời

- suspended : treo lơ lững

* to be suspended in air : lơ lững trong không khí

- to be accompanied by : cùng với

- to be released : thải ra

* Toxic chemicals are released into the sky

Hoá chất độc hại bị thải ra trong khí quyển

* to release a man from prison : thả một ngời ra khỏi tù

- severe : nghiêm trọng, dữ dội, nghiêm nghị

* a severe pain : cơn đau dữ dội

* a severe look : cái nhìn nghiêm nghị

- a drastic increase : một sự gia tăng đáng kể

- a relentless increase : một sự gia tăng nhảy vọt

- chronic bronchitis : bệnh viêm phổi mãn tính

When a cloud of toxic gas escaped from a U.S factory in Bhopal, India, in 1984, killing thousands of people, Americans said it couldn't happen at home They are wrong The same gas, methyl isocyanate, is emitted every day from chemical plants in the U.S.A., along with more than

300 other kinds of chemical, many of which are known to cause cancer A study by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989 revealed that 205 factories were emitting dangerous quantities of harmful chemicals into the air, threatening the health of nearby residents

Factories are by no means the only source of air pollution Power stations, oil refineries and metal foundries also emit large quantities of pollutants Citizens have no right to complain about air pollution, however, if they drive an automobile: cars and trucks are the biggest source of toxic carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and suspended particulate matter

In 1990, U.S legislators made a brave attempt to reduce harmful emissions by introducing strict new controls In order to comply with the new Clean Air Act, power stations, factories, smelters, oil refineries and large bakeries had to install expensive new antipollution equipment and automobile manufacturers had to design cleaner engines or fit efficient catalytic converters to tailpipes The new law was expected to cost Americans about $25 billion a year, but was nevertheless widely supported by both manufacturers and consumers

Air pollution authorities in California have had to go far beyond the limits of federal law in order

to tackle the haze in Los Angeles, North America's most polluted city Regulations on auto emissions - already the world's strictest - will become even stricter in the year 2003, when 10% of all new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles Emission limits have been imposed not only on the major sources of pollution but also on bakeries, lawn mowers, chain saws, gas water heaters and even floor polish

Clean air has begun to take priority over corporate profits in the West, thanks to the growing power of the environmental lobby Elsewhere, however, economic development still takes precedence over the environment In Benxi, China, the smog is so thick that for six months a year, maximum visibility is only 50 meters Factories in Cracow, Poland, pump an estimated 10,000 tons of toxic gases into the air every day India's most famous monument, the Taj Mahal,

is cracked and yellow after years of exposure to pollutants from nearby iron foundries in and around Agra These cities, and thousands like them, can afford neither to clean up their factories and foundries nor to close them down Unless they receive technological and financial help from rich industrialized nations, their residents may never breathe pure air

Notes:

- Environmental Protection Agency : Cơ Quan Bảo Vệ Môi tr-ờng

- to threaten : đe doạ

* to threaten to do sth : đe doạ làm cái gì

- to make an attempt : cố gắng

- strict : nghiêm túc, nghiêm ngặt

- to go far beyond the limit : v-ợt quá giới hạn

- to be imposed on : gây tác động cho, gây ảnh h-ởng cho

- monument : di tích

Lesson 17: DEADLY SECRETS

The production of plastics, drugs and farm chemicals results in a number of dangerous by-products: poisonous gases which cause air pollution, acid rain and global warming, deadly liquids which pollute nearby rivers and underground water resources, and toxic solid waste which has to be burned or dumped at great risk to the environment Mines and oil refineries also produce hazardous waste, but the chemical industry is the worst culprit

Some years ago, a huge quantity of toxic waste was found in Love Canal, a residential area near Niagara Falls This discovery was followed by an investi- gation which revealed over 35,000 toxic waste dumps all over the U.S.A Many people were found to be suffering from serious illnesses related to the poisonous chemicals in their neighborhoods and even beneath their homes, but no-body was prepared to accept responsibility until public opinion and a series of lawsuits forced the federal government to take action A "Superfund" was set up to pay for the cleaning up of toxic waste sites The huge costs were to be born by the companies which produced and dumped the waste, and by taxes on newly produced waste

Toxic waste dumps contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, dioxin and many other dangerous substances PCBs 20 cause cancer and reproductive disorders The Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation illegally dumped them in 89 different locations near

their gas pipelines, contaminating local drinking water The penalty? A $15-million fine, in a year when the company earned $1,300 million in profits "Itai Itai" Disease was caused by cadmium dumped in the Jinzu River in Japan When people ate rice grown in nearby paddy fields, their bones became brittle and they suffered extreme pain More than a hundred people died

Problems like these occur because of inadequate control by the authorities Factory managers offer waste disposal contracts to the lowest bidder, with no concern as to where the waste is dumped Truck drivers merely follow orders, collecting their deadly cargoes and dumping them as instructed, often late at night Waste disposal companies make huge profits without having to pro-vide any details to the authorities

The situation will not improve until governments introduce strict controls on the disposal of hazardous waste Both producers and disposers must be required to inform local authorities and residents about every kilogram of toxic waste: where it was produced, who transported it and where

it ended up Operators who do not disclose such information, make false reports or dump waste illegally must be severely punished

Notes:

- deadly secret : bí mật chết ng-ời

- by-product : phó phẩm

- oil-refinery : nhà máy lọc dầu

- hazardous : nguy hiểm

- culprit : tội phạm

- residential area : vùng dân c-

- investigation : cuộc điều tra

- to be related to : có liên quan đến

- to be prepared to # to be ready to : sẵn sàng

- responsibility : trách nhiệm

* to take full responsibility for : chịu hoàn toàn trách nhiệm về

- public opinion : d- luận, ý kiến công chúng

- to make huge profit : kiếm đ-ợc nhiều tền lời, thu đ-ợc khoản lợi khổng lồ

- bidder : ng-ời đấu thầu, nhà thầu

- to be punished : bị phạt

Lesson 18: GETTING RID OF TOXIC WASTE

The disposal of toxic waste used to be easy It was put in big steel drums, transported by truck to isolated places and then dumped When this method was finally banned, companies began to buy

up old mines and other convenient sites in which to dump their waste When there were no more cheap sites and local residents began to sue them for polluting their water resources, companies began to load their waste on ships and dump it in the sea Soon, this practice was banned, and the waste was instead burned in special incinerator ships The highly toxic ash which remained was then illegally dumped in the sea or taken to the Third World, where government officials agreed

to accept the waste in exchange for desperately needed foreign money and large bribes

In 1987 and 1988, toxic waste from Italy was illegally dumped in Koko, Nigeria It was falsely classified as harmless, but when the drums leaked and many people became ill, the Nigerian government demanded that it be removed It was eventually returned to Italy on a ship named the

Karin B As a result of this incident - just one of many - the United Nations Environment

Program drafted an international agreement on waste disposal which was adopted at the Basel Convention in 1989 The agreement lists 47 dangerous chemicals which cannot be exported or imported by any of the 60-plus nations which have so far accepted it The European Union ratified the agreement in 1992 The U.S.A and Japan have accepted it on principle but not yet ratified it

As the possibilities for waste disposal in local and foreign landfills decrease, chemical companies are having to consider more creative alternatives The obvious solution would be to eliminate the waste at source, with new production techniques This might be possible for many, but not all of the millions of chemicals produced by modern industry; it would, however, be very costly Another possibility is to treat the waste with chemicals or bacteria in order to make it harmless Scientists at Stanford University have already succeeded in using bacteria to break down two dangerous chemicals, trichloroethylene and w vinyl chloride, and are hopeful that many more can be treated in this way

The suggestion that toxic waste might be recycled was not taken seriously until 1993, when a small American company named Molten Metal Technology began testing its Catalytic Extraction Processing technology for commercial use Toxic waste is injected into a pool of molten iron and breaks down into the elements of which it is composed These can be recovered and used again

- to sue : th-a kiện

- to dump : đổ (rác )

- in exchange for : trao đổi, giao l-u

- bribe : khoản tiền hối lộ

* to receive a bribe : nhận tiền hối lộ

- to be classified : đ-ợc phân loại

- to leak : rò rĩ

- to draft : soạn thảo

- international agreement : hiệp định quốc tế

- to eliminate : huỷ bỏ

- landfill : đất đắp

- to treat waste by bacteria : xử lý rác thải bằng vi khuẩn

- to be recycled : đ-ợc tái chế, đ-ợc tái sinh

- Molten Metal Technology : công nghệ nóng chảy kim loại

Lesson 19: THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACID RAIN

Many of Europe's power stations and factories burn coal or oil This results in the emission of large quantities of sulfur dioxide and smaller amounts of nitrogen oxides These gases are released through tall chimneys into the sky, where they mix with water vapor in clouds to form sulfuric and nitric acid After being blown great distances by prevailing winds, these clouds condense into acid rain and fall on land and sea, causing considerable harm

Many of Scandinavia's beautiful lakes have become too acidic to support life Trees throughout Germany are dying because of the acidity of the soil Church bells in Belgium and the Netherlands have lost their purity of sound and the magnificent stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral have lost their luster, owing to corrosion from acid rain It also corrodes bridges, statues, rails, almost anything made of metal, including, ironically, the motor vehicles which are partly responsible for it through their emissions of nitrogen oxides It dissolves stone, bricks and mortar too Many of Europe's finest historical buildings have been irreparably damaged by acid rain and smog Acid rain is a problem not only for Europe In Quebec, 100,000 square kilometers of valuable maple forests have been damaged, resulting in serious losses for the maple syrup industry Acid rain does not respect international frontiers Much of the sulfur which killed thousands of lakes in Canada came from power plants in the U.S.A.; and forest damage in Japan has been blamed to some extent on Chinese factories and power stations

Acid rain is also dangerous to humans People who exercise outdoors when there is acid vapor in the air they breathe may suffer lung and kidney disease, 5 sore eyes and skin irritation Five million Britons are exposed to lead poisoning from their tap water because lead in their water pipes is being dissolved by acid in the water supply Moreover, alpine regions in which forests have been decimated by acid rain are prone to suffer sudden floods and avalanches capable of destroying entire villages

Over 150 years ago, the world's first air pollution official wrote the following comments in his

book Air and Rain: "when the air has so much acid there is no hope for vegetation galvanized

iron is useless stone and bricks of buildings crumble." Scientists have learned a lot about acid rain since Robert Angus Smith's far-sighted comments on air pollution in Britain were first pub-lished; but governments have been very slow to take remedial action

Notes:

- consequence : hËu qu¶

* environmental consequence: hËu qu¶ m«i tr-êng

- to mix : trén lÉn, hoµ trén

* to mix with : trén víi

- water vapor : h¬i n-íc

- to form : t¹o ra