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Top congressional Democrats, signaling support for a big climate package,
国会民主党高层于6月30日公布了一份长达500页的立法路线图，
unveiled a 500-page legislative road map on June 30
表示出了支持某规模庞大的一揽子气候计划的姿态，
that includes tax incentives and infrastructure spending to eliminate the country's carbon footprint by 2050.
具体举措包括税收优惠、基础设施建设支出等，为的是在2050年之前消除该国的碳足迹。
It won't become law this year,
尽管路线图并不会在今年落定，
but it sends a signal that the issue will be on the legislative agenda if Biden wins in the fall.
但民主党此举无异于释放出了一个信号：如果拜登在今秋的大选中获胜，气候问题就会被提上立法议程。
"We've got to strike now. We can't let this go,"
“我们必须主动出击了。我们不能就此放手，”
Biden said at a League of Conservation Voters virtual event on June 16.
拜登在6月16日线上举行的保护选民联盟活动中说道。
"Not because of me but because of the opportunity."
“不为我，为时机。”
Importantly, Biden has promised to re-engage with the rest of the world on the issue,
重要的是，拜登已经承诺将在气候问题上与国际社会重启合作，
including by helping fund climate measures in developing countries.
包括为发展中国家的气候举措提供资金支持。
China wouldn't be eligible to receive such funding,
中国并不满足获取美方气候资金支持的条件，
but the nation is keeping a close eye on how U.S. climate policy is unfolding.
但该国已经开始密切关注美国气候政策方面的进展情况。
China has delayed several key decisions and signaled its intention
中国已经推迟了数个关键决策的时间点，
to hold off making new climate commitments until after the U.S. presidential election.
还表示要等到美国总统大选落幕才会启动接下来的气候承诺。
Even after three years of Trump's tearing down the U.S.'s global reputation on climate,
三年来，特朗普一直在败坏美国在气候问题上的国际声誉，尽管如此，
it turns out the U.S. is still leading the world.
事实证明，目前美国在这方面依然是全世界的领头羊。
In what direction remains to be seen.
至于美国在带领世界走向何方则有待进一步的观察。
To many who study climate, the pandemic looks eerily familiar.
在许多研究气候的人看来，这场大流行堪称熟悉得有点可怕。
At first, the new virus seemed distant and inconsequential to most people, so long as you weren't in the eye of the storm.
起初，只要是不在风暴中心的人，十有八九都觉得这种新病毒似乎颇为遥远，不足为道。
The rest of the world watched in amazement as China shut down Wuhan.
中国对武汉实施封城之举的时候，全世界都惊呆了。
Horror stories of patients dying in hallways in Milan shocked the U.S.,
米兰的病人一个接一个死在走廊，这样的恐怖故事传到美国的时候，美国也惊呆了，
but not enough to make the nation prepare.
但还是不足以激起这个国家的未雨绸缪之志。
In late February, at the last Democratic primary debate before voting in the critical state of South Carolina,
2月底，关键州南卡罗来纳州投票前民主党举行最后一场初选辩论时，
moderators didn't ask about the issue until one hour and 15 minutes into the discussion,
主持人在讨论进行了1小时15分钟后才提到疫情这一问题，
and spent less than five minutes on it.
之后又只谈了不到五分钟就切换话题了。
Researchers estimate that by the time the U.S. collectively woke up to the stakes of the pandemic on March 11—
研究人员估计，到3月11日——这一天，汤姆·汉克斯公开了自己的检测呈阳性的消息，
the day Tom Hanks said he tested positive, the NBA canceled its season and Trump banned travelers from Europe—
NBA取消了比赛日程，特朗普对来自欧洲的游客发出了禁令——美国人普遍意识到大流行的利害关系时，
thousands of people had already been infected in the country.
这个国家已经有数千人感染。
In the few months since, more than half a million people have died worldwide,
这之后的几个月，全球已经有50多万人感染死亡，
including some 100,000 in the U.S., and there's no sign we'll be rid of the virus anytime soon.
美国约占10万人，而且，没有任何迹象表明我们能够在短时间内摆脱病毒。
译文由可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
