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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、科学家们发现覆盖海洋表面的植物数量正在快速消失(宾语从句为现在进行时态，其中covering…oceans是现在分词短语做定语，修饰plant life；at a dangerous rate 以危险速度)。这种被称为“浮游植物”的(called phytoplankton)生物是一种至关重要的（vital adj. ）资源，它能够吸收导致全球变暖的(involved in global warming)危害最大的“温室气体”(help 后接不带to的不定式做宾语；absorb vt. 吸收；greenhouse gases 温室气体; bad-worse-worst)。卫星和海上船舶确认了这种细微生物正在减少(the diminishing productivity of the microscopic plants; diminishing adj. 逐渐缩小的；衰减的)。海洋研究者（oceanographers）认为这种生物在北太平洋里(in the waters of the North Pacific; waters 海域)的消亡速度最快(which引导非限制性定语从句，其指代的是the diminishing productivity of the microscopic plants；striking 偏意：adj. 显著的，惊人的，引人注目的，其前的most更证明了striking在这里是作为形容词使用)，甚至扩展到了北极圈（range vi 延伸；the Arctic n. 北极圈）(以给出的翻译为基础，本人认为oceanographers say的前后放一个逗号似乎更容易理解)。“浮游植物的减少(the lost productivity of the phytoplankton)是否是过去的至少（at least）20 年间所记录的（that have been recorded）海洋温度的升高直接导致的(is directly due to ; whether…the past 20 years是名词性从句做句子主语)，这依然是一个未解之迷(remain vi. 依然; an extremely complex puzzle 一个极其复杂的迷)。”在美国的Goddard空间飞行中心的NASA生物学家Watson W·Gregg如是说。但他表示，这确实提供了一个解决气候变化争议的全新线索(a fresh clue to the controversy over climate change; clue to + n. 线索; controversy n. 争论)。Gregg认为，从80年代初到90年代末，海洋温度明显升高的地方（where ocean temperatures have risen most significantly）往往是浮游植物大量减少的地方。在北大西洋的夏季(summertime)，海洋的表面温度在那段时间里(during that period)升高了1.3华氏度，在北太平洋海洋表面，温度升髙了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、虽然(while)海洋温度的升高和浮游植物数量之间的关系非常明显（或引人注目）（the link … is striking），但是其他因素也会影响(affect)这种海洋植物的健康。比如说它们需要铁来当作养料(as nourishment)，这种养料源于大陆沙漠中含铁的沙尘，强风把这些沙尘吹向海洋（across the oceans），当这些风减弱或者消亡，浮游植物的生存就会面临威胁（suffer vi. 受损害；受痛苦）。Gregg和他的同事认为，近年来（in recent years）海洋中的铁含量有所下降(deposited over the oceans 过去分词修饰the amount of iron，即海洋中储藏的铁含量；decrease in 在…方面减少；)，尽管幅度较小，但是已经能够通过仪器测量出来（there have been small but measurable; measurable adj.可测量的）。
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、浮游植物数量明显减少(decline in 在…方面逐渐衰弱)对全球碳循环有着直接的影响（have/has a effect on … 对…有影响）。通常，这种海洋植物吸收（take up）了全球大约一半的二氧化碳（about half of all the Carbon dioxide），因为它们借助二氧化碳以及(along with)阳光来生长，并把氧气释放到大气中(release vt. 释放)，这就是我们熟知的(known as 被称为)光合作用。浮游植物（plankton）的主要生长区域是北太平洋，那里的浮游植物数量在过去的20年里（during the past 20 years）降低了9%以上（decrease by + 数字 + percent 减少了“数字”%），在北大西洋降低了约7%，这是Gregg和他的同事利用卫星观察和船舶测量得出的结论（determine vi. 确定；判决）。对世界上主要海洋盆地的(combining all the major ocean basins of the world现在分词做定语，修饰studies；combine vt. 结合)研究表明（reveal vt. 显示；透露；揭露），浮游植物的数量下降了6%以上（to be more than 6 percent不定式做宾语补足语）。
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（引导宾语从句） 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烧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是定语从句，修饰a major way, in which即in the way; 而emitted in the combustion of fossil fuels是过去分词做定语，修饰the extra carbon dioxide, is eliminated被消灭，即“吸收”；emit vt. 排放；发出; combustion n. 燃烧; fossil fuel n. 化石燃料; eliminate vt. 消除；排除）。 无论是否是(whether … or not)由于（caused by ）当今气候变暖造成，海洋浮游植物的减少意味着(means)一个消除温室气体的(in removing much of the principal greenhouse gas; principal adj. 主要的; greenhouse gas 温室气体)重要元素的消失，而温室气体已经使得全球气温在过去一百多年中不断升高（that引导的定语从句被翻译成另一个句子，在这个句子中被修饰的部分“the principal greenhouse gas”作为句子的主语）。Gregg说：“研究表明，海洋浮游植物数量持续下降，这有可能是气候变化的结果，包括温度上升以及海洋中铁含量下降(such as increased temperatures and decreased iron deposits into parts of the oceans; increased adj. 增加的; decreased adj. 减少的)。这对全球碳循环会有重大影响(major implications; implication n. 含意；影响)”。
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(引导宾语从句) 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、与此同时(at the same time)，斯坦福大学的科学家们使用了另外两个NASA卫星，其中一个是由国防部发射的(flown by the Defense Department过去分词作定语，修饰one；fly-flew-flown)。他们观察到了南极洲西海岸巨大冰层发生的重大变化(vast adj. 巨大的；dramatic adj. 引人注目；戏剧的；ice sheets 冰川)，这些变化正对那里的浮游植物产生严重影响（in turn 轮流，依次; have/has a impact on … 对…有影响）。他们发现，“罗斯陆缘冰”中的大冰山（monster adj. 巨大的; chunk n. 大块）——一座大约有20英里宽、124英里长的冰山（iceberg n. 冰山）——己经从西海岸冰层上脱离（break off 折断；中断；break-broke-broken），覆盖了一个有浮游植物生存的巨大海洋区域(bury vt. 埋葬)，这一区域是食物链的基础（the base of the food web）特别是在区域中有丰富的海洋动物和植物（rich in 富有；marine life 海洋生物）（that 引导的定语从句被翻译成另一个句子，不赘述了）。
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（引导宾语从句） C-19 in the Ross Sea has covered 90 percent of all the phytoplankton there" said Arrigo.
6、斯坦福大学的生物海洋学家Arrigo和Van Dijken认为，尽管（although）南极洲西部海洋表面的温度保持了稳定(are remaining stable)，但是浮游植物的减少对所有依赖这些植物的(that depend on the plant masses)高等生物群会产生毁灭性影响(prove vi. 证明是；catastrophic adj. 灾难的)。整个南极洲的海洋面积达几百万平方英里（across millions of square miles of the southern ocean），为了便于开展空中测量（for aerial surveys；aerial adj. 空中的），科学家们按照字母和数字的顺序分类排列南极洲的冰山(icebergs in Antarctica are designated by letters and numbers; 被动语态; designate vt. 标出；指定)， 因此上述的这块大冰山(berg n.)被命名为C-19(be known as 被称为)。Arrigo说：“根据卫星观测数据（from satellite observations），我们估计（estimate vt.）在罗斯海中的C-19已经覆盖了那里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、尽管(as)C-19非常庞大（Huge as it is, 这是一个倒装句，as在句首时，表语huge提前；重要考点之一），它只是罗斯海区域中有记录以来(recorded)位列第二的冰山。更大的那座叫B—15(dubbed 被称为；dub vt. 授予…称号)，于2001年分裂（broke off），或者说被给予了新生（calved；calve vt. 下仔；生小牛）。尽管它占据了海洋表面浮游植物的一大块面积（blot out 遮盖），不过只是毁灭了40%的微生植物群(wipe out 消灭；摧毁)。 世界上大约（approximately）25%的帝企鹅和30%的阿德烈企鹅在这个海域群体筑巢(nest in colonies; nest vi. 筑巢；colony n. 群体)。这些数以十万计的阿德烈企鹅和帝企鹅都会因这个庞大的冰山(by the huge iceberg)而面临灭绝的危险(endangered 是过去分词作定语，修饰前面的阿德烈企鹅和帝企鹅; amount to 相当于，总计为; hundreds of thousands of 几十万；endanger vt. 危及; 直译为：因这个庞大的冰山而受到危险的阿德烈企鹅和帝企鹅数以十万计）。 这个冰山（which引导非限制性定语从句）自从去年从“罗斯陆缘冰”上脱离以来（since it broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf last year）一直被卡在海岸线上（stick vt. 伸出；粘贴stick-stuck-stuck）。鲸鱼、海豹，还有数百万只类似小虾的被称作磷虾的海洋生物都将因为许多平方英里海洋浮游植物的锐减而面临威胁(threaten vt. 威胁)。
