本集内容

Could planting giant trees offset a lifetime’s carbon footprint? 种植大树能抵消人一生的碳足迹吗？

学习要点

有关 “the future（未来）” 的词汇

边看边答

How many sequoia trees have been planted on a site outside Brecon, Wales?

文字稿

They are huge and ancient trees. Most likely to be found in California – like these sequoias in Yosemite National Park. But if you wait, you are going to have to be patient here, you may start to see some growing further afield in parts of the UK.

这些高大的古木最有可能出现在美国的加利福尼亚州，比如约塞米蒂国家公园的这些红杉。不过如果你再等一等，一定要有耐心才行，就有可能看到一些红杉在大西洋彼岸英国的部分地区成长。

Nelli Bird, BBC correspondent
And this is what they look like when they start off – so tiny compared to what they’ll turn into. And already, nearly 500 of these trees have been planted here on this land, just outside Brecon [in Wales].

内利·伯德       BBC通讯员
“这些树的幼苗长得就是这样的，和长成的大树比起来真的很小。已经有近500棵树被种在了这片土地上，就在威尔士布雷肯的郊外。”

Henry Emson is the man behind the One Life One Tree project.

亨利·埃姆森是 “一生一树” 项目背后的灵魂人物。

Henry Emson, Founder, One Life One Tree project
The idea came about when I was looking at my children’s carbon footprint and I wanted to get a head start for them on how they could offset before they started to hit adulthood, and I came across an article that talked about giant sequoias. But this is really about a legacy and, you know, these trees over a period of, you know, a couple of hundred years, should be able to actually bring someone’s carbon footprint down to zero. 

亨利·埃姆森       “一生一树” 项目创始人
“这个项目的灵感是我在观察我家孩子们的碳足迹时产生的，我想提早让他们在长大成人之前就可以抵消碳足迹，并且当时我看到了一篇有关巨型红杉的文章。但这其实是给后人留下的遗产，这些树在几百年的时间里，应该能真正做到把一个人的碳足迹降到零。”

And so, on this site in mid-Wales, nearly 500 giant sequoias have been planted. Not easy to spot from high up yet – they have these green nets around them for the first few years to protect them.

因此，在威尔士中部的这个地方，人们已经种下了近500株巨型红杉树苗。刚种下后，从高处还不容易看出来，在头几年里，树苗的周围有绿网保护。

Alongside each sequoia, three native trees are being planted to increase biodiversity.

在每棵红杉旁，人们都种植了三棵本土树木，以增加生物多样性。

Henry Emson
This is a long-term project. We’re really keen that people think about, you know, the short-term things that they can do to reduce emissions – that’s what the planet needs.

亨利·埃姆森
“这是一个长期项目。我们非常希望人们能考虑自己可以在短期内做些什么事情来减少排放。这才是地球需要的。”

But behind each tree is a story.

但每棵树的背后都有一个故事。

Lindsay Perks
We’ve come over from Bristol today to plant this tree in memory of my dad and the kids’ granddad. It was very difficult for him to talk about what he wanted for his funeral, so this just feels like an appropriate thing to do. My dad liked to work in woodwork…

琳赛·珀克斯
“我们今天从布里斯托过来种下这棵树，来纪念我父亲，就是孩子们的姥爷。他生前不好说想要怎么办自己的葬礼，所以我们感觉种树很合适。我父亲喜欢做木工活……”

Nelli Bird, BBC correspondent
It’s lovely then, that you’ll be able to come back and see it, isn’t it? And…

内利·伯德       BBC通讯员
“你以后还能回来看看，很不错吧？”

Matt Perks
Yeah, it’s something that will last our lifetimes and the kids’ lifetimes and beyond as well.

马特·珀克斯
“是的，种下的树会伴随我们和孩子们的一生，甚至更久。”

And if you are wondering whether giant sequoias can thrive in the UK, take a look at this forest not far up the road in Powys in mid-Wales. The oldest sequoias here were planted in the mid-nineteenth century.

如果你想知道巨型红杉是否能在英国茁壮成长，不妨看看威尔士中部波伊斯郡公路附近的这片森林。这里最古老的红杉是在19世纪中期种植的。

Today, sequoias are under threat in their native California – one-in-ten destroyed in devastating wildfires last summer.

如今，红杉在它们的家乡加州正面临威胁，去年夏天，每十棵红杉中就有一棵在破坏性极大的野火中被毁。

Planting in the UK can help protect a species that will tower over generations to come.

在英国种植有助于保护这个世世代代都将屹然挺立的物种。

词汇

patient 有耐心的

legacy 遗留物，遗产

long-term 长期的

lifetimes 一生，有生之年

generations to come 子孙后代，世世代代

问题答案

Nearly 500 giant sequoias have been planted on the site just outside Brecon, Wales.