中石油2016通用英语选读课文59Forest-Fires-a-Major-Disaster森林大火

59. Forest Fires: a Major Disaster

森林大火：可怕的灾难

1.The United States Forest Service<林业局>defines a wildfire<野火，山火> as “any fire that b urns uncontrolled in vegetative or associated flammablematter,”and it divides the causes of wildfire into nine general categories:lightning<闪电>,campfire<篝火>,smoking,debris burning(fires from clearing land or from burning trash<垃圾>，range，stubble，meadow<草地牧场>,rights-of-way<通行权，开路权，破路权>,logging slash,etc.),incendiary(fires willfullyset),equipment use(except railroad),railroad,children(under 12),and miscellaneous<其他adj混杂的>.

1.美国林务局如此定义山火：“任何在有植物或是相关的易燃物品上燃烧并无法控制的火灾”。山火的原因被分为九类：闪电、篝火、抽烟、废物燃烧（为了清除土地上的树木，或是燃烧垃圾、烧荒、开路、燃烧植物断株和砍伐剩余物等而引起的大火）、纵火（故意所为）、设备使用（不包括铁路火车）、铁路、儿童（12岁以下）以及其它。

2.Wildfires in this country occur at the rate of hundreds per day,and they destroy tens of millions of acres<英亩>of productive<肥沃的，多产的>land in any given year.Direct damage<直接损失> to timber<木材> and property<特性，财产> is reckoned in<计入，将…计算在内> the hundreds of millions of dollars per year,but no monetary value<币值，货币价值> can be assigned<指定的，赋值的> to the loss of human life and of wildlife that often accompanies<伴随…同时发生，陪伴> wildfires.

2.美国每天都有几百起的森林火灾发生，烧毁了几百万公顷的肥沃土地，对于伐木业和财产造成的损失每年高达几百万美元，然而它对人类和野生动物造成的生命损失是无法用金钱来衡量。

https://www.doczj.com/doc/5313890268.html,ernment statistics<统计> for a typical five-year period<周期> are both interesting and revealing.They can be broken down to show many aspects of the wildfire problem,among<其中>them two which are especially significant

<重要>:the leading causes of wildfire and the total acreage burned by wildfire.

3.官方以五年为周期进行统计，其结果很有趣，也揭示了一些问题。这些数字可以从多个方面展示森林大火的问题，其中有两点非常关键：森林火灾的主要原因以及火灾烧毁的土地面积。

4.The two leading causes of wildfire,by regional groups,are as follows: Pacific Group — lightning 22%;miscellaneous 18%

Rocky Mountain Group — lightning 40%;debris burning 12%

North Central Group — debris burning 32%;incendiary 20%

Eastern Group — children 27%;incendiary 25%

Southern Group — incendiary39%;debris burning 26%

4.森林火灾的两个主要原因如下，按照不同地区排列：

太平洋地区——闪电22%;其他原因18%

落基山地区——闪电40%,废弃物燃烧12%

中北部地区——废弃物燃烧32%，纵火20%

东部地区——儿童27%，纵火25%

南部地区——纵火39%，废弃物燃烧26%

5.What ranks<地位>as a leading cause of wildfire in a region is not,however,always the cause of the greatest damage suffered by that region,as the following statistics<统计> will indicate.They show the total acreage burned,according to causes,in the same regions for the same five-year period: Pacific —lightning 58%;incendiary 10%;miscellaneous 10%; equipment use 8% Rocky Mountain—lightning 36%;equipment use 19%;miscellaneous 15%;debris burning 11%

North central—incendiary 40%;debris burning 21 %;lightning 12%;equipment use 7%; railroad 6%

Eastern—incendiary 47%;debris burning 13%;miscellaneous 10%;children 8%; smoking 7%;railroads 7%

Southern—incendiary 54%;debris burning 21%;smoking 8%

5.下面这些数字显示，某一地区最主要的山火原因并不一定就是损失最大的原因。在相同的五年期间，不同原因的山火烧毁的面积为：

太平洋地区——闪电58%;纵火10%;其他原因10%;设备使用8%

落基山地区——闪电36%;设备使用19%;其他原因15%;废弃物燃烧11%

中北部地区——纵火40%;废弃物燃烧21%;闪电12%;设备使用7%;铁路6%

东部地区——纵火47%;废弃物燃烧13%;其他原因10%;儿童8%;抽烟7%;铁路7%

南部地区——纵火54%;废弃物燃烧21%;吸烟8%

6.The great majority of forest fires especially in the East and South,are “surface fires,”burning mostly in the duffor leaf litter<落叶层litter n垃圾，干草、树叶> on the forest floor.Promptly<立即地，敏捷地，迅速地> attacked with adequate manpower<充足的人力> and equipment,such fires are fairly easy to control.But nearly every small forest fire is potentially<潜在地，可能地> a big one.If a combination of<事物的综合> dry weather and high winds occurs,a forest fire may spread with explosive violence,roaring through the trees faster than a man can run,generating<产生的> waves of heat and gas that fan the flames to even greater fury.A really bad forest fire is a terrifying<令人恐惧的>thing. It will destroy nearly everything in its path<路程，路线>.

6.东部和南部地区绝大多数的森林火灾都属于“表面火灾”，即森林表面的陈年落叶的燃烧。如果有足够的人力和设备，迅速处理就可以很快控制火势。但每一次小的火灾都有可能发展成大火。如果再碰上干旱的天气和大风，山火就会猛烈地蔓延，它咆哮在树林间，蔓延的速度远远超过人的移动速度，产生的灼热气浪又会引发更大的火势。凶猛的森林火灾非常可怕，它所及之处一切都被毁灭。

7.That was what happened when the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin in 1871 wiped out whole settlements and killed 1,500 persons;when the great Idaho fires of 1910 wiped our several million acres of virgin timber<原始树林> in a few days.It happened when the Tillamook fire in Oregon in 1933 killed as much timber as was cut in the entire<全部的> United States the preceding year<上一年度>.It happened in Maine in 1947 when forest fires destroyed more than 800 homes.And it’s still happening today.A series of<一连串的>dry years recently provided the fuel for some of the most devastating forest fires in our history,particularly<尤其是> in the western part of the country.

7.1871年发生在威斯康星州的佩什第革火灾就是如此，它烧毁了所有的居民区，使1500人丧生；1910年的爱达荷州火灾在几天之内就烧毁了几百万公顷的原始树林；1933年发生在俄勒冈州的提拉穆克火灾烧毁的树林相当于上一年全美国的树林砍伐量；1947年发生在緬因州的火灾毁灭了800个家庭。今天这些灾难仍在发生。连续几

年的干旱为有史以来破坏性最大的火灾提供了机会，尤其是在西部地区。

8.A surface fire,consuming the dry leaves,grass,twigs,and underbrushon the forest floor,may not kill outright many of the larger trees,but it will kill seedlingsand small trees.Most fires start as surface fires but may develop into<发展成为> other types.

8.地表火燃烧的是森林表面的干树叶、野草、小树枝和矮树丛，不会对大树造成重大损伤，但它仍然会伤及籽苗和小树。大部分的火灾都是从地表开始，往往会发展成其他类型的火灾。

9.Sometimes fires burn deep below the surface in the thick<厚的> duff of decayed<腐烂的> leaves or needles<针叶>,or in muck soils<腐殖质土> that have become dry. Giving off very little smoke between surface outbreaks,such”ground fires” may smolder for days or weeks before being discovered,and it is difficult to know when they may safely be declared<公然的> out.Ground fires are common in northern forest regions.These fires usually kill most of the trees in their way,for although they burn slowly they generate great heat beneath the surface<表面之下>.

9.有时，厚厚的腐叶和针叶层或是干燥的腐殖土层下面会有火灾发生，仅仅从表面的裂缝中冒出少量的烟。这种地下火在被发现之前可能会闷烧几天甚至几个星期。地下火在北部森林地区非常普遍，尽管它们燃烧非常缓慢，但却能在表面之下产生很大的热量，从而导致树木的死亡。

10.It is usually the “crown fire<树冠火>，”or combined surface and crown fire,that causes the greatest timber and property<财产> damage,and loss of human life.Such a fire is usually the outgrowth<自然结果，生长物>of a surface fire which, driven by a strong wind,leaps into the tree tops and sweeps through<扫过> the timber,often even jumping across open fields or large rivers.Crown fires occur mostly in coniferous forests<针叶树林>,for the green leaves of hardwoods<阔叶树> are not easily ignited<点燃>.These fires may,however,run through forests of mixed hardwoods and conifers.Usually they create showersof flying emberswhich set fires far in advance. Crown fires may kill all the trees over wide areas;they may destroy farm homes and towns.

10.造成巨大的森林和财产损失，以及生命损失的是树冠火，或地表和树冠火的结合。这种火灾一般是从地表火开始，在大风的作用之下，很快窜上树顶，在树木间传播，甚至能跨过开阔地带甚至河流。树冠火在针叶林中多有发生，因为阔叶木的绿叶不容

易着火。然而，这种火很容易在阔叶林和针叶林中蔓延，还会产生大量的余火漫天飞扬，从而引发远处的火灾。树冠火可能会烧毁大面积范围内所有的树木，甚至毁坏农舍和村镇。

11.Losses<损失> of merchantable timber<商品木材> and property are direct, tangible,and readily apparent<显而易见的>.Forest fires, however,cause many damages not so easily recognized.Fire may kill the tiny young trees in a forest and so destroy the mature timber crop<产量> of 20,50,or 100 years hence<从此>.Fire may alter<改变，更改>the character<特性>of a forest.As a result of fire,for example,a forest in which valuable pines<松木>or sprucespredominated may in time become mostly a scrubby growth of inferior<下面的> species.Repeated<反复的> fires have turned many millions of acres of forest land in the United States into unproductive<没有价值的> wasteland.

11.财产和商业木材的损失是有形的、显而易见。然而森林火灾还会造成许多不容易辨别的损失。它会烧毁小树苗，从而影响了20年、50年甚至100年后的木材生产。大火会改变森林的特性，例如：一片以珍贵松木和杉木为主要树种的森林可能会变成只有次级树种的矮小灌木林。经过多次山火之后，美国大地上几百万公顷的森林都变成了贫瘠的荒地。

12.Even a small,smoldering<熏烧，慢燃> surface fire may leave fire scars<伤疤>on the trunks<树干>of trees,where wood rots<腐烂>may enter.Fire-weakened trees may be attacked by insects,or more easily felled by the wind.

12.即使是无明火的小地表火都可能在树干上留下伤疤，从而引起树木的腐烂；被火烧过的树木极容易生虫害，或被大风刮倒。

13.Most wildfire occurs in forested areas,but substantial<大量的>fire damage is done each year to watershed<分水岭> areas as well<也、同样>.Storm runoff<暴雨径流> is greatly accelerated<加快> when fires burn the vegetation and surface litter on steep slopes,and flooding is often a direct<直接的> result.Tragic<悲剧的，悲惨的> loss of lives and damage in the millions are frequently attributable to the earlier burning of a watershed area.Watershed technicians find that much water would have been held back<阻止> until after the flood peaks<洪峰> had passed if watersheds had not been depleted of<弄空> their plant and forest covers,mainly by forest fires.

13.大部分的山火发生在林区，但也会对分水岭地区造成危害。如果山火破坏了植被和地表落叶层，暴雨径流就会加速从而直接导致山洪暴发，进一步造成生命和百万美元的财产损失。技术人员发现如果分水岭地区的森林植被没有被山火破坏的话，洪峰过去之后，洪水应该能够被抑制住。

14.Fires have impaired the ability<能力> of watersheds in many parts of the United States to absorb rainfall and hold back runoff.Along with unwise land clearing<开荒> and other watershed abuses<滥用>, fire is responsible for<是…的原因> a vast amount of flood damage,for aggravated problems of water supply,and for the silting<淤积，淤塞，填充> of reservoirs<水库>,stream channels<河道>,and harbors<港口> with millions of tons of sedimenteroded<侵蚀，腐蚀> from the land.

14.山火使得美国许多地区的分水岭功能受到影响，失去涵养雨水阻碍径流的能力。再加上不明智地开荒以及对流域地区的滥用，山火实际上加重了水灾的损失，导致水源供应的问题，水库、河道以及港口被百万吨的淤泥淤堵。

15.Forest fires kill many game<野生的> animals and birds.Wood ashes washed into<冲到里面>streams after a fire sometimes kill large numbers of fish.Destruction of<被破坏>the vegetation along stream banks may cause water temperatures to rise and make the stream unfit for trout.Sedimentation from fire-damaged watersheds has ruined many good fishing streams.

15.森林火灾造成大量野生动物和鸟类的死亡。大火之后冲进河流里的木头灰烬毒死了大量的鱼类。河岸两边被破坏的植被造成河流温度升高，使得鳟鱼无法生存。水域被烧毁使得原本优质的垂钓地遭到破坏。

16.Many railroad lines,highways,and telephone lines pass through<穿过>forest areas，and fires can therefore disrupt<破坏、中断>business communications and railroad and truck transportation.

16.经过林区的铁路线、高速公路以及电话线缆遭到破坏，导致交通和商业通信的中断。

17.Losses such as these,and many other indirect<间接的> and intangible<无形的>losses caused by forest fires,are not easily measured in<以…测量> dollars.But in the aggregate<合计，总计> they represent<表现> a huge drainon the resources<资源>and manpower<人力>of the nation.To the losses caused by fires must be added the costs of controlling them,to keep the damages from

mounting to an even greater total.

17.此类损失以及其他非直接的无形损失是不能用金钱来衡量的，但却在总体上损耗了国家的资源和人力，除此之外还有为了控制山火阻止损失进一步扩大的付出的成本。

18.Unquestionably,fires raging through<猖獗> the forests rank with floods, earthquakes,and tornadoesas major calamities.

18.毫无疑问，肆虐森林的大火和洪水、地震、飓风一样都被列为主要灾害。

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