The Anthropocene epoch/'ɛpək/: scientists declare dawn of human-influenced age
Experts say humanimpacton Earth soprofound/prə'faʊnd/thatHolocene/'hɔləsi:n/must give way to epoch defined by nuclear tests, plastic pollution anddomesticated/ dəˈmɛstəˌketɪd/chicken
Anthropocene人类世
profound/prə'faʊnd/
adj. 深厚的；意义深远的；渊博的
holocene/'hɔləsi:n/
adj. 全新世的；全新统的
epoch/‘ɛpək/
n. [地质] 世；新纪元；新时代；时间上的一点
domesticated/ dəˈmɛstəˌketɪd/
adj. 家养的；驯服的；喜欢家庭生活的
Nuclear test explosion in Mururoa atoll, French Polynesia, in 1971. The official expert group says the Anthropocene should begin about 1950 and is likely to be defined by theradioactive/‘redɪo'æktɪv/elementsdispersed/dɪ'spɝst/across Earth by nuclear bomb tests.
radioactive/‘redɪo'æktɪv/
adj. [核] 放射性的；有辐射的
dispersed/dɪ'spɝst/
adj. 散布的；被分散的；被驱散的
v. 分散；传播（disperse的过去分词）
Humanity’s impact on the Earth is now so profound that a newgeological/dʒɪə'lɑdʒɪkl/epoch – the Anthropocene – needs to be declared, according to an official expert group who presented the recommendation to theInternational Geological Congress in Cape Townon Monday.
geological/dʒɪə’lɑdʒɪkl/
adj. 地质的，地质学的
The new epoch should begin about 1950, the experts said, and was likely to be defined by the radioactive elements dispersed across the planet by nuclear bomb tests, although an array of other signals, including plastic pollution,soot/sʊt/frompower stations, concrete/'kɑŋkrit/, and even the bones left by the globalproliferation/prəu-,lifə’reiʃən/of thedomestic/də’mɛstɪk/chicken were now under consideration.
soot/sʊt/from
n. 煤烟，烟灰
vt. 用煤烟熏黑；以煤烟弄脏
concrete/'kɑŋkrit/,
adj. 混凝土的；实在的，具体的；有形的
vi. 凝结
vt. 使凝固；用混凝土修筑
n. 具体物；凝结物
proliferation/prəu-,lifə’reiʃən/
增殖，扩散；分芽繁殖
domestic/də’mɛstɪk/
adj. 国内的；家庭的；驯养的；一心只管家务的
n. 国货；佣人
The current epoch, the Holocene, is the 12,000 years of stableclimate/'klaɪmət/since the last ice age during which all human civilisation developed. But thestriking/‘straɪkɪŋ/acceleration/ək’sɛlə’reʃən/since the mid-20th century ofcarbon/‘kɑrbən/dioxide/daɪ'ɑksaɪd/emissions/ɪ'mɪʃən/and sea level rise, the global massextinctionof species, and the transformation of land bydeforestation/di:,fɔri’steiʃən/and development mark the end of that slice of geological time, the experts argue. TheEarth is so profoundly changed that the Holocene must give way to the Anthropocene.
striking/‘straɪkɪŋ/
adj. 显著的，突出的，惊人的；打击的；罢工的
v. 打（strike的ing形式）
carbon/‘kɑrbən/
n. [化学] 碳；碳棒；复写纸
adj. 碳的；碳处理的
dioxide/daɪ'ɑksaɪd/
n. 二氧化物
emissions/ɪ’mɪʃən/
n. （光、热等的）发射，散发；喷射；发行
deforestation/di:,fɔri’steiʃən/
n. 采伐森林；森林开伐
“The significance of the Anthropocene is that it sets a differenttrajectory/trə’dʒɛktəri/for the Earth system, of which we of course are part,” said Prof Jan Zalasiewicz, a geologist/d ʒɪˈ ɑləd ʒɪst/at the University of Leicester and chair of theWorking Group on the Anthropocene(WGA), which started work in 2009.
trajectory/trə’dʒɛktəri/
n. [物] 轨道，轨线；[航][军] 弹道
geologist/d ʒɪˈ ɑləd ʒɪst/
地质学家，地质学者
“If our recommendation is accepted, the Anthropocene will have started just a little before I was born,” he said. “We have lived most of our lives in something called the Anthropocene and are justrealising/'rɪəlaɪz/the scale andpermanence/‘pɝmənəns/of the change.”
realising/‘rɪəlaɪz/
vt. 认识到，明白
permanence/‘pɝmənəns/
n. 持久；永久
Prof Colin Waters, principal geologist at the British Geological Survey and WGAsecretary/'sɛkrə'tɛri/, said: “Being able topinpoint/‘pɪnpɔɪnt/an interval of time is saying something about how we have had an incredible impact on the environment of our planet. The concept of the Anthropocene manages to pull all these ideas of environmental/ɪn,vaɪrən'mɛntl/change together.”
secretary/‘sɛkrə’tɛri/
n. 秘书；书记；部长；大臣
pinpoint/‘pɪnpɔɪnt/
vt. 查明；精确地找到；准确描述
adj. 精确的；详尽的
n. 针尖；精确位置；极小之物
High levels ofnitrogen/'naɪtrədʒən/andphosphate/‘fɑsfet/in soils/sɔɪl/, derived/dɪ'raɪv/from artificialfertilisers/'fə:tilaisə/, could be taken as evidence/‘ɛvɪdəns/of theonset/'ɑnsɛt/of the Anthropocene.
nitrogen/‘naɪtrədʒən/
n. [化学] 氮
phosphate/‘fɑsfet/
n. 磷酸盐；皮膜化成
soils/sɔɪl/
n. [土壤] 土壤；泥土；滋生地（soil的复数）
v. 弄脏；玷污；败坏（soil的第三人称单数）
derived/dɪ'raɪv/from
来源于
fertilisers/'fə:tilaisə/化肥（等于fertilizer）
onset/‘ɑnsɛt/
开始，着手；发作；攻击，进攻
Prof Chris Rapley, a climate scientist at University College London and former director of the Science Museum in London said: “The Anthropocene marks a new period in which ourcollective/kə'lɛktɪv/activitiesdominate/'dɑmɪnet/theplanetary/'plænətɛri/machinery/mə'ʃinəri/.
collective/kə’lɛktɪv/
adj. 集体的；共同的；集合的；集体主义的
n. 集团；集合体；集合名词
vt. 控制；支配；占优势；在…中占主要地位
vi. 占优势；处于支配地位
planetary/‘plænətɛri/
adj. 行星的
machinery/mə'ʃinəri/.
n. 机械；机器；机构；机械装置
“Since the planet is our life support system – we are essentially thecrew/krʊ/of alargish/‘lɑrdʒɪʃ/spaceship–interference/ˌɪntɚ’fɪrəns/with its functioning at this level and on this scale is highly significant. If you or I were crew on a smallerspacecraft/'speskræft/, it would be unthinkable/ʌn'θɪŋkəbl/tointerfere withthe systems that provide us with air, water,fodderand climate control.But the shift into the Anthropocene tells us that we are playing with fire, a potentially/pə'tɛnʃəli/reckless/'rɛkləs/mode of behaviour which we are likely to come toregret/rɪ’ɡrɛt/unless we get agrip/ɡrɪp/on the situation.” Rapley is not part of the WGA.
crew/krʊ/
n. 队，组；全体人员，全体船员
vi. 一起工作
vt. 使当船员
largish/‘lɑrdʒɪʃ/
adj. 稍大的；相当大的
interference/ˌɪntɚ’fɪrəns/
干扰，冲突；干涉
spacecraft/‘speskræft/
n. [航] 宇宙飞船，航天器
unthinkable/ʌn'θɪŋkəbl/
adj. 不能想象的；过分的
reckless/'rɛkləs/
adj. 鲁莽的，不顾后果的；粗心大意的
regret/rɪ’ɡrɛt/
vt. 后悔；惋惜；哀悼
grip/ɡrɪp/
紧握；夹紧
Martin Rees, theastronomerroyal and former president of the Royal Society, said thatthe dawn of the Anthropocene was a significant moment. “The darkestprognosis/prɑg'nosɪs/for the nextmillennium/məˈlɛniəm/is thatbio/ˈbaɪo/,cyber/‘saɪbɚ/or environmentalcatastrophes/kə'tæstrəfi/couldforeclose/fɔr'kloz/humanity’simmense/ɪ'mɛns/potential, leaving adepleted/di'plitid/biosphere/'baɪosfɪr/,” he said.
prognosis/prɑg’nosɪs/
. [医] 预后；预知
millennium/məˈlɛniəm/
千年期，千禧年；一千年，千年纪念；太平盛世，黄金时代
cyber/‘saɪbɚ/
adj. 网络的，计算机的
catastrophes/kə'tæstrəfi/
大灾难；大祸；惨败
阻止；排除；取消抵押品赎回权
immense/ɪ'mɛns/
adj. 巨大的，广大的；无边无际的；非常好的
depleted/di’plitid/
adj. 耗尽的；废弃的；贫化的
biosphere/'baɪosfɪr/,
生物圈
But Lord/lɔrd/Rees added that there is also cause foroptimism/'ɑptɪmɪzəm/. “Human societies could navigate/'nævə'get/thesethreats/θret/, achieve asustainable/sə'stenəbl/future, andinaugurate/ɪ'nɔɡjəret/eras/'ɪrə/of post-human evolution even moremarvellous/'mɑ:viləs/than what’s led to us. The dawn of the Anthropocene epoch would then mark a one-off/'wʌnɔf/transformation from a natural world to one where humansjumpstartˈdʒʌmpˌstɑrt/the transition to electronic (and potentiallyimmortal/ɪ'mɔrtl/) entities/'ɛntəti/, thattranscend/træn'sɛnd/our limitations and eventually spread their influence/'ɪnfluəns/far beyond the Earth.”
optimism/‘ɑptɪmɪzəm/
n. 乐观；乐观主义
navigate/'nævə'get/
vt. 驾驶，操纵；使通过；航行于
threats/θret/
n. 威胁，风险（threat的复数）
sustainable/sə'stenəbl/
adj. 可以忍受的；足可支撑的；养得起的；可持续的
inaugurate/ɪ’nɔɡjəret/
vt. 创新；开辟；开创；举行开幕典礼；举行就职典礼
eras/'ɪrə/
n. 时代；年代；纪元
post-human 后人类
marvellous/'mɑ:viləs/
adj. 不可思议的；惊人的
one-off/‘wʌnɔf/
adj. 一次性的
immortal/ɪ'mɔrtl/
adj. 不朽的；神仙的；长生的
entities/‘ɛntəti/
n. 实体；存在；本质
transcend/træn'sɛnd/
vt. 胜过，超越
Theevidence of humanity’s impact on the planet is overwhelming/ˌovɚˈhwɛlmɪŋ/, but the changes are very recent in geological terms, where an epoch usually spans tens of millions of years. “Onecriticism/'krɪtə'sɪzəm/of the Anthropocene asgeologyis that it is very short,” said Zalasiewicz. “Our response is that many of the changes areirreversible./ˌɪrɪ'vɝsəbl/”
criticism/‘krɪtə'sɪzəm/
n. 批评；考证；苛求
irreversible./ˌɪrɪ’vɝsəbl/
adj. 不可逆的；不能取消的；不能翻转的
Human activity has left a permanent layer ofairborne/'ɛr'bɔrn/particulates/pɚ'tɪkjə,let/insediment/‘sɛdɪmənt/andglacial’ɡleʃl/ice.
airborne/‘ɛr'bɔrn/
adj. [航] 空运的；空气传播的；风媒的
particulates/pɚ'tɪkjə,let/
adj. 微粒的
n. 微粒，微粒状物质
沉积；沉淀物
glacial’ɡleʃl/
adj. 冰的；冰冷的；冰河时代的
To define a new geological epoch, a signal must be found that occurs globally and will beincorporated/ɪn'kɔrpə'retɪd/into deposits/dɪ'pɑzɪt/in the future geological record. For example, theextinction/ɪk'stɪŋkʃən/of the dinosaurs/'daɪnə'sɔr/66m years ago at the end of theCretaceous/krɪ'teʃəs/epoch is defined by a “golden spike” in sediments around the world of the metaliridium/ɪ'rɪdɪəm/, which wasdispersed/dɪ'spɝst/fromthemeteorite/'mitɪə'raɪt/that collided/kə’laɪd/with Earth to end the dinosaur age.
incorporated/ɪn’kɔrpə’retɪd/
合并；包含；组成公司（incorporate的过去分词）
incorporated into并入
deposits/dɪ'pɑzɪt/
n. 存款；押金；订金；保证金；沉淀物
Cretaceous/krɪ'teʃəs/
adj. 白垩纪的；似白垩的
iridium/ɪ'rɪdɪəm/
n. [化学] 铱（Ir）
meteorite/'mitɪə'raɪt/
n. 陨星；流星
collided/kə’laɪd/with
冲突,碰撞
For the Anthropocene, the best candidate for such a golden spike are radioactive elements from nuclear bomb tests, which were blown into thestratosphere/'strætəsfɪr/before settling down to Earth. “Theradionuclides/'redɪo'njʊ,klaɪd/are probably thesharpest– they really come on with a bang,” said Zalasiewicz. “But we are spoiled/sp ɔɪlt/for choice. There are so many signals.”
stratosphere/‘strætəsfɪr/
n. 同温层；最上层；最高阶段
radionuclides/'redɪo'njʊ,klaɪd/
n. [核] 放射性核素
spoiled/sp ɔɪlt/
adj. 被宠坏的
Other spikes being considered as evidence of the onset of the Anthropocene include the tough/tʌf/, unburned/ʌn'bə:nd/carbon spheres emitted by power stations. “The Earth has been smoked, with signals very clearly around the world in the mid-20th century,” said Zalasiewicz.
tough/tʌf/
adj. 艰苦的，困难的；坚强的，不屈不挠的；坚韧的，牢固的；强壮的，结实的
Another candidate to be considered as evidence of the Anthropocene is plastic/'plæstɪk/pollution.
plastic pollution塑料污染
Other candidates include plastic pollution,aluminium/ˌæljə'mɪnɪəm/and concrete particles'pɑrtɪkl/, and high levels ofnitrogen/'naɪtrədʒən/andphosphate/'fɑsfet/in soils,derived fromartificial fertilisers. Although the world is currently seeing only the sixth mass extinction of species in the 700m-year history of complex life on Earth, this is unlikely to provide a useful golden spike as the animals are by definition very rare and rarely dispersed worldwide.
aluminium/ˌæljə’mɪnɪəm/
adj. 铝的
phosphate/'fɑsfet/
n. 磷酸盐；皮膜化成
In contrast/'kɑntræst/, some species have with human help spread rapidly across the world. The domestic chicken is a seriouscontender/kən’tɛndɚ/to be afossil'fɑsl/that defines the Anthropocene for future geologists. “Since the mid-20th century, it has become the world’s most common bird. It has beenfossilisedin thousands of landfill/'lænd'fɪl/sites and on street corners around the world,” said Zalasiewicz. “It is is also a much bigger bird with a differentskeleton/'skɛlɪtn/than itsprewar/pri'wɔr/ancestor.”
contender/kən’tɛndɚ/
n. 竞争者；争夺者
fossil'fɑsl/
n. 化石；僵化的事物；顽固不化的人
landfill/'lænd'fɪl/垃圾填埋地；垃圾堆
The 35 scientists on the WGA – who voted 30 to threein favour/ˈfevɚ/offormally/‘fɔrmli/designating/'dɛzɪɡnet/the Anthropocene, with twoabstentions/əb'stɛnʃən/– will now spend the next two to three years determining which signals are the strongest and sharpest.Crucially/ˈkruʃəlɪ/, they must also decide a location which will define the start of the Anthropocene. Geological divisions are not defined by dates but by a specific/spə'sɪfɪk/boundary between layers of rock/rɑk/or, in the case of the Holocene, a boundary between two ice layers in a core taken from Greenland and now stored in Denmark/ˈdɛnˌmɑrk/.
in favour of
支持，赞成
formally/‘fɔrmli/
adv. 正式地；形式上
designating/'dɛzɪɡnet/
vt. 指定；指派；标出；把…定名为
abstentions/əb'stɛnʃən/
n. 弃权；节制；戒绝
Crucially/ˈkruʃəlɪ/,
adv. 关键地；至关重要地
Denmark/ˈdɛnˌmɑrk/丹麦（欧洲国家）
The domestic chicken is a serious contender to be a fossil that defines the Anthropocene for future geologists.
The scientists are focusing on sites/saɪt/where annual layers are formed and are investigatingmudsedimentsoff the coast of Santa Barbara in California and the Ernesto cave in northern Italy, wherestalactites/stə'læktaɪt/andstalagmites/stə'læɡmaɪt/accrete/əˈkrit/annual rings. Lake sediments, ice cores from Antarctica,corals/'kɔ:rəl/, tree rings and even layers ofrubbish/‘rʌbɪʃ/in landfill sites are also being considered.
sites/saɪt/. 网站（site的复数）；遗址，举办地点
stalactites/stə'læktaɪt/
n. [地质] 钟乳石
stalagmites/stə'læɡmaɪt/
石笋；石笋状
accrete/əˈkrit/
vi. 合生；增大生长；依附
corals/'kɔ:rəl/,
[无脊椎] 珊瑚（coral的复数）
rubbish/‘rʌbɪʃ/
n. 垃圾，废物；废话
Once the data has beenassembled/ə'sembəld/, it will be formally submitted to the stratigraphic/ˌstræti’ɡræfik/authorities/ɔ:'θɔritis/and the Anthropocene could be officially adopted/ə'dɔptid/within a few years. “If we were very lucky and someone came forward with, say, a core from a classic example oflaminated/'læmɪnetɪd/sediments in a deepmarine/mə'rin/environment, I think three years is possiblyviable/ˈvaɪəbəl/,” said Zalasiewicz.
stratigraphic/ˌstræti’ɡræfik/
adj. 地层的；地层学的
authorities/ɔ:'θɔritis/
n. 当局，官方（authority的复数）
adopted/ə'dɔptid/
adj. 被收养的；被采用的
laminated/‘læmɪnetɪd/
adj. 层压的；层积的；薄板状的
marine/mə’rin/
adj. 船舶的；海生的；海产的；航海的，海运的
viable/ˈvaɪəbəl/,
adj. 可行的；能养活的；能生育的
This would be lightning/'laɪtnɪŋ/speed for such a geological decision, which in the past would have taken decades/'dekeid/and even centuries to make. The term Anthropocene wascoined/kɔɪn/only in 2000, by the Nobel prize-winning scientist Paul Crutzen, who believes the name change isoverdue/'ovɚ'dʊ/. Hesaid in 2011: “This name change stresses theenormity/ɪ'nɔrməti/of humanity’s responsibility asstewards/'stju:əd/of the Earth.” Crutzen also identified in 2007 what he called the“great acceleration”of human impacts on the planet from the mid-20th century.
lightning/'laɪtnɪŋ/
adj. 闪电的；快速的
coined/kɔɪn/
vt. 铸造（货币）；杜撰，创造
overdue/'ovɚ'dʊ/.
adj. 过期的；迟到的；未兑的
enormity/ɪ'nɔrməti/
n. 巨大；暴行；极恶
stewards/'stju:əd/
n. 干事；管理员；服务员（steward的复数）
v. 管理；当管理员（steward的三单形式）
Despite the WGA’s expert recommendation, the declaration of the Anthropocene is not yet aforegone/'fɔrɡɔn/conclusion. “Ourstratigraphiccolleagues are very protective/prə’tɛktɪv/of the geological time scale. They see it very rightly as the backbone/'bæk'bon/of geology and they do notamend/ə'mɛnd/it lightly/'laɪtli/,” said Zalasiewicz. “But I think we can prepare a pretty good case.”
foregone/‘fɔrɡɔn/
adj. 过去的；先前的；预知的；预先决定的
backbone/'bæk'bon/of
n. 支柱；主干网；决心，毅力；脊椎
amend/ə'mɛnd/
vt. 修改；改善，改进
lightly/'laɪtli/
adv. 轻轻地；轻松地；容易地；不费力地
Rapley also said there was a strong case: “It is highly appropriate that geologists should payformalattention to a change in the signal within sedimentary rock layers that will be clearly apparent to future generations of geologists for as long as they exist. The ‘great acceleration’constitutes/'kɑnstətut/a strong, detectable andincontrovertible/ˌɪnkɑntrə’vɝtəbl/signal.”
constitutes/‘kɑnstətut/
vt. 组成，构成；建立；任命
incontrovertible/ˌɪnkɑntrə’vɝtəbl/
adj. 无可争议的；无疑的；明白的
Evidence of the Anthropocene
Human activity has:
Pushed extinction rates of animals and plants far above the long-term average. The Earth is on course to see 75% of species become extinct in the next few centuries if current trends continue.
Increased levels of climate-warming CO2 in the atmosphere/'ætməsfɪr/atthe fastest rate for 66m years, withfossil-fuelburning pushing levels from 280 parts per million before theindustrial revolutionto400ppm and rising today.
Put so much plastic in ourwaterways/'wɔtɚwe/and oceans thatmicroplasticparticles are nowvirtually/ˈvɚtʃuəli/ubiquitous, and plastics will likely leave identifiable fossil records for future generations to discover.
waterways/‘wɔtɚwe/
n. 航道；水路；排水沟
virtually/ˈvɚtʃuəli/
adv. 事实上，几乎；实质上
Doubled the nitrogen/'naɪtrədʒən/and phosphorous音/‘fɑsfərəs/in our soils in the past century with fertiliser/'fə:tilaisə/use. This is likely to be the largest impact/ɪm'pækt/on the nitrogen cycle in 2.5bn years.
Left a permanent layer of airborne particulates in sediment and glacial ice such as black carbon from fossil fuel burning.
