10几年前，北京仅以2票之差惜败于悉尼，一条重要的原因就是环保，悉尼正是打出“环保牌”才最终赢得了奥运主办权。今天，环保不仅是北京申奥、举办奥运的口号民，更是造逼于中国人民的千秋大业。绿色奥运（the Green Olympics）是我们应该铭记的目标

Dialogue

L=Lynch　　M=Manning

L: Oh, today's weather is awful. The wind blows so strongly and dust blows everywhere.

L: 嗳，今天的天气真糟糕，风这么大，到处是尘土。

M: Yeah, it's terrible. But you know, it's not uncommon¹ to have such dust storms in Beijing.

M: 是的，太糟糕了。但是你知道，沙尘暴在北京不算稀奇。

L: Why do the dust storms come so strongly this year? I've never seen such strong storms before.

L: 为什么今年的沙尘暴来得如此激烈呢？以前我从没有见过这么厉害的沙尘暴。

M: According to the meteorologists view, the dust weather has much to do with the scarcity² of rain, the dry air and exposed soil with immature³ plants in the area.

M: 据气象专家说，恶劣天气是由天旱少雨、空气干燥和植被稀少后土壤裸露造成的。

L: Right, right.

L: 对，对。

M: And the worsening desertification is another major reason.

M: 日益严重的沙漠化是另一个重要原因。

L: To tell the truth, I don't like Beijing for two reasons. One is the pollution, and the other is the serious traffic jam.

L: 老实说，我不喜欢北京有2个原因。一是污染，二是严重的交通问题。

M: Desertification and pollution caused by the heavy industries and car exhaust emission⁴ makes Beijing an entremely dirty city to live in.

M: 土壤沙漠化、重工业污染和汽车尾气排放使北京倍受污染。

L: In China, economic development has often been achieved at the cost of the environment.

L: 在中国，经济发展往往以牺牲环境为代价。

M: But Beijing has tightened⁵ its environmental protection measures in the past few year.

M: 但是这些年北京一直在强化一些环境保护措施。

L: Yes, Beijing hopes to host a "Green Olympics".

L: 是的，北京希望举办一届“绿色奥运”。

M: I hope Beijng starts to take on a new look now.

M: 我希望北京从现在起能展露一种新貌。

L: I hope so.

L: 我也希望如此。

Notes:

Meteorologist: n. 气象学家

Immature: adj. 不成熟的　　desertification: n. 土壤沙漠化