Tianjin and Shanghai might be immersed under sea

时间：2007-03-22 00:27:27

（单词翻译:单击）

Chinanews, Shanghai, Mar1. 21 – On Monday, British environmental correspondent Paul Brown called the Shanghai Morning Post to warn about the possible dangers that might face Shanghai as a result of global warming.

 

“Just as I told some of my Chinese friends, by 2050, the average global temperature will rise by 2 degrees Celsius2. Supposing it to be the case, some Chinese coastal3 cities, including Shanghai, will be submerged under water,” he said.

 

A reporter from the Shanghai Morning Post then interviewed Chen Manchun, a research fellow from the Environmental Department at the National Marine4 Data and Information Service (NMDIS). Chen confirmed that some Chinese coastal cities, like Shanghai and Tianjin, might be threatened by rising sea level. However, he also pointed5 out that with effective preventive measures, the danger might only be a theoretical one.

 

“Sea water rising is a global trend and we can do nothing about it. The problem is caused by both natural forces and human activities. In China, some large cities, such as Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou, are built in estuaries6. Due to the excessive exploitation of underground water and the construction of large buildings, the ground of these cities has subsided7 quickly. At the same time, the sea level around these cities has kept rising, which has made the problem even worse. What we need to do is to take some countermeasures to prevent it from happening. The problem he (Paul Brown) raised was based on the assumption that we don’t take any new measures to handle the problem,” Chen said.

 

Chen also showed the reporter some information that his team gathered through research. According to his information, by 2050, the sea water level near the Yangtze River Delta8 region will rise by 20-60 centimeters from 2000, and the sea water level near the Circum-Bohai Ring area will rise by 30-60 centimeters.

 

“At present, we are doing related assessment9 work about the problem of sea water rise near Tianjin under the guidance of the State Oceanic Administration. After finishing this, we will kick off the assessment work on a national scale,” he said.

 

Chen also pointed out that China faced a tough task of preventing sea water from rising.

 

“China has a very long coastline, which makes it very difficult to build a dam to present sea water from flowing in, like what has been done in the Netherlands. If we plan to build a similar dam, the input10 will be enormous. Although the rise of sea water is a long process, the disaster, once formed, can occur very soon. We need to draw a lesson from the disastrous11 flood that occurred in New Orleans of the United States in 2005, and it is urgent for us to carry out research on the issue,” he said.

 
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1 mar f7Kzq     
vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟
参考例句：
  • It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
  • Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。
2 Celsius AXRzl     
adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的
参考例句：
  • The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
  • The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。
3 coastal WWiyh     
adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的
参考例句：
  • The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
  • This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
4 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵
参考例句：
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
5 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
6 estuaries 60f47b2d23159196be8449188dca90a4     
（江河入海的）河口，河口湾( estuary的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • We also recognize the diversity and complexity of controlling in fluences in estuaries. 我们也认识到在河湾内控制影响的多样性和复杂性。
  • Estuaries also contribute to economy through tourism and fishing. 河口还为人类提供了休闲和教育的场所。
7 subsided 1bda21cef31764468020a8c83598cc0d     
v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上
参考例句：
  • After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 delta gxvxZ     
n.（流的）角洲
参考例句：
  • He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
  • The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。
9 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额
参考例句：
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？
10 input X6lxm     
n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机
参考例句：
  • I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
  • All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。
11 disastrous 2ujx0     
adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的
参考例句：
  • The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
  • Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

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