Early energy sources were simple; fire was discovered to heat things, and then along came conversion – such as fire under a kettle producing steam. But times have changed, and the impact of using non-renewable sources of energy, or fossil fuels, is one that we can no longer afford to ignore.

早期能源其实很简单，火是用于加热的，不过随后其用途发生了变化，如在水壶下生火产生蒸汽。然而，时代不同了，人类无法忽视使用不可再生能源或化石燃料造成的影响。

The reason for this is clear once you take a look at any major city. The social, health, and environmental risks caused by fossil fuels are undeniable – but so too are the benefits of the booming clean energy sector. This is why much of the world is working to move in a different direction.

看看大城市，我们就能找到原因。毋庸置疑，化石燃料在社会、健康和环境风险方面造成了不利影响，但蓬勃发展的清洁能源行业带来的好处也显而易见，这就是为什么世界上大部分地区都在努力朝着不同的方向发展。

Renewable energy is generated from natural processes that are continuously replenished. This includes sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, water, and various forms of biomass which cannot be exhausted. What’s more, with easier access and lower set-up and management costs, it’s now a more appealing choice for many.

可再生能源来自自然循环过程，包括阳光、地热、风、潮汐、水和各种形式的无法耗尽的自然物质。此外，正如国家发改委指出的那样，可再生能源更便捷，设置和管理成本更低，对许多人而言是一个更具吸引力的选择。

As governments worldwide work to find ways to collectively improve their use of renewables, agreements like the Paris Accord go a long way in ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.

世界各国政府努力寻找改善可再生能源使用的方法，《巴黎协定》等协议在确保后代拥有一个更健康的地球方面发挥了很大作用。

Along with China and India, countries like France, Germany, Norway, and Britain are taking a further step by banning gas-powered cars by as early as 2025 and moving toward Electric Vehicles or EVs. It’s just one of many remarkable developments around EVs that heralds the arrival of a revolution - sooner than most analysts expected.

与中国和印度一样，法国、德国、挪威和英国等国正在采取进一步措施，最早在2025年禁止燃气汽车，开始使用电动汽车。这只是电动汽车的许多显著发展之一，一场汽车革命即将到来，这比大多数分析师预期的要快。

While it’s important that governments lead by example, it’s encouraging to see businesses step up to the plate as well. Following Puerto Rico’s devastating Hurricane Maria, companies like Tesla, Duracell, and Virgin jumped in and began sending battery and solar supplies to stand in for the aging power grid.

政府固然需要以身作则，但企业纷纷挺身而出，献出自己的一份力量也十分重要。在波多黎各毁灭性的飓风玛丽亚之后，特斯拉、杜拉塞尔和维珍等公司加入进来，开始运送电池和太阳能供应，取代老化的电网。

词汇小结：

• conversion：转变；转换；转化

• undeniable：不可否认的；确凿的

• booming：飞速发展的，繁荣的；（声音）低沉洪亮的；奋力撞击的

• replenish：补充；重新装满

• biomass：生物量

• heralds：预兆，传令官，使者

材料来源：BusinessEnglishpod

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