（註：文章發表於2019年11月11日。）
一項新報告稱，降低船舶速度對人類、自然和氣候都有巨大益處。減速20%不僅能減少溫室氣體排放，還能減少危害人類健康的污染物質，比如黑碳和氮氧化物。
Ships of all sorts and sizes transport around 80% of the world’s goods by volume. But these voyages come at a considerable cost in carbon, with shipping generating around 3% of all global emissions.
按體積計算，各種大小的船舶共運輸世界上約 80% 的貨物。但這些航行的代價是相當多的碳排放，船運產生的碳排放占全球排放總量的3% 左右。
Now researchers say they have a relatively easy solution: just slow down. Cutting speeds by a fifth would reduce CO2 but also limit sulphur and nitrogen oxides, which are damaging to human health. Going slower would also protect whales, improve safety and could save shipping companies’ money.
現在，研究人員表示，他們有一個相對簡單的解決辦案：放慢速度。船隻減速五分一不僅會減少二氧化碳的排放，還會限制硫氧化物和氮氧化物的排放，這兩種物質對人體健康有害。減速航行還可以保護鯨魚、提高安全性，也可能為船運公司節省資金。
A meeting of the International Maritime Organization in London this week will consider the proposal with some in the industry now supporting the idea. The shipping business is already familiar with the slow steaming concept. In the global recession of 2008, cargo ships slowed down by 12% on average to cut costs. This helped reduce their daily fuel consumption and carbon emissions by over a quarter.
國際海事組織將在本周舉行的一次會議中審議這一提議，目前一些業內人士表示支持。航運業已經熟悉瞭慢速航行的概念。在2008年全球經濟衰退過程中，貨船為削減成本平均減速12%。這幫他們減少瞭超過四分之一的日常燃料消耗和碳排放。
詞匯
transport 運輸，運送
goods 貨物，貨品
by volume 按體積算
voyages 航海，航行
shipping 船運，海運
emissions 排放
cutting speeds 減速
sulphur 硫， 硫磺
nitrogen oxides 氮氧化物
damaging 有害的
cargo ships 貨船
fuel consumption 燃料消耗
閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。
1. True or false? The idea of slow steaming is already known to some in the shipping industry.
2. What percentage of the world’s goods do ships transport by volume?
3. What is the relatively easy solution suggested by researchers to reduce emissions?
4. What are the benefits of cutting the speed of ships, according to the text?
答案
1. True or false? The idea of slow steaming is already known to some in the shipping industry.
True. The shipping business is already familiar with the slow steaming concept.
2. What percentage of the world’s goods do ships transport by volume?
Ships of all sorts and sizes transport around 80% of the world’s goods by volume.
3. What is the relatively easy solution suggested by researchers to reduce emissions?
The relatively easy solution is: just slow down.
4. What are the benefits of cutting the speed of ships, according to the text?
Cutting the speed of ships by a fifth would reduce CO2 but also limit sulphur and nitrogen oxides. Going slower would also protect whales, improve safety and could save shipping companies’ money.
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