鯨是世界上最大的動物。它們不僅對生態環境很重要，而且在減少大氣中的二氧化碳方面還發揮着獨特的作用。
Why we should save whales
by Dharna Noor
Environmentalists have been demanding that we save the whales for decades. The phrase has been printed on so many buttons and T-shirts and bumper stickers that it's practically a joke. But we should probably listen to them.
environmentalist /ɪnˌvaɪr(ə)nˈment(ə)lɪst/ n. 環保人士（由environmental加上表示人的後綴-ist）
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
phrase /freɪz/ n. 短語
button /ˈbʌt(ə)n/ n. 徽章
bumper sticker 汽車保險槓貼紙
practically /ˈpræktɪk(ə)li/ adv. 幾乎
Great whales are not only fascinating and cute as hell, they also keep carbon out of the atmosphere. When they're alive – and they often live for 200 years – they accumulate carbon dioxide in their bodies. When they die, they sink to the ocean's floor, carbon still in tow.
great whale 指體型大的鯨
fascinating /ˈfæs(ə)neɪtɪŋ/ adj. 令人着迷的
cute /kjuːt/ adj. 可愛的
as hell 非常（表示強調）
carbon /ˈkɑːb(ə)n/ n. 碳
atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪə(r)/ n. 大氣、空氣
accumulate /əˈkjuːmjuleɪt/ v. 積累、積聚
carbon dioxide /daɪˈɒksaɪd/ 二氧化碳
in tow /təʊ/ 被拖着
According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) economists, those services are worth millions of dollars. "The carbon capture potential of whales is truly startling（驚人的）," a recent IMF report states. "Our conservative estimates put the value of the average great whale, based on its various activities, at more than $2 million."
monetary /ˈmʌnɪtri/ adj. 貨幣的
fund /fʌnd/ n. 基金
economist /ɪˈkɒnəmɪst/ n. 經濟學家（由economy加上表示人的後綴-ist）
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ n./v. 捕獲
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ n. 潛力
truly /ˈtruːli/ adv. 真地（表示強調；由true加後綴-ly變成副詞）
state /steɪt/ v. 陳述、說明
conservative /kənˈsɜːvətɪv/ adj. 保守的
estimate /ˈestɪmət/ n. 估計
based on 基於
activity /ækˈtɪvəti/ n. 活動
Over the course of its life, each great whale absorbs an average of 33 tons of carbon dioxide, taking that carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries. A tree, meanwhile, absorbs only up to 22 kilograms of CO2 a year.
course /kɔːs/ n. 發展過程
absorb /əbˈzɔːb/ v. 吸收
ton /tʌn/ n. 噸
meanwhile /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ adv. 另一方面
There's more: Whales also save the planet in other ways. Their massive, iron-rich poops（糞便） boost phytoplankton（浮游植物） growth, which is crucial because phytoplankton are the main food source for marine life, contribute half of the world's oxygen to the atmosphere, and are responsible for capturing 40 percent of all carbon on Earth.
massive /ˈmæsɪv/ adj. 巨大的
rich /rɪtʃ/ adj. 豐富的
boost /buːst/ v. 提高、促進
growth /ɡrəʊθ/ n. 生長
crucial /ˈkruːʃ(ə)l/ adj. 至關重要的
source /sɔːs/ n. 來源
marine /məˈriːn/ adj. 海洋的
contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ v. 貢獻
oxygen /ˈɒksɪdʒən/ n. 氧氣
responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəb(ə)l/ adj. 負有責任的
"To put things in perspective, we calculate that this is equivalent to the amount of CO2 captured by 1.7 trillion trees – four Amazon forests' worth – or 70 times the amount absorbed by all the trees in the U.S. Redwood National and State Parks each year," the report says. "Increasing phytoplankton productivity by just one percent would capture hundreds of millions more carbon each year, which is "equivalent to the sudden appearance of 2 billion mature trees."
put things in perspective /pəˈspektɪv/ 客觀全面地看待事物
calculate /ˈkælkjuleɪt/ v. 計算
equivalent /ɪˈkwɪv(ə)l(ə)nt/ adj. 等同的、等價的
trillion /ˈtrɪljən/ n. 萬億
Amazon /ˈæməz(ə)n/ 指南美洲的亞馬遜河
productivity /ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/ n. 生產率
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十億
mature /məˈtʃʊə(r)/ adj. 成熟的、長成的
Whale conservation can be difficult and costly, but the scientists say it's worth the investment. In the report, they quantified the worth of the world's whale population based on the price of carbon and other economic benefits the animals can provide, like enhancing fisheries（漁場） and boosting ecotourism. The scientists pegged the value of the world's population of great whales at over $1 trillion.
conservation /ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 保護
costly /ˈkɒstli/ adj. 花錢多的（由cost加後綴-ly變成形容詞）
investment /ɪnˈvestmənt/ n. 投資（由invest加後綴-ment變成名詞）
quantify /ˈkwɒntɪfaɪ/ v. 量化
economic /ˌekəˈnɒmɪk/ adj. 經濟的（由economy加後綴-ic變成形容詞）
enhance /ɪnˈhɑːns/ v. 增強、提高…的質量
ecotourism /ˈiːkəʊˌtʊərɪz(ə)m/ n. 生態旅遊（由tourism加上表示生態的前綴eco-）
peg ... at 把…定在某個水平
Of course, whales can't be a replacement for transformative（帶來徹底改變的） change. The global economy is in large part built on fossil fuels, and it's going to take a lot more than whale conservation to change that. But as we take on the climate crisis, the report makes a very convincing case for whales being a key part of the plan to curtail（減少） emissions.
replacement /rɪˈpleɪsmənt/ n. 替代品（由replace加後綴-ment變成名詞）
global /ˈɡləʊb(ə)l/ adj. 全球的、全世界的
economy /ɪˈkɒnəmi/ n. 經濟
in large part 在很大程度上
fossil /ˈfɒs(ə)l/ n. 化石
take on 跟…鬥爭
crisis /ˈkraɪsɪs/ n. 危機
make a case for 爲…提供充分理由
convincing /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/ adj. 有說服力的
key /kiː/ adj. 關鍵的
emission /ɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 排放、排放量
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