鲸是世界上最大的动物。它们不仅对生态环境很重要，而且在减少大气中的二氧化碳方面还发挥着独特的作用。
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. 环保人士（由environmental加上表示人的后缀-ist）
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
phrase /freɪz/ n. 短语
button /ˈbʌt(ə)n/ n. 徽章
bumper sticker 汽车保险杠贴纸
practically /ˈpræktɪk(ə)li/ adv. 几乎
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 指体型大的鲸
fascinating /ˈfæs(ə)neɪtɪŋ/ adj. 令人着迷的
cute /kjuːt/ adj. 可爱的
as hell 非常（表示强调）
carbon /ˈkɑːb(ə)n/ n. 碳
atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪə(r)/ n. 大气、空气
accumulate /əˈkjuːmjuleɪt/ v. 积累、积聚
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（惊人的）," 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. 货币的
fund /fʌnd/ n. 基金
economist /ɪˈkɒnəmɪst/ n. 经济学家（由economy加上表示人的后缀-ist）
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ n./v. 捕获
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ n. 潜力
truly /ˈtruːli/ adv. 真地（表示强调；由true加后缀-ly变成副词）
state /steɪt/ v. 陈述、说明
conservative /kənˈsɜːvətɪv/ adj. 保守的
estimate /ˈestɪmət/ n. 估计
based on 基于
activity /ækˈtɪvəti/ n. 活动
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. 发展过程
absorb /əbˈzɔːb/ v. 吸收
ton /tʌn/ n. 吨
meanwhile /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ adv. 另一方面
There's more: Whales also save the planet in other ways. Their massive, iron-rich poops（粪便） 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. 丰富的
boost /buːst/ v. 提高、促进
growth /ɡrəʊθ/ n. 生长
crucial /ˈkruːʃ(ə)l/ adj. 至关重要的
source /sɔːs/ n. 来源
marine /məˈriːn/ adj. 海洋的
contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ v. 贡献
oxygen /ˈɒksɪdʒən/ n. 氧气
responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəb(ə)l/ adj. 负有责任的
"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/ 客观全面地看待事物
calculate /ˈkælkjuleɪt/ v. 计算
equivalent /ɪˈkwɪv(ə)l(ə)nt/ adj. 等同的、等价的
trillion /ˈtrɪljən/ n. 万亿
Amazon /ˈæməz(ə)n/ 指南美洲的亚马逊河
productivity /ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/ n. 生产率
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十亿
mature /məˈtʃʊə(r)/ adj. 成熟的、长成的
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（渔场） 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. 保护
costly /ˈkɒstli/ adj. 花钱多的（由cost加后缀-ly变成形容词）
investment /ɪnˈvestmənt/ n. 投资（由invest加后缀-ment变成名词）
quantify /ˈkwɒntɪfaɪ/ v. 量化
economic /ˌekəˈnɒmɪk/ adj. 经济的（由economy加后缀-ic变成形容词）
enhance /ɪnˈhɑːns/ v. 增强、提高…的质量
ecotourism /ˈiːkəʊˌtʊərɪz(ə)m/ n. 生态旅游（由tourism加上表示生态的前缀eco-）
peg ... at 把…定在某个水平
Of course, whales can't be a replacement for transformative（带来彻底改变的） 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（减少） emissions.
replacement /rɪˈpleɪsmənt/ n. 替代品（由replace加后缀-ment变成名词）
global /ˈɡləʊb(ə)l/ adj. 全球的、全世界的
economy /ɪˈkɒnəmi/ n. 经济
in large part 在很大程度上
fossil /ˈfɒs(ə)l/ n. 化石
take on 跟…斗争
crisis /ˈkraɪsɪs/ n. 危机
make a case for 为…提供充分理由
convincing /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/ adj. 有说服力的
key /kiː/ adj. 关键的
emission /ɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 排放、排放量
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