澳大利亞總理莫裡森近日在接受澳大利亞廣播公司採訪時，為處理森林大火危機不力致歉。莫裡森政府被指責在應對氣候變化方面做得不夠。目前已有28人在火災中喪生，還有多種動物甚至面臨滅絕風險。
The sails of the Opera House are lit with images to show support for those affected by the bushfires and to express the gratitude to the emergency services and volunteers in Sydney on Saturday. [SAEED KHAN/AFP]
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed regret over his handling of the bushfire crisis ravaging the country.
澳大利亞總理斯科特·莫裡森近日為自己處理肆虐全國的森林大火不力致歉。
The PM has faced mounting criticism over his government's response to the bushfires and its climate policy.
莫裡森政府對森林大火的應對和氣候政策遭到越來越多的批評。
Since September, bushfires have killed at least 28 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
自去年9月以來，澳大利亞森林大火已造成至少28人死亡，數千座房屋被毀。
On Sunday, Mr Morrison conceded there were "things I could have handled on the ground much better".
周日（1月12日），莫裡森承認，「有些事我可以在現場處理得更好」。
In recent weeks, Mr Morrison has been heckled by locals when visiting fire-hit communities in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, where the worst blazes are concentrated.
最近幾周，莫裡森在走訪新南威爾斯州和維多利亞州的受災區時，遭到了當地人的激烈質問。新南威爾斯州和維多利亞州是此次大火的重災區。
heckle[hekl]：vt.詰問；激烈質問
An image obtained on January 3, 2020 shows evacuees being transported by landing craft to MV Sycamore at Mallacoota, Australia. [Photo/Agencies]
In the town of Cobargo in New South Wales, one woman demanded more resources for the fire service, while others called Mr Morrison an "idiot" and said "you won't be getting any votes down here".
在新南威爾斯州的科巴戈鎮，一名婦女要求為消防部門提供更多的資源，而其他人則稱莫裡森是「白痴」，並表示「你在這裡得不到任何選票」。
"These are sensitive environments, they are very emotional environments," Mr Morrison said in a TV interview with ABC.
莫裡森在接受澳大利亞廣播公司電視採訪時表示：「這些地方的人們很敏感，很情緒化。」
Acknowledging the pressure fire services were facing, Mr Morrison said there was a "new appetite" for the government to take a more direct role in responding to the disaster.
莫裡森承認消防部門面臨的壓力，他表示，政府有「新的意願」更直接地參與災難應對。
The PM said he would seek a royal commission review - a type of public inquiry - into the country's response to the bushfire crisis.
莫裡森說，他將請皇家委員會公開調查國家對森林大火危機的應對。
Last month, Mr Morrison was criticised for going on holiday to Hawaii as the bushfire crisis worsened. The rising public anger at his absence eventually forced him to cut that trip short.
上個月，就在森林大火危機惡化時，莫裡森前往夏威夷度假，因而受到批評。公眾對他的缺席越來越憤怒，最終迫使他縮短了行程。
Australian firefighters work to protect a property in Kulnura, New South Wales, early last month. [Photo/Agencies]
莫裡森政府或將改變氣候政策
Mr Morrison's government has been accused of not doing enough to address climate change, which experts say could increase the intensity, frequency and scale of bushfires.
莫裡森政府被指責在應對氣候變化方面做得不夠，專家稱這可能會增加森林火災的強度、頻率和規模。
But in the interview, the PM defended his government's approach, which he said took into account the effect of climate change on the bushfires.
但在採訪中，莫裡森為政府的做法辯護，他說，他考慮了氣候變化對森林大火的影響。
"We're living in longer, hotter, drier summers," the PM said. "This is obviously affected by the broader changes in climate."
「現在的夏季更長、更熱、更乾燥」，他說，「這顯然受到了更廣泛的氣候變化的影響。」
Pressed on his plan to reduce carbon emissions, Mr Morrison insisted his government was on track to "meet and beat" its targets.
在被追問減少碳排放的計劃時，莫裡森堅稱，政府正在「實現並超越」其目標。
Under the Paris climate agreement, Australia has pledged to cut emissions by 26% to 28% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
根據《巴黎氣候協定》，澳大利亞承諾到2030年將碳排放量在2005年的基礎上削減26%至28%。
However, Mr Morrison said a "global solution" was needed to tackle climate change.
然而，莫裡森表示，應對氣候變化需要一個「全球解決方案」。
Tens of thousands of people across Australia took part in climate change protests on Friday.
周五（1月10日），成千上萬的澳大利亞人參加了氣候變化抗議活動。
In cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, demonstrators turned out to press Mr Morrison's government to make a quick transition away from fossil fuels.
在雪梨、墨爾本和坎培拉等城市，示威者走上街頭，向莫裡森政府施壓，要求其儘快出臺擺脫對化石燃料依賴的政策。
The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, December 31, 2019, in this photo obtained from social media. [Photo/Agencies]
火災的原因是什麼？
Each year there is a fire season during the Australian summer, with hot, dry weather making it easy for blazes to start and spread.
在澳大利亞的夏季，每年都有一個火災季節，炎熱乾燥的天氣致使火災很容易發生和蔓延。
Natural causes are to blame most of the time, like lightning strikes in drought-affected forests. Dry lightning was responsible for starting a number of fires in Victoria's East Gippsland region in late December, which then traveled more than 20 kilometers in just five hours, according to state agency Victoria Emergency.
大多數情況下，自然原因是罪魁禍首，比如受乾旱影響的森林被閃電擊中。據維多利亞州緊急情況部門稱，去年12月下旬，風暴閃電導致該州東吉普斯蘭地區發生多起火災，在短短5小時內蔓延了20多公裡。
dry lightning：（無雨的）風暴閃電[美國英語]
Humans can also be to blame. NSW police have charged at least 24 people with deliberately starting bushfires, and have taken legal action against 183 people for fire-related offenses since November, according to a police statement.
人類也有責任。據新南威爾斯州警方的一份聲明，自去年11月以來，該州警方已起訴至少24人蓄意縱火，並對183人的火災相關犯罪行為採取法律措施。
Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers and NSW Fire and Rescue officers fight a bushfire encroaching on properties near Termeil, Australia, on Dec, 3, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
目前火災的情況如何？
Bushfire conditions eased on Saturday, giving firefighters temporary respite in areas where blazes are still raging.
周六（1月11日），火勢有所緩解，讓仍在救災地區的消防員有了暫時喘息的機會。
But with more hot weather expected next week, the risk was far from over, authorities warned.
但有關部門警告說，由於預計下周還會有更多的高溫天氣，風險遠未消失。
Authorities have warned that the huge fires, spurred by high temperatures, wind and a three-year-drought, will persist until there is substantial rainfall.
當局警告說，由高溫、大風和三年乾旱引發的大火將一直持續，直到大量降雨來臨。
More than 123 fires are still burning across New South Wales, with 50 said to be uncontained.
新南威爾斯州有超過123處大火仍在燃燒，其中50處仍未得到控制。
According to NSW Rural Fire Service, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed so far during this fire season.
據新南威爾斯州鄉村消防局稱，到目前為止，已經有2000多所房屋被大火燒毀。
In Victoria, there were 32 bushfire warnings in place as of Saturday. A firefighter died while tackling a blaze in the state on Saturday, bringing the death toll from this season's bushfires to 28.
截至周六（1月11日），維多利亞州已經發布了32個森林火災預警。當日，一名消防員在該州滅火時死亡，使得本季森林大火死亡人數達到28人。
A koala drinks water offered from a bottle by a firefighter during bushfires in Cudlee Creek, south Australia. [Photo/REUTERS]
有多少動物在火災中喪生？
About half a billion animals have been affected by the fires across NSW, with millions likely dead -- and that's a conservative estimate. That number of total animals affected could be as high as one billion nationwide, according to ecologists from the University of Sydney.
據保守估計，新南威爾斯州約有五億隻動物受到火災影響，數百萬隻動物或已死亡。據雪梨大學的生態學家說，全國受影響的動物總數可能高達10億。
The figures for NSW include birds, reptiles, and mammals, except bats. It also excludes insects and frogs, so the real sum is almost certain to be higher, the ecologists said.
新南威爾斯州的數據包括鳥類、爬行動物和哺乳動物，但蝙蝠除外。生態學家說，這個數字還不包括昆蟲和青蛙，所以實際的數字幾乎肯定會更高。
Vets and volunteers treat koalas at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park on Kangaroo Island, southwest of Adelaide, Australia, January 10, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
Almost a third of koalas in NSW may have been killed in the fires, and a third of their habitat has been destroyed, said Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
澳大利亞環境部長蘇珊·雷表示，新南威爾斯州近三分之一的考拉可能在大火中喪生，三分之一的棲息地也遭到破壞。
Some species, like koalas, aren't in any immediate danger of extinction because they are spread out across the country, said the university ecologists. But others that live in more niche environments with lower populations, including certain types of frogs and birds, could be wiped out entirely if their habitats are hit by the fires.
雪梨大學的生態學家說，考拉等物種不會馬上滅絕，因為它們分布在全國各地。但其他生活範圍更小、種群數量更少的動物，包括某些種類的青蛙和鳥類，如果它們的棲息地受到火災的侵襲，可能會徹底滅絕。
英文來源：BBC、CNN
翻譯&編輯：yaning
來源：中國日報網