奥巴马总统宣布在美国北冰洋大部分水域以及大西洋部分水域永久禁止石油和天然气钻探活动。
The Obama administration announced the action as the government of Canada took similar measures. Canada is placing a temporary ban on new oil and gas leasing in parts of the Arctic Ocean that it controls.
奥巴马政府宣布采取行动，加拿大政府也采取了类似措施。加拿大临时禁止在其控制的北冰洋部分地区颁发新的石油和天然气开采租约。
Obama is using part of a 1953 law to ban leases for oil and gas drilling. Offshore drilling involves recovering oil or gas below the bottom of the sea. The law the administration is using says, "the president of the United States may, from time to time, withdraw from disposition any of the unleased lands of the outer Continental Shelf."
奥巴马政府引用了1953年的一项法律禁止颁发石油和天然气钻探租约。海上钻探包括回收海底以下的石油和天然气。奥巴马政府引用的法律条文称，“美国总统有权在适当时机将外大陆架未批租土地从市场上撤回。”
The Continental Shelf is an area near land where the ocean is not very deep.
大陆架是指邻近陆地且不是很深的海洋区域。
Environmental groups hope the move will make it difficult for future presidents to change the ban.
环保组织希望此举将会使得以后的总统难以改变这条禁令。
The Obama administration said the ban was an answer to environmental concerns. These include the importance of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas to native Alaskans, and the risk that an oil spill presents to the ecosystems there.
奥巴马政府表示，这条禁令是为了回应一些环境问题，其中包括楚科奇海、波弗特海对阿拉斯加本土的重要性，以及石油泄漏对当地生态系统的风险。
Some oil industry officials disagreed with the president's action.
一些石油行业的官员不赞同奥巴马总统的这一举动。
Dan Naatz, of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, said that the ban would put the U.S. on a path of energy dependence for many years. He said that the U.S. instead should be a global energy leader.
美国独立石油协会的丹·纳茨(Dan Naatz)表示，这条禁令将会使得美国走上能源依赖的道路并持续多年。他说，美国应该成为全球能源领袖。
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to make major changes to how the U.S. produces energy. He has chosen Cabinet nominees who are strongly opposed to Obama's environmental and climate change policies.
候任总统川普曾经承诺要对美国能源生产方式做出重大变革。他遴选了一些强烈反对奥巴马环境和气候变化政策的内阁提名人。
Trump's election victory has put pressure on environmental groups and businesses that rely on tourism and fishing. Trump has said he wants to use all available fuel reserves to reduce energy imports.
川普的胜选给环保组织以及依赖旅游和渔业的企业带来了压力。川普曾表示，他希望利用所有可用的燃料储备来降低能源进口。
Jackie Savitz is a senior vice president at the environmental group Oceana. She says that the decision will help protect coastal tourism and fishing businesses from offshore drilling. She says that oil drilling provides smaller profits than supporters promise and can harm coastal life.
海洋环境保护组织高级副总裁杰姬·萨维茨（Jackie Savitz）表示，这项决定有助于防止沿海旅游业和渔业企业受到海上钻探的冲击。她说，石油钻探产生的利润低于其支持者的承诺，并且会伤害沿海生物。
What is not clear is how difficult it will be for future presidents to change Obama's decision.
目前尚不清楚未来总统要改变奥巴马的这一决定会有多难。
In 2008, President George W. Bush used a legal action to permit drilling on Outer Continental Shelf lands.
2008年，布什总统采取了一项法律行动允许在外大陆架土地上进行钻探。
However, administration officials have noted that previous "indefinite withdrawals" are still in place.
然而，政府官员注意到，以前的“无限期撤出”仍然存在。
Lawmakers have had mixed reactions to the move.
立法者对此举有着不同反应。
Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey said that President Obama is putting the interests of millions of Americans ahead of oil companies.
马萨诸塞州民主党参议员埃德·马基（ Ed Markey）说，奥巴马总统把数百万美国人的利益置于石油公司之前优先考虑。
However, Utah Representative and chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources Rob Bishop says that the president is only trying to please special interest groups.
然而，犹他州众议员以及众议院自然资源委员会主席罗伯·比修普(Rob Bishop)表示，奥巴马总统只是试图取悦特殊利益集团。
"This is not a moral calling; it's an abuse of power," he said.
他说，“这不是道德的呼唤，这是滥用权力。”
The ban is one of several efforts Obama has made in recent months to leave an environmental legacy for his presidency.
这项禁令是奥巴马最近几个月采取的一些为他的总统任期留下环保遗产的措施之一。
In August, the Obama administration announced it will increase the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii to 1.5 million square kilometers. This makes the monument the largest marine protected area in the United States.
今年8月份，奥巴马政府宣布将夏威夷的帕帕哈诺莫库阿克阿国家海洋纪念地扩大到150万平方公里，这使得它成为了美国最大的海洋保护区。
I'm Phil Dierking
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