气候变化导致花粉增多 过敏季节提前

    Scientists at the University of Michigan say you are right if you think allergy season is getting worse and lasting longer.
    密歇根大学的科学家表示,如果你认为过敏季节越来越严重,并且持续时间更长,那么你的感觉是对的。

    Climate change makes trees and plants produce more pollen, and start earlier. The bad news is that it will continue to get worse.
    气候变化使树木和植物产生更多花粉,并更早开始产粉。坏消息是情况还将继续恶化。

    The Michigan researchers say allergy season in the United States used to start around the middle of March. Now, however, especially in the warmer southeastern part of the country, it starts about one month earlier.
    密歇根大学的研究人员说,美国的过敏季节过去通常在3月下旬左右才开始。然而现在,尤其是在美国较为温暖的东南部,过敏季节大约提前了一个月开始。

    If climate change continues at its current pace, it might start around January 1 by the year 2100. If, however, reductions in greenhouse gas are put in place, the sneezing would start closer to the end of January.
    如果气候变化以目前的速度继续下去,它可能会在2100年的1月1日左右就开始。然而如果减少温室气体排放,打喷嚏将在接近1月底时开始。

    Around the world, about 30 percent of people suffer from pollen allergies. Among children in the U.S., that number is about 40 percent.
    全世界约有30%的人患有花粉过敏症。在美国的儿童中,这个数字约为40%。

    Yingxiao Zhang is lead author of the study, recently published in the journal Nature Communications. He said sneezing and runny noses associated with allergies cause people to miss work and spend more money on health care. The lost days of work hurt global economies.
    张英晓是这项最近发表在《自然通讯》上的研究的主要作者。他说,过敏造成的打喷嚏和流鼻涕会导致人们耽误工作,并在医疗保健上花费更多钱。工作缺勤会伤害全球经济。

    There are also about 25 million Americans with the condition known as asthma, which can make breathing difficult. Allergy season is extra hard for them. A longer allergy season in the future could cause problems, said Amir Sapkota, a professor from the University of Maryland. He was not involved in the Michigan study.
    还有大约2500万美国人患有哮喘,这会导致呼吸困难。过敏季节对他们来说尤为艰难。马里兰大学教授阿米尔·萨普科塔表示,未来更长的过敏季节可能会导致问题。他没有参与密歇根大学的这项研究。

    Those in the southeastern U.S. will have more problems due to the warming climate, said Allison Steiner, who worked on the study. In addition, those in the northwestern U.S. will see alder tree pollen start much sooner. People in Texas sensitive to cypress tree pollen will notice a change.
    参与这项研究的艾立森·施泰纳表示,由于气候变暖,美国东南部的人们将面临更多问题。此外,美国西北部地区的桤木花粉会更快开始出现。得克萨斯州对柏树花粉过敏的人将会注意到这种变化。

    Other people who react to pollen from certain grasses and ragweed will also notice a difference in coming years, Zhang said.
    张英晓表示,对某些草或豚草花粉有反应的其他人在未来几年也会注意到不同之处。

    Bill Anderegg is a biologist and climate scientist at the University of Utah. He was not involved in the study. He said the new study notes that the next pollen increase will be twice as large as the increase since 1990. He called the Michigan study "important." He also said the pollen increase will have serious "health consequences."
    比尔·安德雷格是犹他大学的生物学家和气候科学家。他没有参与这项研究。他说,这项新研究指出,下一次花粉增加量将是自1990年以来增加量的两倍。他称密歇根州的这项研究非常重要。他还表示,花粉增加将会产生严重的健康后果。

    I'm Dan Friedell.
    我是丹·弗里德尔。(51VOA.COM原创翻译,请勿转载,违者必究!)