2013年高考英语天津卷 - 阅读理解B

Last night’s meteor shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhea.
昨晚的流星雨让社区中许多人感到不满，并期待解答。据翡翠谷市长加布·罗斯柴尔德说，人们聚集在城市郊区，携带大型望远镜，期待着观看明亮燃烧的流星穿过天空。然而，他们看见的只是一片被城市的灯光照亮的天空，掠过头顶的流星雨光线因此变暗。

“My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby. “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”
“我的家人非常沮丧，”镇上居民杜安·科斯比承认，“我们本以为这会是一次难忘的家庭郊游，但结果却令人大大的失望。”

Astronomers - scientists who study stars and planets - have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
天文学家——研究恒星和行星的科学家——几十年来一直在抱怨这个问题。他们说，光污染让他们无法看到天空中过去很容易看到的星体。他们呼吁人们和政府采取措施。

There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”
除了专业和业余的恒星观测者之外，还有部分生物更容易受到光污染的影响，包括鸟、蝙蝠、青蛙、蛇等。例如，室外照明严重影响候鸟。据国际夜空协会称。“北美每年有一亿只鸟死于与灯火通明的建筑物或大楼相撞。”

Countless more animal casualties result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer.
使用人工照明会造成大量动物伤亡。显然，人们享受晚上照明的好处，但一些科学家认为这也可能对人类有害。他们担心睡觉时暴露在光线下会增加人患癌症的几率。

Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona，has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.
翡翠谷是唯一一个意识到光污染负面影响的社区。多年来，亚利桑那州弗拉格斯塔夫市一直在该市实施照明限制，以帮助洛厄尔天文台的天文学家。世界各地也做出了类似的努力，一项运动正在进行中，提醒我们在不使用灯时关灯，以便其他生物可以共享夜晚。