2001年高考英语全国卷 - 阅读理解C

Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem.
当今世界许多城市污染严重，生产方式粗放以及消费者对环保产品的需求不足加重了污染问题。

One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of.
结果是，数以百万吨计的玻璃、纸张、塑料和金属容器被生产出来，这些很难消除。

However, today, more and more consumers are choosing "green" and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment.Before they buy a product,they ask questions like these: "Will this shampoo damage the environment?" "Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?"
不过，如今有越来越多的消费者选择“绿色”，要求他们购买的产品是对环境安全的。在购买产品之前，他们会问：“这种洗发水会破坏环境吗？”“这种金属容器可以重复使用还是只能一次性使用？”

A recent study showed that two out of five adults now consider the environmental safety of a product before they buy it. This means that companies must now change the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are "green," that is,friendly to the environment.
最近的一项研究表明，现在有五分之二的成年人在购买产品之前会考虑产品对环境是否安全。这意味着公司现在必须改变产品的生产和销售方式，以确保产品“绿色”，即对环境友好。

Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products carry labels to show that the product is green. Some companies have made the manufacturing of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.
几年前，超市里还找不到绿色产品，但现在有了数百件。一些超市的产品上贴有绿色产品标识，一些公司让生产清洁和安全的产品成了他们的主要卖点，并在广告中强调。

The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business.
对更安全、更清洁的环境的考虑正促使企业重新思考如何开展业务。

No longer will the public accept the old attitude of "Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it. " The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.
公众将不再接受“买、用、扔、忘”的旧态度。公众的压力越来越大，企业也正逐渐规范它的行为。