碳中和 Carbon Neutrality — HSK 5 Reading

第一次dì-yī cì听到tīngdào“碳中和tàn zhōnghé”这个zhège词cí，是shì在zài电视diànshì新闻xīnwén里lǐ，说实话shuō shíhuà，我wǒ当时dāngshí完全wánquán没méi听懂tīngdǒng。

The first time I heard the term "carbon neutrality" was on the TV news, and to be honest, I understood none of it at the time.

后来hòulái查chá了le资料zīliào才cái明白míngbai：简单jiǎndān说shuō，就jiù是shì排放páifàng多少duōshao二氧化碳èryǎnghuàtàn，就jiù要yào减少jiǎnshǎo或者huòzhě吸收xīshōu多少duōshao，让ràng总数zǒngshù等于děngyú零líng。

Only after looking it up did I understand: simply put, however much carbon dioxide you emit, you must reduce or absorb that same amount, so the total equals zero.

中国Zhōngguó的de目标mùbiāo是shì二〇六〇年èr líng liù líng nián以前yǐqián实现shíxiàn碳中和tàn zhōnghé，这zhè意味着yìwèizhe能源néngyuán、交通jiāotōng、工业gōngyè都dōu要yào发生fāshēng巨大jùdà的de变化biànhuà。

China's goal is to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, which means energy, transportation, and industry must all undergo enormous changes.

听起来tīngqǐlai，这zhè好像hǎoxiàng只zhǐ是shì国家guójiā和hé大dà公司gōngsī的de事shì，跟gēn普通pǔtōng人rén没什么méi shénme关系guānxi。

It sounds like something that concerns only governments and big companies, with little to do with ordinary people.

但dàn仔细zǐxì想想xiǎngxiang，我们wǒmen每天měitiān的de选择xuǎnzé其实qíshí都dōu和hé它tā有关yǒuguān：开车kāichē还是háishi坐zuò地铁dìtiě，开kāi空调kōngtiáo还是háishi开kāi窗户chuānghu。

But think about it carefully: our everyday choices are actually all connected to it — drive or take the subway, turn on the air conditioner or open the window.

我家wǒ jiā楼下lóuxià的de公交车gōngjiāochē全quán换成huànchéng了le电动diàndòng的de，安静ānjìng得de我wǒ刚gāng开始kāishǐ都dōu不bù习惯xíguàn。

The buses below my building have all been switched to electric ones — so quiet that at first I couldn't even get used to it.

当然dāngrán，也yě有人yǒurén怀疑huáiyí：我wǒ一yí个ge人rén少shǎo用yòng一yí个ge塑料袋sùliàodài，真的zhēnde有用yǒuyòng吗ma？

Of course, some people doubt it: if I alone use one less plastic bag, does it really make a difference?

一yí个ge人rén的de力量lìliang确实quèshí很hěn小xiǎo，可是kěshì政策zhèngcè能néng改变gǎibiàn的de，正是zhèng shì几jǐ亿yì人rén共同gòngtóng的de习惯xíguàn。

One person's power is indeed small, but what policy can change is precisely the shared habits of hundreds of millions of people.

哪怕nǎpà只是zhǐshì出门chūmén时shí关掉guāndiào灯dēng，也yě算suàn参与cānyù了le这zhè件jiàn几十jǐshí年nián后hòu才cái能néng看到kàndào结果jiéguǒ的de大事dàshì。

Even if all you do is turn off the lights when you leave, it still counts as taking part in this great undertaking whose results will only be visible decades from now.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

碳中和tàn zhōnghécarbon neutrality

排放páifàngto emit; emission

二氧化碳èryǎnghuàtàncarbon dioxide

电动diàndòngelectric (powered)

能源néngyuánenergy (resources)

政策zhèngcèpolicy

Grammar note 语法点

哪怕…也…

'Even if… still…' — concedes an extreme or minimal case: 哪怕只是关掉灯，也算参与了。

哪怕只有一个学生来，我也会上课。— Even if only one student comes, I will still teach the class.

意味着

'To mean / to imply' — states the consequence of a fact: 这意味着能源、交通、工业都要发生巨大的变化。

选择这份工作，意味着你要经常出差。— Choosing this job means you will travel often.

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the text, what does carbon neutrality mean?

2. What change did the narrator notice near home?

3. How does the text respond to the doubt that one person's effort is useless?

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