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Since the middle of the 20th century, humans have had a very strong effect on planet Earth.
自20世纪中叶以来，人类对地球产生了非常大的影响。
These effects have included climate change, species loss and pollution.
这些影响包括气候变化、物种丧失和污染。
Humanity's impact has been so strong that scientists say a new geological epoch began then.
人类的影响如此之大，以至于科学家说，一个新的地质时代从此开始了。
The scientists call it the Anthropocene epoch.
科学家称之为“人类世”。
The word comes from the Greek terms for "human" and "new."
这个词来自希腊语中表示“人类”和“新的”单词。
This epoch started sometime between 1950 and 1954, the scientists say.
科学家表示，这个时代开始于1950年到1954年之间的某个时候。
There is evidence worldwide of the harmful impact on the Earth's health of burning fossil fuels, dropping nuclear weapons and releasing fertilizers and plastics on land and in water.
全世界都有证据表明，燃烧化石燃料、投放核武器以及向陆地和水中排放化肥和塑料对地球健康造成有害影响。
"It's quite clear that the scale of change has intensified unbelievably and that has to be human impact," said University of Leicester geologist Colin Waters.
莱斯特大学的地质学家科林·沃特斯说：“很明显，变化的规模已经加剧到令人难以置信的地步了，这肯定是人类的影响。”
He led the Anthropocene Working Group.
他领导了人类世工作组。
The scientists say the power of humans is comparable with the meteorite that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago.
科学家表示，人类的力量堪比6600万年前撞击地球的陨石。
The meteorite killed off the dinosaurs and started the Cenozoic Era, or what is known as the age of mammals.
那颗陨石杀死了恐龙，开启了新生代，也就是众所周知的哺乳动物时代。
While that meteorite started a whole new era, the working group is proposing that humans only started a new epoch.
虽然那颗陨石开启了一个全新的时代，但该工作组提出，人类只是开启了一个新时期。
An epoch is a much smaller geological time period.
epoch指的是一个更小的地质时期。
The scientists are proposing a small but deep lake outside of Toronto, Canada, to place a historic marker.
科学家建议在加拿大多伦多郊外一个小而深的湖上放置一个历史性的标志。
The lake is called Crawford Lake.
这个湖叫克劳福德湖。
The group aims to decide on an exact start date of the Anthropocene by measuring plutonium levels at the bottom of Crawford Lake.
该工作组的目标是通过测量克劳福德湖底的钚含量来确定人类世的确切开始日期。
Crawford Lake is 29 meters deep and 24,000 square meters wide.
克劳福德湖深29米，面积为2.4万平方米。
It was chosen over 11 other sites because the yearly effects of human activity on the earth's soil, atmosphere and biology are clearly shown in its layers of sediment.
（科学家）之所以选择它而不是其他11个地点，是因为人类活动对地球土壤、大气和生物的年度影响在它的沉淀物层中得到了清楚的展现。
That includes everything from the effect of nuclear weapons to pollution to rising temperatures.
其中包括核武器、污染、气温上升等影响。
There are clear signs in Crawford Lake showing that, starting in 1950, "the effects of humans overwhelm the Earth system," said Francine McCarthy.
弗兰辛·麦卡锡说，在克劳福德湖有明显的迹象表明，从1950年开始，“人类的影响压倒了地球系统，”。
She is part of the working group who specializes in that site as an Earth sciences professor at Brock University in Canada.
作为加拿大布鲁克大学的地球科学教授，她是专门研究该地点的工作组的成员。
The Anthropocene shows the power — and hubris — of humankind, several scientists said.
一些科学家表示，人类世显示了人类的力量和傲慢。
Hubris is a great or foolish amount of confidence.
傲慢指的是自信心极大或愚蠢的自信。
"The hubris is in imagining that we are in control," said former U.S. White House science adviser John Holdren.
美国前白宫科学顾问约翰·霍尔德伦说：“狂妄自大在于想象我们在掌控一切。”
He was not part of the working group of scientists.
他不是科学家工作组的成员。
He disagrees with the group's proposed start date.
他不同意该组织提出的开始日期。
Instead, he wants one much earlier.
相反，他想要将日期提前。
Holdren said the power of humans to change the environment is far greater than their understanding of the impacts.
霍尔德伦说，人类改变环境的力量远远大于他们对影响的理解。
Geologists measure time in eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages, with eons being the longest.
地质学家用宙、代、纪、世和期来衡量时间，宙是最长的。
The scientific working group is proposing that Anthropocene Epoch followed the Holocene Epoch.
该科学工作组提出，人类世在全新世之后。
Holocene started about 11,700 years ago at the end of an ice age.
全新世开始于大约11700年前冰河时代的末期。
The proposal still needs to be approved by three different groups of geologists.
这项提议还需要获得三个不同的地质学家小组的批准。
It could be signed at a major conference next year.
可能会在明年举办的一次重要会议上签署。
Naomi Oreskes is a science historian with Harvard University and a working group member.
内奥米·奥雷斯克斯是哈佛大学的科学历史学家，也是工作组成员。
She said if there is no change to harmful human activities, "we are headed for tragedy."
她说，如果不改变有害的人类活动，“我们将会走向悲剧。”
I'm Dan Novak.
丹·诺瓦克为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
