Europe has seen record temperatures in recent weeks, with a heat wave that’s disrupted public transportation and fueled wildfires in multiple countries.

Thousands of firefighters across southern Europe were battling hundreds of wildfires in countries including Portugal, Spain and France, amid an intense heat wave that has caused hundreds of deaths.

CNN：觀點：針對空調(diào)問題的一種歐式解答

NBC：歐洲人正在面對一股熱浪之謎

時代周刊：空調(diào)在歐洲成稀有物。高溫能改變這一情況嗎？

In Europe, according to one industry estimate, just 20% of homes have AC units. In the United Kingdom, which suffered through its highest recorded temperature, it's less than 5%. In Germany, it's only about 3%. That's compared to 90% in the US.

根據(jù)一項業(yè)內(nèi)估計，在歐洲，只有20%的家庭有空調(diào)。經(jīng)歷了創(chuàng)紀錄高溫的英國，這一比例不及5%，德國僅為3%。而美國90%的家庭有空調(diào)設(shè)備。

AC：空氣調(diào)節(jié)系統(tǒng)，air conditioning的縮寫

歐洲普遍缺乏空調(diào)有多種原因。

Europe is located farther north than much of the continental US, making the weather there generally cooler than it is here. The average July high in London is 75°F (24°C), which is 10 degrees cooler than the average July high in New York.

緯度上，歐洲比美國大陸的大部分更靠北，因此歐洲氣候通常更加涼爽。例如，倫敦7月份的平均最高氣溫為24°C，比紐約的低約5.6°C。

While it’s possible to retrofit older houses with air-conditioning units, many are built with brick and have no—or very small—air cavities. This makes it harder and more expensive to install air-conditioning, particularly when pre-existing hot water and electrical systems get in the way.

雖然可以改造房子來裝空調(diào)，但許多房子是用磚建造的，沒有或只有很有限的通風(fēng)槽。這使得安裝空調(diào)更困難和昂貴，尤其還要考慮到固有的熱水和電力系統(tǒng)會阻礙安裝。

air cavity：空氣槽

當然，歐洲人不裝空調(diào)的還因為花費太高。

Electricity costs more in Europe, with prices in Germany and Denmark more than twice as high as in the US. Climate consciousness makes many reluctant to embrace technology that contributes to climate change. Other cultural differences may also play a role, with some attributing all manner of maladies to moving air.

歐洲的電力成本更高，德國和丹麥的電價是美國的兩倍多。人們的氣候意識讓歐洲很多人不愿意接受導(dǎo)致氣候變化的新技術(shù)。還有其他文化差異，比如有些人認為空調(diào)帶來的空氣流動會讓人生病。

reluctant [r??l?kt?nt] adj.不情愿的；勉強的

malady [?m?l?di] n.疾??；毛病

圖源：微天下

But the planet's recent record-breaking heat waves—and the desperate urge to stay cool—has Europeans in particular, rethinking their prejudices and shelling out for indoor cooling systems.

但是，地球近些年破紀錄的高溫——以及人們想要降溫解暑的強烈愿望——讓歐洲人重新考量了他們的偏見，開始掏腰包采購室內(nèi)制冷系統(tǒng)。

prejudice [?pred??d?s] n.偏見；成見

shell out：交出，付款

The current heat wave has killed more than 2,000 people in Spain and Portugal alone and stopped some routine hospital operations in the UK.

僅在西班牙和葡萄牙，目前的高溫就已造成2000多人死亡，英國的一些常規(guī)醫(yī)院手術(shù)也因此停止運轉(zhuǎn)。

This year's sweltering temperatures have seen AC purchases skyrocket in France and the UK, according to the climate data firm Kayrros. 

根據(jù)氣候數(shù)據(jù)公司Kayros的數(shù)據(jù)，今年的酷熱使得法國和英國的空調(diào)購買量飆升。

sweltering [?swelt?r??] adj.酷熱的

空調(diào)惡性循環(huán)

得天獨厚的氣候優(yōu)勢讓歐洲人傳統(tǒng)上不熱衷于使用空調(diào)。還有一種聲音也不能忽視，空調(diào)作為一種能源密集型降溫手段，其溫室氣體排放不可忽視。

According to a World Bank report from 2019, cooling tech such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and other devices chalk up as much as 10% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. This is more than double the footprint of aviation and maritime together! At this rate, cooling emissions could double by 2030 and triple by 2100, added the report.

根據(jù)世界銀行2019年的一份報告，冰箱、空調(diào)和其他設(shè)備等冷卻技術(shù)的溫室氣體排放量占全球總量的10%，是航空和海運碳足跡總和的兩倍多！按照這個速度，到2030年，冷卻設(shè)備排放量可能會翻一番，到2100年可能達到三倍。

氣溫越高需要的空調(diào)越多，空調(diào)的使用又會加劇氣候變暖，這就是所謂的“空調(diào)惡性循環(huán)”。

As temperatures climb inexorably upward, which science attests they will until greenhouse gas emissions are curbed, the world finds itself in an ostensibly inextricable bind—called the vicious circle of air conditioning.

科學(xué)證明，在溫室氣體排放得到控制之前，隨著溫度不可避免地上升，世界陷入了一個無法擺脫的困境，即所謂的空調(diào)惡性循環(huán)。

inexorably [?n'eks?r?bli] adv.不可抗拒地

ostensibly [ɑ?stens?bli] adv. 表面上

事實上，自2000年氣溫開始顯著升高以來，全世界選擇空調(diào)的家庭和企業(yè)數(shù)量穩(wěn)步上升。CNN報道稱，到2050年，世界上三分之二的家庭可能擁有空調(diào)。

但美媒評論稱，相對于氣候變化的長期影響，歐洲各國可能更應(yīng)該關(guān)注眼下老百姓的安危。

Air conditioners are not the best thing for the well-being of the planet, and it’s important to care about their effect on climate change long term, but Europeans may need to care a bit more about themselves in the short term.

空調(diào)對地球來說并不有利，關(guān)注空調(diào)對氣候變化的長期影響很重要，但歐洲人可能需要在短期內(nèi)更加關(guān)注自己。