Economic development is the premier mission of each nation. But, it should not be carried out at the expense of environment. Respiratory illness from air pollution is now China’s number one health problem. Every major body of water is polluted. The water table is dropping all over the country. China is about to assume the unfortunate distinction of replacing the United States as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases that are dangerously warning our planet.

发展经济是每一个国家的首要任务。然而，发展经济不能以牺牲环境作为代价。大气污染引起的呼吸系统疾病是中国的头号健康杀手。所有主要水体均被污染。全国范围内的地下水位下降。美国目前是世界上温室气体排放量最大的国家，然而不幸的是，中国可能会取而代之。温室气体严重威胁着我们所居住的星球。 

Increasingly, pollution at home—whether in China or the United States or elsewhere—has become a worldwide environmental problem, as well as a health, environmental, and economic problem for people in their home countries. Climate is a real and growing issue. The five hottest years recorded on the planet since 1400 have all occurred in the 1990s. If present trends continue, this year will be the hottest year ever recorded.

国内污染——不管是在中国、美国还是别的什么国家——已不仅是关系到本国人民卫生、环境、经济的问题，而是一个全球性的环境问题。气候变化是千真万确的，是不断发展的。自从1400年以来，纪录中最热的五年均出现在二十世纪九十年代。如果目前的状况持续下去，今年将成为记录中最热的年份。  

Now, unfortunately, it is still the dominant opinion in virtually all developing countries—and I might add, in many sectors of the United States, including among many in the Congress— that there is an iron, unbreakable link between economic growth and industrial age energy practices. If that is the link, we can hardly expect decision-makers in countries with a lot of poor people trying to come to grips with the enormous economic changes of the global economy, to do anything other than either deny the environmental problems or say that their children will have to fix them. Happily, it is not true. It is simply not true.

不幸地是，当前，几乎所有发展中国家，还有美国很多部门甚至包括很多国会成员都认为经济增长与工业时代的能源使用模式之间存在着一种牢不可破的联系。如果确是这种联系的话，我们不可能指望有大批贫困人口的国家的决策者会跟上全球经济巨变的步伐。他们除了对环境问题熟视无睹，或者留给子孙后代去解决，恐怕无所作为。然而，值得庆幸的是，情况并非如此。