今年将成为有史以来最暖年份之一

This year is on track to be one of the world’s warmest since records started more than 160 years ago, the UN has reported, despite the cooling influence of La Ni?a conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

联合国(UN)报告称，尽管太平洋上出现了导致海水变冷的拉尼娜(La Ni?a)现象，但今年将成为自160多年前有记录以来全球最温暖的年份之一。

As 2012 draws to a close, the global average temperature is estimated to be 14.45°C, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation, making it the ninth-warmest since records started in 1850.

根据联合国世界气象组织(World Meteorological Organization)的数据，随着2012年即将走向尾声，全球平均气温估计将达到14.45°C，这意味着今年将成为自1850年有记录以来温暖程度排名第9位的年份。

Most of the globe’s land surface areas experienced higher than average temperatures over the first 10 months of the year, the WMO said, especially in North America, southern Europe, parts of Russia and northern Africa.

世界气象组织表示，今年前10个月，地球表面多数区域的温度高于历史平均水平，特别是北美、南欧、俄罗斯部分地区以及北非。

Temperatures were cooler than average in Alaska and parts of Australia, though summer sea ice cover in the Arctic fell to the lowest level since satellite records started 33 years ago, and many countries experienced drought, wildfires and disastrous flooding.

尽管北极夏季海冰面积降至自33年前有卫星记录以来的最低水平，很多国家遭遇干旱、野火和洪灾，但阿拉斯加和澳大利亚部分地区的气温低于历史平均水平。

The WMO figures will be no surprise in the contiguous US, which is expected to record its warmest year on record after sweltering summer heatwaves and the worst drought in decades.

美国本土刚刚经历了一个炎夏和几十年来最严重的一场旱灾，预计世界气象组织的数据将没有悬念地显示，今年为美国有记录以来的最温暖年份。

The latest batch of data come as diplomats head to the Qatari capital of Doha for the start of this year’s annual UN two-week climate change talks.

在这些最新数据出炉之际，外交人士正奔赴卡塔尔首都多哈，开始今年为期两周的联合国年度气候变化谈判。

Negotiators are working towards sealing a new binding deal by 2015 to curb the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change. But even if this year’s talks make progress on that goal, countries agreed at last year’s talks in Durban, South Africa, that any new pact does not have to come into force until 2020.

谈判各方代表正致力于在2015年之前达成一项新的约束性协议，以遏制被认为是气候变化罪魁祸首的温室气体的排放。然而，即便今年的气候谈判在这个目标上取得进展，各国在去年南非德班会议上已达成一致：任何新协议在2020年前都不必生效。

That may make it harder and more expensive to keep emissions at the levels needed to prevent average global temperatures rising 2°C from pre-industrial times, some climate experts say. Temperatures have already risen 0.8°C from that era.

一些气候专家表示，这可能会加大以下目标实现的难度和成本：让温室气体排放保持在一定水平上，这个水平是确保全球平均气温不会比前工业时代水平高出2°C以上所必需的。全球平均气温目前已比前工业时代水平升高了0.8°C。

Previous UN climate meetings agreed to the 2°C threshold after scientists warned that warming beyond this level could trigger dangerous climate change.

联合国之前的气候峰会已就气温比前工业时代水平升高幅度不得超过2°C达成一致，此前科学家警告称，气温升幅超出这个幅度可能会引发危险的气候变化。