一篇英语短文

中国现代化建设是在人口基数大，人均资源少，经济发展和科学技术水平都比较落后的条件下进行的。70年代以来，随着中国人口的增长、经济的发展和人民消费水平的不断提高，使本来就已经短缺的资源和脆弱的环境面临着越来越大的压力。选择一条什么样的发展道路，历史地成为与当代中国人民及其子孙后代生存息息相关的重大问题。 China's modernization drive has been launched in the following conditions: The country has a large population base, its per-capita average of natural resources is low, and its economic development as well as scientific and technological level remain quite backward. Along with the growth of China's population, the development of the economy and the continuous improvement of the people's consumption level since the 1970s, the pressure on resources, which were already in rather short supply, and on the fragile environment has become greater and greater. Which road of development to choose has turned out, historically, to be an issue of paramount importance to the survival of the Chinese people as well as their posterity.

中国政府十分重视因人口增长和经济发展而出现的环境问题，把保护环境作为提高人民生活水平和生活质量的一个重要方面。为了促进经济、社会与环境的协调发展，中国在80年代制定并实施了一系列保护环境的方针、政策、法律和措施。The Chinese government has paid great attention to the environmental issues arising from the country's population growth and economic development, and has made protecting the environment an important aspect of the improvement of the people's living standards and quality of life. In order to promote coordinated development between the economy, the society and the environment, China enacted and implemented a series of principles, policies, laws and measures for environmental protection in the 1980s.

——确立环境保护为中国的一项基本国策。防治环境污染和生态破坏以及合理开发利用自然资源关系到国家的全局利益和长远发展，中国政府坚定不移地贯彻执行环境保护这项基本国策。-- Making environmental protection one of China's basic national policies. The prevention and control of environmental pollution and ecological destruction and the rational exploitation and utilization of natural resources are of vital importance to the country's overall interests and long-term development. The Chinese government is unswervingly carrying out the basic national policy of environmental protection.

——制定经济建设、城乡建设和环境建设同步规划、同步实施、同步发展，实现经济效益、社会效益、环境效益相统一的指导方针，实行“预防为主，防治结合”、“谁污染，谁治理”和“强化环境管理”三大政策。-- Formulating the guiding principles of simultaneous planning, simultaneous implementation and simultaneous development for economic construction, urban and rural construction and environmental construction, and combining the economic returns with social effects and environmental benefits; and carrying out the three major policies of ``prevention first and combining prevention with control,'' ``making the causer of pollution responsible for treating it'' and ``intensifying environmental management.''

——颁布实施环境保护的法律法规，把环境保护建立在法制的基础上，不断完善环境法律体系，严格执法程序，加大执法力度，保证环境法律法规的有效实施。-- Promulgating and putting into effect laws and regulations regarding environmental protection and placing environmental protection on a legal footing, continuously improving the statutes concerning the environment, formulating strict law-enforcement procedures and increasing the intensity of law enforcement so as to ensure the effective implementation of the environmental laws and regulations.

——坚持环境保护纳入国民经济和社会发展计划，实施国家指导下的宏观调控与管理，逐步增加对环境保护的投入，使环境保护与各项建设事业统筹兼顾，协调发展。-- Persisting in incorporating environmental protection into the plans for national economic and social development, introducing to it macro regulation and management under state guidance, and gradually increasing environmental protection input so as to give simultaneous consideration to environmental protection and other undertakings and ensure their coordinated development.

——建立健全各级政府的环境保护机构，形成比较完善的环境管理体制，充分发挥环境监督管理的作用。-- Establishing and improving environmental protection organizations under governments at all levels, forming a rather complete environmental control system, and bringing into full play the governments' role in environmental supervision and administration.

——加速环境科学技术的进步。加强基础理论研究，组织科技攻关，开发和推广防治环境污染的实用技术，扶植环境保护产业的发展，初步形成了环境保护科研体系。-- Accelerating progress in environmental science and technology. Strengthening research into basic theories, organizing the tackling of key scientific and technological problems, developing and popularizing prac"itical technology for environmental pollution prevention and control, fostering the growth of environmental protection industries, and giving initial shape to an environmental protection scientific research system.

——开展环境宣传教育，提高全民族的环境意识。广泛进行环境宣传，逐步普及中小学环境教育，发展环境保护在职教育和专业教育，培养环境科学技术和管理方面的专门人才。-- Carrying out environmental publicity and education to enhance the whole nation's awareness of the environment. Widely conducting environmental publicity work, gradually popularizing environmental education in secondary and primary schools, developing on-the-job education in environ"imen tal protection and vocational education, and training specialized personnel in environmental science and technology as well as environmental administration.

——推进环境保护领域的国际合作。积极发展同世界各国和国际组织在环境与发展方面的交流与合作，认真履行国际环境公约，努力发挥中国在国际环境事务中的作用。-- Promoting international cooperation in the field of environmental protection. Actively expanding exchanges and cooperation concerning the environment and development with other countries and international organizations, earnestly implementing international environmental conventions, and seeking scope for China's role in global environmental affairs.

进入90年代，国际社会与世界各国在探索解决环境与发展问题的道路上迈出了重要一步。1992年6月，联合国环境与发展大会把可持续发展作为未来***同的发展战略，得到了与会各国政府的普遍赞同。Since the beginning of the 1990s the international community and various countries have made an important step forward in exploring solutions to problems of the environment and development. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in June 1992, made sustainable development the strategy for common development in the future, and this won wide acclaim from the governments of all countries represented at the conference.

1992年8月，联合国环境与发展大会之后，中国政府提出了中国环境与发展应采取的十大对策，明确指出走可持续发展道路是当代中国以及未来的必然选择。In August 1992, shortly after that conference, the Chinese government put forward ten major measures China was to adopt to enhance its environment and development, clearly pointing out that the road of sustainable development was a logical choice for China now and in the future.

1994年3月，中国政府批准发布了《中国21世纪议程 ——?中国21世纪人口、环境与发展白皮书》，从人口、环境与发展的具体国情出发，提出了中国可持续发展的总体战略、对策以及行动方案。有关部门和地方也分别制定了实施可持续发展战略的行动计划。In March 1994 the Chinese government approved and promulgated China's Agenda 21 -- White Paper on China's Population, Environment, and Development in the 21st Century. This document, proceeding from the country's specific national conditions in these three respects, put forward China's overall strategy, measures and program of action for sustainable development. The various departments and localities also worked out their respective plans of action to implement the strategy for sustainable development.

1996年3月，第八届全国人民代表大会第四次会议审议通过的《中华人民***和国国民经济和社会发展“九五”计划和2010年远景目标纲要》，把实施可持续发展作为现代化建设的一项重大战略，使可持续发展战略在中国经济建设和社会发展过程中得以实施。

At its Fourth Session in March 1996 China's Eighth National People's Congress examined and adopted the Ninth Five-Year Plan of the People's Republic of China for National Economic and Social Development and the Outline of the Long-Term Target for the Year 2010. Both the Plan and Outline take sustainable development as an important strategy for modernization, thus making it possible for the implementation of the strategy of sustainable development in the course of China's economic construction and social development.