奥拉AURA

依我之见，他们能做的一件事就是从南极和北极融化的海水中获取水，而不是从没有足够水的河流中获取。
One thing they could do to help the River in my humble opinion would be to get water from the ocean that’s getting too much water in it from Antartica and the North Pole melting, instead of getting it from the River that doesn’t have enough.

科罗拉多河的水资源之争在西部七个州之间展开，在各州内部也有利益集团的参与，比如加州帝王谷农民与圣迭戈市政当局等。他们需要大量的水。西内说生产一个单一的芯片需要8000加仑的超级纯净的水。可怜的老科罗拉多被视为一种商品，由内政部在各州之间进行分配，内政部忙得不可开交，因为这些争斗似乎变得合法了。作为一条河流，科罗拉多河在蜿蜒穿过西部沙漠的过程中逐渐蒸发了，当它分流并流向菲尼克斯和图森这样的沙漠城市时，在人造河床上蒸发得更多了。越来越多的沙漠居民以收集屋顶径流，他们以“收获雨水”而自豪，所以河里面的径流不像以前那么多了。
Battles for Colorado River water are waged between seven western states, and within states by interest groups such as California’s Imperial Valley farmers versus San Diego county municipalities etc. Lots and lots of water is needed. Sine says it takes 8000 gallons of ultra-pure water to produce a single microchip for instance. The poor ol’ Colorado is viewed as a commodity and apportioned among the states by the Interior Department which has its hands full because the battles even get legal. Being a river, the Colorado evaporates anyway as it winds its way across the western deserts, and it evaporates even more as it’s diverted to trek in man-made river beds on its way to desert cities like Phoenix and Tucson. It doesn’t get quite as much runoff as it used to either as increasing numbers of desert dwellers pride themselves on catching roof runoff to “harvest the rain”.

与此同时，由于大气中碳含量的增加，北极和南极的冰层变暖，海平面正在上升，其结果是先前保护海岸的东西遭到侵蚀，更不用说整个岛国也会即将被淹没。
Meanwhile, the ocean level is rising thanks to more carbon in the atmosphere warming ice at the north and south poles, the result being erosion of what had previously protected the coasts, not to mention the coming drowning of entire island nations.

所以从水很多的大海中取水，而不是从水已经很少的河流中取水，这是多么棒的想法啊。圣地亚哥的卡尔斯巴德海水淡化厂不仅是一个良好的开端，而且据我所知，是美洲最大的海水淡化厂。不过，把盐分离出来需要很大的工夫。太阳能很有帮助，而且随着成本下降，太阳能的作用可能会越来越大。除了那些华而不实的那帮人，这应该会激励卡尔斯巴德的更多群体。这甚至可能足以让我们三个达成共识。
So what a brilliant idea to get water from the sea that has too much water instead of from the river that has too little. San Diego’s Carlsbad Desalinization Plant is not only a nice start, but is also the biggest in the Americas so far as I know. It takes a lot of energy to get the salt out, though. Solar helps, and will probably help more as its cost comes down. That should motivate more groups besides the artsy-craftsy crowd at Carlsbad to see the light. It might even be enough to get the three of us on the same page.

顺便说一下，西内，这不仅仅是美国西南部的问题。你告诉过我，因为工业用途，并分流进长江(你说那里正在筑坝)，中国最大的淡水湖鄱阳湖(1，737平方英里)已经减少到了不足10%(提前到124平方英里)，并引入了长江。如果你问我的话，我会告诉你筑坝远远不止一个方式。
And by the way, Sine, it’s not just a southwest USA problem. You’re the one that told me how China’s biggest (1,737 square miles) freshwater Lake Poyang has shrunk to less than 10 % (ahead of schedule to 124 square miles) from industrial use and diversion to the River Yangze (that’s getting dammed you said). Dammed in more ways than one, if you ask me.

西内SINE

你可以在咖啡店里改进一下：把紫菜放在菜单上。
You could take that one step farther with the Cafe: Put zicai on the menu.

奥拉AURA

紫菜？
Zicai . . . ?

西内SINE

海草，每个中国人都吃的。这样的话，在陆地上种植食物就不需要淡水了。
Seaweed, like everybody in China eats. Then you don't need fresh water to grow food on land.

奥拉AURA

你是说像寿司吗?
You mean like sushi?

西内SINE

寿司是日本的，不是中国的。但是日本人用紫菜包寿司。紫菜的维生素B-12对大脑很有益。
Sushi is Japanese, not in China. But Japanese wrap sushi in seaweed. Seaweed vitamin B-12 is good for brain.

奥拉AURA

对河流也有好处。我会试试的。寿司在这里很受欢迎。
Good for the River too. I'll try that. Sushi is getting popular around here.

卡尔斯巴德海水淡化工厂
Carlsbad desalinization plant

鄱阳湖
Lake Poyang