原文：
A majority of the world’s climate scientists have convinced themselves, and also a lot of laymen, some of whom have political power, that the Earth’s climate is changing; that the change, from humanity’s point of view, is for the worse; and that the cause is human activity, in the form. of excessive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
A minority, though, are sceptical. Some think that recent data suggesting the Earth’s average temperature is rising are explained by natural variations in solar radiation, and that this trend may be coming to an end. Others argue that there is no conclusive evidence that modern temperatures are higher than they used to be.
We believe that global warming is a serious threat, and that the world needs to take steps to try to avert it. That is the job of the politicians. But we do not believe that climate change is a certainty. There are no certainties in science. Prevailing theories must be constantly tested against evidence, and more evidence collected, and the theories tested again. That is the job of the scientists.
點評：
此次英譯漢內容非常清晰，一共三段，一段寫科學家和政客等門外漢是如何相信全球變暖這一現象，另一段寫反對者的觀點。這符合外刊作者的一貫寫作手法：即引述各方觀點后再在最后引出自己的觀點。
詞匯梳理：
convince：確信
laymen：外行
sceptical：懷疑的
solar radiation：太陽輻射
conclusive evidence：確鑿的證據
prevailing：盛行的
參考譯文：
世界上大部分氣候學家已經使他們自己及許多普通民眾（包括一些政界人士）確信，地球的氣候正處于變化之中；對人類而言，這一變化正日趨嚴重；罪魁禍首是人類活動，其表現形式為過量排放二氧化碳之類的溫室氣體。
但是，仍有一小部分人對此持懷疑態度。一些人表示，雖然近期的數據表明地球的平均氣溫正在升高，但其原因是太陽輻射的自然波動，這一趨勢可能臨近結束。另一些人認為并沒有決定性證據表明近現代的地球溫度高于古代。
我們認為，全球變暖是人類面臨的嚴重威脅，世界各國需要采取措施，竭力避免這一問題。這是政治家的職責。但是我們也相信氣候變化并不是必然的。科學無絕對。盛行的理論必須不斷得到實際證據的檢驗。一旦搜集到了新的證據，就需要進行再次驗證。這是科學家的任務。
