1.The clean-energy business is turning into the next big investment boom, in which risks are often ignored. Until recently, recalls Charlie Gay, a 30-year veteran of the solarpower business, venture capitalists were far too busy catering to captains of the information-technology industry to waste time on "hippy-dippy tree-huggers" like himself. But now the tree-huggers are in the ascendant and the IT barons are busy investing in clean-energy technology.
翻譯：清潔能源行業(yè)正成為下一輪投資大熱潮，而風(fēng)險(xiǎn)則經(jīng)常被忽略。在太 陽能行業(yè)摸爬滾打了30年的查理，蓋伊回憶說，直到不久前，風(fēng)險(xiǎn)資本家們 還一直奔忙于迎合IT巨子，沒有時(shí)間浪費(fèi)給像他這樣的“不切實(shí)際的環(huán)境保 護(hù)論者”。但目前環(huán)境保護(hù)論者風(fēng)頭正旺，IT巨子們開始忙于投資清潔能源行業(yè)。
2.Investors are falling over themselves to finance start-ups in clean technology, especially in energy. Venture Business Research reckons that investment in the field by venture capitalists and private-equity firms has quadrupled in the past two years, from some $500 m in 2004 to almost $2 billion so far this year. The share of venture capital going into clean energy is rising rapidly.
翻譯：投資者們竭盡全力紛紛投資于從事環(huán)保技術(shù)的新創(chuàng)公司，特別是能源 公司。據(jù)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)企業(yè)研究有限公司估計(jì)，在過去兩年中，風(fēng)險(xiǎn)資本家和私人股 本公司在該領(lǐng)域的投資已翻了四倍，從2004年的5億美元到目前的近20億 美元。進(jìn)入清潔能源領(lǐng)域的風(fēng)投資本的比例正快速攀升。
3.Clean-energy fever is being fuelled by three things: high oil prices, fears over energy security and a growing concern about global warming. The provision of energy, the industry's cheerleaders say, will change radically over the coming decades. Polluting coal and gas-fired power stations will give way to cleaner alternatives such as solar and wind; fuels derived from plants and waste will replace petrol and diesel; and small, local forms of electricity generation will replace big. power stations feeding far-flung grids. Eventually, it is hoped, fuel cells running on hydrogen will take the place of the internal combustion engine which is available everywhere. It is a bold vision, but if it happens very slowly, or only to a limited extent, supporters argue that it will still prompt tremendous growth for firms in the business.
翻譯：“清潔能源熱”由三件事情激起：髙油價(jià)、能源安全恐慌以及對全球 變暖與日俱增的擔(dān)憂。該行業(yè)的主要支持者認(rèn)為，能源供應(yīng)狀況在末來的數(shù) 十年里將會發(fā)生根本性的改變。導(dǎo)致污染的煤炭發(fā)電站和天然氣發(fā)電站將讓 位于更清潔的替代能源，如太陽能和風(fēng)能;從植物和垃圾中提取的燃料將代 替汽油和柴油;電力供應(yīng)的小型化、本地化將取代大電站、大電網(wǎng)。最終，我們希望氫燃料電池能夠代替無所不在的內(nèi)燃機(jī)。這是一個(gè)大膽的設(shè)想，但 是，即使進(jìn)程緩慢，或者范圍有限，支持者們認(rèn)為它仍將激發(fā)該行業(yè)公司的巨大增長。
4.Analysts confidently predict the clean-energy business will grow by 20%—30% a year for a decade. Jefferies, an investment bank that organized a recent conference on the industry in London, asked participants how soon solar power would become competitive with old-fashioned generation technologies: in 2010, 2015 or 2020. About three-quarters of those present, one visitor happily observed, were "check-writers". This "megatrend", the keynote speaker advocated, "may be the biggest job and wealth-creation opportunity of the 21st century."
翻譯：分析人士滿懷信心，他們預(yù)計(jì)在今后10年內(nèi)清潔能源產(chǎn)業(yè)將會以年均 20—30%的幅度增長。投資銀行Jefferies銀行最近在倫敦組織了一場關(guān)于清潔能源產(chǎn)業(yè)的討論會。在會上，他們問與會者：與老式能源技術(shù)相比，太陽能到什么時(shí)候才能突顯它的競爭力，2010年、2015年，還是2020年。一位大會來賓欣喜地發(fā)現(xiàn)，大約四分之三的與會者都是“愿意為此投資者”。大會主要發(fā)言人不由地說：“這個(gè)大趨勢或許是21世紀(jì)的就業(yè)機(jī)會和創(chuàng)富機(jī)會�！�
5.Such exaggeration might remind people of the dotcom bubble. But clean-energy advocates insist growth is sustainable because of the likes of Mr. Schwarzenegger. The Governor is a hero in green circles because of his enthusiasm for environmental regulation. He easily won reelection partly because he seized on global wanning as a concern and signed into law—America's first wide-ranging scheme to cap greenhouse-gas emissions.
翻譯： 如此夸張的景象可能會讓人們想起網(wǎng)絡(luò)泡沫。然而，諸如施瓦辛格先 生這樣的環(huán)保支持者使提倡者們堅(jiān)信增長是可持續(xù)的。身為州長的他對環(huán)保法規(guī)的熱情，使他成為環(huán)保圈里的英雄。他之所以能輕松連任，部分原因就是他把握住了公眾對全球變暖的憂慮，并使之上升為法律，他簽署了美國第 一個(gè)大規(guī)模控制溫室氣體排放的方案。
