Who would have thought that, globally, the IT industry produces about the same volume of greenhouse gases as the world’s airlines do—roughly 2 percent of all CO₂emissions?

    Many everyday tasks take a surprising toll on the environment. A Google search can leak between 0.2 and 7.0 grams of CO₂, depending on how many attempts are needed to get the “right” answer. To deliver results to its users quickly, then, Google has to maintain vast data centres around the world, packed with powerful computers. While producing large quantities of CO₂, these computers emit a great deal of heat, so the centres need to be well air-conditioned, which uses even more energy.

    However, Google and other big tech providers monitor their efficiency closely and make improvements. Monitoring is the first step on the road to reduction, but there is much more to be done, and not just by big companies.

参考译文

有谁会想到，在全球范围内，IT行业产生的温室气体量跟全球航空公司产生的一样多——约占二氧化碳总排量的2%?

IT行业的很多日常工作对环境造成了惊人的破坏作用。根据人们得到“正确”答案所需查询的次数，谷歌搜索引擎会产生0.2到7克的二氧化碳排放量。为了快速将结果传递给用户，谷歌不得不在全球各地建立数据中心，并配备功能强大的计算机。在产生大量二氧化碳气体的同时，这些计算机会释放大量的热量，因此数据库中心必须要有良好的空调设备，这就会消耗更多的能源。

不过，谷歌和其他大型技术供应商们严密监控他们的工作效率，并做出改善。监控只是减排之路的第一步，但还有许多工作要做，而这也并不只是大公司的任务。

生词本

industry n. 行业

volume n. 量

greenhouse gas 温室气体

emission n. 排放

take a toll on 对……造成危害

leak v. 漏出；泄露

packed with 塞满

emit v. 释放

air-conditioned adj. 装有空调的

monitor v. 监控

efficiency n. 效率

表达难点

第一句：Who would have thought that, globally, the IT industry produces about the same volume of greenhouse gases as the world’s airlines do—roughly 2 percent of all CO₂ emissions?

本句中would have thought使用了虚拟语气，翻译为“能想到，会想到”。其后的that引导的宾语从句为thought的宾语；as引导比较状语从句，the same…as表示“和……一样多”，do代替前半句中的produce。破折号后的内容为the same volume的同位语，翻译时保留破折号，顺译即可。

第二句：Many everyday tasks take a surprising toll on the environment.

本句为简单句，顺译即可，其中everyday tasks指IT行业的日常工作，因而这里需采取增译。

第三句：A Google search can leak between 0.2 and 7.0 grams of CO₂, depending on how many attempts are needed to get the “right” answer.

本句为主谓宾结构的简单句，后半部分的depending on…为现在分词作伴随状语，翻译为“取决于……”，转译为“根据……”。how many attempts指使用搜索引擎进行查询的“次数”。

第四句：To deliver results to its users quickly, then, Google has to maintain vast data centres around the world, packed with powerful computers.

本句前半句的不定式To deliver为目的状语，可翻译为“为了传递”。maintain原意为“维持”，由于后面宾语是data centres，“维持数据”中心不符合中文逻辑，因而译为“建立数据中心”。packed with powerful computers为过去分词作后置定语修饰data centres，表示“（数据中心）塞满了功能强大的计算机”，可转译为“（数据中心）配备了功能强大的计算机”。

第五句：While producing large quantities of CO₂, these computers emit a great deal of heat, so the centres need to be well air-conditioned, which uses even more energy.

本句中While引导时间状语从句，表示“在……的同时”。主句为so连接的两个句子，后面的分句中centres指上文提到的数据库中心。which引导非限制性定语从句，指的是“数据中心必须安装良好的空调设备”，翻译时可以用“这”进行指代。

第六句：However, Google and other big tech providers monitor their efficiency closely and make improvements.

本句为简单句，顺译即可。

第七句：Monitoring is the first step on the road to reduction, but there is much more to be done, and not just by big companies.

本句中on the road to表示“在通往……的道路上”。reduction原意是“减少”，结合文意可知这里指“减少温室气体排放”，故增译为“减排”。