A gift for the future by Lin Wen
给未来的礼物 作者 林雯
In the next several decades, the world's population will increase to about nine billion people.
据信，在未来的数十年中，世界人口将增长到大约九十亿。
This should set alarm bells ringing, since the bare fact is that, in order for everyone to survive, serious adjustments need to be made in worldwide development.
这应该给人们敲响了警钟，因为一个简单明了的事实是为了让每一个人生存，在全球发展方面必须有重大改变。
This development needs to be different from past development, which polluted the environment and wasted natural resources.
这一发展应不同于过去的发展，过去的发展污染环境且浪费自然资源。
One possible solution to this problem now being discussed is sustainable development.
对于现在讨论的这个问题，一种可能的解决办法就是可持续发展。
Sustainable development focuses on preserving the environment and natural resources.
可持续发展是长期规划，关注环境和保护自然资源。
It is all about creating better health care, education, housing and improved standard of living for everyone.
它完全是为每一个人创造更好的保健、教育、住房和改良的生活标准。
This is a simple idea, but one that is hard to put into practice.
这是一个简单的想法，不过也是一个难于付诸实践的理念。
However, it is something that we must do, because without sustainable development our future and the lives of our children and our grandchildren will be in danger.
然而，这是我们必须做的，因为没有可持续发展，我们的未来和我们的子孙的生命将处于危险之中。