泛美高速公路——这是一条纵穿美洲大陆的公路，北起阿拉斯加，由北极圈内，向南一直延伸到火地群岛，离南极最近的大陆，主干道长将近26000公里。但就这一条公路，会引起作者何种思考呢？我们一起来走进今天的REX3 U8B线上阅读——泛美高速公路对环境的影响。

A conflict between economics and the environment is all too common today, and this is what is happening in Peru. Peruvians have looked forward to a highway through the rain forest, and after nearly ten years of building, that dream has come true. But at what cost?

经济与环境之间的冲突在今天已是司空见惯，同样也发生在了秘鲁。秘鲁人一直期待着一条穿越雨林的高速公路，经过近十年的建设，这个梦想终于实现了。但代价是什么呢?（上图）

作者在文章开头就提出问题，引发读者思考，让我们迫切的想继续阅读下去。

接下来作者详细的介绍了泛美高速的情况。这不仅仅是一条公路，而是贯穿整个美洲大陆的公路网。泛美公路（网）主要分为北线与南线。北线公路主要穿越9个国家/地区，主要有加拿大、美国、墨西哥、危地马拉、萨尔瓦多、洪都拉斯、尼加拉瓜、哥斯达黎加，以及巴拿马。The Transoceanic Highway opened in 2012. The 2,600 kilometer east–west roadway begins at Peru’s Pacific Ocean coastline, continues through the Andes Mountains, and on into Brazil, where it connects to existing highways and to the Atlantic Ocean. 在秘鲁，这条东西长2600公里的公路始于秘鲁的太平洋海岸线，穿过安第斯山脉，进入巴西，并与现有的高速公路和大西洋相连。他接着评价说这个巨大的工程项目被称为南美洲最伟大的工程成就之一，并有望改善许多人的生活。This massive engineering project has been called one of the greatest engineering accomplishments in South America, and is expected to improve many lives. Travel between the cities of Cusco and Puerto Maldonado in Peru took days by truck on rough, narrow mountain roads. Now, the trip is much safer and takes only a few hours.在秘鲁的库斯科市和马尔多纳多港之间，在崎岖狭窄的山路上坐卡车要花上几天时间。现在，这趟旅程安全多了，只需几个小时。

第三段，作者继续讲述高速公路给人们带来的商业经济方面的好处。The Transoceanic Highway is making it easier and faster to cross the continent. It will also increase travel, supporters say, and be good for business. Peru and Brazil produce soybeans, beef, and gold—products highly desired by North America and Asia. Additionally, wood from these countries is sold all over the world. Lumber is transported by ship across the Pacific Ocean. Transporting the lumber to the Pacific used to take more than a week. Now, it only takes a few days. This improvement means lower costs to customers and products shipped in better condition, which also means greater sales and profits.越洋高速公路使横越大陆变得更容易、更快。支持者说，这也将增加旅行，对商业有好处。秘鲁和巴西生产大豆、牛肉和北美和亚洲非常需要的黄金产品。此外，来自这些国家的木材销往世界各地。木材用船横渡太平洋。过去，将木材运到太平洋需要一个多星期。现在，只需要几天。这种改进意味着降低客户的成本，以更好的条件运输产品，这也意味着更大的销售额和利润。

But how much will modernization cost? 第四段话锋一转，又回到开头的问题，如此好的高速公路给我们的代价是什么呢？The Amazon rain forest in Peruvian state of Madre de Dios is said to have the greatest biodiversity of any place on Earth. The Transoceanic Highway now cuts directly through the state. Environmentalists worry about the impact on plants and animals, many of which are unique to the region. Additionally, mining for gold has increased, as has farming, both of which are destroying the land. 秘鲁马德雷德迪奥斯州的亚马逊雨林据说是地球上生物多样性最丰富的地方。现在的越洋公路直接穿过这个州。环保主义者担心这会对动植物造成影响，因为许多动植物都是该地区特有的。此外，金矿开采增加，农业也增加，这两者都在破坏土地。

这条公路仅是纵横在亚马逊河上的众多高速公路中的一条。迄今为止，大多数公路已经“蚕食”亚马逊盆地边缘的森林，但越来越多的公路正向盆地中部的森林“进军”。仅以巴西为例，2004年~2007年，亚马逊河流域的道路系统每年平均增长1.7万公里。横穿亚马逊盆地的道路总长度达10万~19万公里。

So will the benefits outweigh the costs? President of the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research, Roger Mustalish sums up the conflict: 亚马逊环境教育和研究中心的主席Roger Mustalish总结了这场冲突:“在秘鲁的农村，很多人生活在贫困中，所以很难说‘不要修高速公路’。” 那么到底是收益大还是代价高呢？

同学们，看完你们有是如何看待这个问题的呢？留言告诉我你的想法吧！