There’s a gold rush going on—and it’s affecting tropical ecosystems. The rush is due in part to an increase in wealth in developing countries and their subsequent acquisition of gold. Another factor is the loss of faith in financial markets since the financial crash, which prompts investors to put money into gold. The desire for gold made its price soar from $250 dollars per ounce in 2000 to $1,300 per ounce in 2013.
現在有股淘金熱持續進行中──而它正在影響熱帶生態系統。這股熱潮的部分原因是開發中國家有越來越多的有錢人，以及他們接著持有黃金。另一個因素是自金融崩潰以來對金融市場信心的喪失，這促使投資者把現金投入黃金。對於黃金的需求，讓它的價格從2000年每盎司250美元，飆升到2013年每盎司1300美元（約台幣4萬1000元）。
To determine the impact of increased gold mining prompted by the value jump, researchers evaluated about 1,600 gold-mining sites in forested areas and tracked the changes in forest cover between 2001 and 2013. They found an increase in deforestation of about 1,600 square kilometers. Deforestation picked up between 2007 to 2013—that parallels the financial crisis and the rise in the price of gold.
為了判定因價格飆升影響而激增的黃金開採案，研究者評估1600個在森林地區的黃金礦坑，並追縱2001年到2013年間的森林覆蓋狀況。他們發現森林被砍伐的情況增加，面積約1600平方公里。砍伐森林情況在2007到2013年間上升──正好與金融危機和金價上揚的時間平行。
In addition to the destruction of the forest itself, mining causes additional problems, such as air, soil and water pollution from arsenic, cyanide and mercury. It also takes longer for forests to recover from mining than from other uses, such as agriculture. Another casualty of the global financial crisis.
除了砍伐森林這件事外，採礦還造成另外的問題，像是砷、氰化物、汞所造成的空氣，泥土，和水污染。採礦本身也比其他的土地利用，例如農業，令森林得花更長的時間來復原。（森林是）另一個全球金融危機的受害者。
subsequent：形容詞，隨後的、後來的。例句：Her work had a great influence on subsequent generations.（她的作品對後來的世代有重大影響力。）
deforestation：名詞，砍伐森林。例句：Mudslides caused by deforestation.（山崩是因砍伐森林所致。）
destruction：名詞，破壞。例句：War results in death and widespread destruction.（戰爭導致死亡和廣泛的破壞。）
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