8月複合大火
California’s wildfire season runs from July to September, and it is driven by warmer and drier weather.
每年7月至9月是美國加州的野火季，但近年因為暖化與乾旱的氣候而逐漸惡化。
run(v.)持續drive(v.)驅使;驅動
California’s 2020 wildfire season was the worst in the state’s modern history, with nearly 10,000 fires burning over 4.2 million acres of land.
加州在2020年迎來現代史上最嚴重的野火季，近10,000起野火燒毀了420萬英畝的土地。
bad-worse-worst
On August 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom reported that the state was fighting 367 known fires.
2020年8月19日當天，加州州長葛文·紐森指出該州已撲滅了367起野火，
fight(v.)對抗;打擊fight the pandemic=對抗疫情fight crime=打擊犯罪put out=撲滅
Many were sparked by heavy thunderstorms on August 16 and 17.
當中有許多野火是8月16日與17日的雷雨所致。
spark(n.)火花;(v.)引發;觸發
Then, in early September, a record-breaking heatwave and strong, dry winds sparked more fires and intensified the active ones.
接著在九月初，破紀錄的高溫熱浪與乾燥的強風引發更多野火，使情況再度惡化。
break a record=打破紀錄intensify(v.)強化;加強active(adj.)活躍的
These conditions resulted in California’s massive “August Complex” fire, which was described as the first “gigafire” because it burned over 1 million acres.
這些氣候條件導致加州發生大規模的「8月複合大火」，燒毀100多萬英畝的土地，因而被稱作「超級大火」。
be described as=被形容為…gigabyte(n.)十億位元組gigahertz(n.)十億赫茲
Wildfires are an essential ecosystem process.
野火本是生態系統必經的過程。
essential(adj.)必要的;必不可少的ecosystem(n.)生態系統
However, drought conditions increase the frequency and severity of wildfires by drying out grasses and trees, which fuel the fires.
然而，乾旱的氣候使草地與樹木變得乾燥，加劇火勢蔓延，提高了野火發生的頻率和嚴重程度。
drought(n.)乾旱;旱災frequency(n.)頻率severity(n.)嚴重性;嚴重程度fuel(n.)燃料;(v.)添加燃料;激起;加強
California is already prone to droughts, but the past two decades have been especially warm and dry due to global warming.
加州本就易受乾旱影響，由於受到全球暖化的影響，過去二十年的氣候變得格外炎熱且乾燥。
be prone to=易遭受…
As global warming worsens, California will continue to see record-breaking wildfires every year.
隨著全球暖化每年持續惡化，加州將繼續迎來前所未見的野火。
worsen(v.)(使)惡化;(使)更糟