2019年9月から続くオーストラリアの森林火災。記録的な高温と干ばつで長引いています。
The fires began in September 2019 and are expected to continue for at least the next few weeks. Australia is fighting one of its wrost bushfire seasons, fueled by record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought. The more extreme weather patterns and higher temperatures increase the risk of bushfires and allow them to spread faster and wider. All this has been exacerbated by persistent heat and drought.
※豪の森林火災はforest fireよりbushfireやwildfireを使う。置き換えはblaze/inferno等もあり。
※drought＝干ばつ
※exacerbate＝悪化させる、一層悪くする
1月14日の時点での被害状況についてのCNNから。
At least 28 people have died nationwide, and in the state of New South Wales alone, more than 3,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged.（全焼、半焼した）
Firefighters are spraying water and fire retardant （難燃剤、防火材）from planes and helicopters as well as from the ground.
State and federal authorities are struggling to contain the massive blazes（大火を封じ込める）but fighting bushfires is extremely difficult and often authorities have to focus on just stopping the spread, rather than putting the fire out.
※消火するは上記のcontainやput outの他、extinguishもOK
In total, more than 7.3 million hectares have been burned across Australia's six states -- an area larger than the countries of Belgium and Denmark combined.
（日本国土面積の4分の1以上に当たります）
固有種を含む、10億にも上る動物たちが被害を受けました。
The number of total animals affected could be as high as one billion nationwide.
A rescue group saw thousands of dead koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and birds and said they fear for future of some endemic species（固有種）“In some places you can’t walk 10 metres without coming across another carcass. The scenes were nothing short of apocalyptic.”
（救助隊の声：動物の遺骸に遭遇せずに10メートルも歩けない所もある）
※come across=出くわす
※carcass=(動物等の)死骸 フランス語で骸骨。人間にはbody
※nothing short of~＝まさに～に他ならない
※apocalyptic＝黙示の、終末論的な、大破局の、世界滅亡の
米航空宇宙局（NASA）は、成層圏まで届いていると言います。また、「異例なほど多数の」火災積乱雲も確認。火災積乱雲は、雨ではなく雷＝lighteningを発生させ、火災を助長します。
According to NASA, smoke from the devastating bushfires in Australia has traveled so high it has reached the stratosphere. The heat and dryness have also led to the formation of "an unusually large number" of so-called pyrocumulonimbus events.
※stratosphere=成層圏
※pryo-cumulnimbus=火災積乱雲 pryoが連結語で、火、熱の意味で、cumulonimbusが積乱雲,入道雲
大都会の上空も煙が覆い=shroud/envelop /hover等。大気質は危険なレベルを超えています。
Haze（噴霧、かすみ、もや） from the bushfires is seen over Sydney's Beach. Australia's most populous（人口の多い） city of Sydney has been choking under a blanket of thick smoke funneling in from the fire zones, its air quality exceeding hazardous levels on several occasions.
※choke=息苦しくする
※funnel＝じょうご／送り込む、集中する
※hazardous=危険な、有害な
テニス全豪オープンでは、試合中に急に咳き込み、棄権を余儀なくされた選手もいました。
Smoke from the fires shrouded the courts and caused one player to double over in coughing fits. She was forced to retire from the match.
※double over＝〔人が痛みや笑いなどで〕体を折り曲げる、前かがみになる
※テニスの途中棄権はretireを使う事が多い。※DNF（did not finish）は陸上やF1 ※投票の棄権はabstain
そんな最中、火のついたタバコを車から捨てる行為に高い罰金刑＝hefty fineが施行されました。減点も通常の2倍で、同乗者にも罰則があります。
Drivers in Australia can now face a penalty of up to $11,000 if they are caught tossing a lit cigarette out of their car. In addition to the fine, offenders would receive 10 demerit points on their license. During times when a fire ban isn't in effect, drivers will have only five demerit points added to their license. Passengers would be fined $1,320.
※offender=反則者
※demerit point system 減点法、点数制度
The penalty comes amid the Australia fires that have decimated parts of the country.
（その処罰は、いくつかの地域を壊滅させた火災の最中にできた）
※decimate= ①～を10人に1人の割合で殺す【語源】古代ローマ軍の刑罰でくじ引きによって殺す人を選んだ。②～の多数の人［動物］を殺す、滅ぼす、衰退させる
