The Amazon fires have finally started to garner the attention of the world. The wildfires and deforestation, mostly in Brazil, are an ecological, political, and societal disaster.

亞馬遜大火終于開始引起世界關注了，主要出現在巴西境內的野火和森林砍伐是一場生態、政治和社會災難。

The rainforest ecosystem provides oxygen, takes in carbon dioxide, supplies water vapor for the global weather-climate system, and hosts untapped medicinal benefits.

雨林生態系統釋放氧氣、吸收二氧化碳、為全球氣候系統提供水汽，還有未開發的藥用價值。

The loss of trees and the sun-blotting smoke are obvious consequences of these massive fires. However, there is another problem with these wildfires.

這些大火明顯造成了樹木的損失，產生了蔽日的濃煙，但野火還有另外一個問題。

They are emitting a lot of carbon monoxide. Here's why that is a problem.

大火釋放大量一氧化碳，下面說明一下為什么這是個問題。

I suspect that most people have some familiarity with carbon monoxide because it can be harmful to humans.

我猜大多數人對一氧化碳比較熟悉，因為它對人體有害。

If exposed to it for even short period of time, carbon monoxide can quickly replace oxygen in the blood, which can cause serious or even fatal outcomes according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

據美國職業安全與健康管理局（OSHA）稱，如果暴露在一氧化碳中即使很短一段時間，一氧化碳會快速替換血液中的氧氣，造成嚴重甚至致命的后果。

The gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless so it is particularly dangerous.

這種氣體無臭、無色、無味，所以特別危險。

According to a NASA press release from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory this week, the carbon monoxide signature of the Amazonian fires are clearly detectable by specialized Earth-monitoring satellites.

據NASA噴氣推進實驗室本周發布的新聞稿稱，專門的地球監測衛星清楚地探測到亞馬遜大火的一氧化碳特征。

The image above was captured by an instrument called the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) aboard the Aqua satellite.

上圖就是Aqua衛星上的大氣紅外探測器（AIRS）捕捉到的畫面。

In the animation, it is clear that the plume of carbon monoxide starts in the region of burning fires and then drifts southeastward into Brazil and other parts of the continent.

動畫中清晰顯示二氧化碳羽流開始于大火燃燒地區，然后向東南漂移到巴西和南美洲其他地區。