Desertification中译的探讨

desert主要指“沙漠”；desertion主要指“沙漠化”；desertification主要指“土地退化”。“荒漠化”是“沙漠化”的通俗说法。土地退化是指在干旱、半干旱以及亚湿润地区，由于土地利用，或者由于某一种因素变化或多种因素变化的综合影响，包括各种人类活动和居住方式引起的各种变化的影响，而导致那些依靠天然降水的农田、人工灌溉农田，或者草地、牧场、林地以及森林的生物生产力、经济价值以及其他多种服务功能的降低或者丧失的变化过程或者状况。

On Chinese Translation of Desertification

Desert means mainly a dry,barren area of land,especially one covered with sand,that is characteristically desolate,waterless,and without vegetation.Desertion is mainly the act of deserting or the state of being deserted.Desertification is mainly land degradation in arid,semi arid and dry sub humid areas resulting from various factors,including climate variations and human activities.Land degradation means mainly the reduction or loss in arid,semi arid and dry sub humid areas,of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rain fed cropland,irrigated cropland,or range,pasture,forest and woodlands resulting from land uses or from a process or combination of processes,including processes arising from human activities and habitation patterns.