在周一最高法院的辩论中，双方的尖锐质疑表明，博尔德具有里程碑意义的气候诉讼可能会以微弱优势赢得法院保守派多数席位。
Sharp questioning from both sides during Monday's Supreme Court arguments suggested Boulder's landmark climate lawsuit could narrowly survive the court's conservative majority.
为什么重要：该裁决将决定博尔德是否可以继续寻求数百万美元的赔偿金来支付与气候相关的费用，并可能影响全国提起的数十起类似诉讼的命运。
Why it matters: The ruling will determine whether Boulder can keep pursuing potentially millions in damages to cover climate-related costs — and could shape the fate of dozens of similar lawsuits filed nationwide.
事态发展：三位自由派法官在质询中听起来都对博尔德的案件表示同情。
State of play: All three liberal justices sounded sympathetic to Boulder's case in their questioning.
与此同时，据《纽约时报》报道，只有法院的保守派法官布雷特·卡瓦诺“坚定支持能源公司”。
Meanwhile, only one of the court's conservative justices, Brett Kavanaugh, "was adamant in his support for the energy companies," per the New York Times.
他们的意思：一些保守派法官听起来担心对博尔德有利的裁决会让法庭上充斥着气候诉讼。
What they're saying: Some conservative justices sounded worried that a ruling in Boulder's favor would flood courts with climate lawsuits.
据《泰晤士报》报道，首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨表示：“据推测，如果你获胜，第二天，每个州的一个市政府都会提起诉讼，可能会复制你的诉状。”“你认为结果会如何？"
"Presumably if you prevail, the next day, a municipality in every single state will file a lawsuit that will probably copy your pleadings," said Chief Justice John Roberts, per the Times. "How do you think that will work out?"
是的，但是：罗伯茨还质疑石油公司的论点，即此类主张是联邦法律而不是州法律的问题。
Yes, but: Roberts also challenged the oil companies' arguments that such claims are a matter of federal, not state, law.
据《科罗拉多太阳报》报道，他告诉这些公司的律师，“如果你向边境扔石头”并撞到某人，你就有理由被起诉。阴谋：拥有化石燃料公司股票的大法官塞缪尔·阿利托回避。
You can rightfully be sued "if you throw a rock over the border" and hit someone, he told the companies' attorneys, the Colorado Sun reports. The intrigue: Justice Samuel Alito, who owns stock in fossil fuel companies, recused himself.
4比4的平局将使科罗拉多州最高法院的裁决生效，并让博尔德的案件继续进行，因此该市只需要一名保守派法官就能加入自由派。
A 4–4 tie would leave the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling in place and let Boulder's case proceed, so the city needs just one conservative justice to join the liberal wing.
快速赶上：博尔德指责埃克森美孚和森科尔多年来就其化石燃料产品在气候变化中的作用欺骗公众。
Catch up quick: Boulder is accusing ExxonMobil and Suncor of deceiving the public for years about the role of their fossil fuel products in climate change.
这些公司辩称，联邦法律优先考虑了这些索赔，可能会让他们承担重大责任。
The companies argue the claims are preempted by federal law and could expose them to crushing liability.
现实检验：法官们只是决定博尔德的诉讼是否可以继续进行，而不是公司是否负有责任。
Reality check: The justices are only deciding whether Boulder's lawsuit can move forward, not if the companies are liable.
如果最高法院允许此案继续进行，州法院将如何裁决，这仍然是悬而未决的问题。下一步：可能会在6月底或7月初做出决定。
It's still very much up in the air how state courts would rule if the Supreme Court allows the case to proceed. What's next: A decision will likely come in late June or early July.