Name: 雅思口語-part3-環境污染 (Top 10 Ways China Is Ruining Its Own Environment)
Uploaded: 2018-12-15T21:01:30.000Z
Duration: 11 min 59 s

Top 10 Ways China Is Ruining Its Own Environment

造成中國環境危機的前十大原因

Poor Air Quality Is Creating A Tremendous Death Toll

低劣的空氣品質造成高人口死亡

The air pollution problem often keeps many people indoors, and forces them to wear masks

空氣污染讓居民時常待在屋內，也迫使他們戴上口罩來隔絕有毒空氣

to keep out toxic fumes even on days where total avoidance of the outside isn't advised.

就連不得不外出的日子也得戴上口罩

This problem is giving China a black eye on the national stage.

這個問題讓中國在國際舞台上黯然失色

Even after the Beijing Olympics, when the problem became more obvious, the true extent

即使過了北京奧運，這項問題看似浮出台面

但對比真正污染的程度仍是冰山一角

China has never offered journalists free reign to poke around, and has long denied any major

中國從未給記者自由報導的權力，也時常否認

However, a joint study involving the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning and the

然而，中國環境規劃研究院和世界衛生組織的一項聯合研究

World Health Organization found that somewhere between 350,000 to 500,000 Chinese people

發現介於 350,000 到 500,000 的中國人

are “prematurely” dying from lung cancer due to pollution.

因為空氣污染而「過早」死於肺癌

Unfortunately, there are people who try to hand wave these numbers away.

不幸的是，有人試圖將這些數據掩蓋

China's government has tried to keep journalists from even talking about the issue, and they've

中國政府嘗試要記者避免談論這項議題

done their best to keep the numbers out of international reports whenever possible.

也盡可能地保持國際上所報導的數字

While some would suggest that all the smoking in China is the main cause, the study makes

雖然有些人認為在中國吸煙是造成肺癌的主因，但研究明確顯示

it clear that the number of people dying from lung cancer have continued to rise even as

即使抽煙人口早已下降，因肺癌造成的死亡人口

The United States likes to feel that they're a much cleaner country than China, and that

美國認為他們比中國更注重空氣衛生

they're doing more to deal with the crisis of pollution and renewable energy.

所以他們想在空氣污染與再生能源危機多盡份心力

However, the situation is more complicated than it seems.

The United States and other countries are happy to buy products made using Chinese industry

美國與其他國家樂於購買中國工廠製的商品

while claiming to take the high road themselves.

The United States has put its foot down on certain fuels such as petroleum coke (petcoke).

美國也已經放棄了某些燃料，像是石油焦

This fossil fuel is a byproduct of the oil refining process and is much, much dirtier

這種化石燃料是煉油過程所產生的副產品，也比燃煤

While America don't use the fuel, the US exports it to China so America can make some

雖然美國不使用燃料，但他們將這些燃料副產品出口到中國

money off this byproduct instead of just letting the dangerous pollutant “go to waste.”

從中獲取利潤，而不是就讓這些危險的污染源就此「浪費掉」

Every year, the amount of petcoke exported to China grows, because it's an incredibly

每一年，中國進口石油焦的數量增長，因為這種燃料十分便宜

cheap fuel and China is dealing with the industrial demands of much of the modern world.

再加上中國是在現金時代處理大部分工業需求的國家

While it's cheap, it is hardly sustainable.

雖然這類燃料便宜，卻無法持久

With carbon emissions already out of control, using a fossil fuel that's dirtier than

隨著碳排放量早已失控的情況，使用比煤炭更容易造成污染的

coal is going to make an environmental crisis approach even faster.

Of course, the rest of the world is partly to blame for selling the stuff in the first

當然，其他部分國家首先將這樣的情況歸咎於

Sometimes it's better to think about protecting the world from catastrophe than it is about squeezing

有時候我們最好先保衛世界免於釀成災難，而不是想著從我們已經浪費的資源裡

every last cent of profit out of your waste.

While algae blooms aren't necessarily dangerous to humans, they're usually a bad sign for

雖然藻類茂盛對人類沒有絕對危險，但他們對當地生態系統來說

Large blooms of algae have been surfacing every year in the Yellow Sea near the Qingdao

在青島旁邊的黃海，每年都有大量藻類浮出海面

Province, and the problem seems to be worsening.

These huge piles of algae sitting on top of the water create an enormous mess, and in

大量的藻類布滿水面造成巨大的混亂

2013 the local government was tasked with trying to clean up a bloom that was larger

在 2013 年，當地政府的任務就是清理這些面積超過

These algae blooms greatly affect the local marine life, which often simply can't survive

藻類的繁殖影響當地海洋生物極大，這些生物往往無法在

the conditions they're forced to deal with.

The algae tends to block the sun's rays, and can also greatly change the chemical balance

藻類的生長會擋住陽光照射，也會嚴重影響到水中化學變化

To make matters worse, the algae can start to cause problems to humans when it decomposes

讓事情演變更糟的是，藻類分解所散發的有毒氣體至大氣層

and sends toxic fumes into the atmosphere.

可能開始會給人類帶來一些麻煩

When the Olympics were hosted in China, the government had to spend millions and enlist

奧運在中國舉辦時，政府必須花費數萬以及聘用 10,000 人

the aid of 10,000 people to clean the algae up enough to allow the games to continue.

協助清理藻類才得以讓活動繼續進行

The damage from that year alone was estimated to cost local seafood farmers roughly 100

根據估算，就那麼一年便讓當地海鮮農民

Part of the problem may be seaweed farmers, who are scraping waste into the water that

部分問題的原因也可能是海藻農民，他們會在適合的情況下，將廢物刮入水中

later turns into algae blooms when the conditions are right.

Of course, many experts feel that if industrial pollution wasn't so bad those conditions

當然，很多專家認為如果工業污染沒有這麼嚴重

When you think of a country with a serious water crisis, China isn't what comes to

講到水源危機岌岌可危的國家，中國並不會是

But China is approaching a crisis, even though they would appear to have plenty of water

但中國正在面臨這個問題，即使他們看似擁有

To begin with, many industrial plants are located near water sources and dump their

首先，很多工業廠房位在靠近水源附近的地方，並沒有徹底做回收或任何處理

waste directly into the water, with very little recycling or treatment.

Oftentimes sewage isn't treated properly or at all, and ends up in the same sources

在一般情況下，污水處理不當或壓根沒處理的話

of water intended for industry, drinking and bathing.

工業、飲用，和洗澡水都會使用到同個水源

If that wasn't enough, since the 1960s, 10,000 bodies have been found in water sources.

這樣還不夠的話，從六零年代開始，有 10,000 具屍體在水源中被尋獲

Apart from pollution, China is also destroying some of their water sources.

除了污染，中國也在破壞一些水源

Due to industry using water without sustainable practices, many of China's rivers are drying

由於工業用水沒有持續的處理行動，許多中國的河流

Many different ruined rivers and lakes will affect other water sources and make the crisis

被不同方式破壞的河流和湖泊影響其他水源

On top of all that, China has an infrastructure problem when it comes to getting water where

最重要的是，在中國需要水的地方遇到了

Most of China's people and the agriculture that keeps them fed are located in the north,

大多數的中國人口以及他們賴以為生的農物都位在北方

but the large majority of the country's natural water is still located in the south.

但豐富的國家天然水源仍在南方

And even if you can get water, you may not want to drink it.

就算你獲得水，你也不會想喝它

Some experts believe that half the drinking water in major cities is unsafe to consume,

有些專家認為在大都市一半的飲用水都很不安全

and groundwater supplies are in a similar state of pollution.

而地下水的供應也處於類似的污染狀態

They're Starting To Experience Conditions Similar To A Nuclear Winter

他們開始要經歷類似核冬天的氣候

A nuclear winter is a theoretical scenario that would occur in the aftermath of multiple

Apart from the dangers of the radiation itself, the ash that accumulates in the air would

除了輻射本身的危險外，灰燼在空氣中累積

block the sun's rays for a period that may last years.

會遮住陽光照射的時間會維持好幾年

This would cause the planet to cool, and would greatly impede photosynthesis.

這會造成植物枯萎，也會大大阻礙光合作用

It would be almost impossible to grow crops.

Aside from the radiation, this may soon be a reality in parts of China.

除了輻射，這件事實很可能即將在中國部分區域發生

As the country's smog problem worsens, and the government becomes less able to sweep

隨著國家霧霾問題惡化，政府方面也無法刻意隱藏這項問題

it under the rug, more Chinese scientists are delving into the miasma, and it's not

越來越多中國科學家開始研究瘴氣

One scientist concluded that the smog in some areas is already bad enough that it could

一位科學家得出了結論：霧霾在某些區域已經嚴重到

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雅思口語-part3-環境污染 (Top 10 Ways China Is Ruining Its Own Environment)

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