But this year the skies are clear,

但今年天空變乾淨了，

that's because the coronavirus epidemic

原因就是新冠肺炎疫情

had brought much of the country to a standstill

讓中國大部分地區的經濟活動陷入停滯，

for several weeks causing a huge drop in pollutants

時間長達數周，使得汙染物大幅減少，

like nitrogen dioxide,

例如二氧化氮：

a harmful gas that's emitted when burning fossil fuel.

一種燃燒石化燃料所排出的有害氣體，

Compared to previous years it's below typical levels.

跟前幾年比起來，今年的汙染量低於平均，

- If you close down factories or reducing the amount

如果關閉工廠

of cars on the road you're going

或減少路上的車流量，

to reduce the pollution levels.

汙染程度就會下降。

And from that we can deduce that the economic activity

從這點我們可以推斷中國的經濟活動

has been decreased.

減少了，

In early February Chinese president,

二月初中國國家主席

Xi Jinping publicly declared a people's war

習近平公開宣布，

against the virus,

將對新冠病毒展開一場人民的戰爭，

that extreme measures like shutdowns have prevented people

採取停工等極端措施，

from returning to work where necessary.

使得民眾必要時也無法回去上班，

But he also cautioned that those efforts

但他也告誡這些措施

should not jeopardize economic development.

不應該危及經濟發展，

Now a dramatic change in pollution over the country suggests

現在全中國的汙染大幅改變意味著

that striking that balance could be difficult.

平衡防疫與經濟發展可能很難。

In the past few decades China has grown

在過去幾十年

to become the world's largest coal consumer.

中國已經成全世界最大的煤炭消耗國，

Its large manufacturing-based economy burns 95&00:01:10,310 --> 00:01:11,750 of the country's coal,

龐大的經濟體系奠基在製造業，消耗了全國百分之 95 的煤炭，

making it the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses.

使中國成為溫室氣體排放量最大的國家，

Usually during the Lunar New Year most industries wind down

通常在農曆新年期間，大多數產業暫時關閉一周，

for a week and power plants burn a lot less coal.

發電廠燃燒的煤炭量會減少很多，

Coal consumption usually rebounds after the week-long break

不過煤炭消耗量通常會在為期一周的假期結束後回升，

which means pollution levels pick up too.

也就是說汙染程度也會上升，

- Because the levels of nitrogen dioxide

中國的二氧化氮濃度很高，

in China are so high we can easily detect that from space.

我們在太空中很容易就能偵測到，

This is what Wuhan,

這是新冠病毒傳播起點武漢

the epicenter of the coronavirus usually looks like

在假期過後通常會有的

after the holiday.

汙染情況，

The city is a key producer of automobiles,

武漢是汽車、電子業、與重型機械的

electronics and heavy machinery.

主要生產城市，

But this year the demand

但今年的煤炭需求

for coal hasn't immediately rebounded since many workers

在新年假期後並沒有馬上回升，

have been stranded at home in locked down cities,

因為很多勞工滯留在被封鎖的城市裡，

and nitrogen dioxide levels have dipped.

二氧化氮的濃度也下降了，

It's not just Wuhan,

不只武漢有這樣的現象，

it's the same when you look

中國其他的工業大城

at other industrial powerhouses in China.

也是如此，

This is what Shandong and Hebei usually look like

這是山東和河北

after the holiday.

新年假期後的平均二氧化氮濃度，

They're know for churning out everything

他們的大量生產工業很有名，

from textiles and metals to petrochemicals.

從紡織物、金屬、到石化製品都有製造，

But this year they also weren't spared

但今年山東和河北

from the impact of the epidemic.

也沒有倖免於新冠疫情所造成的衝擊，

While skies were clear in many parts of China,

雖然中國很多地方的天空都變乾淨了

some cities like Beijing are still shrouded in smog.

有些城市─例如北京─天空仍然被霧霾籠罩，

The city has recorded high levels of air pollutants.

北京已經有記錄到高濃度的空氣汙染物，

These fine particles are created

這些微粒

during the chemical reaction of gasses generated

來自燃燒燃料時所產生的氣體

from burning fuel.

發生的化學反應，

Heating systems in Beijing's geography

供熱系統和北京的地理環境

can affect this reading.

可能可以減緩空汙，

But there's one huge source of pollution

但北京的空氣汙染還有一個的大宗來源

that can't be missed,

不能忽略：

major steel makers around the capital don't stop production

北京周圍的鋼鐵製造大廠在農曆新年假期

during the holiday because going offline is costlier

並沒有暫停生產，

than running all year round.

因為暫停運作的成本比全年營運更多，

So during the city shutdown some factories continue

所以在封城期間有些工廠

to produce steel.

仍持續生產鋼鐵，

Li Hongmei is an analyst

李紅梅 (音譯) 是個分析師，

who tracks the Chinese metal industry.

負責追蹤中國的重工業情形，

- Because of the outbreak all the normal pattern

由於新冠疫情疫情爆發，

has been broken so the construction sites are still

造成所有正常運作模式被破壞，

in the process of resuming work,

建築工地仍在復工中，

that's why their steel consumption slow down and delayed.

這就是為什麼鋼鐵消耗量減緩甚至延遲了，

- [Narrator] Steel inventories are now at record high levels

鋼鐵庫存量現在創新高紀錄，

because buyers in the construction industry

因為現在建設工業的購買者，

are demanding less right now.

對鋼鐵的需求大減，

Home sales were already cooling before the virus,

家用銷售量在疫情出現以前已經剛始下降，

now they're below last year levels.

而現在更是比去年還要低，

- Whenever you're not so sure about your national economy

如果你覺得國家經濟不安定，

you're not so sure about your job security,

那麼也會不確定自己還能否保住飯碗、

about your income.

以及收入，

People definitely will be reducing expenditure

因此人們必定會在投資中

in a investment.

減少花費，

- [Narrator] In recent days Xi has been touting efforts

最近習近平大力支持

to meet economic targets while containing the virus,

在疫情期間，為達成經濟目標所做的措施，

like heavy stimulus to support banks and tax cuts

例如對銀行給予強力經濟刺激、

for small businesses.

並對中小企業減稅，

But analysts say it's not clear whether these measures

但分析師說還未能確定

can help make up for lost ground.

這些措施是否能挽救經濟，

Some factories are slowly resuming production.

有些工廠正在緩慢恢復生產，

- So pollution levels that we're observing from space

所以我們現在從太空觀察到的汙染濃度

are beginning to increase which may indicate

也開始增加，

that economic activity could be resuming.

也就是經濟活動可能已經開始恢復，

- [Narrator] Beijing recently put out the first full month

北京最近第一次發布了

of economic data after the virus hit China.

中國疫情爆發後整個月的經濟數據，

The index tracks business sentiment among manufacturing

這個指數是追蹤對製造業與服務業的

and service sectors and it falls

企業信心程度。

below the lowest level recorded

今年全球因為疫情陷入經濟危機，

during the global financial crisis.

商業信心指數便創了新低，

An increase in the number of infections overseas

若海外感染者人數增加，

could also put China's economy at greater risk,

也可能使中國經濟面臨更大危機，

complicating efforts to meet Xi's economic goals

讓習近平對今年的經濟發展目標

for this year.

更難達成，

For now, one of the most visible indicators

現在，如果想知道中國的經濟發展措施成效如何，

to see how it all plays out might be just

最明顯的指標之一

to look up at the skies.

可能是抬頭看天空是否乾淨，

(relaxing music)

(背景音樂)