英闻天下——43 Mouth Watering or Health Killing

 　　Many who watched "A Bite of China" say the documentary is more than just a food show.

 

　　But while "A Bite of China" has highlighted what people can eat, other TV news programs and other media sources here in China have been highlighting what NOT to eat here in China.

 

　　Food safety has been a continual media drum beat here in China through 2012.

 

　　Earlier in December, reports emerged of farms in China using prohibited drugs and additives¹ to feed chicken to speed up the growth process.

 

　　In November, a major alcohol producer called Jiugui Liquor had to suspend its packaging lines following reports its products were found to contain excessive levels of plasticizer.

 

　　Currently there are no national standard for the amount of plasticizer allowed in beverages².

 

　　And while the debate about the safety of liquor here in China drags on, one thing everyone can agree on is that out-of-date food is something that cannot be eaten or sold.

 

　　However, this didn't stop a McDonald's outlet³ in Beijing from selling out-of-date food and picking up beef dropped on floor for reuse in its meals.

 

　　In March, an undercover reporter recorded this conversation with an employee inside a McDonald's restaurant in the Sanlitun district of downtown Beijing.

 

　　- What, if any problems will there be if the beef gets dirty?

 

　　- What problems there will be? Nothing. All the bacteria dies after being fried.

 

　　Expired and dirty food, potentially poisonous liquor, dangerous chicken meat, toxic⁴ medicine capsules, gutter⁵ oil… China's TV screen have been dominated by news about various food safety scandals in 2012.

 

　　To that end, the government has been moving to try to fight food safety problems.

 

　　In June, the Chinese government released a five-year plan to upgrade its food safety regulations.

 

　　Shen Kui is the deputy director of Peking University's School of Law.

 

　　"Public management refers to food manufacturers, food retailers⁶ and consumers, as well as industry associations. In addition, non-profit organizations are key, as they are well suited to discovering food safety problems and revealing them. But of course, the government has to play a leading role in dealing⁷ with food safety concerns."

 

　　Food Safety experts have been recommending the government enhance food safety supervision⁸ by setting up a mechanism⁹ that covers the entire food chain.

 

　　Experts are also recommending a rigid¹⁰ food recall and destruction system for defective¹¹ products, on top of "severe penalties" for those who violate food safety laws.

 

　　Qiu Baochang is a lawyer with the China Consumers Association.

 

　　"Based on China's criminal code, people who add toxic or harmful substances into food can be given death penalty. However, it doesn't mean all food safety threats constitute crimes. Circumstances vary. But when it does constitute a crime, severe penalties should be handed down. But it's more than simply having laws. Other measures are also needed, including raising public awareness¹² about food safety."

 

　　China's Health ministry¹³ has published 88 new standards for food safety through 2012.

 

　　The government is also promising¹⁴ not to back-down in its fight for food safety in 2013.

 

　　For CRI, I am Zhang Wan¹⁵.

1 additives   

n.添加剂( additive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• chemical additives in petrol 汽油中的化学添加剂
• It'says on the packet that these crisps contain no additives. 包装上说这些炸薯片不含添加剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

3 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

4 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

5 gutter   

n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟

参考例句：

• There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
• He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

6 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

9 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

10 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

11 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

12 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

13 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

14 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

15 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。