VOA常速英语2014--加州干旱持续 水上警察加强执法（在线收听）

Water Cop Enforces Laws As California Drought Persists 加州干旱持续 水上警察加强执法

LOS ANGELES —

California is going through a serious drought, and the state has drastically reduced supplies of water to its farmers.   In big cities like Los Angeles, the impact is less severe but the city has strict conservation laws that limit water waste and enforces those laws by sending out officers into the streets to monitor compliance.  

Rick Silva of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power cruises the neighborhoods of Los Angeles in search of tell-tale signs of illegal watering.

洛杉矶水利部门的里克·席尔瓦巡视着洛杉矶社区找寻非法用水的迹象。

“Residential fines start at 100, and commercial fines start at 200.”

“居民罚款从100开始,而商业罚款则从200开始。”

Most who violate the city laws just get a warning, and advice on a strategy to reduce their water use.

大多数违反法者只是得到一个警告,还有减少水源使用的建议策略。

Houses with even street numbers can water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, those with odd numbers: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. No one can use irrigation systems between 9 am and 4 pm, or on Saturday.

悬挂街道号码牌的房屋可以在周二,周四和星期天用水,而那些奇数居民用水时间则是周一,周三和周五。早上9点到下午4点之间,或者星期六不能够使用灌溉系统。

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“We've been looking for run-off from lawns, people that are watering on the wrong days, and more just to get them on board that a lot of water is being used towards irrigation, and that there's also a lot of potential savings there."

“我们一直在寻找草坪灌溉中流失的水源，人们在错误的日子进行浇灌,还有更多的只是为了浇灌就使用大量的水,而且还存在很多潜在的蓄水。”

Farmers in California's Central Valley have seen dramatic reductions in their water allocations,threatening agriculture, one of the state's major industries. In Los Angeles, up to half the water is used for watering yards, and that officials say that is one area where the city can be cut.

加利福尼亚中央谷的农民看到了自己水源分配的显著减少对这个州主要产业之一的农业所造成的威胁。而在洛杉矶,多达一半的水是用于灌溉农田,官员表示这是城市可以削减的一部分。

The city also is urging homeowners to tear out their lawns and plant drought resistance plants.

这个城市也敦促业主们拔光他们的草坪及耐旱植物。

“We will pay you to take out your grass. We'll pay you three dollars a square foot."

“我们将付钱给你清空自己的草坪。每平方英尺我们将支付3美元。”

Incentives have enticed some homeowners to put in plant varieties that are native to the temperate climate.Rick Silva notes that the city has installed a model landscape in a public park.

激励措施吸引一些房主种植原产于温带气候的植物品种。里克·席尔瓦指出,城市已经在一处公共公园内安装了景观模型。

“You see, some of them are flowering now. It's pretty nice."

“你看,其中一些正在开花。真的很漂亮。”

Homeowners who ignore the city's water restrictions will get an informational letter, or a formal warning, and finally a fine, if they don't cooperate.

而无视城市用水限制房主们会收到一封正式信件,或正式警告，如果仍旧拒不合作的话，最终会收到罚款单。

Los Angeles reservoirs still have enough water, but reservoirs in other parts of the state are at levels far below normal.And the Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack, the source of much of the water in Los Angeles, was 20 percent below normal when measured in May.

洛杉矶水库仍然有足够的水资源,但这个州其他地区的水库远低于正常水平。而洛杉矶大部分水资源来源的内华达山脉积雪在5月时候已经低于正常水平的20%。

The drought is in its third year, and California officials will soon consider tough new penalties for those who waste water anywhere in the state.

在这场干旱的第三个年头,对于那些浪费水的地方加州官员很快就会考虑出台新的严厉处罚措施。