VOA慢速英语2016 越南人因为鱼类神秘死亡举行抗议活动（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-05-03 Vietnamese Protest Mysterious Fish Kill 越南人因为鱼类神秘死亡举行抗议活动

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam on Sunday against a company they accuse of killing large numbers of fish along the country’s central coast.

周日，因疑一工厂排污致中部沿海大量鱼类死亡，数百越南民众举行抗议示威活动。

Some demonstrators criticized Vietnam’s government for reacting slowly to a major environmental disaster.

示威者抨击称，越南政府对这次重大环境灾难的处理消极、迟缓。

An official investigation has found no links between the fish kill and a steel plant operating along the coast. The factory belongs to a Taiwanese company, Formosa Plastics.

政府调查发现，并无直接证据表明鱼类大量死亡与沿海的钢铁厂有关。该钢铁厂隶属于台湾台塑公司。

Public anger against the company was evident at the recent demonstration in Hanoi.

河内市近期举行的示威活动中，民众对污染企业的不满显而易见。

Protesters carried signs reading, “Formosa destroying the environment is a crime” and “Who poisoned the central region’s waters?” Others signs said, “Formosa out of Vietnam!” and criticized Vietnamese officials for failing to take action.

示威者举着写有“台塑破坏环境就是犯罪”以及“谁污染了中部地区的水源？”的标语。还有标语写道，“台塑钢铁厂滚出越南！”，越南民众还批评政府未能采取相关措施。

Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam. Police are usually quick to suppress them. Last weekend, police officers cleared traffic to let demonstrators march near a big lake in the center of Hanoi.

示威活动在越南并不常见。通常警方会立即镇压示威者。上周末，警方疏散了交通以便示威者在河内市中心的大湖附近游行。

Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at fish farms and along the central coast since April 6. The dead fish include rare species that live in deep water, far from land.

4月6日以来，渔场及中部沿海的鱼类出现了大规模死亡。包括远离陆地深海中的珍稀鱼类。

The fish kill has affected 200 kilometers of coastland in four provinces, with no known cause.

鱼类死亡已经波及越南4个省份长达200公里的沿海区域，原因尚不明确。

At first, the environmental disaster was thought to have resulted from industrial waste. Some Vietnamese and environmental activists believe it came from the huge steel plant.

最初，民众认为这起环境灾难是因工厂废弃物污染所致。一些越南民众和环保主义人士认为罪魁祸首是这家大型钢铁厂。

Last week, Vietnamese officials said they failed to find evidence linking the fish kill to the factory.

上周，越南官员表示，并未有证据表明鱼类死亡和这家工厂有关。

Tran Hong Ha, the top environmental official, apologized for the government’s reaction to the large fish kill. He demanded that the Taiwanese company dig up a waste pipe at the steel project so the government can study the waste.

越南环保局高层Tran Hong Ha对政府应对此次大型鱼类死亡事件表示歉意。他要求台塑公司在建设钢铁项目时挖一条污水管道，以便政府进行污水调查。

At first, the government said the cause of the fish kill could be a “red tide.” Red tides happen naturally when algae become so numerous that they discolor coastal waters. The organisms remove oxygen from the water. They can also release toxic substances that may sicken animals and human beings.

政府起先称鱼类死亡可能是赤潮引起的。赤潮指海藻泛滥使沿海海水变色的一种有害生态现象。这种生物会消耗水中的氧气，还会释放可能会让动物和人类患病的有毒物质。

The government also said that the fish kill could have resulted from chemicals released by humans.

政府还表示鱼类死亡可能是由人类排放的化学物质造成的。

A comment by a Formosa official helped to fuel public anger in Vietnam. The official reportedly said that the country had to choose between catching fish and shrimp, and building a modern steel industry.

台塑公司发表的一份言论让越南民众的愤怒情绪爆发。据悉该公司负责人表示，越南当局必须决定要捕鱼虾，还是要建现代钢铁厂，有得就有失。

Reports on Facebook say several hundred protesters marched in Ho Chi Minh City. However, state-controlled media have yet to report on any of the demonstrations.

Facebook报道显示，数百名示威者在胡志明市游行。但是，越南官方媒体尚未对任何一次示威活动进行报道。

Social media and witnesses said protests also took place in central Vietnam last Friday. They said fishermen threw fish on a road after failing to sell their catch. The Reuters news service could not confirm the incident.

社交媒体和目击者纷纷表示，上周五越南中部地区也爆发了抗议活动。他们说，渔民们将卖不出去的鱼丢在路边。路透社尚未证实这一事件。

On Saturday, the government ordered the trade and agriculture ministries to help buy seafood caught during deep-sea fishing.

上周六，越南政府下令贸易和农业部门协助收购远洋作业期间捕捞的海鲜。

Words in This Story

species – n. a particular group of things that belong together or have some shared quality

toxin – n. a poisonous substance and especially one that is produced by a living thing

red tide – n. a discoloration of seawater caused by a bloom of toxic red organisms  

algae – n. simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in or near water