VOA慢速英语2014 中国河流中的河水变成红色

 

AS IT IS 2014-08-06 China's River Turns Red 中国河流中的河水变成红色

Red is a lucky color in Chinese culture, but not when it comes to river water. 

The red water was discovered last month in the Chinese city of Wenzhou.  Some people there also reported a strong, sharp chemical smell in the air. 

The local environmental protection agency investigated the incident.  Officials said they found no sign of pollutants¹ released from the factories that line the river. 

Wu Yixiu follows water pollution issues for the environmental group Greenpeace.  She says this red river incident shows how environmental problems are increasingly affecting people in cities. 

“I think the water pollution problem … it’s no longer a remote problem, only in the countryside.  It’s affecting everyone, even people in the cities.”

Wenzhou is a center for business and industry on China’s eastern coast.  It is also home to many Chinese Christians² and has been called China’s Jerusalem.  After the river water turned red some city residents posted messages on social media.  Their messages said the red waters were a sign of Armageddon - an event described in Christianity’s holy book as marking the end of the world.

Environmentalist Ma Jun says the river pollution is not the sign of the end of times.  But he says it does represent an important time in China’s fight against pollution.

“So I think the next 20 years will be quite critical.  The government needs to make efforts to reduce pollution to provide a safe and healthy environment for this generation.”

How many dead pigs can fit in a Shanghai river?

The Wenzhou River turning red is the latest of several environmental incidents in China.  In 2012, the Yangtze River also turned red because of illegal pollution from a factory.  Last year, more than 2,000 dead pigs were found floating through a river in Shanghai. 

In addition, China’s government has identified several hundred of what have been called “cancer villages.”  These are areas where the rates of cancer are unusually high because of industrial pollution.

Ma Jun says there are more than 1,700 water pollution incidents in China every year.  He says many of China’s rivers, lakes and even aquifers³ are polluted.  An “aquifer” is a layer of rock or sand that can hold water.

“China is facing a serious water pollution challenge.  Much of our rivers, lakes and even our aquifers have been contaminated especially in the densely⁴ populated regions.  This has posed a serious risk.  Up to 300 million residents don’t have access to safe drinking water.”

Earlier this year Chinese Premier⁵ Li Keqiang threatened to launch a war on pollution.  Environmental activists⁶ say that war will depend on enforcement of existing Chinese laws.  Residents of Wenzhou would most likely welcome such an offensive.  Eighty percent of the water off of Wenzhou’s coast is considered polluted.

1 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 aquifers   

n.地下蓄水层，砂石含水层( aquifer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And in Africa, the aquifers barely recharge at all. 非洲的地下水开采以后几乎得不到补充。 来自时文部分
• Aquifers have water contents over 30%. 含水层的水含过30％。 来自辞典例句

4 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

5 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》