VOA常速英语2019--污染指数创新高，印度首都打响空气保卫战

India’s Capital Battles Record Pollution Levels

New Delhi and the surrounding area saw record-breaking air pollution over the weekend.

这周，印度新德里与其周边地区空气污染指数爆表。 

The city’s government has declared a public health emergency and imposed restrictions¹ on the use of vehicles .

新德里政府宣布了一项公共卫生应急预案，并采取了车辆限行的措施。 

Until november 15th, cars with odd numbers and the tags drive one day and cars with even numbers the next day.

直到11月15日，车牌号为奇数号的车辆在奇数日出行，车牌为双数号的车辆在双数日出行。 

People who try to drive into Delhi on Monday with registration² tags ending in an odd number was stopped.

周一，车牌号为单数的车辆开进新德里时都被拦了下来。 

I did not know that the odd-even rule was starting from today.

“我不知道今天就开始实行单双号限行。 

I came to Delhi for some work last night and I was returning home.

由于工作原因我昨晚来到新德里，就在我回家的路上， 

When I saw the sirens, I tried to escape quickly but I was caught.

我听见了警报器。我试图快速逃跑但最终还是被抓了。 

I won’t make the same mistake again.

我下次不会再这样做了。” 

Flights have been delayed or canceled at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport,

在新德里甘地国际机场，航班也都延后或取消。 

And authorities have also shut area schools and ordered all construction work to stop in an effort to slash³ pollution.

当局政府也关闭了一些地区学校，并命令所有的建筑工地停止施工，以此减少污染。 

Here at the airport, we are facing difficulty breathing.

在机场这里，我们呼吸都有困难。 

There’s a burning sensation as if someone had put chili⁴ pepper in my eyes.

就像是有人把辣椒放在了我的眼睛里，有一种灼烧的感觉。” 

Health officials warned that everyone is at risk of serious health effects.

卫生官员发出警告，所有人面临着严重的健康威胁。 

People venturing into the streets donned breathing masks as residents of Chinese capital Beijing used to have to do.

那些大胆走上街头的人也都带着防毒面罩，这场景与曾几何时中国的首都北京十分相像。 

A tourist from China visiting India’s Mausoleum Taj Mahal, more than 300 kilometres south of New Delhi counted a hazy⁵ sight.

泰姬陵在新德里以南300多千米的方向，一位来印度参观泰姬陵的中国游客说这里视线模糊。 

We landed here on friday.

我们星期五到达这里。 

And it was it was pretty bad. It was hard to look outside.

这里空气质量真的很差，外面都看不清。 

We see that it’s swinging a lot. So last night we say in Delhi.

这里空气质量变化的很快，在新德里，昨晚空气还不错， 

Last night it was actually pretty good and we could see very far.

很远的地方我们也看得清。 

But then again this morning, it was pretty bad again.

但今天早上开始空气又很差了。” 

20 years ago, China’s capital Beijing was one of the world’s most polluted cities due to widespread coal combustion⁶ and motor vehicle traffic.

20年前，由于大规模燃煤和使用机动车辆，中国的首都北京成为了当时世界上受污染最严重的城市之一。

But then the government adopted systematic⁷ and intensive measures to improve the air quality.

不过后来中国政府采取了系统性的强化措施来提高空气质量。 

Today residents of Beijing and other big Chinese cities can walk out without breathing masks.

今天，北京居民和其他中国大城市的居民外出时已经不需要戴防毒面具。 

And there are plans for continued improvements.

还有许多其他提高空气质量的方案。 

Much of the reduction in pollutants⁸ came from measures to control coal-fired boilers⁹, provide cleaner domestic fuels and industrial restructuring.

通过控制使用燃煤锅炉，更加清洁的国内燃料，并调整产业结构可以大幅减少污染。 

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

3 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

4 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

5 hazy   

adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的

参考例句：

• We couldn't see far because it was so hazy.雾气蒙蒙妨碍了我们的视线。
• I have a hazy memory of those early years.对那些早先的岁月我有着朦胧的记忆。

6 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

7 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

8 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

9 boilers   

锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。