英闻天下——371 Cross-regional Cooperation Aims at Pollution

 　　In the 1990s, China became the "world's factory" after its opening up and economic reform. Many coastal¹ provinces in the east have accumulated a wealth of capital since then. In recent years, however, the country has been witnessing a wave of industrial transfer against the backdrop of the global economic downturn and China's determination to develop its western region.

 

　　Professor Mao Xianqiang is Vice² Chair of Environmental Economics Division of Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences.

 

　　"The economic efficiency of the eastern provinces is on the wane³. Their labor⁴ costs are increasing rapidly, while the central and western provinces have developed some advantages in this regard. On the other hand, people in the East now ask for a better living environment, while those in the West still need to prioritize economic growth."

 

　　The nationwide industrial reshuffle, however, has raised environmental concerns among citizens. Zhang Quan is one of them. As the director of the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau, he says if the government doesn't have strict standards, the pollution may be transferred to the West along with the reshuffled projects.

 

　　"The pollution that occurs during the transfer process may have a worse impact on the West than on the East. Although there are fewer people in the West, the ecological⁵ system is rather fragile. And it is also the birthplace of many rivers in the country, such as the Yangtze River and Yellow River."

 

　　As a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress, Zhang Quan also says no city can remain aloof⁶ from the worsening environment, as environmental issues in China now tend to develop around certain watersheds⁷ or regions.

 

　　In fact, the National "12th Five-Year Plan" for Environmental Protection mentions the cross-regional cooperation and has established general functional⁸ zones from an overall view. But experts believe further details still need to be nailed down.

 

　　Environment professor Mao Xianqiang explains.

 

　　"Now whenever the Party introduces new projects, it has a responsibility to conduct environmental assessments⁹. But we don't have any regulations for the Party whenever it rolls out polluting industries."

 

　　For CRI, I'm He Fei.

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 wane   

n.衰微，亏缺，变弱；v.变小，亏缺，呈下弦

参考例句：

• The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。
• Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

6 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

7 watersheds   

n.分水岭( watershed的名词复数 )；分水线；转折点；流域

参考例句：

• Hyetographs are important in estimating stormflow hydrographs from upstream watersheds. 降雨历线资料为上游集水区推估洪水流量历线的重要依据。 来自互联网
• Sediments check dam in small watersheds in loess hilly gully area come from three proportion, i. 黄土丘陵沟壑区治沟骨干工程泥沙淤积来源于坡面侵蚀、沟道侵蚀和库区岸坡坍塌。 来自互联网

8 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

9 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句