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VOA慢速英语207 外媒:中国在重雾霾后出台污染税法

时间:2017-01-16 23:00:22

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(单词翻译)

Recently, dangerous levels of air pollution spread over several major cities in China. The problem shows that China has much to do to fight pollution. But China is also changing the way it deals with the problem.

近日,重度空气污染侵袭了中国几大城市。此现象表明,中国的污染治理之路依旧漫长。然而,中国也逐渐改变着治理污染的方式。

In the past, local governments, including officials in the capital Beijing, would have denied the problem. But, during the recent period of smog, schools and some polluting factories were closed. Also, the number of cars permitted on city streets was limited.

在此之前,地方政府甚至北京的政府官员都否认了污染问题。但是近期的雾霾天气导致学校停课,工厂停工。此外,允许上路的汽车数量也受到了限制。

Environmental groups say the number of clear days is increasing. More people are paying attention to the deadly effects of microscopic1 air pollutants2 called PM 2.5. These small particles can harm human lungs.

环保组织表示,晴朗天气日渐增多。越来越多的民众开始关注微小空气污染物(PM2.5)的致命影响,这种微小颗粒物会损害人体肺部。

During the five-day pollution crisis, state-run Xinhua news agency reports that 15 million face masks were sold online.

新华社报道称,在长达5天的环境污染期间,网上售出的口罩多达1500万只。

Recently, China's National People's Congress passed a new environmental tax. The tax affects polluters of air, water and solids. Noise pollution is also among the things that can be taxed. The new law aims to pressure polluters and give the government more enforcement power.

最近,中国人大常委会通过了一项新的环保税法。该税种将对大气污染、水污染及固体污染物产生影响。征税对象还包括噪音污染。此税法旨在对排污企业施加压力,并赋予政府更大的执法权。

Weak local enforcement

地方政府执行不力

The law aims to deal with the failure of local governments to watch, enforce, and punish polluters. For nearly 40 years, China has been collecting fees from polluters. However, the system did not work well.

该税法旨在应对地方政府监测、执行和惩治排污企业不到位等问题。近40年来,中国一直向排污企业征收费用。然而,该制度的效果差强人意。

Under the old pollution fee law, local governments placed more importance on economic growth than the environment.

先前的污染税法导致地方政府更重视经济增长而非生态环境。

Yuan Ying works for the Climate and Energy Unit of Greenpeace East Asia in Beijing. She said a pollution tax is a good step.

袁颖在北京绿色和平东亚分部气候变化与能源部门任职。她表示,污染税是非常关键的一步。

She said the new policy will help cause local governments to make tougher rules for companies that pollute.

她说,这一政策有助于督促地方政府对污染企业实施更严格的排污规定。

In the past, local officials from China's Ministry3 of Environmental Protection were responsible for collecting pollution fees and the system was easy to abuse. Earlier this month, state media reported that investigations4 this year have led to the punishment of more than 3,700 officials for not effectively protecting the environment.

过去,中国环保部的地方官员负责征收排污费,该权利易被滥用。本月初,央视报道称,今年的调查导致3700多名保护环境不力的官员受到处罚。

Now, local tax officials will send the money directly to the local governments, instead of local environmental protection departments. Environmental officials will be responsible for monitoring polluters.

如今,地方税务官员将把征收的税金直接移交地方政府而非地方环保部门。环保官员将负责监测排污企业动态。

War on Pollution

污染之战

For years, China has been criticized for not limiting pollution because of the effect it could have on economic growth. Critics of China include Peter Navarro, the man President-elect Donald Trump5 has appointed as the head of what he is calling the National Trade Council.

多年来,中国一直因限制排污问题倍受指责,因为这会影响经济增长。质疑之声中包括候任总统川普刚任命的国家贸易委员会负责人的彼得·纳瓦罗(Peter Navarro)。

These critics argue that weak enforcement is unfair because China uses it to cut costs for its companies. These savings6 can make their products more competitive.

他们认为,执行不力是不公平的,中国借此降低企业成本,增强其产品的竞争力。

But, in recent years, public awareness7 and opposition8 has grown. Pressure to clean up the environment has increased. Chinese leaders see the problem affecting not only the country's water, soil and air, but social stability too.

然而近年来,公众对环境污染的意识和反对明显加强。净化环境的压力同步增长。中国领导人认为这一问题不仅影响了水源、土壤、大气,还有社会稳定。

Too little, too slow

步伐太小,效果太慢

The effect of the tax is not yet known. The new law does not take effect until January 2018.

新税法的效果不得而知。该法案将从2018年1月开始实施。

Information released by state media shows that few companies will feel pressure to pollute less. For example, the tax on one ton of dangerous waste is about $144.

央视发布的信息表明,只有少数企业才会感到污染压力减缓。例如,每吨危险废弃物征收144美元左右。

Coal mines and users are expected to pay less than one dollar for one ton of waste. And the cost for releasing one kilogram of the chemical sulfur9 dioxide is about 17 cents.

预计煤矿老板和煤炭用户要为每吨废弃物缴纳不到1美元的税金,而排放一公斤二氧化硫的成本约17美分。

But officials say the increase in money received from the tax will be large. Last year, under the old system, officials collected $2.5 billion from about 280,000 polluters. The new tax law is expected to collect as much as $50 billion during its first year.

据官员称,通过污染税征收到的税金将大幅增长。去年,有关官员从约28万家排污企业中征收到的税金约合25亿美元。预计新税法第一年将征得500亿美元。

Greenpeace's Yuan Ying said that based on their estimates the current rate is still too low, especially for coal-burning power plants. She said the current cost to polluters is not enough to limit or pay for the environmental costs.

绿色和平的袁颖表示,据估算,目前的征收费率还是太低,尤其是对煤电厂。她说,排污企业要交的污染费用不足以限制其排放或支付环境成本。


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 microscopic nDrxq     
adj.微小的,细微的,极小的,显微的
参考例句:
  • It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
  • A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。
2 pollutants 694861490fe64672170a0da250a277c7     
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
3 ministry kD5x2     
n.(政府的)部;牧师
参考例句:
  • They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
  • We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
4 investigations 02de25420938593f7db7bd4052010b32     
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究
参考例句:
  • His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查,但没有发现什么。
  • He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
5 trump LU1zK     
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭
参考例句:
  • He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
  • The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手,作为他的王牌。
6 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
7 awareness 4yWzdW     
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
参考例句:
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
8 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
9 sulfur ps4wC     
n.硫,硫磺(=sulphur)
参考例句:
  • Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
  • Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

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