Environment Report Reveals Serious Pollution in China

　　China's State of the Environment Report for 2012 suggests that the overall quality of China's environment is balanced and stable. The condition of underground water remains¹ to be a big concern. Li Dong has the details.

 

　　Released annually² by China's Ministry³ of Environmental Protection, a key area of negative focus in this year's report is China's general water quality.

 

　　The ministry collected data from 5,000 monitoring stations in nearly 200 cities across the country. The results showed that 27 percent of water sources were of good quality while 17 percent were rated as extremely bad. 95 percent of both surface and underground water sources are up to standard.

 

　　Wu Sunze, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, says that as a whole, surface water can be regarded as slightly polluted and overall urban air quality as stable, but the situation remains grim.

 

　　"The main issue is that the level of pollutedness of underground water near contamination sources is unclear. This is a great concern for the public as it may seriously affect people's health."

 

　　Shi Xiaojuan, director of the drinking water department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection says that treating polluted underground water is extremely difficult.

 

　　"Basically, once underground water is polluted, it is irreversible. It can also cost a great deal of money to treat underground water pollution. Many people still don't know this."

 

　　Sun Jichao, vice⁴ general engineer of the Water Environment Institute of the Chinese Academy of Geological Science believes that protecting current water resources should be the priority.

 

　　"There are very limited methods available. At the beginning, the Japanese hoped to treat underground water via a special fund specifically set apart for this. Gradually, however, they realized that they could not afford to carry on. The US also set aside a super fund for the same thing, but also reached the conclusion that it was too financially draining. Therefore, we should emphasize preventing pollution as the primary precautionary measure when dealing⁵ with the underground water issue."

 

　　The report also says that the four major indicators⁶ of emissions⁷ all decreased in 2012, compared to figures from 2011. Chemical Oxygen Demand discharge was reduced by 3 percent, and sulfur⁸ dioxide was cut by 4.5 percent. Emissions of ammonia nitrogen and nitrogen oxide⁹ both fell by more than 2.5 percent.

 

　　However, the report noted¹⁰ that hazy¹¹ days were frequent during the first and fourth quarter of 2012. When applying the new air quality standards set at the beginning of this year, it was found that more than half of the 74 pilot cities failed to reach the standard. Only 24 percent of the key environmental protection cites reached their environmental targets in 2012.

 

　　For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

3 ministry   

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 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。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

7 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

8 sulfur   

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。

9 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 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。