香港空气污染水平飙升

 　　Hong Kong Air Pollution Levels Spike¹

　　Hong Kong air pollution reached extreme highs this week, turning Victoria Harbor a soupy gray and prompting government warnings for residents to stay indoors.

　　本周香港空气污染达到极高水平，使维多利亚港笼罩在雾霾之中，并促使政府呼吁居民留在室内。

　　On Thursday morning in the crowded shopping district of Causeway Bay, pollution levels hit a high of 187 on the local air-pollution index. When the city's levels of air pollution are that high, the government recommends that children, the ill and the elderly try to stay inside. Health experts say that level of air pollution can trigger everything from heart attacks to stroke.

　　周四早间，在人头攒动的铜锣湾，当地空气污染指数一度触及187的高位。当香港污染水平达到这样的高位，政府就会建议儿童、患者和老年人留在室内。健康专家说，这样的空气污染水平可以引发心脏病和中风等各种疾病。

　　Roadside air pollution deteriorated² significantly in Hong Kong during the first half of 2013, with levels of nitrogen dioxide jumping as much as 22% in certain parts of town. In April, the city's air pollution notched³ one of the highest readings in decades, with roadside monitoring devices measuring concentrations as high as 210 on the air-pollution index.

　　2013年上半年香港路边空气污染显著恶化，部分地区二氧化氮水平升幅一度达到22%的高位。今年4月份，香港污染程度达到数十年来的最高水平，路边测量污染物浓度的监控设备显示污染指数一度高达210。

　　Sum Kwong, CEO of the Clean Air Network, said Thursday the city's heavy, choking air was being caused by the proximity⁴ of a heavy tropical storm hitting Taiwan, which has caused winds in Hong Kong to die down, trapping pollutants⁵ in the city. Levels of pollution this week were particularly high in Causeway Bay, Mongkok and Central, busy commercial districts packed with high-rises that also make it harder for pollutants to disperse⁶.

　　健康空气行动(Clean Air Network) 行政总裁邝芯妍(Sum Kwong)周四说，香港令人窒息的雾霾是由一个临近的袭击台湾的热带风暴所致，受该风暴影响，香港的风力逐渐消失，使污染物滞留在香港。本周铜锣湾、旺角和中环的污染水平尤其高，这些繁忙商业区的高楼大厦也令污染物难以散去。

　　In the past year, the Leung Chun-ying administration has put forward a number of more-aggressive policies to try to clean up the city's air, including a proposed 10 billion Hong Kong dollar ($1.3 billion) plan to eliminate old commercial diesel⁷ trucks--a major contributor to the city's poor air quality--as well as tighter measures to ensure emissions⁸ from the city's taxis are better measured and controlled.

　　去年梁振英政府提出了数个旨在 化香港空气的更积极的政策，包括一个规模100亿港元的淘汰旧式商用柴油卡车（香港空气污染的一个主要来源）的计划，以及收紧相关措施以确保香港出租车尾气排放受到更好的测量和控制。

　　Still, Ms. Kwong says that residents shouldn't expect relief anytime soon. 'The administration has been more aggressive in rolling out policies,' she says. 'The problem is they're not in place yet, so we really won't see any changes until 2015 or 2016.' For example, she says, the HK$10 billion subsidy⁹ plan to get rid of dirty commercial trucks has yet to be passed by the city's legislature.

　　然而邝芯妍说，香港居民不应认为问题很快会有缓解，政府在推出政策时变得更加积极，问题是这些政策尚未落实，所以我们实际上要等到2015年或者2016年才会看到变化。她说，比如规模100亿港元淘汰污染严重的商用卡车的补贴计划尚未获得香港立法会的通过。

　　For the moment, when it comes to the noxious¹⁰ air outside the city's residents should just keep their fingers crossed for rain. 'We should have some later today,' she says. 'At least that will help wash some of the pollutants away.'

　　目前，面对外面的雾霾，香港居民只能十指交叉祈祷下雨了。她说，今天晚些时候应该会有一些降雨，这至少会帮助消除部分雾霾。(WSJ)

1 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

2 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

3 notched   

a.有凹口的，有缺口的

参考例句：

• Torino notched up a 2-1 win at Lazio. 都灵队以2 比1 赢了拉齐奧队。
• He notched up ten points in the first five minutes of the game. 他在比赛开始后的五分钟里得了十分。

4 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

5 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

6 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

7 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

8 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。

9 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

10 noxious   

adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• Heavy industry pollutes our rivers with noxious chemicals.重工业产生的有毒化学品会污染我们的河流。
• Many household products give off noxious fumes.很多家用产品散发有害气体。