Beijing health officials are promoting a blood drive to ensure there is an adequate supply of a type of blood that is far more common among non-Asians. It is the latest in a long list of preparations that the city is making as it gets ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
中国卫生官员在推动一个献血运动，确保充足供应某种血型的血液。非亚洲人具有这种血型的人远远多于亚洲人。这是北京当局为2008年夏季奥运会所作准备的清单上最新的一个。
Beijing is in the midst of an Olympic blood drive. Advertising posters line inner city bus stops shelters and are plastered on subway station walls.
北京正在发起一场奥运献血运动，在市区巴士车站的候车亭和地铁车站的墙上都张贴着广告标语。
The city has a shortage of Rhesus, or Rh-negative blood - a strand rare in China, with only three of every 1,000 Han Chinese being Rh-negative.
北京缺少Rh阴性血，这种血在中国很少见。每一千名汉人当中才有3个人是这种血型。
China expects around 500,000 foreign visitors to come to Beijing during the Olympics. Roughly 15 percent of Caucasians, and 10 percent of black Africans are Rh-negative, a large portion of those who will make up a majority of tourists during the Games.
中国预计会有大约50万外国人在奥运会期间来到北京，欧洲白人当中大约15%的人是这种血型，非洲黑人当中10%的人是Rh阴性血。奥运会期间，到北京去的游客当中很大一部分是欧洲白人和非洲黑人。
Rh refers to an antigen that humans either have or do not have on the surface of their red blood cells. Those who have it are Rh positive. Those who do not are Rh negative. It is important in transfusions that both donors and recipients have the same types.
Rh指的是一种人体内的红血球细胞表面可能含有的抗原。含有这种抗原的是Rh阳性血，不含这种抗原的是Rh阴性血。在输血时，确保献血者和接受血液的人都是这种血型，这很重要。
Zhu Ruiquan of the Beijing Red Cross says he needs extra supplies of the blood to cover the increase in visitors expected in the city during the games.
北京市红十字会的朱瑞权说，他需要额外的Rh阴性血供应，以因应奥运会期间预计会到北京的更多来访者。
"We need to get prepared for them in case there are some accidents or some problems, so we are ready to handle them," he said.
朱瑞权说：“我们就要为他们做好准备，万一发生一些事故或问题的时候，我们要做到有备无患。”
Zhu's organization has set up mobile blood centers across Beijing to help to collect 16 liters of Rh-negative blood that he wants to have on standby for the Olympics.
朱瑞权的组织在北京各处建立了流动采血中心，帮助采集他希望为奥运会准备的16升Rh阴性血。
Many Chinese are motivated to donate blood because, with China's user pays medical system, donors receive blood transfusions for free.
许多中国人有献血的动机，因为中国的医疗保健系统是需要使用者付费的。而献血者则免费接受输血。
Yet the need to cater to foreigners's blood type for the Olympics has prompted even more people, those like like Gao Xiaoyang, to donate.
然而，由于需要因应为奥运会来北京的外国人的血液，这促使更多的人去献血。高小阳就是其中一位。
"Donating blood is the duty of every citizen, also by donating blood we can help build a better Olympics. It is how we can contribute to the Olympics in our own way," he noted.
他说：“献血是我们每个公民的义务，而且我们献血能够保证北京更好地举办奥运会，为北京奥运尽自己的力量。”
But Red Cross nurses say some Chinese are reluctant to give their blood. They remember a commercial blood-selling scandal in which China's supply of clinical blood was tainted by HIV and other potentially deadly diseases.
但是，红十字会的护士说，有些中国人不愿献血。这些人还记得过去一次商业性卖血的丑闻。那次丑闻导致中国医务用血沾染艾滋病毒和其他可能的致命疾病。
During the 1990's poor peasants sold blood to illegal collection agencies. In these unsterilized centers, blood was often collected from several people at the same time and mixed together in a container where the plasma was removed. The remaining blood was often given back to the donors, mixed with the contaminated blood of others.
在1990年代，穷苦农民向非法采集血液的机构卖血，在这些未经彻底消毒的采血中心，工作人员经常同时从几个人身上采血，然后把血液混到一个容器中，从血液中去除血浆。剩余的血液已经跟含有病毒的血液混在一起，再被输回到献血者身上。
Red Cross nurse Xu Min says Chinese tradition can also be a barrier to donating.
红十字会的许敏说，中国的传统也可能是献血的一个障碍。
"There is an old mindset in China - people think one's blood is very precious," she explained. "People think it is very precious. It is too precious to give away. They are worried that blood cannot be reproduced after donating it. This old way of thinking needs to be changed."
许敏说：“中国人有一些传统观念，有些人认为血液很宝贵，认为血液很珍贵。有人还怀疑血液能否再造。”
These days, donating blood is being encouraged. But just in case there is not enough by the time of the Olympics, the Red Cross says it has a registry of 400 Rh-negative donors who can be called upon to donate in case of an emergency.
这些天来，当局鼓励献血。但是万一到奥运会时还没有足够的血液，红十字会说，它有400名Rh阴性血的献血者的登记，发生紧急情况的时候可以叫这些人献血。
China is making intense preparations to ensure that the Olympics showcase its brightest achievements. Ensuring enough Rh-negative blood is just the latest attempt to avoid mishaps over health and food safety that would tarnish its image during the games.
中国正在紧锣密鼓的作准备，确保奥运会展示中国最耀眼的成就，确保拥有足够的Rh阴性血不过是当局的最新努力，当局要避免在保健和食品安全方面发生事故，这类事故一旦在奥运期间发生将损害中国的形像。 |