加州州长下令节约用水（在线收听）

加州州长下令节约用水 

WASHINGTON— Environmentalists warn the world is facing serious water shortages and the United States is no exception. While parts of the country may get too much snow and rain, that is not the case in the southwest. California has been dealing with the effects of drought for more than two years. The state governor has ordered a mandatory reduction of water usage to prevent waste. The state is also looking into new technologies that will make California more drought resistant.

While the U.S. Midwest and East Coast struggled with record snowfalls this winter, California experienced its lowest snowpack in recent history.

尽管美国中西部和东部沿海今冬遭遇创纪录的降雪，但加州却经历了近代史上最低的降雪。

"We're in a historic drought and that demands unprecedented action, and for that reason I'm issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state," said California governor Jerry Brown.

加州州长杰瑞·布朗：“目前的干旱是历史上罕见的，需要采取前所未有的行动，因此我发布行政令要求全州大规模减少用水。”

The executive order issued by the governor Wednesday requires the State Water Resources Control Board to reduce water use by 25 percent across California. Governor Brown said 38 million people will be affected. The measure is expected to save hundreds of thousands of liters of water over nine months.

这位州长周三发布的行政令要求州水资源管理委员会在整个加州内减少25%的用水量，州长布朗称3800万人将受影响。该措施有望在9个月内节省成千上升水。

The mandatory water rationing is unprecedented in the United States, and some Californians are against it, saying that water saving should be voluntary. But previous measures to fight a persistent drought have not improved the situation. The governor warned residents to be prepared to change their lifestyle.

强制限时供水在美国是前所未有的，一些加州人表示反对，称节约用水应该是出于自愿。但此前用于对付持续干旱的措施并未能见效，州长警告居民们要准备改变生活方式。

“The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day - that's going to be a thing of the past, and we're not going to change everything overnight, but we are in a transition period," said Brown.

“认为你们的绿草坪每天都需要大量的水，这个观点应该成为过去了，我们不准备一夜之间就彻底改变，但我们处在过渡期。”

The transition already has started in extremely hot parts of southern California. Instead of watering their lawns to keep them green during the summer, many homeowners are now hiring companies that will paint them green.

加州南部非常炎热的地方已经开始了过渡期，在夏天，很多住户不再给草坪浇水以保持草坪翠绿，而是雇佣公司来将草坪刷成绿色。

"You don't have to water it as much with the drought and everything; we're all supposed to conserve water. This is a good idea," said Marta Gomez, a homeowner.

“这样就无需在干旱时候浇水了，我们都应该节约用水，这是个好主意。”

A Lucky Lawn company, specializing in spray painting dried-out lawns, claims the paint is actually good for the grass because it protects the blades from harmful ultra-violet rays.

专门从事将干草坪刷色的幸运草坪公司声称这种油漆对草坪特别好，因为它能保护叶片免受有害的紫外线照射。

"It’s 100 percent non-toxic. Once it's dry, animals, kids, the whole family can go out and enjoy the yard," said Drew Mclellan, founder of A Lucky Lawn.

“百分之百无毒的，一旦变干，动物、小孩、整个家庭都能出去享受后院的快乐。”

California farmers are especially affected by the drought. A group of mathematicians is trying to help.

加州农民们受干旱影响特别严重，一群数学家希望能提供帮助。

“A person's going to want to try to make as much profit as possible using the least amount of water, while meeting the demands from the market. And so, as mathematicians, one of the things we were hoping to offer was a different way of looking at a problem. What can we plant? What’s the rotation strategy?" asked Kathleen Fowler, a mathematician working on the problem.

研究该问题的数学家凯瑟琳·富勒说，“人们希望使用最小量的水来获得尽可能多的经济效益，同时能满足市场的需求。因此，作为数学家，我们所希望的就是提供看问题的不同方式，我们能种些什么呢？什么是轮换策略？”

Governor Brown said California is a pioneering state where people have come together to build a better life, and that, he said, requires conservation, collaboration and innovation.

州长布朗说加州是个有开创精神的州，人们聚集一起来创造更美好的生活，他说，这就需要节约、合作和创新。