有关官员在周二表示，由于冬季供暖开始，未来5天北京的空气质量将比较差。

　　Pollution is expected to be moderate to severe in the next two days, but may drop a little due to possible rain on Friday before rising again during the weekend, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau has forecast.

　　据北京市环保局预测，未来两天，北京的空气污染级别将达到中度甚至重度，若周五下雨，情况可能会有所缓解，但在随后的周末污染又会进一步加剧。

　　"Pollution caused by heating systems is one significant factor, while high humidity and little wind are unfavorable weather conditions for the diffusion of pollutants," said Zhang Dawei, director of the bureau's municipal environmental monitoring center. "But we are expecting that haze and fog will be blown away when the wind comes next Monday."

　　环保局市环保监测中心主任张大伟表示：“供暖是导致空气污染的一个重要因素，而湿度大、无风的天气条件不利于污染物的扩散。也许下周一的大风能吹走雾霾。”

　　Thick fog and haze shrouds Beijing and other northern cities in the winter when heating systems start operating.

　　每年冬天开始供暖时，北京以及其他北方城市就处在雾霾的笼罩之中。

　　北京遭雾霾持续侵袭 未来几天恐持续

　　"It has been the case for years," said Zhang, "but the number of days with heavy pollution in Beijing has significantly decreased compared with the same period in previous years."

　　张大伟称：“多年来一直是这样，但与前几年相比，今年同一时期，北京重度污染的天数明显减少。”

　　The city has witnessed a significant improvement in air quality in the past 10 months. The average concentration of PM2.5, fine particles that pose particular hazards to human health, was 69.7 micrograms per cubic meter in the city, down 21.8 percent from the same period last year.

　　过去10个月，北京的空气质量有了显著改善。PM2.5（对人体健康造成某种危害的细颗粒物）的平均浓度比去年同期下降了21.8%，达到每立方米69.7微克.

　　Strenuous efforts to improve air quality, including replacing coal with natural gas for heating and closing down heavily polluted factories, have worked well, Zhang said.

　　张大伟还表示，用天然气取代煤来供暖，关闭污染严重的工厂等等，这些改善空气质量的举措得到了很好的实施，取得了不错的效果。

　　But recent heavy pollution in Shenyang, Liaoning province, has some anxiety.

　　但近期辽宁沈阳的严重污染天气的确让人忧心。

　　On Sunday, the reading was as high as 1,400 micrograms per cubic meter at some monitoring sites in the city.

　　上周日，沈阳某些监测点的读数竟高达每立方米1400毫克。

　　The province will continue to suffer from heavy smog on Wednesday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

　　根据国家气象中心的数据，辽宁省周三还有大雾。

　　"I felt that the heavy pollution might have to do with what is happening in Shenyang, because wind blows it," said Zhang Yuan, who lives in Beijing's Haidian district and was wearing a mask to go outdoors.

　　“我觉得北京的重度污染可能跟沈阳有关，因为风把雾霾吹到了这里。”北京海淀区的张元正戴着口罩准备出门。

　　"We understand why people worry about the air pollution, but we also want to clarify that pollution in Liaoning province is not likely to affect a place as far away as Beijing," said Wang Bin, head of the emergency management office of the bureau. "We will increase the frequency of air monitoring, and will inform the public."

　　“我们可以理解人们对空气污染的担忧，但我们想澄清的一点是，辽宁的污染天气不可能影响到与它相隔千里的北京。”北京市环保局应急处处长王斌表示，“我们将加大空气监测频率，并向公众公布相关结果。”