VOA慢速英语2016 研究表明印度尼西亚烟霾致10万人死亡（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-09-20 Study: 100,000 Deaths From Indonesia's Haze 研究表明印度尼西亚烟霾致10万人死亡

Researchers say a thick haze caused by man-made forest fires in Indonesia is the likely cause of more than 100,000 deaths.

研究人员表示，印度尼西亚的人为森林纵火造成的浓烈烟雾，很可能是造成10万多人死亡的罪魁祸首。

The pollution also has been blamed for deaths in nearby Malaysia and Singapore. The haze has hurt relations between Indonesia and its neighbors.

烟霾也导致了邻国马来西亚和新加坡居民的死亡。这使得印尼和邻国的关系恶化。

Scientists from Harvard and Columbia Universities used a complex method to estimate the number of deaths from the haze. The number of deaths is far greater than the Indonesian government’s official number of 19 deaths.

哈佛大学和哥伦比亚大学的科学家们采用复杂的方法来估算烟霾造成的死亡人数。得出的死亡人数远远超出印尼政府给出的官方数字，19人死亡。

Researchers estimated there were 91,600 deaths in Indonesia, 6,500 deaths in Malaysia and 2,200 in Singapore.

研究人员估计印尼有91600人死于烟霾，马来西亚6500人因此死亡，新加坡是2200人。

The fires in Indonesia last year were the worst since 1997.

去年的印尼大火是自1997年以来最严重的一次。

Each year, fires are set in Indonesia’s forests and in peat areas. Peat is a collection of dead plants. Burning is a fast and low-cost way to clear peat areas and land for palm oil and pulpwood production.

每年印尼的森林区域以及泥炭区都会遭遇大火。泥炭是植物腐朽后的集合物。燃烧是清理泥炭区以及生产棕榈油和木质纸浆的土地最快捷，最节省成本的方式。

Rajasekhar Bals is an environmental engineering expert at the National University of Singapore. He told the Associated Press the study could be a "wake-up call" for Indonesia. He added that the country should take action to stop the fires. Bals said there must be cooperation throughout the area to deal with public health problems caused by the fires.

Rajasekhar Bals是新加坡国立大学环境工程专家。他接受美联社采访时说，这项研究应该为印尼“敲响警钟”。他补充道，印尼应该采取措施禁止森林纵火。Bals说该区域的各国应该通力合作，一道解决火灾造成的公众健康问题。

The activist group, Greenpeace, said the study is “groundbreaking.”The organization known for protecting the environment also cautioned that the new numbers represent a “conservative estimate.”

绿色和平组织表示，这项研究具有“开创性”。该组织因环境保护而闻名，它警告说这些新数据只是“保守估计”。

The study did not include the impact the haze has on children and future generations.

该项研究并未囊括烟霾对儿童及下一代的影响。

Nursyam Ibrahim is from the Indonesian Medical Association’s West Kalimantan chapter. He told the media how Indonesian health workers have been overworked by the haze.

Nursyam Ibrahim来自印尼医学会西加里曼丹分会。他告诉媒体印尼医疗人员因为烟霾而超负荷工作。

The study is to be published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

该项研究将发表在期刊《环境研究快报》上。

Words in This Story

haze – n. dust, smoke, or mist that has filled the air so that you cannot see clearly

peat – n. a dark material made of decaying plants that is burned for heat or added to garden soil

palm oil – n. oil that is obtained from the fruit of some palm trees and used in cooking and in making soap and other products

pulpwood – n. wood suitable for making into pulp for making paper

groundbreaking – adj. introducing new ideas or methods

wake-up call – n. something that makes you fully understand a problem, danger or need