VOA时事新闻2023 肯尼亚内罗毕河遭到严重污染（在线收听）

As the river moves through Kenya's capital Nairobi, the clear water turns black.

当河流流经肯尼亚首都内罗毕时，清澈的河水变黑了。

And large birds feed on dead animals alongside.

大型鸟类以河旁边死去的动物为食。

The Nairobi River crosses Kibera, a neighborhood of nearly 200,000 poor people.

内罗毕河穿过基贝拉，基贝拉有近20万贫困人口。

It goes near several factories that make clothes, alcohol, and building materials.

它靠近一些生产服装、酒精和建筑材料的工厂。

Environmentalists have accused them of releasing untreated wastewater and other pollutants like oil, plastic and glass into the water.

环保人士指责他们将未经处理的废水以及石油、塑料和玻璃等污染物排放到河中。

Experts and locals fear the water is harming plants in nearby farms that feed many Kenyans.

专家和当地人担心，被污染的河水会损害附近农田里的植物，而这些植物是许多肯尼亚人的食物来源。

Community groups help clean up the river and the government is increasing its efforts.

社区组织帮助清理这条河，政府正在加大力度。

But families in the quickly growing suburb of Athi River, some 30 kilometers away, say they can no longer depend on the water.

但是在约30公里外，位于内罗毕郊区的快速发展的阿西河镇的住户表示，他们无法再依赖这条河了。

Anne Nduta is a mother of two babies.

安妮·恩杜塔是两个孩子的母亲。

At times, she uses the river's dark waters to wash her children's clothes by hand.

有时，她会用黑乎乎的河水手洗孩子们的衣服。

"When it rains, the Athi River water is usually full of garbage, when it clears a bit we use it to wash clothes," said Nduta.

恩杜塔说：“下雨的时候，阿西河镇的河里通常都是垃圾，等河水稍微变清了一点，我们就用河水来洗衣服。”

"But as the dry season continues, the water becomes darker in color and we have to start buying expensive... water."

“但随着旱季的继续，河水的颜色变得更深，我们不得不开始购买昂贵的……水。”

A 20-liter can of water sells for 20 shillings, or $0.16.

一罐20升的水售价为20先令，约合0.16美元。

Nduta would need four of them to wash her babies' clothes every three days.

恩杜塔每三天需要四灌水来给她的孩子洗一次衣服。

Morris Mutunga grows vegetables like kale, spinach and amaranth on his farm in the Athi River area.

莫里斯·穆通加在他位于阿西河地区的农场种植羽衣甘蓝、菠菜和苋菜等蔬菜。

He has watched crops like French beans shrink when he used water from the river.

当他使用河里的水时，他看到了诸如四季豆之类的作物枯萎。

"I wish those polluting this river upstream in Nairobi could stop for the sake of food security in our country," he said.

他说：“为了我国的粮食安全，我希望那些在内罗毕河上游污染河水的人能够停止污染。”

The area is the source of many vegetables sold in Nairobi markets.

该地区是内罗毕市场上出售的许多蔬菜的产地。

Stephen Obiero is a scientist who studies organisms and the environment.

斯蒂芬·奥比耶罗是一位研究有机体和环境的科学家。

He said that waste in the river used to water farmland could expose plant products to bacteria and viruses.

他说，用于灌溉农田的河水中的废物可能会使植物暴露在细菌和病毒面前。

The problems start further up the river.

问题开始于河流的上游。

Violet Ahuga says her family defecates in bags and throws them in the river because they cannot pay to use modern toilets.

维奥莱特·阿胡加说，她的家人排便于袋子里，然后把它们扔进河里，因为他们付不起使用现代化厕所的费用。

She said, "I know what I'm doing is pollution, but there's no other way because I cannot afford the 850-shilling (about $6.85) monthly toilet fee."

她说：“我知道我这样做会造成污染，但我没有其他办法，因为我负担不起每月850先令（约合6.85美元）的厕所费用。”

Besides, many unofficial housing areas also direct their wastewater lines straight into the river.

此外，许多非官方住宅区也将污水管道直接引向这条河。

The settlements have open trenches where people pour dirty water that flows into the river.

这些住所有开放的沟渠，人们在那里将污水倒进河里。

Kenya's new national government says it is trying to clean up the river.

肯尼亚新一届国家政府表示，他们正在努力清理这条河。

The government has formed a group to clean up and protect the river.

政府成立了一个组织来清理和保护这条河。

But the group has no budget and is yet to meet.

但该组织没有预算，也尚未开会。

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is responsible for overseeing the river's water quality.

国家环境管理局负责监测这条河的水质。

Some Kenyan lawmakers have accused the agency of letting industries get away with polluting the river.

一些肯尼亚议员指责该机构让污染河流的企业逍遥法外。

Research groups have found high levels of heavy metals, like lead, barium, iron, aluminum, zinc and copper, along the river.

研究小组发现，沿河的重金属（如铅、钡、铁、铝、锌和铜）含量很高。

Alex Okaru is a public health expert at the University of Nairobi.

亚历克斯·奥卡鲁是内罗毕大学的公共卫生专家。

Okuru said if people drank the water, high levels of heavy metals could cause health effects such as liver and kidney damage.

奥库鲁说，如果人们饮用这些水，高浓度的重金属可能会导致肝脏和肾脏损伤等健康影响。

NEMA chief David Ongare told The Associated Press that few companies are being charged because the government is working with industries to deal with pollution.

国家环境管理局负责人David Ongare告诉美联社，很少有公司被起诉，因为政府正在与工业合作解决污染问题。

He said businesses are asking NEMA for help to follow its rules.

他说，企业正在向国家环境管理局寻求帮助，以遵守其规定。

And the agency follows all reported incidents of pollution.

该机构跟踪所有报告的污染事件。

He added that the agency has also been watching companies with past pollution problems.

他补充说，该机构也一直在关注过去存在污染问题的公司。

And he said that if any continue to have problems action would be taken.

他说，如果任何公司继续出现问题，将采取行动。

Locals and community groups say a way to clean up the river would be to provide modern toilets at little or no cost.

当地人和社区组织表示，清理这条河的一个方法是低价或免费提供现代化厕所。

In Kibera, an organization called Mazingira Yetu, Swahili for Our Environment, is working with the government to build 19 modern toilets.

在基贝拉，一个名为Mazingira Yetu（斯瓦希里语，意为“我们的环境”）的组织正在与政府合作建造19个现代化厕所。

The organization's co-founder, Sam Dindi, said they also wanted to prevent plastic and other waste from being dropped in the river.

该组织的联合创始人山姆·丁迪说，他们还希望防止塑料和其他垃圾被扔进河里。

Plastic waste could be reused and organic waste, Dindi said, could turn into fertilizer.

丁迪说，塑料垃圾可以再利用，有机垃圾可以变成肥料。

I'm Dan Novak.

丹·诺瓦克为您播报。