VOA新闻杂志2023 突尼斯在严重干旱期间夜间切断供水（在线收听）

Because of severely dry conditions, Tunisia has ordered water to be rationed with little warning to the people there.

由于严重干旱，突尼斯下令对水进行定量配给，却几乎没有向那里的人们发出警告。

Water is to be cut off for seven hours a day from 9 o'clock in the evening to 4 o'clock in the morning in most areas of the country, including Tunis, the capital.

每天从晚上9点到凌晨4点，包括首都突尼斯在内的大部分地区将会停水7个小时。

The order will last from April until September.

该命令将会从4月持续到9月。

Those who do not ration water risk fines or jail time.

那些不定量配给水的人可能会被罚款或坐牢。

Households now need a supply of bottled water to wash, use toilets, and prepare meals during late night hours.

现在每家深夜都需要瓶装水来洗刷、冲厕所和做饭。

Officials have also banned using drinking water on farms, green areas in cities, and for cleaning streets and cars.

官员们还禁止在农场、城市绿地以及清洁街道和汽车时使用饮用水。

Agriculture ministry spokesperson Raoudha Dridi said the order applies to all areas connected to the state-owned water system.

农业部发言人Raoudha Dridi说，该命令适用于所有与国有供水系统相关的地区。

Dridi added it does not include rural areas that do not get their water from the state system.

Dridi补充说，其中不包括不从国家供水系统获得水的农村地区。

Water levels at almost all of Tunisia's dams have decreased.

突尼斯几乎所有水坝的水位都下降了。

Some dams hold as little as 17 percent of possible storage.

有些水坝的蓄水量只占可能蓄水量的17%。

"Currently, we have reached the red line, the danger line in terms of water scarcity," said Aymen Hmem.

Aymen Hmem说：“目前，我们已经到达了水资源短缺的红线，即危险线。”

Hmem is a member of an environmental group in the coastal town of Menzel Temime, which has a dam nearby.

Hmem是沿海小镇泰米姆营的一个环保组织的成员，泰米姆营附近有一座大坝。

Tunisia is mostly desert.

突尼斯大部分地区都是沙漠。

Temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.

该国部分地区的气温可达40摄氏度。

The country is also facing an economic crisis.

该国还面临着经济危机。

Political tensions last year delayed talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $1.8 billion loan agreement to help finance the government.

去年，该国的政治紧张局势推迟了其与国际货币基金组织达成18亿美元贷款协议的谈判。

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tunisia is facing inflation of around 11 percent and food supplies are low.

经济合作与发展组织表示，突尼斯正面临大约11%的通货膨胀率，食品供应很少。

The water rationing comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when people enjoy big meals after sunset and water use increases.

定量配给供水的命令在穆斯林斋月期间实施，人们在日落后享用丰盛的晚餐，用水量增加。

Ramadan is nearly over, but summer and the start of tourist season, when foreign visitors come, will increase demand for water.

斋月即将结束，但夏季和旅游旺季的开始，当外国游客到来时，将会增加对水的需求。

Tunisia depends on tourism for income.

突尼斯的收入依赖于旅游业。

The country of 12 million people has around 850 hotels.

这个拥有1200万人口的国家拥有大约850家酒店。

Many are near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

其中许多酒店靠近地中海海岸。

Ministry spokesperson Dridi said hotels and hospitals keep reserves of water that they fill during the day and use when water is not running.

农业部发言人Dridi说，酒店和医院都储备了水资源，可以供游客在不供应水的时候使用。

The fine for washing cars or other banned uses is between 20 to 320 dollars.

洗车或其他违禁用途的罚款在20至320美元之间。

Those actions also risk prison time of between six days to nine months.

这些行为还可能会面临6天至9个月的监禁。

Reports say those who illegally use water can have their supply cut off by the state-owned water company, Sonede.

报道称，那些非法用水的人可能会被国有自来水公司Sonede切断供水。

Radhia Essamin is with a group called the Tunisian Water Observatory.

拉齐娅·埃萨明就职于突尼斯水资源观察组织。

She said the decision to cut the water supply was not surprising.

她说，切断供水的决定并不令人意外。

But she said it should have been carried out differently, so that people could have prepared themselves.

但她说，应该以不同的方式进行，这样人们就可以做好准备。

"That is why we consider these measures incomplete. Before taking any measures, the citizens must be...made aware of the importance of water rationing," she said.

她说：“这就是我们认为这些措施不完整的原因。在采取任何措施之前，必须让公民意识到定量配给供水的重要性”。

"A booklet should have been published (explaining) water consumption, storage, timing and the quantity allowed to be stored."

“应该出版一本小册子，说明用水量、储水量、时间安排和允许储存的水量。”

Abdelkader Hmissi lives outside Tunis.

阿卜杜勒卡德尔·赫米西住在突尼斯郊外。

He said many people were caught by surprise by both the dry weather and measures to cut water use. He was not.

他说，许多人对干燥的天气和减少用水的措施感到吃惊。他不感到惊讶。

Hmissi said he built a water tank two years ago, and now shares his supply.

赫米西说，他两年前建了一个水箱，现在和别人分享他的水。

"We found the solution in this tank. And my brothers and neighbors use it, too," Hmissi said.

赫米西说：“我们在这个水箱里找到了解决办法。我的兄弟和邻居们也在用它。”

I'm Gregory Stachel.

格雷戈里·施塔赫尔为您播报。