VOA新闻杂志2022 美国大盐湖水位降至新低

The surface of Utah's Great Salt Lake dropped to its lowest recorded level this July.

今年7月，犹他州大盐湖的水位降至有记录以来的最低水平。

Researchers and politicians are worried about serious threats to animals and people who live near it.

研究人员和政界人士担心这会对动物和生活在附近的人构成严重威胁。

The nearby city of Salt Lake City is already facing dust storms.

附近的盐湖城已经面临沙尘暴。

Experts fear these storms, which blow dirt into the air, could get worse.

专家担心，这些将尘土吹到空气中的风暴可能会变得更严重。

Scientist Kevin Perry has studied the lake for years.

科学家凯文·佩里多年来一直在研究这片湖。

He said, "To save the Great Salt Lake, so that we don't become Dust Lake City, is to make a…choice that the lake is valuable and that the lake needs to have water put into it."

他说：“拯救大盐湖，让我们不变成沙尘湖城，就是要做出一个选择，这片湖是有价值的，这片湖需要注入水。”

For years, water that would have gone to the lake has been used for drinking water, industry and agriculture.

多年来，本应流入该湖的水一直被用于饮用水、工业和农业。

In addition, an ongoing drought – a long period of time with not enough rain - has reduced the lake’s water level.

此外，持续的干旱——长时间没有足够的雨水——降低了这片湖的水位。

On July 3, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said that the surface of the lake fell to the lowest level since records began in 1847.

7月3日，美国地质调查局（USGS）表示，大盐湖的水位降至1847年有记录以来的最低水平。

Water levels are expected to decrease further until the autumn or early winter.

预计水位将会进一步下降，直到秋季或初冬。

The lake now contains about one-fourth of the water it contained when it was at its highest level in 1987.

该湖目前的水量约为1987年最高水位时的四分之一。

The lake has lost nearly half its average surface area.

这片湖的平均表面积已经减少了近一半。

This means about 2,000 square kilometers of lakebed have been exposed.

这意味着大约2000平方公里的湖床裸露。

Dried out earth that used to be underwater has created dust clouds that contain calcium, sulfur and arsenic.

曾经在水下的土地干涸后形成了含有钙、硫和砷的尘雾。

Arsenic is an element linked to cancer and developmental problems in unborn babies.

砷是一种与癌症和未出生婴儿的发育问题有关的元素。

Exposed lakebed also has chemicals left over from copper and silver mining.

裸露的湖床上还有开采铜和银时留下的化学物质。

Perry told the Reuters news agency, "If you breathe that dust over an extended period of time, like decades or longer, then it can lead to increases in different types of cancer...cardiovascular disease, diabetes and such."

佩里告诉路透社，“如果你长时间（比如几十年或更长时间）吸入这种粉尘，那么它会导致不同类型癌症的发病率增加……心血管疾病、糖尿病等。”

People are not the only ones at risk.

并非只有人类才会有危险。

Underwater reef-like structures are home to a micro-organism that is food for brine shrimp, which are an important food for birds.

水下像礁石一样的结构是一种微生物的家园，这种微生物是丰年虾的食物，而丰年虾是鸟类的重要食物。

But the reef-like structures dry out and turn gray when exposed to air.

但当这种像礁石一样的结构暴露在空气中时，它们会变干并变成灰色。

An estimated 10 million birds of more than 330 species travel through or live at the lake each year, said Max Malmquist.

马克斯·马尔姆奎斯特说，据估计，每年有超过330种1000万只鸟穿越或生活在这片湖上。

He is with the National Audubon Society, an environmental group.

他在美国奥杜邦协会工作，该协会是一个环保组织。

The shrimp are also harvested and are valued at millions of dollars.

人们也捕获这些虾，价值数百万美元。

Officials estimate that economic activity from the lake is worth up to $2 billion each year.

官员们估计，该湖每年的经济活动价值高达20亿美元。

Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed 11 new laws dealing with water policy in the last lawmaking season, or legislative session.

犹他州州长斯宾塞·考克斯在上一个立法季签署了11项有关水资源政策的新法律。

Long-term answers will require agriculture, industry, and cities to use less water.

长期的解决方案将要求农业、工业和城市减少用水。

Utah State Representative Tim Hawkes said there is political pressure to do something.

犹他州众议员蒂姆·霍克斯表示，有采取行动的政治压力。

"As we hit these new record lows, we start to run the risk that all of those values that we derive from the Great Salt Lake could be at risk," he said.

他说：“当我们触及这些新的记录低点时，我们开始面临风险，我们从大盐湖得到的所有价值都可能面临风险”。

I’m Ashley Thompson.

阿什利·汤普森为您播报。