When President Jiang Zemin stood up last September at a rally (集会) celebrating the “victory” over the Yangtze River floods, he admitted the Party was wrong. The flooding which killed 3,600 people and left millions homeless, showed that for too long China, in its drive for economic (经济) development, had ignored (忽略)nature, From now on, Jiang, there should be “coordinated (协调) development of the economy and ecological(生态) environment”.

Now comes the hard part: translating Jiang’s formula(公式) into action, The Chinese President’s words may have been insightful(有洞察力的), but will they be heeded(重视)when memories of flood recede(后退)and economic imperatives(必需的) again loom(呈现) larger? Confronting(面对) China’s environmental problems is like counting fish in a river---it’s hard to know where to start and impossible to end . Except that in China, 70% of all waterways are drying up or so polluted there are no fish.

The problems are daunting(恐怖的). Nine of the 10 most air-polluted cities in the world are in China, according to a recent report by the World Resources Institute in Washington, and respiratory(呼吸) disease is the leading cause of death. Even China’s topography(地形)works against it , mountains cover 58% of the country---compared(比较) with only 15% of the United States, for example---exacerbating(加剧) China’s shortage(短缺) of farmland while heightening susceptibility(敏感度) to soil erosion(水土流失).

Go south to Guangdong province(省), where the main tributary(支流) of the Pearl River has been popularly renamed(改名) the Heilongjiang, or Black Dragon River, because pollution has turned it the color of night. Go north to the petrochemical(石油化工) center of Lanzhou in Gansu province, No I on the World Resources Institute’s report. Local(当地的) officials have concocted(制定) a plan to level a mountain close to the city in hopes of allowing winds to blow through and disperse(分散) the pollution. Go west to Sichuan’s Min River valley where every few kilometers hillsides denuded(裸露) by logging(伐木) are collapsing(倒) into the river, the beginning of an erosion process(过程)similar to what caused last summer’s disastrous(灾难性的) floods.Go east to the Yellow River, whose waters no longer reach the sea for most of the year, so silted-up(被淤塞) has that once-mighty(曾澎湃的) waterway become.

China is physically(实际上) exhausted(贫乏的). And yet every day 1.2 billion people further dig, burn, cut, mine(采矿) pollute and process what is left in their frenetic(狂热) drive to create and consume(消费) new wealth.

However, a few devoted (献身于…的) activists(积极分子) are struggling to turn things around---before it’s too late.

China’s environmental movement is in its infancy(婴儿时期): even if many people are becoming aware(知道) of the pollution that surrounds them, more often than not economic concerns(事务) and the rush to make money come first, And if the economy continues to slow, local officials are even more likely(可能) to resist any curbs(阻碍) on industry that could inhibit(阻碍) production and cost jobs, But as long as there are individuals(个人) who are prepared to stand up to(反对) the odds---like daring to stop taxi drivers from using their horns(喇叭) –--there is some hope that China will slowly start to take more care of its environment.

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Toxic China

When President Jiang Zemin stood up last September at a rally celebrating the “victory” over the Yangtze River floods, he admitted the Party was wrong. The flooding which killed 3,600 people and left millions homeless, showed that for too long China, in its drive for economic development, had ignored nature, From now on, Jiang, there should be “coordinated development of the economy and ecological environment”.

Now comes the hard part: translating Jiang’s formula into action, The Chinese President’s words may have been insightful, but will they be heeded when memories of flood recede and economic imperatives again loom larger? Confronting China’s environmental problems is like counting fish in a river---it’s hard to know where to start and impossible to end . Except that in China, 70% of all waterways are drying up or so polluted there are no fish.

The problems are daunting. Nine of the 10 most air-polluted cities in the world are in China, according to a recent report by the World Resources Institute in Washington, and respiratory disease is the leading cause of death. Even China’s topography works against it , mountains cover 58% of the country---compared with only 15% of the United States, for example---exacerbating China’s shortage of farmland while heightening susceptibility to soil erosion.

Go south to Guangdong province, where the main tributary of the Pearl River has been popularly renamed the Heilongjiang, or Black Dragon River, because pollution has turned it the color of night. Go north to the petrochemical center of Lanzhou in Gansu province, No I on the World Resources Institute’s report. Local officials have concocted a plan to level a mountain close to the city in hopes of allowing winds to blow through and disperse the pollution. Go west to Sichuan’s Min River valley where every few kilometers hillsides denuded by logging are collapsing into the river, the beginning of an erosion process similar to what caused last summer’s disastrous floods.Go east to the Yellow River, whose waters no longer reach the sea for most of the year, so silted-up has that once-mighty waterway become.

China is physically exhausted. And yet every day 1.2 billion people further dig, burn, cut, mine pollute and process what is left in their frenetic drive to create and consume new wealth.

However, a few devoted activists are struggling to turn things around---before it’s too late.

China’s environmental movement is in its infancy: even if many people are becoming aware of the pollution that surrounds them, more often than not economic concerns and the rush to make money come first, And if the economy continues to slow, local officials are even more likely to resist any curbs on industry that could inhibit production and cost jobs, But as long as there are individuals who are prepared to stand up to the odds---like daring to stop taxi drivers from using their horns –--there is some hope that China will slowly start to take more care of its environment.

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《中毒的中国》的译文

中毒的中国

在去年九月的抗洪庆功会上，江主席承认了党的一些错误。这次洪水使3600人丧生，使数以百万的人无家可归，反映出了长时间以来中国在努力追求经济增长的同时忽略了对自然环境的保护。江主席说，从现在起要建立起“经济与生态环境的协调发展”。

要将江主席的话付诸行动并不简单，主席的话或许是有远见和洞察力的，但是当洪水渐被忘即，人们又看到经济亟待发展的时候，这些话会得到重视吗？面对着中国的环境问题，好像在数河里的鱼——你很难知道从何数起更不知道到哪里结束。更别说，中国70%的河道正渐渐干枯，有的因为污染已没有鱼。中国环境问题的严重性与日俱增。根据华盛顿世界资源协会的报告，全世界空气污染最严重的城市前十个中国占九个，但在中国呼吸道疾病是主要的致死原因。甚至中国的地形结构也对环境问题有负面影响：中国58%的土地是山地（相比之下美国只有15%），它加剧了耕地短缺也更易发生水土流失。

在南方的广东省，珠江的干流已经有了流行的新叫法——黑龙江，因为污染使其已变成夜一般的黑色。在北方甘肃省兰州的石化中心（兰州是在世界资源协会报告中污染最严重的城市），当地的领导计划将临近的一座山铲平，希望借此能让风吹过市区并减轻污染。在西边的西川，闽江河谷，不隔几公里就有大片山坡因伐木而裸露并正塌向河中，引起去年洪水的水土流失的过程就是这样开始的。在东部，黄河水几乎全年断流，这曾经繁华的水道已被淤泥淤塞了。

中国在实际上已不堪重负。但每天仍有12亿人变本加厉地挖掘，烧东西，采矿，砍伐，且在他们去为创造和消费新财富而狂热努力时带来了不断的污染。

然而，一些热心人士正致力于在一切无法收拾之前扭转此局面。

中国的环境运动正处于萌芽阶段：即使有许多人渐渐意识到他们周围的污染，人们首先想到的还是经济和赚钱。如果某地经济发展变慢，地方官们更可能去避免对工业加以限制（指工业的环保标准）它们会阻碍生产且消耗人力。然而，一但有人准备好出来抵制这种奇怪现象（就象去阻止出租车司机鸣笛一样）的话，中国就有希望渐渐开始更注意它的环境了。