托福阅读背景知识之“巴黎VS雾霾”

　　为了对抗污染，本周一，巴黎的公共交通免费运营，半数汽车不得上路。

　　In a radical¹ move which will be studied in other European capitals like London, French Socialists² said everything had to be done to make air cleaner.

　　法国社会党人表示要采取一切必要的手段来净化空气，这一稍显激进的举措或许会被伦敦等其他欧洲国家的首都效仿。

　　Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, said: 'I am delighted the state has agreed to put in place a partial driving ban on Monday, which I have been requesting for several days.'

　　巴黎市长，安妮·依达尔戈说道：“我很高兴国家同意在周一实施部分禁驾，这个要求我已经提了好几天了。”

　　Only vehicles with number plates ending in an odd number were allowed, with exemptions³ for taxis, electric cars and ambulances.

　　只有车牌尾数为单数的车辆可以在周一上路， 但是出租车，电动车以及救护车不受此限。

　　Authorities were planning to ban cars with odd numbers on Tuesday, but the scheme was halted following improving forecasts.

　　巴黎市政府本计划周二禁止车牌尾号为单数的车辆上路，但是这一方案因随后预报有所改善的天气状况而终止了。

　　Foreign visitors to Paris, including thousands of Britons on holiday, were also permitted to use their cars.

　　外国游客，包括成千上万来巴黎度假的英国游客，也可以不受限制使用自己的车辆。

　　But police patrols were seen booking locals who flouted⁴ the ban, forcing them to return home. Meanwhile, Metro⁵ trains and buses were full to overflowing⁶ as thousands abandoned their vehicles.

　　不过，路上可见巡警将那些无视禁令的当地人记录在案，让他们把车开回家。与此同时，地铁列车以及巴士也因人们不能开车而人满为患。

　　Air quality monitors showed concentrations of potentially dangerous particulates⁷ in the Pars⁸ air were above the recommended maximum.

　　空气质量监测显示，巴黎空气中的潜在危险颗粒浓度超过了最大建议值。

　　These are created by cars and lorries, heating and heavy industry, and can potentially cause serious health problems.

　　这些颗粒物是由汽车，卡车，供热以及重工业产生的，且可能引发严重的健康问题。

　　'Due to the improving situation today and tomorrow, the alternative traffic (plan) will not be renewed Tuesday,' announced Ecology Minister Segolene Royal, who took time to salute⁹ 'the good citizenship¹⁰ of motorists who understood the necessity of this measure.'

　　生态部长罗亚尔表示：“由于今明两天的天气状况改善，汽车单双号交替上路政策不会延续至周二，”他同时向那些理解采取该项措施的驾车者们表现出的良好公民素质表达了敬意。

　　The Airparif monitoring agency said smog density¹¹ was still near alert levels Monday, but rain forecast for Tuesday was expected to clear the air.

　　空气监测机构表示，周一雾霾浓度仍然处于警戒水平，但是预计周二的降雨能够净化空气。

　　Though public transport is free of charge to take the sting out of the restrictions¹², drivers in the capital have protested against the measure, despite it having been used only twice since 1997.

　　虽然在这项限制措施期间的公共交通是免费的，但是巴黎的驾车者仍然抗议此项措施。尽管从1997年以来，该措施仅实施过两次。

　　Similar emergency restrictions were last implemented¹³ almost exactly a year ago - on March 17 - during a particularly bad spike¹⁴ in the pollution levels.

　　最近一次类似的紧急限制措施正好是一年前3月17日的实施的，当时的污染水平处于峰值。

　　Authorities measure the concentration of particulates with a diameter of less than 10 microns - so-called PM10 - in the air to determine pollution levels.

　　检测机构会检测直径小于10微米的微粒,即PM10浓度，并由此判定污染程度。

　　The safe limit for PM10 is set at 80 micrograms per cubic metre (mcg/m3), with levels in Paris Monday expected to be somewhere between 40 and 55 mcg/m3.

　　PM10 的安全水平线为每立方米80微克，周一巴黎PM10浓度预计介于40-55微克/立方米之间。

　　The city's alert level is fixed¹⁵ at 50 mcg/m3.

　　该市的PM10警戒水平为50微克/立方米。

　　According to a 2011 World Health Organisation¹⁶ report, the planet's most polluted city was Ahvaz in Iran with an average of 372 mcg/m3.

　　根据世界卫生组织2011年的报道，全球污染最重的城市为伊朗的阿瓦士，其微粒平均含量为372微克/立方米。

　　Beijing had an average of 121 mcg/m3, while Paris was measured at 38 mcg/m3.

　　北京市的PM10平均含量为121微克/立方米，而巴黎则是38微克/立方米。

　　Vocabulary

　　flout：蔑视，轻视

　　alternative：备选的，替代的

　　spike：剧增

分享到：