Pollution-dogged Beijing calls for firework restraint

 　　BEIJING. Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Beijing authorities asked the public to cut firework celebrations and said they have reduced stocks of the items, as firework sales began on Tuesday for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.

　　Three authorized¹ retailers² in Beijing will conduct fireworks sales until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first lunar month.

　　An official with the Beijing Office on Fireworks and Firecrackers said 750,000 cartons of fireworks would go on sale this year, down from 810,000 in 2012. The number of franchised³ firework shops has also been reduced to 1,337 from last year's 1,429.

　　In response to public concern over worsening air pollution caused by the holiday's firework spree, the official asked Beijing residents to set off fewer fireworks for the upcoming celebration.

　　Prolonged smog shrouded⁴ many parts of the country, including Beijing, in January, sparking debates over the tradition of setting off fireworks during the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on Sunday.

　　The Chinese have a tradition of ushering⁵ in the new year with a huge amount of firecrackers and fireworks, hoping the noise can fend⁶ off evil spirits and bad luck. The spree usually starts on the eve of the Lunar New Year, resulting in a spate⁷ of accidents including burns and fires.

　　The official said the office has closely followed Beijing's air quality reports and issued the proposal to citizens via media.

　　From Jan. 1 to 28, Beijing had 23 smoggy days, about 10 more than on average in the same period in the past 10 years and the most since 1954, said Liang Xudong, head of the Beijing Urban Meteorology Institute.

　　The average density⁸ of PM2.5 tiny airborne matter in January was 180 micrograms per cubic meter in Beijing, about 30 percent higher than the same period between 2009 and 2011, according to meteorological data.

　　The Beijing Youth Federation⁹ has also joined the campaign against the use of firework, saying that although the smog "has been blown away, our fate can not simply depend on the wind."

　　Several media outlets¹⁰ have initiated¹¹ an online vote on whether fireworks should be banned after the air pollution, and netizens have responded with much divergence¹² on the issue.

　　Those for the ban say that the public should take responsibility to improve the capital's air quality, while others believe that the worsening pollution is caused by many factors, but not a result of a few days of fireworks celebration.

　　After an hours-long firework-ignition spree on the eve of the Lunar New Year in 2012, the density of PM2.5 increased sharply to 1,593 micrograms per cubic meter at one downtown monitoring station, or 1.5 times higher than this year's most polluted day in Beijing.

　　The capital's meteorological authorities said that they will begin publishing a "Fireworks Index" on Tuesday, providing indications whether the air quality is good enough for fireworks revelry.

　　An official with the municipal meteorological observatory¹³ said that the index will include three categories for firework ignition: "proper," "not quite proper" and "improper¹⁴."

　　Big Chinese cities including Beijing had once instituted bans on fireworks, as they are blamed for polluting the air and resulting in injuries and even deaths.

　　However, Beijing authorities lifted their ban in 2005 under public wishes that fireworks could create a more festive¹⁵ atmosphere. But the government restricted setting off fireworks to within certain areas during a 16-day period around the Spring Festival.

1 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

2 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

3 franchised   

v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is starting the first school himself,but subsequent ones will be franchised to use the Fujita method. 他已经自己开办了第一所学校，但是以后的学校将被特许使用富士达方法。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Driving tests for franchised bus are held on request by bus companies. 专营巴士的驾驶考试只在巴士公司要求下才举行。 来自互联网

4 shrouded   

v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密

参考例句：

• The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
• The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ushering   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They were right where the coach-caller was swinging open a coach-door and ushering in two ladies. "他们走到外面时，叫马车的服务员正打开车门，请两位小姐上车。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Immediately the two of them approached others, thanking them, ushering them out one by one. 他们俩马上走到其他人面前，向他们道谢，一个个送走了他们。 来自辞典例句

6 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

7 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

8 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

9 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

10 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

12 divergence   

n.分歧，岔开

参考例句：

• There is no sure cure for this transatlantic divergence.没有什么灵丹妙药可以消除大西洋两岸的分歧。
• In short,it was an age full of conflicts and divergence of values.总之，这一时期是矛盾与价值观分歧的时期。

13 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

14 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

15 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。