经济学人:空气污染来袭 如何保护我们的肺(下)

 　　A further problem is that setting day-to-day limits is a local matter. 另一个问题是，每日的平均浓度限值是由当地定制的。

　　So, not only do they rarely take long-term risk into account, they also vary from place to place. 所以，这些标准不仅很少考虑长期风险，而且每个地区的标准都不尽相同。

　　In Britain’s index a concentration of NO2 up to five times the WHO’s annual average limit counts as “low”. 根据英国的空气质量指数，二氧化氮浓度高达世界卫生组织年平均浓度限值的5倍时才能算作 “差”。

　　America is more conservative. 美国相对谨慎些。

　　It draws the line at two-and-a half times the WHO limit. 他们把该值定在WHO限值的2.5倍。

　　Worse, in some cases there is no pretence¹ of objectivity. 更糟的情况是，部分地区连客观现实都懒得粉饰了。

　　The website of Belgium’s BelATMO index, for example, warns that this is “a qualitative² representation” of air quality that “has little scientific meaning”. 例如，比利时的BelATMO空气质量指数网站上，就有警告说世界卫生组织的年平均浓度限值仅仅是空气质量的一种 “定性描述”，而且 “科学意义不大”。

　　Cities also vary in the way they present pollution data. 每个城市呈现空气污染数据的形式也各不相同。

　　Most do so on a scale of ten or 100, which is then segmented into four to six bands labelled low, moderate and so on. 大多数城市采用了十分制或百分制，将其划分成四到六个层次，分别代表着低质量、中等质量等等。

　　Some places draw the line between “low” and “moderate” at the level at which pollution starts to cause immediate³ health effects,  在一些地方，以空气污染程度能否对人体健康造成迅疾危害来区分空气质量“低”和“中等”，

　　reserving the red band for smog that severely⁴ affects most people. 等到几乎所有人都受到雾霾严重影响的时候才显示红色警告。

　　Others divide the scale into equal chunks⁵, each representing the same additional daily risk of dying or being admitted to hospital because of pollution. 另外一些地区把空气污染等级均匀划分，每增加一级，空气污染造成的日死亡风险或者住院率相同增长。

　　Offcial indices also fail to capture patterns of variation within a day. 官方的空气质量指数也未能表现出一天之内的空气质量变化模式。

　　These can be important—and people might be able to modify their behavior if they understood them. 而这一变化模式十分重要，如果人们能明白这种模式，他们可能就会据此调整自己的生活习惯。

　　Our analysis suggests, for example, that Parisians who head out for work at 9am and return at 6pm  举个例子，我们的分析表明，在巴黎，上午9点出门上班并且下午6点下班回家的人，

　　could reduce their average daily commuting⁶ intake⁷ of NO2 by 16% by travelling both ways an hour earlier. 如果往返都提前一个小时，那么他们日常通勤时吸入的二氧化氮可以减少16%。

　　Going two hours earlier would cut the intake by 28%. 如果提前两个小时，他们吸入的二氧化氮则会相比减少28%。

　　Weekly cycles also exist. 每周空气质量变化也有规律可循。

　　Parents in Brussels and Paris might be wise to schedule their children’s indoor activities, such as swimming lessons, on Saturdays and outdoor stuff like football practice on Sundays. 在布鲁塞尔和巴黎，明智的家长会把孩子游泳课程这样的户内活动安排在周六，把踢足球训练之类的户外活动安排在周日。

　　That is because, during daytime hours, the concentration of NO2 in those cities was, on average, about 20% lower on Sundays. 这是因为在这两个城市的白天时段，平均下来周日的二氧化氮浓度要低大约20%，

　　In Amsterdam it was 16% lower. 在阿姆斯特丹则会低16%。

　　In all three places, fine-particle pollution also fell on Sundays, as did ozone⁸ in the summer months. 在这三个地方，周日的细微颗粒物污染也更少，就好像在夏季臭氧浓度也会减少一样。

　　The best pollution advice of all to people in these cities, though, is: move to America. 然而关于空气污染这一问题，给这三座城市的居民最好的建议是：搬到美国去。

　　In New York, levels of NO2 were 20% below the WHO limit, and that is pretty typical of places in the United States, where diesels⁹ are less common than in Europe. 在纽约，二氧化氮浓度比世界卫生组织的标准低20%，这是美国的一典型，因为这里的柴油机比欧洲少得多。

　　As the inscription¹⁰ under the Statue of Liberty has it, “Give me your huddled¹¹ masses, yearning¹² to breathe free.” 就像自由女神底下的铭文说的那样：“让你那挤成一团的人民过来这里，他们渴望自由呼吸。”

1 pretence   

n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰

参考例句：

• The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
• He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。

2 qualitative   

adj.性质上的，质的，定性的

参考例句：

• There are qualitative differences in the way children and adults think.孩子和成年人的思维方式有质的不同。
• Arms races have a quantitative and a qualitative aspects.军备竞赛具有数量和质量两个方面。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

5 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

6 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

7 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

8 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

9 diesels   

柴油( diesel的名词复数 )； 柴油机机车（或船等）

参考例句：

• The diesels roared, the conductors jumped aboard, and off the train went. 内燃机发出轰鸣声，列车员跳上车厢，火车开走了。
• The diesels catch and roar, a welcome sound. 柴油机开动，发生了怒吼，这是令人鼓舞的声音。

10 inscription   

n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文

参考例句：

• The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。
• He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。

11 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

12 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。