ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Fires in Russia

ENVIRONMENT REPORT -August 23, 2002: Fires in Russia

By Cynthia Kirk
This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

Clouds of thick smoke have spread across some of Russia’s largest cities. The smoke has affected¹ millions of
people. Russian officials say it is the thickest smoke to cover the area in thirty years.

Most of the smoke has been caused by forest fires and peat bog² fires. Peat is
decaying³ plant material. When it is dry, it burns very easily. It is often used as fuel.

Forest and peat bog fires have burned more than one-million hectares of land in
Russia this summer. Hundreds of firefighters and emergency workers have been
sent to fight the fires. Russia’s Emergency Situation Ministry⁴ also has sent
helicopters and planes to assist in the effort. The peat bog fires are most severe in
the Shatura area, southeast of Moscow.

Peat bog fires are hard to put out. That is because flames follow the layers of peat as far as fifteen meters into the
earth. Several fires start every day. And they spread quickly. The fires threaten homes and forests.

Peat bog fires are common in Moscow and other large cities in Russia. This year, however, the number of fires
has increased because of the long period of hot weather in the area. There also has been little rain or wind.

Smoke from the fires has increased the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the air in parts of Moscow.
Environmental officials say the carbon dioxide levels are twenty percent higher than acceptable⁵ levels.

Health officials in Moscow say the increased pollutants⁶ have caused people to have headaches, watery⁷ eyes and
increased tiredness. They have urged people with breathing or heart problems to stay indoors or leave the city if
possible. However, officials say no severe health effects have been reported so far.

Government officials say structures will be built to redirect rivers in an effort to flood the land. The canals are
expected to be operating by next year.

In nineteen -seventy-two, similar hot, dry weather also led to fires in peat bogs⁸ in the same area. The smoke
covered the area for weeks.

Emergency workers have prevented the current fires from causing widespread destruction. But they can do little
to prevent the thick smoke. Weather experts say rain, wind and lower temperatures are the only ways to stop the
fires.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 bog   

n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖

参考例句：

• We were able to pass him a rope before the bog sucked him under.我们终于得以在沼泽把他吞没前把绳子扔给他。
• The path goes across an area of bog.这条小路穿过一片沼泽。

3 decaying   

v.（使）腐烂，腐朽( decay的现在分词 )；衰败，衰退，衰落

参考例句：

• The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

6 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

8 bogs   

n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• Whenever It'shows its true nature, real life bogs to a standstill. 无论何时，只要它显示出它的本来面目，真正的生活就陷入停滞。 来自名作英译部分
• At Jitra we went wading through bogs. 在日得拉我们步行着从泥水塘里穿过去。 来自辞典例句