低排放区的好处
The benefits of low emission zones
Hello.
大家好。
This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Sam…
这里是BBC教学英语的六分钟英语。我是萨姆……
And I'm Neil.
我是尼尔。
In this programme, we’re discussing low emission zones and explaining some useful items of vocabulary along the way.
在本期节目中，我们将讨论低排放区，并在此过程中解释一些有用的词汇。
Well, that's good, Sam.
嗯，好的，萨姆。
But what exactly is a low emission zone?
但低排放区到底是什么？
Well, the noun emission is an amount of, usually, gas, that is sent out into the air and harms the environment,
好的，名词“排放”通常是指一定数量的气体，它被排放到空气中，并危害环境 ，
it’s pollution.
它就是污染。
And a low emission zone is an area of a city where the amount of pollution is controlled.
低排放区是指污染量得到控制的城市区域。
Of course, and cities like London have them.
当然，像伦敦这样的城市就有低排放区。
Most vehicles, including cars and vans, need to meet certain emissions standards,
大多数车辆，包括轿车和货车，都需要达到一定的排放标准，
or their drivers must pay a daily charge to drive within the zone,
不然其驾驶员就必须每日交费才能在该区域行驶，
or they might even be banned altogether.
或者甚至可能被完全禁止在该区域行驶。
Exactly. It’s all about making the air we breathe cleaner.
正是。那一切都是为了让我们呼吸的空气更清洁。
And my question today is about one UK city which recently announced it wants to be the country’s first net zero city,
我今天的问题是关于英国的一个城市，它最近宣布它想成为英国第一个“净零”城市，
placing their greenhouse emissions at a neutral level.
将其温室气体排放保持在一个中性水平。
But which one is it?
但那是哪个城市？
Is it… a) Glasgow, b) Manchester or c) Cardiff?
是……a)格拉斯哥，b)曼彻斯特，还是c)加的夫？
Ah yes, I've heard about this and I'm sure it is a) Glasgow.
啊，是的，我听说过这个，我确定是a)格拉斯哥。
OK, I'll let you know if that was correct at the end of the programme.
好的，在节目最后我会让你知道是否正确。
Now, Neil mentioned that London already has an ultra-low emission zone.
尼尔提到伦敦已经有了一个超低排放区。
But this year, other UK cities, including Bath, Leeds and Birmingham, are also bringing in Clean Air Zones.
但今年，英国其它城市，包括巴斯、利兹和伯明翰，也引入了清洁空气区。
And around the world, many other cities, like Beijing, Paris and Madrid have these zones.
在世界各地，许多其它城市，如北京、巴黎和马德里都有这样的区域。
Although there are many types of emissions, such as from factories,
尽管排放的类型有很多，比如来自工厂，
these zones predominantly target exhaust fumes from vehicles,
但这些区域主要针对车辆排放的废气，
poisonous gases called nitrogen dioxide.
一种叫做二氧化氮的有毒气体。
Let's hear from an expert on this - Alastair Lewis,
让我们听听这方面的专家阿拉斯泰尔·刘易斯是怎么说的，
who is a Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York.
他是约克大学大气化学方面的教授。
He spoke to BBC Radio 4s Inside Science programme and explained why we should be trying to reduce these pollutants,
他在BBC广播4频道的Inside Science节目中解释了为什么我们应该努力减少这些污染物，
a word for the substances that cause pollution…
那个词是指造成污染的物质……
Most of the evidence we have now on air pollution is that we continue to see health benefits by reducing pollution,
关于空气污染，我们现在掌握的大部分证据是，我们仍会看到减少污染对健康的好处，
even when you're below the target value.
即使你低于目标值。
So just because the city meets a particular value, there is still an incentive to continue to improve air quality,
所以虽然城市达到了特定值，我们仍有动力继续改善空气质量，
because the health benefits continue to build up as you do that.
因为在你这样做的时候健康益处会继续增强。
So targets are very good at focusing the mind,
所以目标是非常有利于集中精神，
but they shouldn't be the only thing that we're considering.
但它们不应该是我们考虑的唯一内容。
Alastair Lewis mentions targets.
阿拉斯泰尔·刘易斯提到了“目标”。
These are official levels of something that need to be achieved.
这些是需要达到的官方水平。
They give us something to aim for, in this case reducing air pollution.
它们给了我们一些目标，在这种情况下就是减少空气污染。
He uses the phrase focusing the mind.
他用了“集中精神”这个短语。
That means to concentrate on one idea or thought.
那指的是专注于一个观点或想法。
But, while setting a target to cut air pollution is good, it has health benefits,
虽然设定减少空气污染的目标是好的，它对健康有益，
we shouldn't just focus on meeting the target.
但是我们不应该只专注于实现那个目标。
Even if the target is met we shouldn't stop trying to improve.
即使实现了目标，我们也不应该停止努力提升。
The incentive should be that we are improving people's health.
动力应该是我们要改善人们的健康。
And an incentive is something that encourages someone to do something.
动力是鼓励某人做某事的东西。
So I think it's accepted that creating low emission zones is an incentive,
所以我觉得人们认可创建低排放区是一种动力，
because it encourages people to either not drive into cities or to, at least, drive low-polluting vehicles.
因为它鼓励要么不开车进入城市，要么至少开低污染的车辆。
And, of course, changing to electric-powered cars is one way to do this.
当然，改用电动汽车是实现这一目标的一种方法。
There's more of an incentive to do this now,
现在有更多的动力这样做，
at least in the UK,
至少在英国是这样，
because the government has said new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040.
因为政府已经表示，从2040年起，新的柴、汽油轿车和柴、汽油货车将被禁止。
But pollution from vehicles is just part of the problem, as Alastair Lewis points out…
但正如阿拉斯泰尔·刘易斯所指出的，来自车辆的污染只是问题的一部分。
One has to accept that air pollution is an enormously complex problem with a very very large number of contributing sources,
人们必须承认，空气污染是一个非常复杂的问题，其来源非常非常多，
and there will never be any one single action that will cure the problem for us.
而且永远不会有任何单一做法可以为我们解决这个问题。
So low emission zones are one way to reduce concentrations,
因此低排放区是降低污染浓度的一种方法，
but they are not, in isolation, going to be the solution.
但孤立开来的它们并不是解决之法。
So Alastair points out that air pollution is a complex problem.
所以阿拉斯泰尔指出，空气污染是一个复杂的问题。
It's complicated, difficult and involves many parts.
它是复杂的，困难的，涉及很多方面。
Yes, there are many sources, things that create these emissions.
是的，产生这些排放的来源有很多。
So, it's not possible to solve or cure the problem by doing one thing.
所以，不可能通过做一件事来解决这个问题。
Low emission zones are only one part of the solution to the problem.
低排放区只是问题解决方法的一部分。
He said it was one way to reduce concentrations.
他说这是降低污染浓度的一种方法。
He means amounts of substances, pollutants, found in something, which here is the air.
他指的是在某物中发现的大量物质，污染物，这里是指空气中。
Well, earlier, Neil, you had to concentrate your mind and answer a question about emissions.
好的，尼尔，早些时候，你必须集中精神回答一个关于排放的问题。
I asked which UK city recently announced it wants to be the country’s first net zero city,
我问英国哪个城市最近宣布要成为该国首个“净零”城市，
placing their greenhouse emissions at a neutral level.
将其温室气体排放保持在一个中性水平。
Was it… a) Glasgow, b) Manchester, or c) Cardiff?
是……a)格拉斯哥，b)曼彻斯特，还是c)加的夫？
And, Neil, what did you say?
尼尔，你说是什么？
I said it's Glasgow.
我说是格拉斯哥。
And it is Glasgow! Well done, Neil.
就是格拉斯哥！做得不错，尼尔。
It wants to become the UK's first net zero city.
它想成为英国第一个“净零”城市。
And later this year it is hosting a major United Nations climate change summit.
今年晚些时候它将主办一场很重要的联合国气候变化峰会。
OK, Sam, I think we need a recap of the vocabulary we’ve discussed, starting with emissions…
好的，萨姆，我想我们需要回顾一下我们讨论过的词汇，从“排放”开始……
Emissions are amounts of, usually, gas that is sent out into the air from things like cars.
排放通常是指从汽车之类的东西中排放到空气中的气体。
They harm the environment.
它们危害环境。
And pollutants are the actual substances that cause pollution…
污染物是造成污染的实际物质……
To focus the mind means to concentrate on one idea or thought.
“集中精神”是指专注于一个观点或想法。
And we mentioned an incentive, which is something that encourages someone to do something.
我们提到了“动力”，就是鼓励某人做某事的东西。
Complex describes something that is complicated, difficult and involves many parts.
“Complex”是指某事物复杂、困难并涉及很多方面。
And when talking about pollution, we sometimes talk about concentrations.
当谈到污染时，我们有时会提到浓度。
These are amounts of substances, or pollutants, within something.
它们是某物内物质或污染物的含量。
So, in a polluted city, we might find high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide because of all the traffic.
所以，在一个被污染的城市，我们可能会发现高浓度的二氧化氮，全是因为交通。
It's not great for our health, Sam.
它对我们的健康不利，萨姆。
Indeed, Neil, that's why we need low emission zones!
确实，尼尔，那就是为什么我们需要低排放区！
And that brings us to the end of this 6 Minute English programme.
这就到了本期六分钟英语的最后了。
See you soon.
下次见。
Bye.
拜。
Goodbye.
再见。