VOA双语新闻：世界气象日关注污染与健康关系

　　The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization says there is a close relationship between weather-climate systems and global pollution. The organization says these relationships also affect people's health.

这个星期一是世界气象日，联合国世界卫生组织表示，天气-气候系统跟全球污染有密切的关系。世界气象组织说，这些关系也对人类健康产生影响。

The World Meteorological Organization says 90 percent of all natural disasters are related to weather, water and climate events. It says air quality is an important factor as well.

世界气象组织表示，所有的自然灾害有百分之九十跟天气、水和气候事件有关。该组织表示，空气质量也是一个重要因素。

The World Health Organization estimates about two million people die prematurely 1 every year due to air pollution, more than half in developing countries. WHO says declining air quality worsens illnesses and deaths from asthma 2, heart disease, and lung cancer.

世界卫生组织估计，每年空气污染造成大约200万人早死，其中一多半早死的人在发展中国家。世界卫生组织说，空气质量下降能使哮喘、心脏病和肺癌病人病情加重，导致死亡。

The relationship between climate, weather, air quality and health is the theme of this year's World Meteorological Day, which is observed Monday.

气候、天气、空气质量和健康状况是今年世界气象日的主题。今年的气象日在本星期一。

WMO Secretary-General, Michel Jarraud, says the scientific community is becoming increasingly aware of the inter-connection.

世界气象组织的秘书长米歇尔·雅罗德说，科学界正在越来越了解这种相关关系。

"For the air quality, what we are talking about is not only the sort of traditional pollutants 3 as you could imagine them," he noted 4. "But, it is also many of the gases, which are the greenhouse gases that are also influencing the quality of the air when they are abundant in the lower atmosphere."

“就空气质量而言，我们在这里所说的不仅仅是传统的大家能够想象到的污染物质，也包括很多气体，这些气体是温室效应气体，而温室效应气体在大气底层丰富的话，也能影响空气质量。”

WMO scientists assess and monitor air pollutants such as ground-level ozone 5, smog, particulate 6 matter, sulfur 7 dioxide and carbon monoxide. Most of these substances directly result from the industrial, urban and vehicular combustion 8 of fossil fuels.

世界气象组织的科学家对地面臭氧、烟雾、空气悬浮微粒子、二氧化硫、一氧化碳之类的污染物质进行评估监测。这些污染物质大部分直接来自工业、城市和车辆燃料燃烧。

Jarraud says an analysis of this data enables scientists to better forecast the distribution of potentially harmful pollutants in the atmosphere. He says it is increasingly important to do this analysis in connection with urbanization because more than half of the world population lives in urban areas.

雅洛德说，对这种资料进行分析，让科学家得以更好地预测大气中有害污染物质的分布。他说，随着城市化的进展，这种分析变得越来越重要，因为现在世界超过半数的人口居住在城市地区。

"The pollution issues are even more acute in the big urban areas," he said. "Something else, which we hope does not happen very often, but which happens from time to time are the accidents which can release huge amounts of chemicals or radioactive-during Chernobyl, the radioactive things. We also provide forecasts in order to predict where these things will go, which are the areas which are the most likely affected 9."

雅洛德说：“污染问题在大城市地区更严重。有些我们不希望发生的事情时有发生，这些事情就是工业事故。工业事故能向大气释放巨量的化学物质，而在切尔诺贝利核电站事故发生的时候，则是向大气中释放了大量的放射性物质。我们发布预报，也是为了预测这些趋势发展如何，哪些地区最有可能受到影响。”

WMO says a warming climate can exacerbate 10 air pollution. For example, it says climate change and land use are expected to increase desertification worldwide, increasing the risk of sand and dust storms.

世界气象组织说，气候变暖可能会加剧空气污染。例如，气候变化和土地的开发使用预计将加剧世界范围的沙漠化，增加沙尘暴的风险。

It says climate change models show particle-producing fires will continue to increase in both frequency and intensity 11 with rising global temperatures. Drought also is likely to increase, leading to more fires.

世界气象组织说，气候变化模型显示，随着全球大气升温，释放空气悬浮微粒的山林野火也将变得更频繁，更剧烈。干旱今后也可能增加，从而导致更多的野火发生。