【洛杉矶时报111029】中美空气质量数据掐架记

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【中文标题】中美空气质量数据掐架记

【原文标题】U.S. Embassy air quality data undercut China's own assessments

【登载媒体】洛杉矶时报

【来源地址】http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/29/world/la-fg-china-air-quality-20111030

【译    者】 WilliamRUC

【翻译方式】   人工

【声    明】 欢迎转载，请务必注明译者和出处 bbs.m4.cn。

【译    文】


One day this month, the reading was so high compared with U.S. standards it was listed as 'beyond index.' But China's own assessment that day was that Beijing's air was merely 'slightly polluted.'
Poor air condition prevails as midafternoon traffic this month clogs the Third Ring Road in Beijing. Air quality data from the U.S. Embassy in the Chinese capital are more discouraging than those provided by city authorities.
Reporting from Beijing — Perched atop the U.S. Embassy in Beijing is a device about the size of a microwave oven that spits out hourly rebukes to the Chinese government.
It is a machine that monitors fine particulate matter, one of the most dangerous components of air pollution, and instantly posts the results to Twitter and a dedicated iPhone application, where it is frequently picked up by Chinese bloggers.
One day this month, the reading was so high compared with the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it was listed as "beyond index." In other words, it had soared right off the chart.
　　本月有天美国在北京大使馆的空气质量指数已“超出量表”。但是中国同日的监测则是“轻度污染”。
　　最糟糕的空气状况出现在午后北京的三环路交通高峰时。美国大使馆提供的首都空气指数比市政府提供的更为令人担忧。
　　（北京报道）美国大使馆楼顶一个微波炉大小的装置每小时吐槽一次中国政府。
　　这个机器用来监控微细颗粒物，最危险的空气污染物之一。它能够立即将报告发送到推特和专用的iphone应用程序上，中国用户经常用到这个功能。
　　本月有天测量数据与美国环境署的标准相比如此之高以至于“超出量表”，换言之数据已经在能够测量的能力之外了。

"You couldn't get such a high level in the United States unless you were downwind from a forest fire," said Dane Westerdahl, an air quality expert from Cornell University.
But China's own assessment that day, Oct. 9, was that Beijing's air was merely "slightly polluted."
Not even the most fervent propagandist would call the city's air clean, but the Chinese government made great efforts to improve air quality for the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. Beijing authorities moved huge steelworks out of the capital, switched city dwellers from coal to natural gas heating, raised emissions standards for trucks, and created new subway and bus lines. The cost of the cleanup was estimated at $10 billion, not including the investment in mass transit.
Three years later, the difference between the Americans and the Chinese is at least in part about what they're measuring. And it highlights the rapid growth in the number of cars in Beijing.
Chinese monitoring stations around the capital track large particulates of up to 10 micrometers. The number of those particles has dropped as a result of reforestation programs that lessen the dust storms that blew in from deserts. The Chinese have also been successful in reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by limiting coal heating and imposing stricter emissions standards.
　　康奈尔大学的空气质量专家Dane Westerdahl称：“除非你在森林火灾时测量，否则在美国不可能得到如此之高的数据”
　　但是10月9日中国自己的评估则表明北京的空气仅仅“轻度污染”。
　　哪怕是最富激情的宣传家也不能把北京的空气说成干净，但是中国政府为了2008年夏季奥运会在提高空气质量方面做了很大努力。北京当局将大型钢铁冶炼厂搬出了首都，将城市供暖燃料从煤炭转为天然气，提高了卡车的排放标准，并增添了地铁和公交线路。做出以上清洁努力的花费估计达到了100亿美元，还不包括在公共交通上的投资。
　　三年以后，中国和美国至少在测量方式上产生了分歧。其中的亮点在于北京汽车数量的迅速增长。
　　中国在首都附近的监测站测量高达10微米的较大颗粒。这些颗粒的数量因为荒漠地区的植树造林而有所下降。通过限制燃煤，执行更严格的排放标注，中国还成功地减少了二氧化硫的排放量。

The U.S. monitor tracks tinier particles — less than 2.5 micrometers — that physicians say are capable of penetrating human lungs and other organs. Car and truck exhaust is a major source of fine particulate pollution, a particular problem in Beijing, where the number of registered cars has skyrocketed from to 5 million from 3.5 million in 2008.
"There was a valuable legacy from the Olympics," said Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. "But there are big issues here. The rising population, the expansion of the city, the fast increase in the number of cars have offset the improvements."
Regardless, the Beijing Environmental Department reported 286 "blue sky" days last year, up from 274 in 2008. And the Chinese bristle at criticism of Beijing's air quality, especially from Americans.
When an American doctor at Beijing United Family Hospital recommended this month on his blog that people wear face masks, the Communist Party-affiliated Global Times newspaper ran an article rebuking him.
　　美国的监测器记录更小的微粒——小于2.5微米——医生认为能够穿透人体肺部和其他器官。小汽车和卡车的尾气是微细颗粒物的主要来源。北京的注册机动车数量从2008年的350万飞窜到如今的500万。
　　“奥运会留下了许多宝贵遗产”， 北京公众与环境研究中心主任马军说，“但是这里存在很大的问题，人口增加，城市扩张，汽车数量的迅速增长抵消了进步的成绩”。
　　尽管如此，北京市环保局还是在去年报告有286个“蓝天”，与2008年的274个相比有所上升。而中国有关方面还对尤其是来自美国的空气质量批评表示愤怒。
　　北京和睦家医院的一名美国医生在博客上建议人们应戴上口罩，共产党掌控的环球时报发表了一篇文章驳斥他的观点。

The newspaper quoted an anonymous doctor at Peking University People's Hospital as saying, "The suggestion to wear air masks will make trouble out of nothing, as we've had polluted air for a long time, and we shouldn't be living with an American standard."
Diplomatic cables released this year through WikiLeaks reveal that the Chinese government has asked the U.S. Embassy to stop publishing its data, which is posted hourly on Twitter at @beijingair, an account that has 9,200 followers.
In July 2009, a Foreign Ministry official complained that because the U.S. data conflicted with China's, they were causing "confusion" and undesirable "social consequences."
The embassy installed its monitor in 2008 before the Olympics to advise its personnel about air quality, but then decided it should make readings public under diplomatic rules that require that information regarding health and security risks be made available.
The measurements drew widespread attention last November, the first time a reading for fine particulate matter went above 500 micrograms per cubic meter, about seven times the U.S. standard for "acceptable" air quality.
　　这份报纸引用了北大人民医院一位匿名医生的说法，“建议佩戴空气面具的说法只会带来麻烦，我们在有污染的空气中已经生活了好久了，而且我们不可能生活在美国标准下。”
　　维基解密网站今年发布的一份外交电文显示，中国政府要求美国大使馆停止公布它的监测数据。这些监测数据每隔一小时就被发布到拥有9200名粉丝的推特@beijingair帐号上。
　　2009年七月，一名外交部官员抱怨美国的数据跟中国不一致，把民众搞糊涂了，而且造成社会上的不良后果。
　　美国大使馆在2008年北京奥运会之前安装了自己的独立监测器，来提供大使馆人员空气质量的信息。随后大使馆决定依照外交原则所要求的，公布影响健康和安全因素的信息，对公众发表了监测的数据。
　　这些测量数据在去年十一月引起了广泛的关注。那是首次测量到微细颗粒物浓度超过每立方米500微克。这相当于美国的“可接受”空气质量标准的七倍。

The embassy ended up reporting that off-the-charts reading as "crazy bad." (Embassy officials say a computer programmer with a sense of humor embedded the language in the program linking the monitor to Twitter without realizing it would ever get used.)
The embassy quickly deleted the tweet and replaced it with "beyond index," but the fanciful description stuck in the imagination.
David Vance Wagner, a former advisor to the Chinese government on air quality, suggests that its problem is political as well as technical.
"Politically, it is hard to revise the standard. After 10 years of saying things are getting better and better, if you reverse that, people will be justifiably angry," Wagner said.
Wagner believes Beijing's air hasn't gotten worse since the Olympics, but that it hasn't improved either.
　　大使馆后来把这个超过测量上限的结果，标示为“坏得离谱”。（大使馆官员解释说，一个挺有幽默感的程序员在监测软件中，给超过最高浓度写入这样的标示，并把监测系统链接到推特上自动发布，完全没想到会有用得上的时候。）
　　大使馆很快删除了这一条推文，并把标示改成“破表”，但是那个搞怪的形容词仍然给人无限的想象。
　　中国政府的原空气质量顾问大卫伟纳认为，这不仅是技术层面的问题，而且是政治层面的。
　　“从政治上来说，要修订评测标准是很困难的。说空气越来越好说了十年，如果这时你改变了标准，民众理所当然的会感到愤怒。”伟纳说。
　　伟纳认为北京的空气在奥运后并没有恶化，但也没有改善。

"China was justifiably praised for meeting its commitments to improve the air quality, but there is definitely not as much momentum or press now," Wagner said. "It is frustrating now because we are stagnating at a terrible air quality level."
At times the air is so dense it appears to be snowing. On several occasions, pollution combined with fog has been so bad that motorists have had to turn on their headlights in the middle of the day.
"The fine particulate matter is what affects visibility and makes it look like a horrible foggy day," said Cornell air quality expert Westerdahl. "It also is what most directly affects human health."
Fine particulate matter is linked to respiratory ailments, heart disease, stroke and premature death. Prominent Chinese environmentalists don't disagree with the need to focus on it.

"The Ministry of Environmental Protection realizes that PM 2.5 [particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometers] reflects more about the effects of air pollution on human health," said Zhu Tong, a professor at Peking University who was the main air quality advisor for the Olympics, in an email response to questions. But the ministry needs money to buy monitoring machines and train staff members to make sure its statistics are accurate, he said.
　　“中国达成了改善空气品质的承诺，理应受到赞扬，但目前绝对是失去动力和压力了，”伟纳说。“现在的情况很令人沮丧，因为我们停滞在一个很糟糕的空气质量中。”
　　有时污染浓密到好像下雪一样。还有好几次是污染伴随着大雾，糟糕到大中午汽车都得开前灯才行。
　　“这些微细颗粒物是影响可见度，让天空看起来雾茫茫的原因，”康奈尔空气质量专家威斯特达说，“它也是最直接影响健康的因素。”
　　微细颗粒物跟呼吸系统疾病、心脏病、中风和早逝有关。一些知名的中国环保人士也同意应该聚焦这个问题。
　　“环境保护部了解PM 2.5 (小于2.5微米的颗粒物）更能反映空气污染对身体的影响，”
　　北京大学的朱彤教授在回复采访的邮件中说。朱教授是北京奥运的空气质量首席顾问。他又说：“但是环保部需要经费来采购监测仪器和培训人员，以确保统计数据的准确性。”

Although it is government data that are published in newspapers and broadcast on television, other Chinese media are increasingly citing the U.S. figures.
"They are walking a fine line," Wagner said. "They don't want to question the validity of Chinese data, but they recognize the U.S. data is probably a more accurate scale for measuring health impact on residents."
Complaints about air quality are a staple of conversation in Beijing. From recent Chinese microblog chats came such comments as:
"Is it excrement floating in the air today? I'm almost choking to death!"
"There is no quality of life when you can't be sure you're not breathing anything poisonous."
Over the last year, interior designer Lu Weiwei and a photographer have been taking pictures of people against a backdrop of air, clear or polluted — observing that the mood of the people is often dependent on the air quality.
"You don't need sophisticated instruments to tell you what is the air quality," Lu said. "You look up at the sky and if it's clear, it is a good day and you're happy — or not."
　　虽然报纸和电视上公布的是官方数据，一些中国的媒体越来越多的引用美国的统计数字。
　　“他们在打擦边球，”伟纳说。“他们不愿意质疑官方数据的准确性，但他们明白使用美国的数据来评判污染对居民健康的影响可能更准确。”
　　在北京，抱怨空气质量已经成为主要话题。最近在微博上有人这么写：
　　“今天空气里是飘着屎吗？我简直要窒息了。”
　　“当你搞不清楚有没有吸入有毒物质的时候，根本没有生活质量可言。”
　　去年里，室内设计师卢薇薇和一个摄影师拍了许多以空气为背景的人物照，不论是干净或污染的。他们观察到被拍摄者的心情经常跟空气质量有关。
　　“你不需要精密仪器来告诉你空气质量如何，”卢说。“你抬头看看天空，如果是清朗的，那就是个好日子，你就感到快乐——或者不快乐。”

pyhuang

再多买点车嘛，顺便让西方的污染性工厂都设到中国来，还会破表的

njtudaodao

今天,北京又是个坏的离谱的天.
我希望看到有人能提出彻底解决问题的方式.

我经常思考,究竟北京的糟糕空气是什么引起的,从我能想到的方面来看:
1.污染企业,现在首钢燕山化工什么的都不在北京城,北京城肯定还有些小企业单位存在污染问题,但我想这可能已经不是主要造成污染的原因了,政府在这方面的努力有目共睹;
2.汽车排污,如上文所引,北京已有超过500万辆机动车,现在的方式是按车号每周有一天不能出行(奥运时是单双号限行,每两天有一天不能出行),新车摇号,限制新增机动车.这个方面可调空间不大,再有严厉限行措施恐怕车主会相当反弹,有段时间在晚上总看到"为刺激经济鼓励买车,买了车又不让上路"的讽刺政府的声音,这个方面要找个平衡点相当不容易,我想继续的严厉限行可能性不大.这个污染真是没办法,受着吧,可我相信这恐怕也不是造成现在空气质量如此糟糕的主因,因为我想如果汽车排污就造成这种效果的话,至少东京也该如此,但结果不是这样.
3.建筑尘埃,施工时候裸露的地面和未改造的部分城区土地遇风会有大量尘埃漂浮,类似于沙尘暴时候的空气,这些是大颗粒物,现在政府要求建筑工地施工时候做防尘处理,这方面的污染已不是北京近几年的主要污染,毕竟这些大的颗粒物可明显看出并可测量,除了春天时候蒙古方面吹来的沙尘暴以外,现在本地激起的黄沙尘土已不是主要导致空气质量恶化的原因,可能这点上政府数据和美国使馆数据倒是一致的.看上文美国使馆数据监测小于2.5微米的数据猜想是如此,浮尘恐怕不是现在北京污染空气的主因.
4.燃煤污染,这个夏季好一些,冬季由于各单位供暖,这个污染就高,另外火力发电厂,我没有数据,不知道现在市内还有没有火力发电厂,但现在市政府是在努力控制燃煤污染,供暖和供电逐步转向不依赖燃煤,这点倒是有政策的.联想到最近两天各单位都在做供暖前准备和测试,这两天的空气污染如此严重,不知道是不是和这个有关,我就不敢说了.但如果燃煤供暖是最近两天污染的主要原因,这个目前也没办法一次性解决,大家都知道原因的,不能为了减污让市民都受冻.这个只能逐步减少,这要看政策的力度.
5.外来污染,污染企业单位可是都迁出北京城了,可都在周边,再加上保证北京市内的能源,周边的发电厂什么的可是不少,夏秋季节,周边农村焚烧麦秆玉米秆的,还有有时蒙古高原的沙尘,这些基本无法控制或者难以控制,不知道谁有更好的办法.

我想了半天,想不出别的什么了,如果有别的原因大家给提示,.
我想这些综合起来该是造成北京空气质量糟糕的主因了,可一分析,要解决这些问题确实不是一蹴而就的事情,凭良心说政府也在努力,我也就只好忍了认了.

又想了想,世界上哪个大城市没有上述这些问题,可为什么北美欧洲空气质量那么好,我们的孩子们晚上就看不到星星呢?肯定是我漏掉了污染的主要原因,欢迎大家帮助分析.

想起个故事,可以当作笑话,黄帝战蚩尤,黄沙漫天,看不到周围,黄帝发明了指南车,于是战胜了蚩尤,于是有了华夏民族.也许,有历史原因?

外面天是雾蒙蒙的,我努力快乐.

南瓜大仙

这几天阴天，空气质量确实糟糕

davidhuyi

污染必须得到治理

lilyma06

知道污染了，现在能做的有哪些？

白天与黑夜

城市化带来的负作用吧