01.23.2013
北京 — 最近,中国令人窒息的雾霾成为新闻焦点, 可是另一个环境问题—水污染也越来越让人担心。对中国水质量的恐惧也成了人们的辩论的话题。
最近,中国北部山西省一条河流受到化学物质污染, 官方过了5天才公布这起事故。
虽然市长作了道歉, 化工厂的负责人也被撤职, 可是污染水影响到下游几个城市的饮用水, 公众对政府的信任再次受到打击。
官方数字显示, 中国每年有1700起水污染事故, 全国百分之40的河流严重污染。自然水源不仅受到污染, 而且数量越来越少。
现在，北京成了有关水源质量和数量辩论的发源地。
赵飞红(音)是北京保健协会水问题专家。
((赵飞红(音), 北京保健协会 ( female, in Mandarin) ))
“（北京）原有的100多条河里，真正可以饮用的河，也是北京市政府重点保护的河，也就那么２、３条，是作为我们饮用水的，其他的河不是干了，就是成了排污河了。”
赵飞红的丈夫也是一位水专家，夫妇俩承认，２０年来他们没有喝过自来水，因此成为网上和国家媒体的关注对象。
这个月，就在夫妇两人备受关注的同时，北京市政府第一次公布了水质量数据。
赵飞红说，北京市政府的行动是向正确的方向迈出了一步，尤其是在长期以来一直把水质量看作是国家机密的中国。
赵飞红 说：
“能公布出来，就是让老百姓明明白白地喝水，是一个很好的进步。所以我觉得这是一个相当好的事情，但是我觉得，光公布水质量是不够的。”
赵飞红说，每３个月公布一次是不够的，如果饮用水受到影响，政府应该立即告诉公众如何应对。
北京居民郝云刚（音）最近在微博上刊登了一些照片，拍下了他从水龙头里收集到的脏东西。他也加入了北京有关水问题的辩论。
郝云刚说：
“我没有想到关注度会这么高，但是我想关注度高是因为民众现在的生活质量的标准越来越高，无论是水，还是食品安全，还是空气污染，还有交通。”
和很多北京人一样，郝云刚说，他用自来水洗碗，用瓶装水来做饭。他说，他相信官方所谓水源是安全的说法，可是从水处理厂到他家这段过程又当别论了。
最近,中国北部山西省一条河流受到化学物质污染, 官方过了5天才公布这起事故。
虽然市长作了道歉, 化工厂的负责人也被撤职, 可是污染水影响到下游几个城市的饮用水, 公众对政府的信任再次受到打击。
官方数字显示, 中国每年有1700起水污染事故, 全国百分之40的河流严重污染。自然水源不仅受到污染, 而且数量越来越少。
现在，北京成了有关水源质量和数量辩论的发源地。
赵飞红(音)是北京保健协会水问题专家。
((赵飞红(音), 北京保健协会 ( female, in Mandarin) ))
“（北京）原有的100多条河里，真正可以饮用的河，也是北京市政府重点保护的河，也就那么２、３条，是作为我们饮用水的，其他的河不是干了，就是成了排污河了。”
赵飞红的丈夫也是一位水专家，夫妇俩承认，２０年来他们没有喝过自来水，因此成为网上和国家媒体的关注对象。
这个月，就在夫妇两人备受关注的同时，北京市政府第一次公布了水质量数据。
赵飞红说，北京市政府的行动是向正确的方向迈出了一步，尤其是在长期以来一直把水质量看作是国家机密的中国。
赵飞红 说：
“能公布出来，就是让老百姓明明白白地喝水，是一个很好的进步。所以我觉得这是一个相当好的事情，但是我觉得，光公布水质量是不够的。”
赵飞红说，每３个月公布一次是不够的，如果饮用水受到影响，政府应该立即告诉公众如何应对。
北京居民郝云刚（音）最近在微博上刊登了一些照片，拍下了他从水龙头里收集到的脏东西。他也加入了北京有关水问题的辩论。
郝云刚说：
“我没有想到关注度会这么高，但是我想关注度高是因为民众现在的生活质量的标准越来越高，无论是水，还是食品安全，还是空气污染，还有交通。”
和很多北京人一样，郝云刚说，他用自来水洗碗，用瓶装水来做饭。他说，他相信官方所谓水源是安全的说法，可是从水处理厂到他家这段过程又当别论了。
http://www.voanews.com/content/beijing-releasing-statistics-on-water-pollution/1589425.html
January 23, 2013
Video Transcription:
BEIJING — When chemicals recently contaminated a river in China’s northern Shanxi province, it took authorities five days to report the incident. While the mayor offered an apology and chemical plant officials were dismissed, the spill ended up affecting drinking water in several cities downstream.
It also dealt another blow to public confidence in the government.
Official statistics indicate China has around 1,700 water pollution accidents each year, and up to 40 percent of the country’s rivers are seriously polluted.
Not only are natural water sources polluted, but they are becoming scarce as well.
Beijing is one place where the debate over water quality and quantity is coming to a head.
“Of the more than 100 rivers that there are now in Beijing, only two or three can be used for tap water – and those are the ones that the government in Beijing is protecting," says Zhao Feihong, a water researcher at the Beijing Healthcare Association. "Those are the ones that we can use water from, the rest of the rivers if they have not dried up, then they are polluted by discharge.”
Zhao and her hu*****and, who is also a water researcher, recently became the focus of state-media online outlets after confessing they have not let Beijing’s tap water touch their lips in 20 years.
Their story drew attention just as Beijing’s city government began releasing water quality statistics – long treated as a state secret – for the first time.
According to Zhao, the move is a step in the right direction.
“The fact that it can be disclosed is an improvement for the common people who will better understand the water that they drink," she says. "So this is a relatively good thing, but I think that publicizing this figure is not enough.”
Instead of periodically releasing statistics, Zhao says, the government should let the public know immediately what to do if something affects the drinking water.
Hao Yungang became a part of Beijing’s water debate after publishing photos of gunk gathering in his faucet on China’s Twitter-like Weibo micro-blogging service.
“I did not anticipate that the level of interest would be so high," says Hao. "But these days, people have higher and higher expectations about the quality of life, whether it is water, food safety, pollution or even traffic.”
Like many in Beijing, Hao says he uses tap water to wash dishes and filtered water to cook.
While he believes officials who say Beijing’s water is safe at its source, he knows that what happens between the treatment plant and his home is another matter.
BEIJING — When chemicals recently contaminated a river in China’s northern Shanxi province, it took authorities five days to report the incident. While the mayor offered an apology and chemical plant officials were dismissed, the spill ended up affecting drinking water in several cities downstream.
It also dealt another blow to public confidence in the government.
Official statistics indicate China has around 1,700 water pollution accidents each year, and up to 40 percent of the country’s rivers are seriously polluted.
Not only are natural water sources polluted, but they are becoming scarce as well.
Beijing is one place where the debate over water quality and quantity is coming to a head.
“Of the more than 100 rivers that there are now in Beijing, only two or three can be used for tap water – and those are the ones that the government in Beijing is protecting," says Zhao Feihong, a water researcher at the Beijing Healthcare Association. "Those are the ones that we can use water from, the rest of the rivers if they have not dried up, then they are polluted by discharge.”
Zhao and her hu*****and, who is also a water researcher, recently became the focus of state-media online outlets after confessing they have not let Beijing’s tap water touch their lips in 20 years.
Their story drew attention just as Beijing’s city government began releasing water quality statistics – long treated as a state secret – for the first time.
According to Zhao, the move is a step in the right direction.
“The fact that it can be disclosed is an improvement for the common people who will better understand the water that they drink," she says. "So this is a relatively good thing, but I think that publicizing this figure is not enough.”
Instead of periodically releasing statistics, Zhao says, the government should let the public know immediately what to do if something affects the drinking water.
Hao Yungang became a part of Beijing’s water debate after publishing photos of gunk gathering in his faucet on China’s Twitter-like Weibo micro-blogging service.
“I did not anticipate that the level of interest would be so high," says Hao. "But these days, people have higher and higher expectations about the quality of life, whether it is water, food safety, pollution or even traffic.”
Like many in Beijing, Hao says he uses tap water to wash dishes and filtered water to cook.
While he believes officials who say Beijing’s water is safe at its source, he knows that what happens between the treatment plant and his home is another matter.
