Cities in China are stepping up the fight against air pollution. CFP
For many residents of northern China, air quality is one of the top concerns when winter approaches.
对于中国北方的不少居民而言，空气质量是寒冬到来时他们最为关注的问题之一。
On Nov 23, haze shrouded Shijiazhuang, Hebei. Local authorities issued an orange alert for heavy air pollution. It’s not the first time the province has issued alerts this year.
11月23日，河北石家庄市笼罩在了一片雾霾之中。当地有关部门发布了重污染天气橙色预警。这并非是该省今年首次发布污染预警。
According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, burning coal for heat is the major reason for high levels of PM2.5 – fine particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter – in winter, which is about twice that of other seasons.
国家生态环境部表示，燃煤供热是PM2.5（直径小于等于 2.5 微米的颗粒物）数值高的主要原因。冬季PM2.5的数值是其他季节的两倍。
Meanwhile, unfavorable weather this year has brought other negative impacts. “Higher temperatures and less rainfall since September have increased ozone density and made pollutants harder to disperse,” said Liu Youbin, spokesman of the ministry.
与此同时，今年的不利天气带来了其他负面影响。“今年9月以来，气温偏高、降水偏少令臭氧密度上升，污染物难以扩散，”生态环境部新闻发言人刘友宾表示。
To stop pollution from getting worse, an action plan has been released. The goal is to reduce PM2.5 density in major cities this winter.
为防止污染恶化，一项行动方案已于近日出台。该方案目标在于降低今年冬季主要城市的PM2.5浓度。
This year’s plan sets higher goals than previous years. The average density of PM2.5 in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region should drop by 4 percent this winter until March 31, 2020, China Daily reported. Last year’s goal was 3 percent.
今年方案设立的目标比以往更高。据《中国日报》报道，今年冬季（2019年10月1日至2020年3月31日）期间，京津冀及周边地区细颗粒物（PM2.5）平均浓度要同比下降4%。去年的目标是3%。
Also, the number of days with serious pollution should fall by 6 percent.
此外，重度及以上污染天数要同比减少6%。
China has worked to improve the environment. Solid efforts have been made in fighting pollution. The national standard for PM2.5 is set at 35 micrograms per cubic meter. From 2015 to 2018, the number of major Chinese cities with air quality meeting the standard increased from 73 to 114.
中国一直致力于改善环境，为治理环境付出了切实的努力。PM2.5的国家标准值为35微克/立方米。从2015年-2018年，空气质量达到国家标准值的我国主要城市从73个上升至114个。
Taking Beijing as an example, the average concentration of PM2.5 dropped to 23 micrograms per cubic meter in Beijing in August. That’s the lowest measurement for August since PM2.5 level first recorded, according to the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau.
以北京为例，今年8月，北京市PM2.5月平均浓度下降到了23微克/立方米。北京市生态环境局表示，该数据为有监测数据以来历史同期最低。
Beijing’s campaign against air pollution has also been listed as a study case to offer relevant experience to cities in developing countries. Aarti Khosla, from Indian environmental organization Climate Trends, told Xinhua that lessons shared from China’s experiences are “worth considering” in India, whose capital, New Delhi, has suffered from extremely severe air pollution recently.
北京治理空气污染的举措已经成为了一个研究案例，为其他发展中国家的城市提供相关经验。来自印度环境组织“气候趋势”的阿蒂·科斯拉在接受新华社采访时表示，近期印度首都新德里面临严重空气污染，中国分享的经验教训值得印度考虑。
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