《中英對照讀新聞》Toxic air ’tears apart’ families in Mongolia 毒空氣「拆散」蒙古人家庭

蒙古首都烏蘭巴托是全球空氣污染最嚴重的城市之一。（法新社檔案照）

◎孫宇青

In the world’s coldest capital, Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia, many burn coal and plastic just to survive temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees － but warmth comes at a price.

在全球最寒冷的首都—蒙古烏蘭巴托，許多人必須焚燒煤和塑膠，才能在攝氏零下40度的環境中存活，但溫暖有其代價。

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The levels of PM2.5 in Ulaanbaatar reached 3,320 in January, 133 times than what the WHO considers safe. Gers, which are warmed by coal, or any other flammable material available, are blamed for the pollution.

1月，烏市的細懸浮微粒（PM2.5）濃度高達3320，比世界衛生組織（WHO）視為安全的數值高上133倍。人們將空污歸咎於必須透過燒煤或其他可燃材料來保持溫暖的蒙古包。

The air pollution are chiefly terrible for children, in part because they breathe faster, taking in more air and pollutants. As they are smaller, children are also closer to the ground, where some pollutants concentrate, and their still-developing lungs, brains, and other key organs are more vulnerable to damage.

空污對兒童的影響尤其嚴重，部分原因是他們呼吸的次數更頻繁，會吸入更多空氣和污染物。又因兒童較為矮小、距離地面較近，而部分污染物就聚積在地上；加上他們的肺部、大腦和其他主要器官都還在發育，因此更容易受損。

Buyan-Ulzii Badamkhand and her husband have decided to send their two-year-old son Temuulen to his grandparents in the countryside. "I tell myself that it doesn’t matter that I miss him and who raises him, as long as he is healthy, I am content."（AFP）

布揚—烏吉．巴達姆汗德和丈夫已經決定，將2歲的兒子特姆藍送到鄉下的祖父母家。「我告訴自己，我想不想念孩子或由誰撫養都不重要，只要他健康，我就心滿意足了。」（法新社）

新聞辭典

flammable：形容詞，可燃的。例句：Do not operate the device where there may be flammable gases.（不要在可能有可燃性氣體的地方操作這台儀器。）

concentrate：動詞，集中；聚集。例句：The enemy troop were concentrating in the east.（敵軍正在東部集結。）

content：形容詞，滿足的。例句：An achiever is never content with the status quo.（一個成功者永遠不會滿足於現狀。）

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