经济学人双语精读｜如何多维度描写雾霾（中）

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导读

  一到冬天北方的雾霾便严重起来，英语考研、饭桌装B总少不了这个话题。但《经济学人》对中国雾霾的叙述，最终总要上升到意识形态层面或政治层面，让小编很不爽。不过在11月12日那一期发现了一篇关于印度雾霾的描写，从里面摘了四段，作为考研作文、饭桌装B的必备神器。

  第一段写了雾霾的原因，第二段通过数据直接描写雾霾，第三段通过各种生活现象间接描写雾霾，第四段采取行动。

Delhi’s annual average measure of PM2.5, a fine dust that is the most toxic component of its pollution, stands at 122 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), about double Beijing’s annual average. On Diwali and ten succeeding days this year, Delhi’s air was clogged with averages of well over 500µg/m³, with peaks of up to 1,000µg/m³. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the “safe” PM2.5 level is a mere 25µg/m³ over 24 hours.

第一句说印度的PM2.5指数达到122微克/立方米，是北京的两倍，一句话既黑了北京也黑了印度。给人的感觉就像是说，你怎么比他还脑残啊？

Delhi’s annual average measure of PM2.5, a fine dust that is the most toxic component of its pollution, stands at 122 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), about double Beijing’s annual average.

annual average measure of PM2.5 的意思是 PM2.5的年平均指数，PM2.5指直径小于2.5微米的粒子，PM是fine particulate matter的缩写，fine 和后面出现的 fine dust 都是“微小的”的意思；average 在这作形容词，指“平均的”，除此外，还可以表示“普通的”这一概念，比如它的一个常见搭配，the average joe，表示“普通人”，measure 此处表示“度量”；

a fine dust that is the most toxic component of its pollution，fine dust 刚才已经讲过，是“微小颗粒”的意思，toxic 是“有毒的”，component 指“（混合物的）组成部分”，这部分是说，PM2.5这种微小颗粒，是印度大气污染毒性最强的组成部分。

stands at +数字 这一搭配要记住，这里表示PM2.5指数为122微克/立方米，除了 stand at, 还可以说 stay at 或 be at.

about double Beijing’s annual average，这里的average 是名词，表示“平均指数”。在今后的写作中，表示“平均”这一概念，第一次出现需要用“average+n.”这一表达，但第二次出现时，可直接用"average"一词，表示某个值的平均数，例如，《经济学人》之前在科技版块中有这么一句话：

The world's average temperature in 2012 was nearly 0.5℃ above the average for 1951-80.

2012年平均气温比1951-1980年的平均气温高了将近0.5℃。

文中第一个 average 的词性是形容词，第二个 average 的词性是名词，表示 average temperature，从而很好的避免了重复累赘。

第一句以年为单位，描述印度的污染，第二句以光明节为单位，描写污染，一起来看：

On Diwali and ten succeeding days this year, Delhi’s air was clogged with averages of well over 500µg/m³, with peaks of up to 1,000µg/m³. 

On Diwali and ten succeeding days this year 表示“光明节以及之后的十天”，succeeding 指“coming after sth. else”，所以 ten succeeding days 就指 ten days after Diwali，也可以说 coming/ensuing/following/next ten days。

Delhi’s air was clogged with averages of well over 500µg/m³，clog 指“堵塞”，be clogged with 指“被...堵塞”，注意加介词 with. 《经济学人》之前有一篇报道，里面有这么一句话：

The air began to clog and burn, the rivers turned to sludge and sesert sand began to sift into the streets of Beijing.

空气变得沉闷酷热，河流变成污泥浊水，沙尘飞临北京街头。

clog 在这里用得很形象，大家可以想象一下，空气被堵住，不流通，是不是有一种闷热的感觉呢？以后在写作中，描写空气闷热，也可以这样用，The air clogs and burns.

average这里也是名词形式，表示 average PM2.5，所以，这一部分的意思就出来了：新德里的PM2.5指数平均值远超500微克/立方米。

with peaks of up to 1,000µg/m³，peak 多指“山峰”，此处指“最大值，峰值”，相当于 maximum. 这部分是说，PM2.5最高达到了1000µg/m³。

最后一句通过世界卫生组织的标准进行对比，体现印度大气污染的严重性，词汇和语法很简单：

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the “safe” PM2.5 level is a mere 25µg/m³ over 24 hours.

世界卫生组织表示，安全的PM2.5指数(the “safe” PM2.5 level)日平均值(over 24 hours)应只有25微克/立方米。

综合以上，我们在写北京雾霾时，可以利用上述表达方式进行直接描写：

Beijing’s annual average measure of PM2.5, a fine dust that is the most toxic component of its pollution, stands at X micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), about double 2008's average. During Spring Festival and ten succeeding days, Beijing’s air was clogged with averages of well over Yµg/m³, with peaks of up to Zµg/m³. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the “safe” PM2.5 level is a mere 25µg/m³ over 24 hours.

With the city’s 20m sneezing inhabitants complaining of sore eyes, itchy throats, headaches and fatigue, one trade association estimated that 5-10% of employees across Delhi were calling in sick. Dense fog caused pile-ups on roads. A sudden surge in sales created queues outside shops selling face masks and air purifiers. Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the National Capital Territory, which contains most of the sprawling city, likened it to living in a gas chamber. Edward Avol, an American scientist who has studied the effects of vehicle exhaust on children, says that Delhi’s pollution is at “an occupational level of exposure”, meaning that it is as bad as that experienced by, say, miners using power tools in a closed space.

雾霾袭来，首先，人会感觉不适，会出现各种症状，那具体会出现哪些症状？这些症状用英语怎么说？一起来看第一句：

With the city’s 20m sneezing inhabitants complaining of sore eyes, itchy throats, headaches and fatigue, one trade association estimated that 5-10% of employees across Delhi were calling in sick.

本句一共列出了五种症状，分别是：sneeze, sore eyes, itchy throats, headaches, fatigue，中文中非别对应打喷嚏，眼睛酸痛、喉咙发痒、头痛、易倦

call in sick 指给你上学或上班的地方打电话，告诉老板你病了不能去上班了。

这事小编高中时候没少做，压力太大学不动的时候，就给班主任打个电话说身体不舒服不去上课了，然后在家看电影睡大觉。

这句话是说，2000多万名市民(20m inhabitants)喷嚏不断(sneezing)，还出现了眼睛酸疼(sore eyes)、喉咙干痒(itchy throats)、头疼易倦(headaches and fatigue)的症状，一家贸易协会估计(one trade association estimated)，新德里有5-10%的上班族请病假(calling in sick)。

除了对市民身体造成影响，雾霾同样造成车辆连环相撞事故、市民排长队买口罩等现象。一起来看：

Dense fog caused pile-ups on roads. A sudden surge in sales created queues outside shops selling face masks and air purifiers.

Dense fog caused pile-ups on roads，dense fog 指“浓雾”，pile-up 指“多车连环相撞，连环追尾”，大家想一想很多汽车叠成一堆的场景就很好理解了

A sudden surge in sales 的意思是，销售量的迅速增加，surge 是名词，指“激增”，sudden 更加强调增长的迅猛。

created queues 指 销售量的激增造成长队，在哪里造成长队呢？Outside shops selling face masks and air purifiers，在出售口罩(mask)和空气净化器(air purifier)的商店外。purifier 一词不难理解，源于 pure, adj, 纯净的，加上后缀"-ify"变为"purify"，v. 使纯净，再加"-er"变为"purifier"，使纯净的东西，即净化器。

后面一部分通过他人的观点，间接描写雾霾：

Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the National Capital Territory, which contains most of the sprawling city, likened it to living in a gas chamber.

这句话既有人名、又有地名、职衔，我们统统不去研究，Arvind Kejriwal，我们暂时管他叫AK，chief minister 具体是什么官衔、怎么翻我们暂且不管，但只是我们知道他是该地区的一把手，National Capital Territory 是印度的一个district. 

把乱七八糟的弄干净，我们发现这句子就清晰了很多，which contains most of the sprawling city 是作National Capital Territory的定语，对其进行解释。Sprawling 的英文解释是"spreading over a wide area in an untidy or unattractive way"，于是 sprawling city 我们就明白了，它是一个城市，处于扩张过程中，但由于缺乏规划，有点杂乱无章的感觉。

likened it to living in a gas chamber，liken A to B，将A比作B，这句话的意思是，把在印度生活，比作在毒气室中生活一样。liken A to B 也可以说 equate A with B 将A与B等同，例如：equated it with living in a gas chamber.

看这一句话的翻译：

国家首都管区（国家首都管区包括大部分扩张城市）的首席部长Arvind Kejriwal认为现在的情形犹如生活在毒气室中。

最后一句话也是通过他人观点来间接描写雾霾，一起来看：

Edward Avol, an American scientist who has studied the effects of vehicle exhaust on children, says that Delhi’s pollution is at “an occupational level of exposure”, meaning that it is as bad as that experienced by, say, miners using power tools in a closed space.

这句话的主干是 Edward Avol says that Delhi’s pollution is at “an occupational level of exposure”. 

爱德华·阿沃尔认为，德里的空气污染已达到了“职业水平”。

who has studied the effects of vehicle exhaust on children 作定语，补充 an American scientist；vehicle exhaust 是“汽车尾气”；the effect of A on B 指“A对B的影响”，这句话是说，他曾研究汽车尾气对儿童影响。

at “an occupational level of exposure” 的意思是，达到了职业暴露水平。职业暴露水平不懂什么意思？下文给出了解释：meaning that it is as bad as that experienced by, say, miners using power tools in a closed space. 第二个 that 指"level of exposure"，即暴露水平（就是指人体接触某种环境有害因素的剂量或是浓度），这句话是说，在德里生活有如旷工(miners)在密闭空间里( in a closed space)使用电动工具(using power tools)。

同样，我们可以仿照该段的结构，通过侧面描写，写一段关于中国雾霾的文字：

With the city's over 21m sneezing inhabitants complaining of sore eyes, itchy throats, headaches and fatigue, one trade association estimated that 5-10% of employees across Beijing were calling in sick. Dense fog caused pile-ups on roads. A sudden surge in sales created queues outside shops selling face masks and air purifiers. One blogger on Sina Weibo likened it to living in a gas chamber. Edward Avol, an American scientist who has studied the effects of vehicle exhaust on children, says that Beijing’s pollution is at “an occupational level of exposure”, meaning that it is as bad as that experienced by, say, miners using power tools in a closed space.

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