Billions of people still breathe unhealthy air: new WHO data
世卫组织新数据：数十亿人仍呼吸着不健康的空气
Almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits, and threatens their health. A record number of over 6000 cities in 117 countries are now monitoring air quality, but the people living in them are still breathing unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, with people in low and middle-income countries suffering the highest exposures.
几乎全球人口（99%）呼吸的空气都超过了世卫组织的空气质量限制，威胁着他们的健康。117个国家的6000多个城市正在监测空气质量，这一数字创下了历史新高，但生活在这些城市的人们仍在吸入不健康水平的细颗粒物和二氧化氮，其中中低收入国家的人们受到的影响最大。
fine particulate [pɑːˈtɪkjələt] matter 细颗粒物
nitrogen [ˈnaɪtrədʒən] dioxide 二氧化氮
The findings have prompted the World Health Organization to highlight the importance of curbing fossil fuel use and taking other tangible steps to reduce air pollution levels.
这些发现促使世界卫生组织强调限制化石燃料的使用和采取其他切实措施来降低空气污染水平的重要性。
curb [kɜːb] v. 限制，抑制，控制
tangible [ˈtændʒəb(ə)l] adj. 清晰明确的，具体的，切实的，有形的
Released in the lead-up to World Health Day, which this year celebrates the theme Our planet, our health, the 2022 update of the World Health Organization’s air quality database introduces, for the first time, ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a common urban pollutant and precursor of particulate matter and ozone. It also includes measurements of particulate matter with diameters equal or smaller than 10 μm (PM10) or 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Both groups of pollutants originate mainly from human activities related to fossil fuel combustion.
在今年主题为“我们的地球，我们的健康”的世界卫生日前夕，世界卫生组织空气质量数据库的2022年更新首次引入了二氧化氮（NO2）年平均浓度的地面测量结果，二氧化氮是一种常见的城市污染物，也是颗粒物和臭氧的前体。更新还包括测量直径等于或小于10微米（PM10）或2.5微米（PM2.5）的颗粒物。这两类污染物主要来自与化石燃料燃烧有关的人类活动。
lead-up 前奏，先导阶段
precursor [priˈkɜːsə(r)] n. 先驱，前兆
combustion [kəmˈbʌstʃən] n. 燃烧
The new air quality database is the most extensive yet in its coverage of air pollution exposure on the ground. Some 2,000 more cities/human settlements are now recording ground monitoring data for particulate matter – PM10 and/or PM2.5 – than the last update. This marks an almost 6-fold rise in reporting since the database was launched in 2011.
新的空气质量数据库是迄今覆盖地面空气污染暴露最广泛的数据库。与上次更新相比，现在记录颗粒物、PM10和/或PM2.5的地面监测数据的城市/人类住区多了约2000个。这标志着自2011年该数据库启动以来，报告数量增加了近6倍。
extensive [ɪkˈstensɪv] adj. 广泛的，广阔的，巨大的
Meanwhile, the evidence base for the damage air pollution does to the human body has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low levels of many air pollutants.
与此同时，空气污染对人体造成损害的证据基础一直在快速增长，证据表明许多空气污染物即使水平很低也会造成严重的危害。
Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, is capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream, causing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular (stroke) and respiratory impacts. There is emerging evidence that particulate matter impacts other organs and causes other diseases as well.
颗粒物，尤其是PM2.5，能够深入肺部并进入血液，对心血管、脑血管（中风）和呼吸系统造成影响。有新的证据表明，颗粒物会影响其他器官，也会导致其他疾病。
penetrate [ˈpenətreɪt] v. 进入，穿透，渗入，打入
cardiovascular [ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələ(r)] adj. 心血管的
cerebrovascular [ˌserɪbrəʊˈvæskjʊlə(r)] adj. 脑血管的
respiratory [rəˈspɪrət(ə)ri] adj. 呼吸的
NO2 is associated with respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing), hospital admissions and visits to emergency rooms
NO2与呼吸系统疾病相关，尤其是哮喘，导致呼吸系统症状（如咳嗽、喘息或呼吸困难）、住院和急诊。
asthma [ˈæsmə] n. 哮喘，气喘
wheeze [wiːz] v. 喘息
WHO last year revised its Air Quality Guidelines, making them more stringent in an effort to help countries better evaluate the healthiness of their own air.
世卫组织去年修订了空气质量指南，使其更加严格，以帮助各国更好地评估本国空气的健康程度。
stringent [ˈstrɪndʒənt] adj. 严格的；紧缩的
“Current energy concerns highlight the importance of speeding up the transition to cleaner, healthier energy systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “High fossil fuel prices, energy security, and the urgency of addressing the twin health challenges of air pollution and climate change, underscore the pressing need to move faster towards a world that is much less dependent on fossil fuels.”
“当前的能源问题凸显了加快向更清洁、更健康的能源系统过渡的重要性，”世卫组织总干事谭德塞博士说。“高昂的化石燃料价格、能源安全以及应对空气污染和气候变化这两大健康挑战的紧迫性，突显出加快建设一个更少依赖化石燃料的世界的迫切需要。”
underscore [ˌʌndəˈskɔː(r)] v. 强调；在…下面划线
Steps governments can take to improve air quality and health
政府可以采取的改善空气质量和健康的措施
A number of governments are taking steps to improve air quality, but WHO is calling for a rapid intensification of actions to:
一些政府正在采取措施来改善空气质量，但世卫组织呼吁迅速加强行动，目的是：
intensification [ɪnˌtensɪfɪˈkeɪʃn] n. 强化，加剧
adopt or revise and implement national air quality standards according to the latest WHO Air Quality Guidelines;
根据最新的世卫组织空气质量指南，通过或修订并实施国家空气质量标准
monitor air quality and identify sources of air pollution;
监测空气质量并确定空气污染源
support the transition to exclusive use of clean household energy for cooking, heating and lighting;
支持向烹饪、取暖和照明专用清洁家庭能源过渡
build safe and affordable public transport systems and pedestrian- and cycle-friendly networks;
建设安全和负担得起的公共交通系统以及方便行人和自行车的网络
implement stricter vehicle emissions and efficiency standards; and enforce mandatory inspection and maintenance for vehicles;
实施更严格的车辆排放和效率标准；并对车辆实施强制性检查和维修
invest in energy-efficient housing and power generation;
投资于节能住宅和发电
improve industry and municipal waste management;
改善工业和城市废物管理
reduce agricultural waste incineration, forest fires and certain agro-forestry activities (e.g. charcoal production); and
减少农业废物焚烧、森林火灾和某些农林活动（如木炭生产）
include air pollution in curricula for health professionals and providing tools for the health sector to engage.
将空气污染纳入卫生专业人员的课程，并为卫生部门的参与提供工具。
pedestrian [pəˈdestriən] n. 行人 adj. 行人的；平庸乏味的
maintenance [ˈmeɪntənəns] n. 维持，保持，保养
incineration [ɪnˌsɪnəˈreɪʃ(ə)n] n. 焚化
Higher income countries see lower particulate pollution, but most cities have trouble with nitrogen dioxide
高收入国家的颗粒物污染水平较低，但大多数城市都有二氧化氮的问题
In the 117 countries monitoring air quality, the air in 17% of cities in high-income countries fall below the WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines for PM2.5 or PM10. In low- and middle-income countries, air quality in less than 1% of the cities complies with WHO recommended thresholds.
在监测空气质量的117个国家中，高收入国家17%的城市空气质量低于世卫组织PM2.5或PM10的空气质量指南。在中低收入国家，不到1%的城市空气质量符合世卫组织建议的阈值。
threshold [ˈθreʃhəʊld] n. 阈值，界限；门槛，门口
Globally, low- and middle-income countries still experience greater exposure to unhealthy levels of PM compared to the global average, but NO2 patterns are different, showing less difference between the high- and low- and middle-income countries.
从全球来看，与全球平均水平相比，中低收入国家仍然更多地暴露于不健康的PM水平，但NO2模式有所不同，表明高收入和低收入及中等收入国家之间的差异较小。
About 4000 cities/human settlements in 74 countries collect NO2 data at ground level. Aggregated, their measurements show that only 23% of people in these places breathe annual average concentrations of NO2 that meet levels in the recently updated version of WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines.
74个国家的大约4000个城市/人类住区在地面收集NO2数据。总的来说，其测量结果表明，这些地方只有23%的人吸入的二氧化氮的年平均浓度符合世卫组织空气质量指南最新版本的水平。
aggregate [ˈægrɪgət] v. 合计 adj. 总计的，合计的
“After surviving a pandemic, it is unacceptable to still have 7 million preventable deaths and countless preventable lost years of good health due to air pollution. That’s what we’re saying when we look at the mountain of air pollution data, evidence, and solutions available. Yet too many investments are still being sunk into a polluted environment rather than in clean, healthy air,” said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.
“在经历了大流行之后，仍然有700万例本可预防的死亡，以及无数本可预防的因空气污染而失去健康的岁月，这是不可接受的。当我们看到大量空气污染数据、证据和可用的解决方案时，这就是我们要说的。然而，仍有太多的投资被投入到污染的环境中，而不是清洁、健康的空气中，”世卫组织环境、气候变化和健康司司长Maria Neira博士说。
preventable [prɪˈventəbl] adj. 可预防的，可阻止的
