香港审计署发报告抨击当地空气质量

For years, Hong Kong residents fed up with choking fumes have slammed the city's lackluster efforts to fight air pollution - and as it turns out, the government's own audit office agrees with them.

多年来，受够了香港空气中令人窒息烟雾的当地居民一直猛烈抨击这座城市在与空气污染作斗争方面行动不力，香港政府自己的审计机构现在也认同了这种看法。

The government's audit commission found that Hong Kong has consistently failed to reach its goals on air quality since 1987, when they were first adopted. Last year, the report found, roadside concentrations of key pollutants exceeded the government's air-quality objectives by up to 53%. Meanwhile, levels of nitrogen dioxide -- a major indicator of roadside pollution -- exceeded World Health Organization limits by 205%.

香港审计署发现，现有的空气质量指标自1987年订立以来，从未完全达标。审计署在报告中说，香港关键污染物的路边浓度去年比港府设定的空气质量目标最高超出了53%。与此同时，反映路边污染情况的重要指标二氧化氮浓度去年比世界卫生组织(World Health Organization)规定的上限高出了205%。

The report also found that last year -- which clocked record-high roadside pollution levels -- the average concentration level of nitrogen dioxide in Hong Kong was 279% higher than in Sydney, 47% higher than in London and 36% higher than in New York. Levels of 'PM10,' larger particles of air pollutants, were 220%, 100% and 153% higher than those cities, respectively.

这份报告还发现，香港去年二氧化氮的平均浓度比悉尼高279%，比伦敦高47%，比纽约高36%。香港的路边污染程度去年也达到了当地的历史最高水平。至于衡量空气中体积较大颗粒污染物水平的PM10值,香港去年分别比悉尼、伦敦和纽约高出220%、100%和153%。

Local green groups responded to the report's release with cheers. 'I've never seen anything similar before from the government,' said Patrick Fung, campaign manager for the Clean Air Network, a local environmental NGO, of the report's release. 'This [presents] a green light for more measures to be carried out by the current administration.'

香港当地环保团体对香港审计署发布的这份报告表示欢迎。当地非政府环保组织健康空气行动(Clean Air Network)的行动负责人Patrick Fung谈到香港审计署这份报告时说，我以往从未看到政府发布过类似报告；报告为本届政府采取更多环保措施开了绿灯。

Since he was inaugurated in July, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has been moving more aggressively than his predecessor to confront the issue of air pollution, with his environmental secretary floating the prospect of a ban on old diesel vehicles last month. In September, the administration also tapped Christine Loh, a well-known green activist, to serve as undersecretary for environment.

香港特首梁振英自从今年7月上任以来，一直在以较其前任更大的力度应对空气污染问题，香港环境局局长上个月就拟禁止老旧柴油汽车上路一事征求了各方意见。今年九月，港府还任命知名的环保活动人士陆恭蕙为环境局副局长。

'We will vigorously improve air quality and carefully consider public health when formulating clean-air policies,' Mr. Leung told lawmakers last month, including through possible efforts to '[make] polluters pay.'

梁振英上个月对香港立法会议员们说，港府将大力改善香港的空气质量并在制定清洁空气政策时认真考虑公众的健康问题，具体措施可能包括让造成环境污染的人为自己的行为担责。

The audit report noted that the World Health Organization has stated that air pollution can cause respiratory and heart diseases, as well as lung cancer. It also added that there is 'growing public concern' over how Hong Kong's air-pollution levels have deteriorated among locals.

香港审计署的报告指出，世界卫生组织已强调，空气污染会引发呼吸和心脏疾病以及肺癌。报告还说，香港公众对香港空气污染的恶化程度越来越感到担忧。

The audit's findings come as a new report from CPA Australia finds that Hong Kong is continuing to lose out to cleaner, greener rival Singapore among companies seeking to set up a corporate regional hub in Asia. According to the group's survey, 59% of respondents said they believed international companies would prefer to set up their regional headquarters in Singapore, compared with just 22% who cited Hong Kong. Pollution ranked as the No. 3 reason why companies would decide against settling in Hong Kong, after high rental and living costs.

在香港审计署发布这份报告之际，澳大利亚注册会计师协会(CPA Australia)新近发表的一份报告指出，对于那些寻求在亚洲设立地区总部的企业来说，更清洁、更环保的新加坡对它们的吸引力继续大于香港。该机构的调查发现，59%的受访企业说，它们相信跨国企业更喜欢在新加坡设立地区总部，只有22%的受访企业说跨国企业更喜欢在香港设立地区总部。跨国企业之所以不愿在香港设立地区总部，除了嫌香港的写字楼租金和生活成本高昂以外，排第三位的原因就是香港的空气污染状况。