印度过节放鞭炮 空气污染超北京

Air quality in New Delhi will deteriorate to "severe" levels this week when Indians set off firecrackers to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights, a government scientist said, leaving many at risk of respiratory problems

印度人民为庆祝排灯节纷纷燃放烟花爆竹，这种习俗让新德里的空气遭受污染，达到“严重级别”。一名政府科学家说，这会增加民众患呼吸道疾病的危险。

The warning, based for the first time on India's newly launched national Air Quality Index, is significant as New Delhi dismissed a World Health Organization study in May which found the capital to have the world's worst air pollution.

今年五月在世界卫生组织的一项全球城市空气质量的调查中，新德里空气污染程度位居首位，但印度政府对此并不接受，并制定了印度新版全国空气质量指数。

The study, which covered 1,600 cities, also said that India has 13 of the 20 cities with the worst air quality worldwide.

世卫组织的这项调查中包括了1600个城市，其中有13个印度城市“入围”全球空气质量最差城市前20名。

"Delhiites are going to breathe very poor-to-severe air at least for two days," said Gufran Beig, chief scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, referring to Thursday, when the nation celebrates Diwali, and a day after.

“新德里的居民还将继续忍受这样的空气，至少还得两天。”印度热带气象研究所的首席科学家古夫兰·贝格在上周排灯节庆祝期间说。

The city of over 16 million people will see its air pollution index jump to 450 from 220 currently. A reading above 401 could put the healthy at risk for respiratory problems and seriously affect those already ill, the new index explains.

新德里的1600多万人口还得亲身体验空气质量指数从220飙升至450的过程。根据印度新颁布的空气质量指数来看，超过401就已经会增加民众患呼吸道疾病以及严重感染其他疾病的危险了。

Pollution levels in Indian cities have often been compared to Chinese counterparts such as Beijing, notorious for the smog that prompted some Anglophone residents to dub it "Greyjing".

印度的空气质量污染情况常拿来与中国的北京等城市相比，北京因为空气质量长期受到雾霾的影响而被称为“灰京”。

"Over the next three days the air quality will be worse than Beijing because of firecrackers," Beig said, adding that Delhi normally has better air quality than the Chinese capital.

“接下来的三天因为烟花爆竹的影响，空气质量会比北京还差。”贝格说，平时新德里的空气状况要优于北京。