Taiwan
Rations Water to Ease Unusual Drought
VOA News
Last updated on: April 14, 2015 1:23 AM (source)
Taiwan Rations Water to Ease Unusual
Drought
台
灣限水抗旱
Ralph Jennings
April 14, 2015 1:23 AM
TAIPEI—
Normally rainy Taiwan is rationing
water to ease its worst drought in a decade. The western Pacific island
that averages annual rainfall of 2,500 millimeters has seen the lowest
levels in 67 years since October, depleting
reservoirs that serve the most populated cities and counties. The
government has cut household and
industrial use until rainfall returns to normal.
一向多雨的台灣為舒緩(ease)十年來最糟的旱象，正實施供水配給(ration)。台灣是西太平洋上的島嶼，
平均年雨量(annual rainfall)有
兩千五百毫米，但自去年十月開始有67年來最少的降雨量，供應眾多人口數縣市的水庫已大幅消耗(deplete)。在降水狀況回到正常之前(return to normal)，台灣政府
已開始減少家庭(household)與
工業用水。
The rationing has saved about 500,000 tons of water so far. In parts of
northern Taiwan, households are now able to receive tap water
just five days a week, prompting
some to store up in advance. About 800,000 households had been affected
as of March. In industrial regions, factories are recycling water and
cutting back on air conditioning.
限水至今已省下了五十萬噸的水。北台灣部份區域的家庭用水一
週只有五天的自來水(tap water)供
應，促使(prompt)許多人預先儲水(in advance)，在三月已有大約八十萬
戶家庭受影響。在工業區的工廠亦開始回收水來再利用，也減
少(cut back on . . .)空調使用。
Water Resources Agency spokesman Lai Chien-hsin blames a shift in ocean
temperatures for rainfall of just 1.643 meters last year.
He says that of course part of the reason is related to temperatures of
the Pacific Ocean and that a cold, dry band of air has been aimed at
Taiwan, resulting in a trend of low rainfall all of last year.
水利署(Water Resources
Agency)發言人賴建信認為，去年台灣降雨只有1.643公尺，可歸咎於(blame . . for . . .)海
洋溫度的變化(a shift in . . .)。
他說到，部分原因顯然與太平洋的溫度還有一道對著台灣的乾冷
空氣帶有關，導致去年整年低降雨的趨勢。
Officials decided in November, after monitoring water levels for two
months, to begin rationing supplies.
Rationing affects all or part of nine cities and counties along
Taiwan’s densely populated west coast. In the city of Taoyuan, part of
New Taipei city and part of Hsinchu county, households and businesses
go without tap water two days per week.
政府部門已監控水位(water level)兩個月的時間，最
後於十一月決定開始實施限水供應(supply)。
沿著人口密集的西部海岸，有九個縣市部分或全部受限水影響。桃園市的家庭與公司行號，新北市與新竹縣部分地區，一週有兩天停水(go without tap water)。
The drought has unleashed
criticism over suspected leaky pipes and reservoirs that are too old or
to too clogged
with silt to hold whatever rain falls. Shimen Reservoir, which serves
much of northern Taiwan, was at about a quarter of capacity as of April
8. Low-flush, low-flow bathroom equipment is also rare on the island of
23 million people.
輸水管疑似漏水，水庫老舊或淤泥堵塞(clogged with silt)而
無法有效蓄存雨水，都因這場旱象而引發諸多批評
(unleash criticism over . . .)。供應大部分北台灣用水的石門水庫在4月8日時僅剩約四分之一的容量(capacity)。在這兩千三百萬人的島
嶼上，低沖水量與低水流量的衛浴設備還不普遍。
Lai with the Taiwan Water Resources Agency said the government wants to
double the amount of dredging now
so reservoirs can hold more water.
水利署賴建信表示，政府希望能提高清淤(dredge)量兩倍，讓水庫能儲存更多
水。
He said the agency is always continuing to carry out this kind of work.
But due to the drought situation, Lai said, authorities are moving
toward the biggest reservoir dredging measures ever with a goal of at
least doubling the average level they have normally dredged in the past.
他表示，水利署一直以來都持續不斷地執行(carry out)清淤的工作，但因現在
的乾旱情形，政府正著手使用最有力的水庫清淤方式，目標是達到過去一般平均兩倍的清淤量。
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said last month that by May he would try
to head off
a water shortage that would more seriously affect common households. He
also called for better management of Taiwan’s water.
台灣總統馬英九於上月表示，在五月前希望能化解掉(head off)將更嚴重影響一般家庭
的缺水情況。另外，他也呼籲對台灣水資源要有更好的管理。
Language Notes
ration (v) 對...實行限量供應
deplete
(v) 耗盡……的資源；用盡
reservoir
(n) 水庫
household
(a) ，家庭的；家用的
tap
water (n) 自來水
prompt
(v) 激勵；慫恿
cut
back on . . . (v phr) 削減 . . .；減少 . . .
supply
(n) 供應量；供應品
unleash
(v) 釋放；宣洩（感情）
clog
(v) 塞滿；阻塞
dredge
(v) 疏竣（河道）; 以挖泥機挖掘
head
off (v phr) 攔截; 阻止
Check your vocabulary!
Fill
in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary
changes. After you finish, select the text above to reveal the hidden
answers.
1. Food was rationed to the public
during the war.
2. Algae can block light and deplete
oxygen from the water.
3. His curiosity prompted him to
ask questions.
4. Don't clog up your memory with
useless facts.
5. Do you have any suggestions for cutting
back on fats in cooking?
編譯：簡嘉呈
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