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 offirecrackers," 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。