2023年02月06日 VOA慢速英语：肯尼亚的内罗毕河还有希望吗？

As the river moves through Kenya's capital Nairobi, the clear water turns black. And large birds feed on dead animals alongside.
随着河流流经肯尼亚首都内罗毕，清澈的河水变成了黑色。大型鸟类以旁边的动物尸体为食。
 
The Nairobi River crosses Kibera, a neighborhood of nearly 200,000 poor people. It goes near several factories that make clothes, alcohol, and building materials. Environmentalists have accused them of releasing untreated wastewater and other pollutants like oil, plastic and glass into the water.
内罗毕河穿过基贝拉，这是一个拥有近 20 万 贫困人口的社区。它靠近几家制造服装、酒精和建筑材​​料的工厂。环保主义者指责他们将未经处理的废水 和其他污染物（如油、塑料和玻璃）排放到水中。
 
Experts and locals fear the water is harming plants in nearby farms that feed many Kenyans. Community groups help clean up the river and the government is increasing its efforts. But families in the quickly growing suburb of Athi River, some 30 kilometers away, say they can no longer depend on the water.
专家和当地人担心水会损害附近农场的植物，这些农场养活了许多肯尼亚人。社区团体帮助清理河流，政府也在加大力度。但是在大约 30 公里外快速发展的阿西河郊区的家庭说，他们不能再依赖水了。
 
Anne Nduta is a mother of two babies. At times, she uses the river's dark waters to wash her children's clothes by hand.
安妮·恩杜塔 (Anne Nduta) 是两个孩子的母亲。有时，她会用河水的黑水手洗孩子们的衣服。
 
"When it rains, the Athi River water is usually full of garbage, when it clears a bit we use it to wash clothes," said Nduta. "But as the dry season continues, the water becomes darker in color and we have to start buying expensive… water."
“下雨时，Athi 河的水通常充满垃圾，当它稍微变晴时，我们就用它来洗衣服，”Nduta 说。“但随着旱季的继续，水的颜色变得更深，我们不得不开始购买昂贵的……水。”
 
A 20-liter can of water sells for 20 shillings, or $0.16. Nduta would need four of them to wash her babies' clothes every three days.
一罐 20 升的水售价 20 先令，即 0.16 美元。Nduta 每三天需要四个人为她的孩子洗衣服。
 
Morris Mutunga grows vegetables like kale, spinach and amaranth on his farm in the Athi River area. He has watched crops like French beans shrink when he used water from the river.
Morris Mutunga 在他位于 Athi River 地区的农场种植羽衣甘蓝、菠菜和苋菜等蔬菜。当他使用河里的水时，他亲眼目睹了豆类等农作物的萎缩。
 
"I wish those polluting this river upstream in Nairobi could stop for the sake of food security in our country," he said. The area is the source of many vegetables sold in Nairobi markets.
“为了我国的粮食安全，我希望那些在内罗毕上游污染这条河流的人能够停止，”他说。该地区是内罗毕市场出售的许多蔬菜的产地。
 
Stephen Obiero is a scientist who studies organisms and the environment. He said that waste in the river used to water farmland could expose plant products to bacteria and viruses.
Stephen Obiero 是一位研究生物和环境的科学家。他说，用于灌溉农田的河流中的废物可能会使植物产品暴露于细菌和病毒中。
 
The problems start upstream
问题从上游开始
 
The problems start further up the river.
问题从河流的更上游开始。
 
Violet Ahuga says her family defecates in bags and throws them in the river because they cannot pay to use modern toilets. She said, "I know what I'm doing is pollution, but there's no other way because I cannot afford the 850-shilling (about $6.85) monthly toilet fee."
Violet Ahuga 说她的家人用袋子排便 ，然后把它们扔进河里，因为他们付不起使用现代厕所的费用。她说，“我知道我这样做是在污染环境，但没有别的办法，因为我付不起每月 850 先令（约合 6.85 美元）的厕所费。”
 
Besides, many unofficial housing areas also direct their wastewater lines straight into the river. The settlements have open trenches where people pour dirty water that flows into the river.
此外，许多非官方住宅区也将污水管线直接排入河中。定居点有露天沟渠，人们将污水倒入河流中。
 
Kenya's new national government says it is trying to clean up the river. The government has formed a group to clean up and protect the river. But the group has no budget and is yet to meet.
肯尼亚新的国家政府表示正在努力清理河流。政府成立了一个小组来清理和保护河流。但该小组没有预算，尚未开会。
 
 
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is responsible for overseeing the river's water quality. Some Kenyan lawmakers have accused the agency of letting industries get away with polluting the river.
国家环境管理局 (NEMA) 负责监督河流的水质。一些肯尼亚立法者指责该机构放任工业污染河流。
 
Research groups have found high levels of heavy metals, like lead, barium, iron, aluminum, zinc and copper, along the river.
研究小组在河流沿岸发现了高含量的重金属，如铅、钡、铁、铝、锌和铜。
 
Alex Okaru is a public health expert at the University of Nairobi. Okuru said if people drank the water, high levels of heavy metals could cause health effects such as liver and kidney damage.
Alex Okaru 是内罗毕大学的公共卫生专家。奥库鲁说，如果人们饮用这些水，高含量的重金属可能会对健康造成影响，例如肝肾损害。
 
NEMA chief David Ongare told The Associated Press that few companies are being charged because the government is working with industries to deal with pollution.
NEMA 负责人 David Ongare 告诉美联社，很少有公司受到指控，因为政府正在与行业合作处理污染问题。
 
He said businesses are asking NEMA for help to follow its rules. And the agency follows all reported incidents of pollution.
他说，企业正在向 NEMA 寻求帮助以遵守其规则。该机构跟踪所有报告的污染事件。
 
He added that the agency has also been watching companies with past pollution problems. And he said that if any continue to have problems action would be taken.
他补充说，该机构也一直在关注过去存在污染问题的公司。他说，如果任何人继续有问题，将采取行动。
 
Locals and community groups say a way to clean up the river would be to provide modern toilets at little or no cost.
当地人和社区团体表示，清理河流的一种方法是免费或低价提供现代化的厕所。
 
In Kibera, an organization called Mazingira Yetu, Swahili for Our Environment, is working with the government to build 19 modern toilets.
在基贝拉，一个名为 Mazingira Yetu（斯瓦希里语为了我们的环境）的组织正在与政府合作建造 19 个现代厕所。
 
The organization's co-founder, Sam Dindi, said they also wanted to prevent plastic and other waste from being dropped in the river. Plastic waste could be reused and organic waste, Dindi said, could turn into fertilizer.
该组织的联合创始人山姆·丁迪 (Sam Dindi) 表示，他们还希望防止塑料和其他废物被丢弃在河中。丁迪说，塑料垃圾可以再利用，有机垃圾可以变成肥料。