評論
打印
As the river moves through Kenya's capital Nairobi, the clear water turns black.
當河流流經肯尼亞首都內羅畢時，清澈的河水變黑了。
And large birds feed on dead animals alongside.
大型鳥類以河旁邊死去的動物為食。
The Nairobi River crosses Kibera, a neighborhood of nearly 200,000 poor people.
內羅畢河穿過基貝拉，基貝拉有近20萬貧困人口。
It goes near several factories that make clothes, alcohol, and building materials.
它靠近一些生產服裝、酒精和建筑材料的工廠。
Environmentalists have accused them of releasing untreated wastewater and other pollutants like oil, plastic and glass into the water.
環保人士指責他們將未經處理的廢水以及石油、塑料和玻璃等污染物排放到河中。
Experts and locals fear the water is harming plants in nearby farms that feed many Kenyans.
專家和當地人擔心，被污染的河水會損害附近農田里的植物，而這些植物是許多肯尼亞人的食物來源。
Community groups help clean up the river and the government is increasing its efforts.
社區組織幫助清理這條河，政府正在加大力度。
But families in the quickly growing suburb of Athi River, some 30 kilometers away, say they can no longer depend on the water.
但是在約30公里外，位于內羅畢郊區的快速發展的阿西河鎮的住戶表示，他們無法再依賴這條河了。
Anne Nduta is a mother of two babies.
安妮·恩杜塔是兩個孩子的母親。
At times, she uses the river's dark waters to wash her children's clothes by hand.
有時，她會用黑乎乎的河水手洗孩子們的衣服。
"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.
恩杜塔說：“下雨的時候，阿西河鎮的河里通常都是垃圾，等河水稍微變清了一點，我們就用河水來洗衣服。”
"But as the dry season continues, the water becomes darker in color and we have to start buying expensive... water."
“但隨著旱季的繼續，河水的顏色變得更深，我們不得不開始購買昂貴的……水。”
A 20-liter can of water sells for 20 shillings, or $0.16.
一罐20升的水售價為20先令，約合0.16美元。
Nduta would need four of them to wash her babies' clothes every three days.
恩杜塔每三天需要四灌水來給她的孩子洗一次衣服。
Morris Mutunga grows vegetables like kale, spinach and amaranth on his farm in the Athi River area.
莫里斯·穆通加在他位于阿西河地區的農場種植羽衣甘藍、菠菜和莧菜等蔬菜。
He has watched crops like French beans shrink when he used water from the river.
當他使用河里的水時，他看到了諸如四季豆之類的作物枯萎。
"I wish those polluting this river upstream in Nairobi could stop for the sake of food security in our country," he said.
他說：“為了我國的糧食安全，我希望那些在內羅畢河上游污染河水的人能夠停止污染。”
The area is the source of many vegetables sold in Nairobi markets.
該地區是內羅畢市場上出售的許多蔬菜的產地。
Stephen Obiero is a scientist who studies organisms and the environment.
斯蒂芬·奧比耶羅是一位研究有機體和環境的科學家。
He said that waste in the river used to water farmland could expose plant products to bacteria and viruses.
他說，用于灌溉農田的河水中的廢物可能會使植物暴露在細菌和病毒面前。
The problems start further up the river.
問題開始于河流的上游。
Violet Ahuga says her family defecates in bags and throws them in the river because they cannot pay to use modern toilets.
維奧萊特·阿胡加說，她的家人排便于袋子里，然后把它們扔進河里，因為他們付不起使用現代化廁所的費用。
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."
她說：“我知道我這樣做會造成污染，但我沒有其他辦法，因為我負擔不起每月850先令（約合6.85美元）的廁所費用。”
Besides, many unofficial housing areas also direct their wastewater lines straight into the river.
此外，許多非官方住宅區也將污水管道直接引向這條河。
The settlements have open trenches where people pour dirty water that flows into the river.
這些住所有開放的溝渠，人們在那里將污水倒進河里。
Kenya's new national government says it is trying to clean up the river.
肯尼亞新一屆國家政府表示，他們正在努力清理這條河。
The government has formed a group to clean up and protect the river.
政府成立了一個組織來清理和保護這條河。
But the group has no budget and is yet to meet.
但該組織沒有預算，也尚未開會。
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is responsible for overseeing the river's water quality.
國家環境管理局負責監測這條河的水質。
Some Kenyan lawmakers have accused the agency of letting industries get away with polluting the river.
一些肯尼亞議員指責該機構讓污染河流的企業逍遙法外。
Research groups have found high levels of heavy metals, like lead, barium, iron, aluminum, zinc and copper, along the river.
研究小組發現，沿河的重金屬（如鉛、鋇、鐵、鋁、鋅和銅）含量很高。
Alex Okaru is a public health expert at the University of Nairobi.
亞歷克斯·奧卡魯是內羅畢大學的公共衛生專家。
Okuru said if people drank the water, high levels of heavy metals could cause health effects such as liver and kidney damage.
奧庫魯說，如果人們飲用這些水，高濃度的重金屬可能會導致肝臟和腎臟損傷等健康影響。
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.
國家環境管理局負責人David Ongare告訴美聯社，很少有公司被起訴，因為政府正在與工業合作解決污染問題。
He said businesses are asking NEMA for help to follow its rules.
他說，企業正在向國家環境管理局尋求幫助，以遵守其規定。
And the agency follows all reported incidents of pollution.
該機構跟蹤所有報告的污染事件。
He added that the agency has also been watching companies with past pollution problems.
他補充說，該機構也一直在關注過去存在污染問題的公司。
And he said that if any continue to have problems action would be taken.
他說，如果任何公司繼續出現問題，將采取行動。
Locals and community groups say a way to clean up the river would be to provide modern toilets at little or no cost.
當地人和社區組織表示，清理這條河的一個方法是低價或免費提供現代化廁所。
In Kibera, an organization called Mazingira Yetu, Swahili for Our Environment, is working with the government to build 19 modern toilets.
在基貝拉，一個名為Mazingira Yetu（斯瓦希里語，意為“我們的環境”）的組織正在與政府合作建造19個現代化廁所。
The organization's co-founder, Sam Dindi, said they also wanted to prevent plastic and other waste from being dropped in the river.
該組織的聯合創始人山姆·丁迪說，他們還希望防止塑料和其他垃圾被扔進河里。
Plastic waste could be reused and organic waste, Dindi said, could turn into fertilizer.
丁迪說，塑料垃圾可以再利用，有機垃圾可以變成肥料。
I'm Dan Novak.
丹·諾瓦克為您播報。
譯文為可可英語翻譯，未經授權請勿轉載！
