2022年11月27日 VOA慢速英语：共享底格里斯河和幼发拉底河被证明是困难的

 

The countries of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran share parts of the Tigris and Euphrates river system. The famous rivers are among the world's most vulnerable waterways.
伊拉克、土耳其、叙利亚和伊朗等国家共享部分底格里斯河和幼发拉底河系统。著名的河流是世界上最脆弱的水道之一。
 
Water flow has fallen by 40 percent in the past 40 years as the four countries along their lengths seek to use the water for drinking, farming and industry.
在过去 40 年中，水流量下降了 40%，因为沿途的四个国家都在寻求将水用于饮用、农业和工业。
 
Turkey and Iraq use most of the water. They agree that both countries must cooperate to protect the rivers. Sixty million people depend on their water.
土耳其和伊拉克使用了大部分水。他们一致认为，两国必须合作保护河流。 6000 万人依赖水为生。
 
But political problems and historical issues prevent an agreement.
但政治问题和历史问题阻碍了达成协议。
 
Recently, the Associated Press (AP) spoke with people in Turkey and Iraq, including top officials and local farmers. The AP found that Iraq fears a possible 20 percent drop in food production in the coming years while Turkey struggles to balance Iraq's and its own needs.
最近，美联社 (AP) 采访了土耳其和伊拉克的人士，包括高级官员和当地农民。美联社发现，伊拉克担心未来几年粮食产量可能下降 20%，而土耳其则在努力平衡伊拉克及其自身的需求。
 
"I don't see a solution," said former Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.
伊拉克前总理海达尔·阿巴迪说：“我看不到解决方案。”
 
He said, "Would Turkey sacrifice its own interests? Especially if that means that by giving more (water) to us, their farmers and people will suffer?"
他说，“土耳其会牺牲自己的利益吗？特别是如果这意味着通过提供更多（水）对我们来说，他们的农民和人民会受苦吗？”
 
New dams built in Turkey
土耳其建造的新水坝
 
Turkey has built 19 dams on the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and plans a total of 22. They are part of its Southeastern Anatolia Project, known as GAP. The project aims to develop the southeast, increase agriculture, and produce electricity.
土耳其在幼发拉底河和底格里斯河上建造了19座水坝，计划建造22座。它们是其东南安纳托利亚项目（GAP）的一部分。该项目旨在开发东南，增加农业，生产电力。
 
At first, Turkey planned to provide water for 1.8 million hectares of land. But that amount was reduced to 1.05 million. Half the reduced goal has been met.
起初，土耳其计划为 180 万公顷土地供水。但这个数额减少到105万。减少的目标已经实现了一半。
 
Farmers who receive water from GAP must use modern methods that Turkish officials say use two-thirds less water.
从 GAP 取水的农民必须使用现代方法，土耳其官员说使用的水量减少了三分之二。
 
But for Iraqis, every drop of water used for farming or other purposes in Turkey means less for Iraq.
但对于伊拉克人来说，在土耳其用于农业或其他用途的每一滴水对伊拉克来说意味着更少。
 
"A single truth"
“一个事实”
 
Iraq depends almost entirely for water on the two rivers that come from outside its borders.
伊拉克的水几乎完全依赖于两条来自境外的河流。
 
In 2014, Iraq's Water Ministry prepared a report that detailed what it called "single truth." AP reporters have seen the report, which has not been made public. It said in two years, Iraq's water supply would no longer meet demand. It warned that by 2035, the lack of water would cause a 20 percent reduction in food production.
2014 年，伊拉克水务部准备了一份报告，详细说明了所谓的“单一事实”。美联社记者看到了这份未公开的报道。它说两年后，伊拉克的供水将不再满足需求。它警告说，到 2035 年，缺水将导致粮食减产 20%。
 
The predictions can already be seen in 2022. Lakes have dried up, crops have failed, and thousands of Iraqis are moving away.
2022年的预测已经可以看到。湖泊干涸，农作物歉收，成千上万的伊拉克人正在搬离。
 
Talks between Turkey and Iraq over many years have still not resulted in a long-term agreement.
土耳其和伊拉克多年的谈判仍未达成长期协议。期限协议。
 
Turkey sees itself as the owner of the beginning of the river system. It considers needs and decides how much to let flow downstream. But Iraq considers ownership shared and wants a more permanent agreement with defined limits.
土耳其将自己视为河流系统开端的所有者。它考虑需求并决定让多少流向下游。但伊拉克认为所有权是共享的，并希望达成具有明确限制的更永久的协议。
 
Veysel Eroglu represents Turkey on water issues with Iraq. He told the AP that Turkey cannot accept releasing a fixed amount of water because river flows are unpredictable.
Veysel Eroglu 代表土耳其处理与伊拉克的水资源问题。他告诉美联社，土耳其不能接受释放固定数量的水，因为河流流量不可预测。
 
Eroglu said Turkey could agree to setting a ratio release – but only if Syria and Iraq provide detailed information on their water usage.
Eroglu 说，土耳其可以同意设定一个释放比例——但前提是叙利亚和伊拉克提供有关它们的详细信息用水量。
 
Turkey also finds it difficult to progress in the water talks because water officials from Iraq often change. Additionally, Turkey says Iraq must use water effectively.
土耳其还发现水谈判难以取得进展，因为伊拉克的水务官员经常更换。此外，土耳其表示伊拉克必须有效利用水资源。
 
One Iraqi ambassador said it was "a mistake" that his side once told the Turks that Iraqis knew 70 percent of their water was wasted on ancient farming methods. This led Turkey to increase its demands for Iraq to reform.
一位伊拉克大使表示，他的一方曾经告诉土耳其人说伊拉克人知道 70% 的水被浪费在古老的耕作方法上，这是“错误的”。这导致土耳其加大了对伊拉克改革的要求。
 
A numbers game
数字游戏
 
Iraq received an average flow of 625 cubic meters of water per second from the Tigris 10 years ago. Today, Iraqi water officials say the country gets only 36 percent of that because of less rainfall and a big dam in Turkey.
10 年前，伊拉克平均每秒从底格里斯河获得 625 立方米的水流。今天，伊拉克水务官员表示，由于降雨量减少和土耳其的一座大坝，该国只能获得其中的 36%。
 
Ilisu Dam produces electricity, so water must be released downstream.
伊利苏大坝发电，因此必须向下游排放水。
 
But how much and when depend on Turkish officials. They must keep the reservoir water level at 500 meters above sea level to produce electricity. But they face less predictable water flow into the reservoir.
但排放量和时间取决于土耳其官员。他们必须将水库水位保持在海拔 500 米以上才能发电。但他们面临着流入水库的水流难以预测的情况。
 
Turkish officials say that with the dam, they can control the river flow to help Iraq by storing more water during floods and releasing water during dry periods.
土耳其官员表示，通过大坝，他们可以控制河流流量，通过在洪水期间储存更多水并在旱季放水来帮助伊拉克。
 
But Iraqi officials say they depend on one-time agreements with Turkey which make planning difficult.
但伊拉克官员表示，他们依赖于与土耳其的一次性协议，这使得规划变得困难。
 
"They can cut water, they can release water. We urgently need a water agreement just to satisfy Iraq's minimum requirements," said Hatem Hamid. He is head of the National Centre for Water Resources Management.
“他们可以断水，也可以放水。我们迫切需要一项水协议来满足伊拉克的最低需求， “哈特姆·哈米德说。他是国家水资源管理中心的负责人。
 
Difficult decisions
艰难的决定
 
Once Tigris River water reaches the Mosul Dam in Iraq, Hamid decides how much and where it goes in Iraq.
一旦底格里斯河水到达伊拉克的摩苏尔大坝，哈米德就决定了它在伊拉克的流量和去向。
 
With shortages expected in 2022, Hamid had to make big cuts. Water amounts for agriculture were cut in half. Those cuts reduced the amount of water entering the marshlands of southern Iraq.
由于预计 2022 年会出现短缺，哈米德不得不大幅削减开支。农业用水量减少了一半。这些削减减少了进入伊拉克南部沼泽地的水量。
 
The result was an environmental emergency: Not enough water was entering the marshes to wash away salt from the ocean. Hamid tried to fix the problem, but the damage was done.
结果是环境紧急情况：没有足够的水进入沼泽地冲走海洋中的盐分。 Hamid 试图解决问题，但损害已经造成。
 
"Life has ended"
“生命已终结”
 
In the Chibayish marshes, dead animals float near the sides of the river, poisoned by the salty water.
在奇贝伊什沼泽地，死去的动物漂浮在河边附近，被咸水毒死。
 
Over the past two years, what was once green and full of life in the marshes has died and turned yellow. Salt from the sea has built up from two years without enough fresh water from the river.
在过去的两年里，发生了什么曾经在沼泽中充满生机的绿色已经死去并变成黄色。两年来，没有足够的河水淡水，海水中的盐分已经累积起来。
 
Obeid Hafez, a farmer, once planted more than 1,000 hectares of wheat. Today, his land in southern Iraq is without life and his sons have gone looking for work in the cities.
农民奥贝德·哈菲兹 (Obeid Hafez) 曾经种植过 1000 多公顷小麦。如今，他在伊拉克南部的土地上一片死寂，他的儿子们都去城市里找工作了。
 
"Life has ended here," he said.
“生活在这里结束了，”他说。