中国生态文明建设（中英对照）连载之十八
走向资源节约型经济
本书由北京语言大学出版社出版，2014（教学课件光盘版） 作者 蒋高明
2.4.2走向资源节约型经济
2.4.2 Toward a resource-conserving economy
除了绿色经济，转变发展方式的另一个方向是资源节约型经济。中国自然资源总量丰富，但作为一个人口大国，中国人均资源量非常有限，而在片面追求快速GDP的发展过程中，环境污染和生态破坏又削减了中国的可利用资源量。另外，急于求成的快速GDP使得很多产业的资源利用率很低，浪费现象严重。如果不转变发展方式，按照这种消耗速度，中国的资源危机将越来越严重。为此，中共“十八大”在规划中国生态文明建设工作中，强调形成节约资源和保护环境的产业结构、生产方式、生活方式，这对中国的可持续发展是有重要意义的。
In addition to a green economy, the other strategy for changing the growth mode is to conserve resources. China has abundant natural resources, but per capita resource is very limited in view of the large population in China. In the process of excessive pursuit of GDP growth, environmental pollution and ecological destruction further reduced the available resources. In addition, in the rush to create more GDP, many industries were plagued by low resource utilization rates and serious wastage. If we do not strive to change the growth mode, but persist in the existing high rate of consumption, the resource crisis will become devastating. To this end, the 18th CPC National Congress stressed the formation of an industrial structure, production mode and lifestyle that hinges on resource conservation and environmental protection in ecological civilization construction. This is of paramount importance to China’s sustainable development.
（1）保护水资源
（1）Conserving water resources
2007年，北京市居民听到了一个好消息。北京有3万多户经济困难的家庭将免费获得2万套节水马桶配件和5万只节水水龙头。这是北京市政府“节水器具及节水控制技术”推广工作的一部分。
In 2007, Beijing residents heard a piece of good news. More than 30,000 impoverished households in Beijing would receive 20,000 sets of water-saving toilet accessories and 50,000 water-saving taps for free. This was part of the Beijing Municipal Government’s promotion of water saving and water control technology adoption.
2010年5月19日，成都市某小区迎来了节水办公室的客人，他们得到了100套节水阀门和50套节水水龙头。这是成都市政府“全国城市节水宣传周”工作的一部分。
On May 19th, 2010, a community in Chengdu received guests from the district water-saving office who brought 100 sets of water-saving valves and 50 sets of water-saving taps. This was part of the National Water Saving Publicity Week carried out by the Chengdu Municipal Government.
马桶、水龙头，这些日常用品，怎么会引起政府如此高的关注呢？
Closestools, taps. Why do such basic daily objects catch so much government attention?
中国是一个严重缺水的国家，人均淡水资源占有量仅为世界平均水平的1/4。在追求快速GDP的发展过程中，地表水遭受了大面积的污染，这使得本来就紧张的水资源进一步告急。水是生命之源，是人类生存和发展的基础。因此，中共“十八大”特别强调了保护水资源的重要性。
China is a country with a severe water shortage, with a per capita share of freshwater resources only 1/4 of the world average. In pursuit of rapid GDP growth, surface water has suffered large-scale pollution, further aggravating the water shortage. Water is the source of life and the basis for human survival and development. Thus, the 18th CPC National Congress put special emphasis on protecting water resources.
从太空望去，地球是一个蓝色的星球，地球表面有70%都被水覆盖，为什么中国会严重缺水，甚至会影响可持续发展呢？
Seen from space, the earth is a blue planet, 70% of which is covered with water. Given that fact, why does China lack water resources to the extent that even sustainable development will be affected?
这是因为，目前人类需要和能够利用的水资源，指的都是淡水资源。地球的水资源中，97%为海水，淡水只有3%。而这3%的淡水资源中有78%为冰川淡水，以目前的技术来说很难利用，也就是说，人类能利用的淡水资源总量是十分有限的。中国分布的淡水资源不算匮乏，但是中国人口众多，而且高度集中在东部地区，造成人均淡水资源紧张，人口集中地区供水紧张。随着中国经济和社会的发展，人民生活质量的不断提高，农业、工业、服务业这些经济活动，以及城市生活用水需求量都在不断增加。一方面需求在增加，一方面水污染造成的淡水资源利用功能在不断丧失，这就导致了中国水资源告急的局面。
The reason is easy to figure out. At present only a small amount of the water (3%) is suitable for human consumption, i.e., 3% and the remaining 97% is saline seawater. Of the freshwater available, 78% is of glacier water difficult to utilize with present technology, that is to say, the total amount of freshwater resources for human use is very limited. Freshwater resources located in China are not rare. However, with such a big population highly concentrated in the eastern region, per capita freshwater resources are scarce, so that densely populated regions often experience water shortage. With the development of China’s economy and society and constant improvement of people’s lives, the water demands in agriculture, industry, service industry and other economic activities, as well as domestic needs are dramatically increasing. On the other hand, usable freshwater is reduced due to pollution. Therefore, China is faced with a critical water shortage.
中共“十八大”提出的水资源保护，要从“开源节流”两个方向努力。开源，就是治理污染，使丧失利用功能的淡水资源重新得到利用；节流，主要是指建设节水型经济和节水型社会。
The 18th CPC National Congress proposed that efforts to protect water resources should be made in two ways: better exploitation of resources, but reduction of consumption. To exploit resources is to control pollution in order to increase the usability of hardly usable freshwater resources; and to reduce consumption is to build a water-saving economy and water-saving society.
从技术角度讲，水污染治理技术主要包括污染物处理技术、水循环技术、湿地处理技术、氧气添加技术，这些技术的灵感都来自于大自然的生态自净过程。从水资源管理的角度讲，开源节流、防治和控制水源污染，都是重点。这将涉及水资源、经济、环境三者的平衡与协调发展，还涉及各地区、各部门、集体和个人用水利益的分配与调整。
From a technical perspective, the pollution control technologies include the processing technology of pollutants, water recycling systems, the processing technology of wetlands and oxygen-boosting technology. All these techniques originate from nature’s ecological self-purification process. From the perspective of water management, exploiting resources, reducing consumption, prevention and control of water pollution are of primary importance. They all involve balanced and harmonious development of water resources, economy, and environment, and also revolve around allocation and adjustment of water utilization by various regions, departments, units and individuals.
可见，水资源保护问题，除了技术因素外，更大程度上是一种管理问题。节约用水是保护水资源、实现可持续发展战略的重要措施。节水措施包括：对水资源实行综合利用；发展节水型经济，建设节水型社会；建设节水型城市，普及节水型生活用水器具；建设节水型工业，建立废水处理、循环利用机制；建设节水型农业，开发节水灌溉系统，发展生态农业，增加土壤保水能力等。
It is obvious that water conservation is more a management issue than a matter of focusing on technical factors. Water conservation is an important measure to protect water resources and achieve sustainable development. Water-saving technologies include: comprehensive utilization of water resources; developing a water-saving economy and building a water-saving society; construction of water-saving cities, and popularizing domestic water-saving appliances; construction of a water-saving industry, and establishment of wastewater treatment and recycling mechanisms; and construction of water-saving agriculture, development of water-saving irrigation system and ecological agriculture, and increasing soil water-conservation capacity.
上面提到的各地政府推广节水产品，正是节水型社会建设中的一部分。那么，水龙头、马桶，能省多少水？
The aforementioned promotion of water-saving products by government is a part of the construction of a water-saving society. So, how much water actually can closestools and taps save?
可别小看了这些日常用品。以上面提到的节水水龙头为例，新的阀门技术以陶瓷阀门替代了钢阀门，密封性好，开关顺畅，仅这一项，就可以节约1/3的水龙头用水，一年就可以为该小区节约2000吨生活用水。再说节水马桶，通过合理调节冲水出水量，节水马桶每月可为用户节省1890升自来水，同时还减少了1890升污水的排放。
Do not underestimate these daily supplies. Take water-saving taps as an example. The new valve technology replaces steel valves with stoneware ones of higher sealing reliability and smooth switching, and may save 1/3 of normal household tap water. A single community can thus save 2,000 tons of domestic water per year. As to low-flow closestools, through proper regulation of flushing-out water, 1,890 liters of water can be saved for users a month, while 1,890 liters of sewage discharge reduced.
节约用水，建设节水型社会，考验着每一位公民的责任感。节约用水，就是为后代留下生命之源。如果当前的淡水资源都被浪费和污染了，生态循环过程不能持续，后代也就真的只能“望洋兴叹” 了。
Water conservation and construction of a water saving society is the responsibility of every citizen. To save water is to save the source of life for future generations. If the current freshwater resources are wasted and polluted, the eco-cycle process will be balked, and our offspring can do nothing but bemoan their misfortune (“Wang Yang Xing Tan”).
