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U.S. officials are testing a new chemical mixture that is able to slow down the progress of wildfires.
美国官员正在测试一种能够降低野火蔓延速度的新化学混合物。
But critics say the Forest Service should be spending less on these mixtures known as fire retardants and more on firefighters.
但批评人士表示，美国林业局应该减少在这些被称为阻燃剂的混合物上的支出，而要增加在消防员身上的支出。
Much of the American West is facing a drought--a long amount of time with very little rain.
美国西部的大部分地区正面临干旱——很长一段时间内几乎没有降雨。
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, reports that so far this year there have been more than 31,000 wildfires.
爱达荷州博伊西的美国全国机构间消防中心报告称，今年到目前为止，已经发生了3.1万多起野火。
Those fires have burned about 13,000 square kilometers.
这些大火烧毁了大约1.3万平方公里的土地。
That number is well above the 10-year average for the same period of about 24,000 wildfires and 5,000 square kilometers burned.
这一数字远高于同期约2.4万起野火和烧毁5000平方公里土地的10年平均水平。
Wildfire seasons have become longer as the West has become warmer and drier in the past 30 years.
在过去的30年里，随着西部变得更加温暖和干燥，野火季节变得更长。
In 2020, The Forest Service used more than 190 million liters of retardant for the first time.
2020年，美国林业局首次使用了超过1.9亿升的阻燃剂。
It used over 190 million liters again last year to fight some of the largest and longest wildfires ever recorded in California and other states.
去年，它再次使用了超过1.9亿升的阻燃剂来扑灭加利福尼亚州等州有史以来规模最大、持续时间最长的野火。
The fire retardant cost those two years reached nearly $200 million.
这两年所使用的阻燃剂的成本达到了近2亿美元。
In comparison, over the previous 10 years, the agency used 115 million liters each year.
相比之下，在过去10年里，该机构每年使用1.15亿升阻燃剂。
The U.S. Forest Service said tests started last summer are continuing this summer with a magnesium-chloride-based retardant from the company Fortress.
美国林业局表示，去年夏天开始的测试将会在今年夏天继续进行，使用的是Fortress公司生产的一种基于氯化镁的阻燃剂。
Fortress says its retardants are effective and better for the environment than other products.
Fortress公司表示，其生产的阻燃剂比其他产品更有效，更环保。
Another company, Perimeter Solutions, says its ammonium-phosphate-based retardants are better.
另一家公司Perimeter Solutions表示，其基于磷酸铵的阻燃剂效果更好。
The main ingredient in Fortress products, magnesium chloride, is taken from the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Fortress公司产品的主要成分氯化镁取自犹他州的大盐湖。
This method and process is more environmentally friendly than mining and processing phosphate, the company says.
该公司表示，这种方法和工艺比开采和加工磷酸盐更环保。
The Forest Service last summer tested the company's FR-100, and this summer said it will test a version called FR-200.
美国林业局去年夏天测试了该公司的FR-100，今年夏天其表示将测试一种名为FR-200的产品。
Perimeter Solutions, which has buildings and equipment throughout the American West, has had a number of name and ownership changes over the years.
Perimeter Solutions公司在整个美国西部都有建筑和设备，多年来该公司经历了多次更名和所有权变更。
Still, it has been the market leader for more than 20 years.
尽管如此，20多年来它一直是市场的领头羊。
The company's Phos-Chek LC-95A is the world’s most used fire retardant.
该公司的Phos-Chek LC-95A是世界上使用量最多的阻燃剂。
The company is moving to a new retardant called Phos-Chek LCE20-Fx.
该公司正在转向一种名为Phos-Chek LCE20-Fx的新型阻燃剂。
The company said it is made out of food-grade substances, making it a cleaner product.
该公司表示，它是由食品级物质制成的，这使其成为一种更清洁的产品。
But two nonprofit groups say both kinds of retardant harm the environment.
但两家非营利组织表示，这两种阻燃剂都会对环境造成危害。
The groups suggest that the U.S. Forest Service should be spending less on fire retardant and more on firefighters.
这些组织建议美国林业局应该减少在阻燃剂上的支出，增加在消防员身上的支出。
Andy Stahl leads Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, and Timothy Ingalsbee leads Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
安迪·斯塔尔领导美国林业局员工环境伦理学会，蒂莫西·英加尔斯比领导美国消防员安全、道德和生态联盟。
Both said that the ammonium-phosphates-based retardant is a fertilizer that can help invasive plants.
两人都表示，基于磷酸铵的阻燃剂是一种有利于入侵植物生长的肥料。
They believe it might be responsible for some algae blooms in lakes.
他们认为这可能是导致湖泊中一些藻类大量繁殖的原因。
Stahl and Ingalsbee said the magnesium-chloride-based retardant is a salt that will limit plant growth where it falls, possibly harming threatened species.
斯塔尔和英加尔斯比表示，基于氯化镁的阻燃剂是一种盐，它会限制植物在其落下的地方生长，这可能会损害濒危物种。
Both are concerned that either one of the chemicals will be dropped directly on waterways.
两人都担心其中任何一种化学品会直接落入河道。
They are worried about the possible harm the retardants could cause to aquatic species.
他们担心这两种阻燃剂可能会对水生物种造成伤害。
I'm John Russell.
约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
