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California has been hit with a series of powerful storms that began late last month.
从上月底开始，加州遭受了一系列强风暴的袭击。
The storms have brought the state an extreme amount of rainfall.
风暴给该州带来了极大的降雨量。
More than 17 people have died from the storms and over half of California’s 58 counties have been declared disaster areas, the governor said.
该州州长说，超过17人死于风暴，加州58个县中超过一半已被宣布为灾区。
There are even more storms expected in the coming days.
预计未来几天还会有更多风暴。
California has also experienced a multi-year drought.
加州也经历了多年的干旱。
The extreme dry period has severely cut water supplies and forced officials to urge residents to save water.
极端干旱严重减少了供水量，迫使官员敦促居民节约用水。
Experts say the series of storms will help drought conditions, but it is not yet clear exactly how much.
专家表示，这一系列风暴将会有助于缓解干旱，但目前还不清楚具体程度。
However, the rain and snow will not be enough to fix some of California’s long-term water problems that climate change is making worse.
然而，雨雪不足以解决加州长期存在的一些用水问题，气候变化正在加剧这些问题。
Here is a look at how the storms will affect California’s long struggle with drought:
以下是风暴将会如何影响加州长期存在的干旱情况：
California has experienced six so-called atmospheric rivers in recent weeks.
最近几周，加州经历了六条所谓的大气层河流。
Atmospheric rivers are narrow areas in the atmosphere with a lot of moisture.
大气层河流指的是大气中含有大量水分的狭窄区域。
Three more are expected, with the storms set to continue for at least another week, Governor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.
州长加文·纽森周二表示，预计还会有三场风暴，风暴将会再持续至少一周。
The rain has come especially hard in central California, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Valley.
加州中部的降雨尤其严重，包括旧金山湾区和萨克拉门托的山谷地区。
Rainfall is 138 percent higher than the average for this time of year, officials said.
官员们表示，今年的降雨量比往年同期的平均降雨量高出138%。
The storms have also brought snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains along California’s eastern border.
风暴还给加利福尼亚州东部边境的内华达山脉带来了降雪。
Most of the state's reservoirs remain below average for this time of year.
在每年的这个时候，该州的大多数水库含水量仍低于平均水平。
But some have begun to fill, especially those close to the hard-hit Sacramento area and along parts of the Sierra Nevada.
但有些水库已经开始填满，尤其是那些靠近重灾区萨克拉门托地区和内华达山脉部分地区的地方。
The reservoirs are important for supplying water to the Central Valley.
这些水库对中央谷地的供水很重要。
That is an area of farmland that grows large amounts of fruits, nuts and grains.
这是一片种植大量水果、坚果和谷物的农田。
The reservoirs also supply water to millions of people living in coastal cities.
这些水库还为生活在沿海城市的数百万人供水。
“What we’ve got so far puts us in good shape, probably for at least the next year,” said Alan Haynes.
阿兰·海恩斯说：“到目前为止，我们的状况很好，可能至少在明年是这样。”
He is a water expert with the California Nevada River Forecast Center.
他是加州和内华达州河流预报中心的水资源专家。
Snowpack is its own type of reservoir.
积雪场本身就是一种水库。
Snow saves moisture that hopefully melts slowly into reservoirs, supplying people with water during summer and fall.
雪储存了水分，这些水分有望能慢慢融化到水库中，在夏季和秋季为人们提供水。
But now that snowpack often melts too quickly and reservoirs are not able to capture enough of it.
但由于积雪往往融化得太快，水库无法捕获足够的积雪。
It is still early in the winter and it is unclear what the next few months will bring.
现在还是初冬，未来几个月将会发生什么尚不清楚。
Last year, statewide snowpack around this time also looked hopeful.
去年这个时候，全州范围内的积雪看起来也很有希望。
But a few warm, dry months followed.
但接下来的几个月里，天气温暖干燥。
When snowpack was supposed to peak in early April, it was just 38 percent of the historic average.
当积雪应该在4月初达到峰值时，只有历史平均水平的38%。
Also, the storms have not dropped as much water on northern California.
此外，风暴也没有给加州北部带来那么多的降水。
A reservoir at Lake Shasta that was at 55 percent of its historical average on December 25 had risen to 67 percent by January 9.
沙斯塔湖的一个水库的水位在12月25日达到历史平均水平的55%，到1月9日已经上升到67%。
It is better, but still well below historical averages, Haynes said.
海恩斯说，情况有所好转，但仍远低于历史平均水平。
The atmospheric rivers are not hitting everywhere.
大气层河流并没有冲击所有地方。
David Gochis is an expert in how water affects the weather at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
大卫·戈奇斯是美国国家大气研究中心研究水如何影响天气的专家。
For some of the biggest reservoirs, it may take five or six large rainfall events to fill them, he said.
他说，对于一些最大的水库来说，可能需要五到六次大降雨才能填满它们。
Many farmers in California pump water from underground.
加州的许多农民从地下抽水。
Some wells are running dry.
一些水井正在干涸。
It is something that is not going to be solved by a short-term series of storms, experts said.
专家表示，这不是一系列短期风暴就能解决的问题。
And while there have been some wet years mixed in, California’s drought has been going on for about 20 years.
虽然有一些年份气候湿润，但加州的干旱已经持续了大约20年。
Climate change is creating drier, hotter conditions.
气候变化正在创造更干燥、更炎热的环境。
Water evaporates faster.
水蒸发得更快。
California officials predict there will be less water in the state’s future.
加州官员预测，未来该州的水资源将会减少。
Jeannie Jones is with the California Department of Water Resources.
珍妮·琼斯就职于加州水利部门。
She said, “Big picture, this series of storms really is kind of just a drop in the bucket.”
她说：“总体来说，这一系列风暴真的只是杯水车薪。”
I’m Dan Novak.
丹·诺瓦克为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
