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可以延缓野火蔓延的新化学混合物。

But critics say the Forest Service should be spending less on these mixtures known as fire retardants and more on firefighters.
但是批评人士表示，美国森林管理局应该减少在这些被称为阻燃剂的混合物上的投入，而要增加在消防员身上的投入。

The effects of drought
干旱的影响

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，即在很长一段时间内很少下雨。

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, reports that so far this year there have been more than 31,000 wildfires. Those fires have burned about 13,000 square kilometers.
爱达荷州博伊西市的美国跨部门消防中心报告称，今年到目前为止，已经发生了超过3.1万起野火。这些大火已经烧毁了大约1.3万平方公里。

That number is well above the 10-year average for the same period of about 24,000 wildfires and 5,000 square kilometers burned.
这个数字远高于同期约2.4万起野火和烧毁5000平方公里的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30年中，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. 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. The fire retardant cost those two years reached nearly $200 million.
2020年，美国森林管理局首次使用了超过1.9亿升的阻燃剂。去年，它再次使用了超过1.9亿升阻燃剂来扑灭加利福尼亚等州有史以来规模最大、耗时最长的野火。这两年使用阻燃剂的花费达到近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.
美国森林管理局表示，去年夏天开始的测试将在今年夏天继续使用Fortress公司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. Another company, Perimeter Solutions, says its ammonium-phosphate-based retardants are better.
Fortress公司表示，其阻燃剂比其它产品更有效且更环保。另一家公司Perimeter Solutions表示，其磷酸铵基阻燃剂效果更好。

The main ingredient in Fortress products, magnesium chloride, is taken from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This method and process is more environmentally friendly than mining and processing phosphate, the company says. The Forest Service last summer tested the company's FR-100, and this summer said it will test a version called FR-200.
Fortress产品的主要成分氯化镁取自犹他州的大盐湖。这种方法和工艺比开采和加工磷酸盐更环保。美国森林管理局去年夏天测试了该公司的FR-100，今年夏天将测试另一种名为FR-200的新产品。

Perimeter Solutions, which has buildings and equipment throughout the American West, has had a number of name and ownership changes over the years. Still, it has been the market leader for more than 20 years. The company's Phos-Chek LC-95A is the world's most used fire retardant. The company is moving to a new retardant called Phos-Chek LCE20-Fx. The company said it is made out of food-grade substances, making it a cleaner product.
Perimeter Solutions公司在整个美国西部拥有房产和设备，该公司多年来已经经历多次更名和所有权变更。尽管如此，它仍然是20多年的市场领导者。该公司的Phos-Chek LC-95A是世界上使用最多的阻燃剂。该公司的该公司正在转向一种名为Phos-Chek LCE20-Fx 的新型阻燃剂。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。

Criticism from environmentalists
环保人士的批评

But two nonprofit groups say both kinds of retardant harm the environment. The groups suggest that the U.S. Forest Service should be spending less on fire retardant and more on firefighters.
但是两家非营利组织表示，这两种阻燃剂都会对环境造成危害。这些组织建议美国森林管理局减少在阻燃剂上的支出，加大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. Both said that the ammonium-phosphates-based retardant is a fertilizer that can help invasive plants. They believe it might be responsible for some algae blooms in lakes.
安迪·斯塔尔领导美国森林管理局员工环境伦理学会，蒂莫西·英格斯比领导美国消防员安全、道德和生态联合会。这两人都表示，基于磷酸铵的阻燃剂是一种可以帮助入侵植物的肥料。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.
斯塔尔和英格斯比表示，氯化镁基阻燃剂是一种盐，它会在其落下的地方限制植物生长，这可能会伤害到濒危物种。

Both are concerned that either one of the chemicals will be dropped directly on waterways. They are worried about the possible harm the retardants could cause to aquatic species.
两人都担心其中任何一种化学物质会直接落入河道。他们担心这些阻燃剂可能会对水生物种造成伤害。

I'm John Russell.
我是约翰·拉塞尔。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)

U.S. officials are testing a new chemical mixture that is able to slow down the progress of wildfires.

But critics say the Forest Service should be spending less on these mixtures known as fire retardants and more on firefighters.

The effects of drought

California Wildfires

Much of the American West is facing a drought — a long amount of time with very little rain.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, reports that so far this year there have been more than 31,000 wildfires. Those fires have burned about 13,000 square kilometers.

That number is well above the 10-year average for the same period of about 24,000 wildfires and 5,000 square kilometers burned.

Wildfire seasons have become longer as the West has become warmer and drier in the past 30 years.

In 2020, The Forest Service used more than 190 million liters of retardant for the first time. 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. The fire retardant cost those two years reached nearly $200 million.

In comparison, over the previous 10 years, the agency used 115 million liters each year.

The U.S. Forest Service said tests started last summer are continuing this summer with a magnesium-chloride-based retardant from the company Fortress.

Fortress says its retardants are effective and better for the environment than other products. Another company, Perimeter Solutions, says its ammonium-phosphate-based retardants are better.

The main ingredient in Fortress products, magnesium chloride, is taken from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This method and process is more environmentally friendly than mining and processing phosphate, the company says. The Forest Service last summer tested the company's FR-100, and this summer said it will test a version called FR-200.

Perimeter Solutions, which has buildings and equipment throughout the American West, has had a number of name and ownership changes over the years. Still, it has been the market leader for more than 20 years. The company's Phos-Chek LC-95A is the world's most used fire retardant. The company is moving to a new retardant called Phos-Chek LCE20-Fx. The company said it is made out of food-grade substances, making it a cleaner product.

Criticism from environmentalists

But two nonprofit groups say both kinds of retardant harm the environment. The groups suggest that the U.S. Forest Service should be spending less on fire retardant and more on firefighters.

Andy Stahl leads Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, and Timothy Ingalsbee leads Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology. Both said that the ammonium-phosphates-based retardant is a fertilizer that can help invasive plants. They believe it might be responsible for some algae blooms in lakes.

Stahl and Ingalsbee said the magnesium-chloride-based retardant is a salt that will limit plant growth where it falls, possibly harming threatened species.

Both are concerned that either one of the chemicals will be dropped directly on waterways. They are worried about the possible harm the retardants could cause to aquatic species.

I'm John Russell.

Keith Ridler reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

wildfire – n. a fire in a wild area (such as a forest) that is not controlled and that can burn a large area very quickly

algae bloom – n. a fast and large increase in algae - simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in or near water

aquatic – adj. living or found in or near water

species – n. biology : a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus