日本核危機恐將持續多年
Japan is breathing a slight sigh of relief after official word the crippled reactors at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant are now in a "cold shutdown" state. That means the water used to cool the damaged nuclear fuel rods is remaining below the boiling point, preventing the highly radioactive fuel from re-heating. But with a massive radioactive cleanup job unfinished - and possibly lasting decades - few have much reason to celebrate as 2011 comes to an end.
在日本官方稱福島1號核電廠受損的核反應堆目前處於“冷卻關閉”的狀態後，日本稍微鬆了一口氣。這代表用來冷卻受損核燃料棒的水溫低於沸點，以免輻射性高的燃料重新燃起。雖然大批輻射清理工作都還沒完成，而且可能得花上幾十年才能完成，但在2011年年終之際還是有一些值得慶祝的。
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami killed 20,000 people in northeastern Japan. Not only did the disaster trigger the meltdown of three reactors at the coastal Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, it also reignited debate about the risks of atomic energy.
3月11日的地震和海嘯在日本東北部奪走了2萬生命。這場災難不僅導致靠海的福島1號核電廠3個核反應堆熔燬，也再度引發了使用原子能源的風險。
Although no one died of radiation exposure from the Fukushima accident, communities were evacuated. Even those hundreds of kilometers away from the nuclear plant are worried about long-term effects of the higher than normal radiation levels, especially on the health of children.
雖然沒有人死於福島核外泄事件，但當地社區都被疏散。即使遠在覈電廠數百公里外的居民也擔心，高於正常的輻射量帶來的長期影響，特別是對孩童健康的影響。
That anxiety is compounded by the detection of radiation levels above the legal limit in Japanese crops, fish and even milk.
這種焦慮因爲日本農作物、魚甚至牛奶的輻射量被驗出高於日本法定上限而雪上加霜。
Public confidence has been shaken since the first days of the crisis when the Fukushima plant operator and the government appeared to understate the severity of the disaster.
福島1號核電廠廠方和政府從第一天似乎就低估災難的嚴重性，因而重創了民衆的信心。
Roger Cashmore is chairman of Britain's Atomic Energy Authority. The nuclear physicist says the slow flow of information from Tokyo and the apparent withholding of important data during the height of the crisis undermined trust.
卡什摩爾是英國原子能局主席。這位核物理學家說，東京在災難高峯時期信息流通緩慢，也明顯隱藏重要數據，這都破壞了公衆信任。
"Transparency is the word. One has got to be completely open about all of this and make sure that shortcuts and things like this can't be taken," said Cashmore. "People, I think, in retrospect have become very concerned about the regulatory system that existed in Japan."
卡什摩爾說：“透明是重點所在。政府對所有這些都必須完全公開，確保沒有人走捷徑或發生這樣的事情。我想大家回溯過去會對日本現存的法規系統憂心忡忡。”
The concern has led to scrutiny of what is dubbed the Japanese "nuclear village" - a cozy community of industry and government regulators as well as a complacent domestic media and powerful politicians.
這種擔憂導致大家開始審視日本這個所謂“核村莊”。這個核村莊住着自在的工業和政府規範者，以及安逸的國內媒體和強有力的政治人物。Former U.N. Undersecretary Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs, Nobuyasu Abe (a director at the Japan Institute of International Affairs), says nuclear industry supporters have hampered oversight.
聯合國負責武器控制事務的前副祕書長阿部信泰，也是日本國際問題研究所的主任。他說，核工業的支持者阻撓政府監管。
"In Japan, a great number of Japanese politicians receive political contributions from power companies," said Abe. "They may be influenced or they may be hesitant to be critical."
阿部信泰說：“在日本，有些政治人物收到電力公司的政治獻金。他們可能因而不願太批判。”
A former foreign minister and environment minister of Japan is criticizing the official response to the crisis over the past nine months. But Yoriko Kawaguchi, of the opposition conservatives, says the government must not let Tokyo Electric Power Company, known as TEPCO, go under at a time of crisis.
日本一位前外務大臣和環境大臣批評官方過去9個月來對災難的反應。不過，保守派反對黨自民黨議員川口順子說，民主黨政府必須阻止東京電力公司在危機時刻破產。
"There is no question, ultimately, that we will survive. We will manage the situation," Kawaguchi said. "TEPCO is almost bankrupt and the government is helping, financial institutions are helping. We have no other choice but to let TEPCO survive and do the work, no matter how long it's going to take."
川口順子說：“我們最終會生存下來是無庸置疑的。我們將掌控住局面。東京電力公司就快破產，政府在幫忙、金融機構也在幫忙。除了讓東京電力公司生存下來並完成工作以外，我們都別無選擇，無論這必須花上多久的時間。”
About 80 percent of Japan's nuclear reactors are now offline, mainly for safety inspections.
日本現在大約80%核反應堆都停止運作，大多是因爲接受安全檢查。
That, along with increasing generation costs and a slowing demand for electricity (with China being the notable exception), has led to nuclear power production globally falling this year, according to the Worldwatch Institute.
But Kawaguchi says Japan, an island nation with scant natural resources, cannot follow Germany, which has decided to shut down all of its nuclear power plants.
但川口順子說，日本是個資源稀少的島國，無法跟隨德國的腳步。德國已經決定關閉所有的核電廠。
"Without nuclear power generation, it will be difficult for us to keep our economy growing, probably for some years - 10, 20, 30 years to come. Japan is isolated," Kawaguchi said. "We are not like Germany where you can import energy from France where electricity is produced using nuclear power."
川口順子說：“沒有核發電就很難維持未來或許10 年、20年、30年的經濟增長。日本是孤立無援的。我們不像德國能從法國進口能源，而法國就是用核發電。”
To maintain economic growth, she says the Japanese government must restore public confidence, which vaporized after the reactor meltdowns. That could turn out to be a task that takes decades to accomplish.
爲了維持經濟增長，她說，日本政府必須重拾公衆的信心。公衆的信心在覈反應堆熔燬後瞬間消失。結果可能要花上幾十年才能完成這個任務。
