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The Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.) is looking to expand operations to dig, or drill, for oil.
刚果民主共和国正在寻求扩大开采石油的业务。
The central African country is known for its mineral riches.
这个中非国家以其丰富的矿产资源而闻名。
Currently, drilling is limited to just a small area along the Atlantic Ocean and out in the water.
目前，石油钻探仅限于大西洋沿岸的一小块区域和水域。
But that is expected to change if the government carries out its plan to sell 30 pieces of land for oil and gas exploration across the country.
但如果政府执行其在全国范围内出售30块用于石油和天然气勘探的土地的计划，这种情况预计会改变。
Leaders say the plan will grow the economy.
领导人表示，该计划将会促进经济增长。
They say such growth is necessary for the poor people of Congo.
他们表示，这样的增长对刚果的穷人来说是必要的。
But communities, rights groups, and environmentalist groups warn that expanded drilling will harm the environment and human health.
但社区、人权组织和环保组织警告说，扩大钻探范围将会损害环境和人类健康。
In the Moanda area of the D.R.C., locals say pollution has worsened since a French company began drilling there in 2000.
在刚果民主共和国的莫安达地区，当地人表示，自从一家法国公司2000年开始在那里钻探以来，污染已经加剧。
They say spills and leaks from operations are destroying the soil.
他们表示，作业过程中泄漏的天然气或石油正在破坏土壤。
The work includes "flaring" --- the burning of natural gas near drilling sites.
这项工作包括“燃烧”——在钻探地点附近燃烧天然气。
Locals report that the flaring is dirtying the air they breathe.
当地人报告称，燃烧天然气污染了他们呼吸的空气。
Flaring is also wasteful as the energy goes unused.
燃烧也是一种浪费，因为能源没有得到利用。
And, critics say, the Congolese government does not supervise the oil drilling operations well enough.
批评人士表示，刚果政府对石油钻探作业的监督力度不够强。
The company, Perenco, says it follows accepted international measures in its extraction methods.
这家名为Perenco的公司表示，他们的开采方法遵循了公认的国际标准。
It said its operation does not create health risks and that any pollution it causes is low-level.
该公司表示，其作业过程不会造成健康风险，其造成的任何污染都是低水平的。
The company also said it offered to support a power plant that would make use of the natural gas and reduce flaring that way.
该公司还表示，其愿意支持一座利用天然气并以这种方式减少燃烧的发电厂。
The government did not respond to questions about the proposed plant.
刚果政府没有回应有关拟建发电厂的问题。
Congo's minister overseeing oil and gas, Didier Budimbu, said the government plans to protect the environment.
刚果负责石油和天然气事务的部长迪迪埃·布迪姆布说，刚果政府计划保护环境。
Natural areas in Congo, including the Congo Basin rainforest, capture large amounts of carbon dioxide – about 1.5 billion tons a year, or about 3 percent of what the world produces each year.
刚果的自然区域，包括刚果盆地热带雨林，每年吸收大量二氧化碳——约15亿吨，约占世界每年产量的3%。
More than 12 of the extraction areas for sale include land in government-protected wild areas.
超过12个待售的采矿区包括政府保护的野生区。
The government said the 27 properties for sale hold an estimated 22 billion barrels of oil.
刚果政府表示，27个待售油田的石油储量估计为220亿桶。
Environmental groups say that selling more land to drill would have harmful effects in the D.R.C. and in other countries.
环保组织表示，出售更多土地用于钻探将会对刚果民主共和国和其他国家产生有害影响。
"Any new oil and gas project, anywhere in the world, is fueling the climate and nature crisis that we're in," said Mbong Akiy Fokwa Tsafak, program director for Greenpeace Africa.
绿色和平组织非洲项目负责人姆邦·阿基·福克瓦·特萨瓦克说：“世界上任何地方的新的石油和天然气项目都在加剧气候和自然危机。”
She said Perenco's operations have done nothing in respect to the poor and instead harm the environment and the lives of communities.
她说，Perenco的作业过程对穷人没有影响，反而损害了环境和社区的生活。
Environmentalists say Congo has a strong possibility to instead develop renewable energy.
环保人士表示，刚果很有可能转而开发可再生能源。
Budimbu said now is not the time to move away from fossil fuels when the country still depends on them.
布迪姆布说，现在不是放弃化石燃料的时候，因为这个国家仍然依赖化石燃料。
He said the D.R.C. will move away from fossil fuel dependency over the long term.
他说，从长远来看，刚果民主共和国将会摆脱对化石燃料的依赖。
Perenco has faced criticism for years.
Perenco多年来一直面临批评。
Local researchers, aid groups, and Congo's Senate have made multiple reports of pollution dating back more than ten years.
当地研究人员、援助组织和刚果参议院已经发布了多份有关十多年前污染状况的报告。
Two organizations, Sherpa and Friends of the Earth France, opened a legal action against the company in 2022, accusing Perenco of polluting.
2022年，夏尔巴和法国地球之友两个组织对该公司提起了法律诉讼，指控Perenco污染环境。
Adore Ngaka's lives in the village of Tshiende.
Adore Ngaka住在Tshiende村。
Oil drills can be seen up the road from his home.
从他家沿路可以看到石油钻机。
Ngaka says they remind him every day of all that he has lost.
Ngaka说，它们每天都提醒他所失去的一切。
The extraction processes have polluted the soil, hurt his crops, and forced the family to use all their savings to survive, he said.
他说，开采过程污染了土壤，损害了他的庄稼，迫使这家人动用所有积蓄来维持生计。
He pointed to an ear of corn he grew.
他指着自己种的一穗玉米。
The 27-year-old farmer said the vegetable is about half the size of those that grew before the drilling began ten years ago.
这位27岁的农民说，这种蔬菜的尺寸大约是十年前开始钻探之前种植的蔬菜尺寸的一半。
He said, "It's bringing us to poverty."
他说：“这让我们陷入贫困。”
I'm Caty Weaver.
凯蒂·韦弗为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
