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China wants to make bricks from toxic milk: report 中國欲用毒奶製磚

A Chinese worker destroys one of 2,784 boxes of contaminated Mengniu milk that were recalled in Wuhan, China, on Nov. 5, 2008. 本月五日，中國武漢一名工人銷毀召回的有毒蒙牛牛乳，數量有兩千七百八十四盒。 照片：法新社 PHOTO: AFP

A south China city is considering using milk at the center of a poisoned food scandal to make bricks as a cheap and clean way of disposing of the tainted products.

Guangzhou officials are looking into the viability of dumping the toxic products, found to have been tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, into furnaces that make bricks and cement.

City officials are having a hard time ensuring the milk is disposed of properly. Some Guangzhou garbage stations poured tainted milk into rivers earlier this month, triggering concerns the city’s water supply would be contaminated.

Using the milk products in the manufacturing process is estimated to cost 700 yuan (NT$3,369) for each ton of milk processed, more than 70 percent cheaper than burning it in garbage incinerators, media reports said.

The reports said that burying the poisoned products was another alternative allowed by the government, at a cost of 200 yuan a ton, but quantities would have to be limited to prevent soil pollution.

In China alone, four children have died and 53,000 have fallen ill after consuming milk or milk products laced with melamine, which can make the protein content appear higher.

Many countries and territories have banned Chinese milk and milk products in the wake of the scandal, one of many involving tainted Chinese-made foods. (AFP)

中國南方一個城市正考慮將這次有毒黑心食品的主角：毒奶拿來製造磚塊，因為這樣處理污染產品既省錢又環保。

廣州政府正在研議將這些遭工業化學品三聚氰胺污染的有毒產品傾倒至熔爐，製成磚塊和水泥的可行性。

市府官員正辛苦地向民眾擔保，會妥善處理毒奶。本月稍早，部份廣州垃圾場把毒奶直接傾倒入河，引發民眾擔心該市水源供應也會遭受污染。

媒體報導，每公噸毒奶進行加工處理的費用，預估是七百元人民幣（新台幣三千三百六十九元），比送到垃圾場焚化爐銷毀便宜七成以上。

報導指出，掩埋毒奶是中國政府核准的另一個替代方案，每公噸需花費兩百元人民幣，但為避免土壤污染，須限制掩埋量。

光是在中國，因食用含有三聚氰胺的牛奶或乳製品而死亡的孩童已有四名，另有五萬三千人出現身體不適的症狀。三聚氰胺能讓蛋白質含量增加。

隨著這起醜聞的爆發，許多國家和地區都已禁止中國的牛奶和乳製品進口；毒奶只是眾多中國製有毒食品之一。

（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字 1. scandal n. 醜聞 (chou3 wen2) 例: The politician was at the center of a corruption scandal. (那個政治人物身陷貪污醜聞之中。) 2. viability n. 可行性 (ke3 xing2 xing4) 例: The legislators discussed the viability of building a new terminal. (立法委員研議興建一座新航廈的可行性。) 3. toxic adj. 有毒的 (you3 du2 de5) 例: The government has placed a ban on importing the toxic products. (政府已禁止進口有毒產品。) 4. estimate v.t. 估計 (gu1 ji4) 例: Our estimated arrival time was 10:30am. (我們預計上午十點半抵達。)

READING COMPREHENSION閱讀測驗 1. What have some garbage stations done with the milk? a. Poured it into rivers. b. Poured it into the sea. c. The article doesn’t say. 2. According to the article, which is the most expensive? a. Burying the milk. b. Burning the milk. c. Using the milk for manufacturing. 3. How many children have fallen sick due to contaminated milk? a. 530. b. 5,300. c. 53,000. 4. Is this the first Chinese food scandal? a. Yes, it is. b. No, it isn’t. c. The article doesn’t say.

SAY WHAT? 說說看 a hard time 困難 If somebody is having a hard time, they are finding it difficult to do something. In the article, the city officials are having a hard time ensuring the milk is disposed of safely. For example: “Since the start of the recession, Terrence has had a hard time finding investors willing to invest in his microbrewery.” 如果說某人正處於「a hard time」，就表示他們覺得某事執行起來有困難。文章中提到，市府官員費力地向民眾擔保會妥善處理毒奶。 例如：「自從經濟開始衰退，泰倫斯就很難找到願意投資他小型釀酒廠的投資人」。

OUT LOUD 對話練習 Winston: You look like a bag of bones! What’s wrong with you? Elaine: I’ve just got back from China and I was terrified to eat anything. Winston: Why? Elaine: Well, there have been a lot of food scandals, and I don’t think the cooking standards are very high. Winston: Yes, that’s probably true. Now go and get a burger and fatten yourself up! 溫斯頓：妳看起來骨瘦如柴耶！妳怎麼啦？ 伊蓮：我剛從中國回來，我在那裡什麼都不敢吃。 溫斯頓：為什麼？ 伊蓮：唔，那裡黑心食品一直很多，而且我覺得他們對烹調的規範不是很嚴格。 溫斯頓：嗯，有可能。現在去吃個漢堡，把自己養胖吧！ a bag of bones　骨瘦如柴 If a person looks like a bag of bones, they are drastically underweight. For example: “Paulo looked like a bag of bones when he came out hospital.” 如果說某人看起來像「a bag of bones」，就表示他們太瘦了。例如：「保羅出院時，看起來骨瘦如柴」。

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