According to CNN, in wealthier countries, where clean tap water tends to be widely available, bottled water is frequently seen as a “luxury” item. People believe it to be healthier and tastier than tap water, an idea driven by bottled water companies. In contrast, in numerous middle- to low-income nations, the need to consume bottled water often comes from unreliable access to safe tap water.

據(jù)CNN報(bào)道，在較為富裕的國(guó)家，清潔的自來(lái)水可以廣泛使用，瓶裝水經(jīng)常被視為“奢侈品”。人們認(rèn)為瓶裝水比自來(lái)水更健康、更好喝，這一想法由瓶裝水公司推動(dòng)產(chǎn)生。相比之下，在許多中低收入國(guó)家，對(duì)瓶裝水的需求往往來(lái)自于他們無(wú)法獲得衛(wèi)生、潔凈的水。

However, the industry’s emphasis on marketing bottled water as a “luxury” item can draw focus away from the real problem of public water systems that poor regions face, which can further worsen global inequities (不平等) when it comes to water access. 

然而，該行業(yè)把瓶裝水包裝為“奢侈品”的做法可能會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)移人們對(duì)貧困地區(qū)面臨的公共水系統(tǒng)問(wèn)題的關(guān)注度，這也許會(huì)進(jìn)一步加劇全球水資源不平等的問(wèn)題。

For example, public officials often present bottled water as a stopgap (權(quán)宜之計(jì)) when tap water is contaminated(污染) or pipes are damaged. Yet in practice, bottled water often ends up replacing unreliable tap water for a long time, leading to the neglect (忽視) of rebuilding public water systems.

例如，當(dāng)自來(lái)水被污染或管道被損壞時(shí)，政府官員經(jīng)常提供瓶裝水作為權(quán)宜之計(jì)。然而，在實(shí)踐中，瓶裝水經(jīng)常長(zhǎng)期取代出了問(wèn)題的自來(lái)水，導(dǎo)致公共水系統(tǒng)的重建被忽視。

Groundwater extracted to help fill billions of plastic bottles a year also poses a potential threat to drinking water resources. In India, for instance, water resources are used to make expensive bottled water for rich people, while poor people are left with little water available.

每年都抽取大量地下水來(lái)灌滿數(shù)十億個(gè)塑料瓶，這也對(duì)飲用水資源構(gòu)成了潛在的威脅。例如，在印度，水資源被用來(lái)為富人制造昂貴的瓶裝水，而窮人卻幾乎無(wú)水可用。

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According to the report, the bottled water industry produced around 600 billion plastic bottles in 2021, leading to an estimated 25 million tons of plastic waste, the majority of which is not recycled and ultimately ends up in landfills. 

根據(jù)該報(bào)告，瓶裝水行業(yè)在2021年生產(chǎn)了約6000億個(gè)塑料瓶，產(chǎn)生了約2500萬(wàn)噸塑料垃圾，其中大部分沒(méi)有被回收利用，最終被填埋。

Each bottle can take up to 1,000 years to decompose (分解), leaking dangerous and harmful chemicals during the process. Additionally, they find their way into the ocean, contributing to a significant build-up of plastic waste that presents a severe danger to marine life.

每個(gè)瓶子需要長(zhǎng)達(dá)1000年的時(shí)間才能分解，在這個(gè)過(guò)程中還會(huì)泄漏危險(xiǎn)和有害的化學(xué)物質(zhì)。此外，它們會(huì)進(jìn)入海洋，導(dǎo)致塑料垃圾大量堆積，對(duì)海洋生物構(gòu)成嚴(yán)重威脅。

The main source of bottled water is groundwater, which is declining rapidly in certain regions of the world due to factors such as excessive extraction (過(guò)度開(kāi)采) and droughts worsened by climate change. However, the amount of water used by the bottled water industry can further strain an already decreasing water supply.

瓶裝水的主要來(lái)源是地下水，由于過(guò)度開(kāi)采和氣候變化導(dǎo)致的干旱等因素，世界某些地區(qū)的地下水正在迅速減少。然而，瓶裝水行業(yè)的巨大用水量可能還會(huì)加重水資源供應(yīng)壓力。

Many people are concerned that the effects of groundwater extraction and plastic pollution may become worse in a warmer future.

許多人擔(dān)心，在全球氣溫變暖的未來(lái)，地下水開(kāi)采和塑料污染的影響可能會(huì)更大。

“If you really need to prepare yourself for a warmer future, you need a reliable water supply in your house for everyone,” Vladimir Smakhtin, coauthor of the report, told CNN. “Bottled water will satisfy the thirst, but it will not provide a sustainable (可持續(xù)的) solution.” 

“如果你真想為氣溫變暖的未來(lái)做好準(zhǔn)備，你需要為每個(gè)人的房子提供可靠的供水，”該報(bào)告的合著者弗拉基米爾·斯馬赫金對(duì)CNN說(shuō)道。“瓶裝水可以解渴，但卻不能提供可持續(xù)的解決方案。”

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