Beijingers have been warned to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid outdoor air pollution that has reached hazardous levels. 北京居民收到“不宜外出”的警示，市民尽量待在室内，以避免有害健康的室外雾霾。
Particulate readings soared 15 times above the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization. Beijing's alert level is now set to" orange", the second-highest level possible. 北京的颗粒指数已经飙升至世界卫生组织日均最大限额 15倍。目前，北京空气污染达到“橙色预警”级别，这已经是第二高污染级别。
In response, city authorities have started using Beijing's new smog alert system - a series of emergency measures meant to quickly reduce pollution levels and protect city dwellers. 对此，北京市政府已经开启了最新雾霾预警系统，利用其中的一系列应急措施快速降低污染指数，保护城市居民。
In response to the extreme levels of air pollution, the Environment Ministry sent 12 teams to inspect industries in areas of China such as Beijing, Tianjin and also the province of Hebei to ensure curbs on production of steel, coal, cement and glass panels are being met, as well as other air pollution reduction measures and are being followed. 为应对极端污染天气，环境部部长派出 12支队伍检查北京、天津以及河北省地区，以确保降低钢铁、煤炭、水泥玻璃面板制造产生的污染，同时其他降低空气污染程度的措施都紧随其后。
The problem is not new and has been ongoing for a number of years. According to a 2007 report by The World Bank, 16 of the world’s most polluted cities are located in China. The pollution in the cities encompasses different kinds such as air, water, organic and waste. 空气污染问题已经不是什么新鲜事了，这一问题持续存在了数年。据世界银行 2007年报告，世界污染最严重的城市中有 16座位于中国。城市污染物形式复杂多样，如空气污染、水污染、有机污染、废弃物污染等。
