松下將向赴華員工支付"污染津貼"
Panasonic is the first international company to announce it will pay employees it sends to China a premium to compensate for dangerous levels of pollution.
松下(Panasonic)宣佈將向派往中國的員工發放津貼，以補償嚴重污染對他們的危害，成爲開此先河的第一家國際公司。The Japanese group unveiled the changes yesterday, citing the high levels of PM2.5 in some urban Chinese areas.
這家日本集團昨日公佈上述變動，並將中國部分城市高水平的PM2.5值列爲依據。Particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms or less can enter the human blood stream through the lungs and contribute to asthma, cancer or heart trouble.
直徑小於或等於2.5微米的顆粒物能通過人的肺部進入血液，加劇哮喘、癌症以及心臟疾病。
Employees sent to China by Panasonic typically receive a more generous remuneration package because it is classed as a “hardship posting” – but until now no explicit mention has been made of growing concern about the dire air quality.
松下派往中國的員工一般都能得到比較優厚的薪酬待遇，因爲外派中國屬於“苦差”，但此前松下公司沒有明確提到人們對中國可怕的空氣質量越來越大的擔憂。Smog has become a focus for public discontent, particularly in prosperous urban areas such as Beijing, which in February suffers a week-long stretch of “hazardous” air.
霧霾已成了中國公衆不滿的焦點，尤其是在北京這類繁華都市，該市曾在2月遭遇連續一週的“有害”空氣。It has also been cited by expatriates as a chief reason for leaving the country.
它也是外籍人員列舉的離開中國的主要原因之一。The company did not disclose the number of Japanese employees in China covered by the scheme or the amount they will receive. Chinese employees will not receive the extra payment.
松下沒有透露上述津貼方案所覆蓋的在華日籍員工人數或具體金額。中國員工將不會得到額外津貼。Other companies have been quietly increasing the benefits they offer to expat staff but Panasonic is the first publicly to acknowledge the problem.
其他公司最近都在悄悄提高駐華外籍人員的福利，但松下是第一家公開承認這一問題的公司。“That’s the first time I’ve heard any company be quite so brazen about it,” said Robert Parkinson, head of Beijing-based recruiter RMG Selection. “The normal style would be to dress it up as a ‘developing country allowance’.
“這是我第一次聽到有公司在這個問題上如此直白，”羅邁國際商務諮詢(RMG Selection)的羅伯特•帕金森(Robert Parkinson)說，“通常的作法是將其粉飾成‘發展中國家津貼’。”“It’s a bit like saying we know we are exposing you to something that could be life-threatening. We’re going to admit it and compensate you for it.”
“這有點像是在說，我們知道我們讓你暴露於足以危及生命的環境，我們將承認這一點，並就此給予你補償。”At the opening of China’s parliament last week, Premier Li Keqiang said his government would wage “war on pollution”. Days later an official analysis of 74 Chinese cities revealed that only three met national air quality standards.
在上週中國全國人大年會的開幕式上，中國總理李克強表示他的政府將“向污染宣戰”。幾天後，一份涉及中國74個城市的官方空氣監測報告顯示，僅有3個城市達到了國家空氣質量標準。The issue has gained more international attention since 2008 when the US embassy installed a pollution-monitoring system on its roof in Beijing to detect the level of PM2.5.
2008年美國大使館在其駐京辦公樓的屋頂上安裝了一套污染監測系統，監測北京空氣中的PM2.5濃度，這個問題自此引起更多國際關注。The government has made some efforts to clean up polluting factories and steel mills and has also pledged to try to limit the number of cars on the country’s roads. Last year it outlined a plan to cut emissions and polluting steel capacity in the populous east, but attempts to regulate pollution are difficult given the country’s reliance on coal burning.
中國政府已經在整頓重污染工廠和鋼廠方面作出了一些努力，並承諾會嘗試限制道路車輛數目。去年中國政府出爐了一個計劃，擬在人口密集的東部地區減少排放，降低造成污染的鍊鋼產能，但由於中國對燃燒煤炭的依賴，整治污染的嘗試相當困難。
