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China’s capital is known for its horrendous smog and occasional sandstorms. Yet one of its major environmental threats lies underground: Beijing is sinking. 北京可怕的雾霾和偶尔发生的沙尘暴为世人皆知，而一个重要的环境威胁却被大家忽略了：北京正在下沉。 Excessive pumping of groundwater is causing the geology under the city to collapse, according to a new study using satellite imagery that reveals parts of Beijing – particularly its central business district – are subsiding each year by as much as 11 centimetres, or more than four inches. 一项根据卫星图像作出的最新研究结果显示，过度抽取地下水导致北京地下结构出现塌陷。北京部分地区，特别是中央商务区，每年下沉多达11厘米，也就是超过4英寸。 The authors of the study warn that continued subsidence poses a safety threat to the city of more than 2o million, with “a strong impact on train operations” one of the predictions. 研究报告的作者提醒说，持续的下沉对这座人口超过两千万的城市构成安全威胁，其中一个预测就是“将对铁路运营造成很大影响”。 | 
