JIUZHANBAO, China — A few times a year, rains sprinkle the dry mountains north of Beijing, feeding streams that trickle¹ down to catchments like the Yunzhou Reservoir. From its shores, the water shimmers² and sparkles, a mirage³ that local farmers can see but not touch.

中国旧战堡——中国一年有那么几次，雨水飘洒在北京以北的干燥山峦中，通过溪流汇入云州水库这样的集水区。从水库岸边看去，水面波光粼粼，但对当地农民来说，这些水却只能看，不能用。

“We can’t use it,” said Cheng Lin, a 68-year-old farmer who, like others here, plants corn once a year and hopes for spring rains. “It’s for others, not us.”

“我们不能用里头的水，”程林（音译）说。他是一个68岁的农民，和这里的其他人一样，每年种植一季玉米，希望春天雨水充足。“是给别人用的，不是给我们的。”

Instead, the water is earmarked for the greater Beijing area to the south, and in the winter increasingly for making snow.

这些水是专门留给南面的北京及其周边地区的，而且在冬季，有越来越多的水被用来造雪。

China, which has been constructing a tourism belt around the city centered on water-intensive sports like skiing, is now building a clutch of new ski slopes in a bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

中国正在打造一条环北京城的旅游带，侧重点是耗水密集的运动项目，比如滑雪。现在，它正在兴建一系列新的滑雪坡道，希望能主办2022年的冬季奥运会。

The International Olympic Committee inspected the region’s facilities last week, and it is expected to make a final decision in July. If Beijing wins, it will become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Games, which it held in 2008. Its only competitor is the Kazakh city of Almaty.

国际奥林匹克委员会上周视察了该地区的设施，最后的决定将在7月做出。北京在2008年举办过夏季奥运会，如果本次获胜，它就会成为首个夏季和冬季奥运会都举办过的城市。这一次，它唯一的竞争对手是哈萨克斯坦的阿拉木图。

According to Beijing’s bid, the environmental impact will be “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” In its three-volume filing to the I.O.C., organizers say they will use renewable energy and sustainable building materials. Forest cover lost to ski slopes or other facilities will be offset⁴ with new tree plantings elsewhere, in compliance⁵ with I.O.C. requirements.

北京的申奥资料称，冬奥会的环境影响将是“生态友好的”、“可持续的”。在提交给国际奥委会的三卷申报材料中，主办方表示，他们将利用可再生能源和可持续的建筑材料。修建滑雪场或其他设施造成的森林覆盖方面的损失，将按照国际奥委会的要求，通过在其他地方植树造林的方式来弥补。

“As there are abundant water resources near the ski resorts and the melted snow will be recycled,” the bid says, “snow-making during the Games will not have any negative impact on the local ecosystem⁶.”

“由于滑雪场附近拥有丰富的水资源，融化的雪水也会被循环利用，”申办材料中写道，“在奥运会期间进行造雪，不会对当地生态系统造成任何负面影响。”

Abundant is not a word often used to describe Beijing’s water supply. Although some parts of Beijing receive up to 23 inches of rain a year, the mountain area, where the ski resorts are being built and the Games are slated⁷ to be held, receives 15 or 16 inches, making it semiarid⁸.

你很少会看到“丰富”这个词被用来形容北京的供水状况。虽然北京一些地方每年的降水量能到580毫米，但在正在兴建滑雪场的山区，也就是计划举行奥运会的地方，每年的降水量只有400毫米左右，属于半干旱地区。

Two-thirds of that precipitation falls in the summer. In December and January, areas like Chongli, where the reservoir is, receive about a tenth of an inch of precipitation, meaning they are usually barren throughout the winter.

三分之二的降水出现在夏季。至于12月和1月，在这座水库所在的崇礼等地，降水量仅为两三毫米。这意味着整个冬季往往一篇荒芜。

“It just doesn’t snow in Beijing,” said Zhang Junfeng, an independent water expert who has written and published widely on Beijing’s water troubles. “People get ideas by watching television and sports and think it’s a great pastime, but it’s not sustainable.”

“北京的雪很少，”张俊峰说。他是独立的水资源专家，在北京的供水难题方面著述颇丰。“通过看电视和运动节目，大家觉得这是一种很好的休闲活动，但它是不可持续的。”

Beijing used to be rich in water resources, but as its population has doubled over the past 25 years to an estimated 22 million, it has dried up. A $62 billion project to divert water to the north from the water-rich south has begun, but it is expected only to stabilize⁹ the situation.

过去北京的水资源很丰富，但由于人口在过去25年中翻了一番，达到2200万左右，北京成为了一座缺水城市。中国已经在开展一个耗资620亿美元的调水工程，把水从此类资源丰富的南方输送到北方，但估计那也只能让状况维持稳定而已。

“Of course they shouldn’t have ski resorts,” said Hu Kanping, a retired¹⁰ hydrologist who writes reports for the Chinese nongovernmental organization Friends of Nature. In a 2011 report, he wrote that the 11 ski resorts then open in Beijing used an average of about a billion gallons of water a year, or enough water for 42,000 people.

“他们当然不应该建滑雪场，”胡勘平说。他是一位退休的水文学家，不时为中国的非政府组织“自然之友”撰写报告。在2011年的报告中，他写道，当时在北京开设的11座滑雪场平均每年耗水大约380万立方米，足以供4.2万人使用。

Beijing has proposed the Chongli area for events like snowboarding, freestyle skiing and cross-country skiing. Chongli already has several ski slopes, but at least one other Olympic ski run and a sledding run are under construction. One of the larger ski resorts that had closed has reopened, and another is planning to expand if Beijing wins the Games.

北京提出，在崇礼地区举办冬奥会的单板滑雪、自由式滑雪和越野滑雪项目。这里已经建有几座滑雪场，但至少还有一个奥运滑雪道和雪橇道正在兴建之中。一座关闭了的大型滑雪场已重新开放，如果北京赢得了冬奥会的举办权，另一座滑雪场也打算扩大规模。

Yanqing National Park, which has the only substantial mountain near Beijing, was chosen for Alpine¹¹ skiing, which requires longer runs and steeper descents. Yanqing has no existing ski slopes.

延庆国家公园拥有北京附近唯一的一座大山，被选作高山滑雪项目的场地，因为这项运动需要较长的雪道和较陡的下坡。延庆目前并没有现成的滑雪场。

Beijing and local officials did not respond to repeated requests for interviews.

记者再三要求进行采访，但北京市和地方上的官员均未作回应。

Experts who follow the ski industry say that its expansion into water-stressed environments like Beijing is increasingly the norm. Relatively¹² dry or warm countries like Turkey, India and Pakistan all have new resorts. The site of the last Winter Games, the Russian resort town of Sochi, gets only 21 inches of precipitation a year, which forced organizers to stockpile nearly 600,000 cubic yards of snow to ensure adequate cover.

关注滑雪产业的专家表示，该产业向北京这样的缺水地区扩张正在日益成为常态。比较干燥或温暖的国家，比如土耳其、印度和巴基斯坦，也都兴建了新的滑雪场。在上届冬奥会举办地俄罗斯的索契，当年的降水量只有530毫米左右，组织者不得不储存了45万立方米的积雪，以保证充足的供应。

Carmen de Jong, a professor at the University of Savoy in France who studies water and Alpine sports, says such developments are ecologically unsustainable.

法国萨瓦大学(University of Savoy)研究水资源和高山运动的教授卡门·德容(Carmen de Jong)表示，这样的发展在生态上是不可持续的。

“This kind of development is a Martian-like plan,” she said. “It’s completely artificial.”

“这就像是火星计划，”她说。“完全是人为的。”

The alternative to Beijing this year, Almaty, is not much better. It receives just 22 inches of precipitation a year, and it relies on dams and water towers to feed its snow-making machines.

作为北京今年申奥的竞争城市，阿拉木图的情况也好不到哪里去。它每年的降水量仅为570毫米，需要动用水坝和水塔来造雪。

Resorts in the Alps, by contrast, regularly get more than 40 inches of precipitation a year. Some of the most famous areas get nearly 60 inches. Even these regions are now relying on artificial snow because of climate change.

相较之下，阿尔卑斯山的那些滑雪场通常每年拥有逾1000毫米的降水。一些最有名的地区则接近1500毫米。就连这些地方，由于气候变化目前也在依靠人工造雪。

Another concern to conservationists is that both Beijing and Almaty plan to build Olympic ski resorts in their national parks. Beijing’s organizers are planning using Xiaohaituo Mountain in Yanqing National Park for the Alpine events. The mountain is part of a protected nature reserve, and automobile¹³ traffic is banned. Officials have said construction will begin there only if Beijing wins the bid.

环保人士担忧的另一个方面是，北京和阿拉木图均计划在其国家公园内兴建奥运滑雪场。北京的组织方计划在位于延庆国家公园内的小海坨峰举办高山项目。那里属于一处自然保护区，禁止机动车出入。官员表示，建设项目只有在北京申办成功之后才会动工。

Studies show that ski runs increase erosion and destroy plant life beyond simply the growth cut down for the runs; they can also cause permanent damage to topsoil and plants beneath the surface. Artificial snow worsens this problem because it often creates an ice sheet over the ground, leading to the growth of mold underneath¹⁴.

研究表明，滑雪道对植物的侵蚀和破坏不仅是砍伐它们、开辟坡道那么简单；它还会对表层土和地表以下的植物造成永久性破坏。人造雪则会恶化这个问题，因为它往往会在地面形成一个冰盖，霉菌会在其下方滋生。

During a recent visit, in February, the Haituoshan Mountain Range had no snow at all. Locals said that water for snow would come from the nearby Guanting Reservoir.

在2月进行的一次实地采访中，海坨山完全没有雪。当地人说，造雪时会使用附近官厅水库的水。

Zeng Lian, a local farmer, said he hoped Beijing would win the bid. “The leaders have been here several times, and if Beijing wins, we can develop,” he said.

当地农民曾琏（音译）表示自己希望北京申奥成功。“领导已经来这里好几次了，如果北京赢了，我们就能发展起来，”他说。

A ski resort would provide revenue for his village, Haituo, long after the Games end, he said. Most residents live off corn farming, herding¹⁵ and selling supplies to hikers.

他认为，在奥运会结束很久以后，滑雪场仍将为他所在的海坨村带来收入。这里的大部分居民目前靠种玉米、放牧和向远足者出售物资为生。

The planned investment is huge. For the Xiaohaituo area, the government will invest $163 million, including a 35-acre Olympic Village and hotels with 940 rooms.

计划中的投资规模相当庞大。对于小海坨地区，政府将投资10亿元人民币，包括修建一座占地14万平方米的奥运村，以及总共拥有940个房间的酒店。

In nearby Chongli, the investment is less — $95 million — because some facilities already exist, such as the Genting Grand Secret Garden, a Malaysian-owned resort that is to host some of the Nordic events.

在离得不远的崇礼，投资规模小一些，为6亿元人民币，因为那里有些现成的设施，比如密苑云顶乐园，其业主是马来西亚人，可以举办北欧两项的部分内容。

On the nearby slopes, skiers were excited about the prospect¹⁶ of hosting the Games.

在附近的坡道上，滑雪者对主办奥运会的前景感到兴奋。

“This will complete the other facilities and boost tourism,” said Li Yun, a resident of Zhangjiakou who drove up for the day with his family. “The snow parks will become better and attract tourists from in and outside China.”

“这会完善其他设施，刺激旅游业的发展，”李云（音译）说。他是张家口的居民，当天驾车北上携家人来这里滑雪。“雪场会变得更好，吸引中外游客。”

All the snow parks in Chongli use artificial snow. During a visit in February, the ground next to the runs had no snow, and nearby hills were brown, except for an occasional dusting of snow in shaded areas.

崇礼的所有滑雪场都在使用人造雪。2月来这里时，雪道旁边的地面没有积雪，附近的山丘呈棕褐色，只在阴面偶尔有点薄雪的踪影。

Artificial or not, the new industries have brought relatively good-paying jobs to the area. Service personnel can earn about $500 a month, compared with the subsistence-level farming that existed before. Until the resorts began opening over the past decade, Chongli was officially designated an impoverished¹⁷ county.

无论这个新的产业是不是人为的，它都给周边区域带来了相对高薪的工作岗位。服务人员每月可以赚3000多元，而以前在这里从事农耕只能勉强糊口。过去10年间，这里开始出现滑雪场，而在那之前，崇礼是官方认定的贫困县。

The viability¹⁸ of this economy is open to debate. One of Chongli’s ski resorts, Duolemeidi, closed two years ago. Requests for interviews with the resort were rejected, but locals said rising water prices had made snow-making too expensive. The resort has recently reopened in hopes that Beijing wins the Games.

这种经济模式的可行性值得商榷。崇礼有一座滑雪场名为多乐美地，在两年前关闭了。滑雪场拒绝了采访请求，但当地人说，关闭是因为水价上涨，导致造雪成本太高。抱着北京能赢得奥运主办权的希望，该滑雪场近期又重新开放。

For those without jobs in the ski tourism industry, the prospects¹⁹ are daunting²⁰. Mr. Cheng, the farmer near the Yunzhou Reservoir, said agriculture was increasingly difficult because climate change had reduced rainfall.

对于那些不在滑雪旅游行业工作的人而言，前景有点令人发怵。云州水库附近的农民程林表示，农业耕作变得越来越困难，因为气候变化，降水量在不断减少。

Pumping water out of the ground is also harder, he said. Studies show that Beijing’s water table has been sinking up to two feet a year.

他说，把水从地下抽上来也变得更加困难。研究表明，北京的地下水位正在不断下降，速度可达每年两英尺。

“This is the way it has always been,” Mr. Cheng said. “The water goes to the city people.”

“一直都是这样，”程林说。“水送去了城里人那里。”

And yet like almost everyone interviewed in this area, he thought it would be great if Beijing won the bid.

然而，就像这个地区几乎所有接受采访的人一样，他也认为如果北京申奥成功，那会是件大好事。

“Right now I’ve only seen skiing on television,” he said. “But if we win, I’ll take a bus down to Chongli and see the snow myself.”

“我现在只在电视上看过滑雪，”他说。“但是如果我们赢了，我就可以坐辆公汽去崇礼亲眼看看雪了。”