Beijing released stricter emission¹ standards for cars last Monday to improve air quality in the capital.

北京市上周一发布了更为严格的机动车排放标准，以改善首都的空气质量。

Starting on Dec 15, gasoline cars with National I and II emission standards will be banned from the road in Beijing when the city has an orange or red air-quality alert.

自12月15日起，当北京市处于橙色或红色空气质量预警时，将禁止国I、国II排放标准的汽油车在市内道路上行驶。

Furthermore, those cars will be banned from the road from Monday to Friday starting on Feb 15 next year.

此外，自2017年2月15日起，北京将从周一到周五对上述车辆实施限行。

"The number of cars with National I and II emission standards make up 8 percent of the cars registered in Beijing. However, the emissions² from those cars account for more than 30 percent of all emissions from cars in the city because of their low standards," said Fang³ Li, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

北京市环境保护局发言人方力表示：“国I、国II排放标准的汽车占到了北京市注册车辆的8%。不过正是因为这一低标准，这些汽车的排放量达到了这座城市所有汽车的排放量的30%。”

Car emissions are one of the major sources of air pollution in Beijing, said Fang Li.

方力称，机动车排放是北京空气污染的主要源头之一。

"Making cars on the road cleaner is an important way to cut pollution," he said. "In fact, this method is widely used in major European cities and proven to be effective."

他表示；“使路上行驶的机动车更干净是减少污染的一种重要方法。事实上，这种方法被广泛应用于欧洲各大城市，并被证明是有效的。”

To encourage car owners to replace their high-emission cars, the government is providing owners with subsidies⁴ of between 5,000 yuan and 12,000 yuan. The subsidies will be given from Dec 1 to the end of next year.

为鼓励车主更换高排放车辆，政府将为车主提供5000-1.2万元不等的补贴。补贴将于12月1日至明年年底期间发放。