By Geng Xin
庚欣
The Japanese government began releasing the first batch of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on August 24, planning to discharge 200-210 tons on the first day according to news from Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Approximately 7,800 cubic meters of nuclear-contaminated water will be released in the 17-day first phase. What Japan is doing is an epic mistake that will bring damages in at least five aspects.
8月24日，日本启动福岛第一核电站核污染水排海。据日本东电公司发布的消息，当天的核污染水排放量预计为200至210吨。第一阶段排海将持续17天，合计排放约7800立方米核污染水。日本这次排放核污染水入海，是一个历史性重大的错误，至少有五大危害。
First, it will damage the environment. The nuclear-contaminated water will pose serious threats to the living environment of humanity, including oceans and the soil.
第一害是“害环境”，日本排放核污水直接危害了整个海洋、土壤等人类生存基本环境。
Second, it will damage humanity, particularly people living in Japan's neighboring countries and in countries and regions along the Pacific Ocean. Although countries such as the US connive at Japan's wrongdoing now out of political considerations, what will happen in the future will open everyone's eyes to the severity of the discharge.
第二害是“害人类”。尤其是对日本邻国和太平洋沿岸国家和地区的人民造成危害。尽管美国等目前出于政治等考虑，对日本的错误行为采取了认可、纵容的态度，但今后的实践，会使所有人都了解到问题的严重性。
Third, it will damage Japan itself. Japan actually stands to bear the brunt of its own wrongdoing this time because it relies on aquatic products for food and raw materials, and everybody has to face the music when its waters are radioactively contaminated, to say nothing about the catastrophic blow to Japan's economic image and political reputation.
第三害是“害自己”。日本这次的错误行为，其实受害更多的是日本自身。日本是一个“靠水吃水”，即主要以水产品为食材和产品材料来源的国家，水产受到核污染，可能所有人都很难幸免于难。此外，日本的经济形象、政治信誉也会受害。
Fourth, it will damage future generations. The discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater wreaks havoc both in current times and for generations to come. How to prevent nuclear contamination is a scientific subject not entirely conquered by humanity yet, which is all the more reason why we should act with awe and caution rather than make any rash and reckless move.
第四害是“害未来”，这次事件不仅仅是为祸当代，而且是贻害子孙，贻害未来。目前，防范核污染还是一个尚未攻克的科学难题。对这种科学上未定结论的领域，应该本着敬畏、慎重的态度，更应该以小心谨慎而非贸然行事。
Fifth, it will damage the world, or the international environment for peace, development and cooperation. When the March 11 earthquake of 2011 broke out, all countries, especially its neighbors, rushed to help Japan and stood by the Japanese people to fight against the disaster. Today, similar disasters are politicized and manipulated as a form of bloc confrontation, which erodes the international perception of Japan and the credit needed to cooperate with the country. That's the greatest loss for Japan.
第五害是“害世界”，或者说“危害国际和平发展合作环境”。当年“311地震”时，所有国家，尤其是各个邻国都驰援日本，和日本人民一道战胜灾难。而今天，类似的灾害被政治化操作成了一种阵营对抗式的事态，伤害了国际社会对日本的认知和与日本合作必需的信用基础，这对日本是重大的损失。
It is known to all that Japan is the only country in the world that's ever experienced a nuclear attack. It has also suffered immensely from the massive nuclear leak resulting from the March 11 earthquake of 2011. The Japanese government should have learned a hard lesson from history, reflected on its own behaviors, and been more conscious of nuclear safety with more prudent preventive measures.
众所周知，日本是世界上唯一一个受到过核打击的国家，同时又是受到“311地震”这样最大核泄漏事故伤害的国家。日本政府本应以史为鉴，痛定思痛，有更强的核安全意识和更稳妥的核风险防范措施。
Unfortunately, blinded by self-interests and driven by politicization and bloc confrontation, Tokyo has made the outrageously wrong decision of discharging the contaminated water into the ocean in total disregard of its own people, its national image, the grave concerns of its neighbors and the international community, and the natural environment on the earth or its future protection.
可惜，在一己之私和泛政治化、阵营化的阴影下，日本政府作出了这样过分的、不顾及日本自身人民生活和国家形象，不顾及邻国和国际社会重大关切，不顾及整个地球自然环境及未来保护的错误决策和行动。
Editor's note: Originally published on the Wechat official account of Zhi_news, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
