?????? 每年春季，北方的城市幾乎都要經歷這樣一次頗為頭疼的沙塵暴（sandstorm, dust storm）。從3月19日開始，一股沙塵暴襲擊北京、河南、山東等16省區，大部地區天空昏黃，能見度（visibility）低，空氣質量（air quality）明顯下降。

?????? 沙塵頻繁肆虐，表明沙漠化（desertification）程度在加劇。盡管經過多年來的治理，我國土地沙化防治工作取得了積極進展，但局部地區沙漠化仍在擴展則是不爭的事實。在一些地方，濫墾（over-cultivation）、濫伐（deforestation）、濫牧（overgrazing）、濫用水資源（over-use of water resources）現象依然嚴重。我們必須認識到，治理沙塵和土地荒漠化，并不是一朝一夕的事情。

Dust sweeps through Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing on Saturday as North China reeled under a huge sandstorm. [China Daily]

?????? 請看相關報道：

The sky across North China turned dark yellow over the weekend as the biggest sandstorm this year offered a grim reminder of the impact of the country's worsening desertification.

...

In Beijing, residents woke on Saturday morning to find the city's streets blanketed by yellow dust. According to the National Meteorological Center, the sand traveled from deserts in the Mongolian People's Republic and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

China's national weather bureau gave the air quality a rare 5 rating - "heavily polluted" - and visibility was so bad that several flights had to be delayed at Beijing Capital International Airport, according to staff. The high-speed rail service between Beijing and Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, was also suspended for about two hours.

—— Excerpt from Desert storm blankets N. China

Australians living in the eastern states are bracing themselves for another dust storm similar to one that blanketed Sydney and Brisbane earlier this week, according to a report on Friday by News Ltd.

—— Excerpt from Australian bureau warns second dust storm likely