World Water Day has been marked in Nanjing by local media turning it into an opportunity to put pay to a number of rumours regarding the resource, rumours so pervasive they are taken by many to be absolute fact.
南京当地媒体庆祝了世界水日，并以此为契机，对有关资源的一些谣言进行辟谣，谣言如此普遍，以至于许多人认为这是绝对事实。
Yesterday, 22 March, marked World Water Day, the annual celebration of respect to our planet’s most precious resource that has been held annually since 1993. This year, the conversation had been all about what water means to people in different settings.
昨天，即 3 月 22 日，是世界水日，自 1993 年以来，每年都会举办一次庆祝活动，以表达对地球上最宝贵资源的尊重。今年，讨论的重点是水对不同环境下的人们意味着什么。
In China, water is no less important than anywhere else. But it can be manifest in culture in different ways. For example, the expression ”有山有水” (has mountains, has water) is a catch all to indicate the auspiciousness of a particular place. Others, such as “如鱼得水” (like a fish in water) might be common across cultures.
在中国，水的重要性不亚于其他任何地方。但它可以以不同的方式体现在文化中。例如，“有山有水”这句话就是一语中的，表示某个地方吉祥。其他诸如“如鱼得水”（就像鱼在水中）可能在不同文化中都很常见。
While many such expressions or beliefs might be grounded in fact, others are less so. And it is these that Chinese media has chosen to call out this World Water Day.
虽然许多这样的表达或信念可能有事实根据，但其他的则不然。中国媒体也选择以此为主题来宣传今年的世界水日。
Rumour 1: Drinking Yesterday’s Water Gives You Cancer
谣言一：喝昨天的水会致癌
Rampant on WeChat and especially popular with the elderly, the rumour states that the left-over boiled water from yesterday, or water boiled multiple times, contains nitrite, which is a carcinogen.
微信上流传的谣言尤其受老年人欢迎，称昨天剩下的开水或多次煮沸的水含有亚硝酸盐，这是一种致癌物质。
According to Fan Zhihong, Associate Professor in the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, ordinary drinking water contains only minerals and trace elements. As a result, carcinogens will not appear out of thin air, joked Nanjing Daily yesterday.
中国农业大学食品科学与营养工程学院副教授范志红介绍，普通饮用水只含有矿物质和微量元素。因此，南京日报昨天开玩笑说，致癌物不会凭空出现。
As long as the water source meets standards, theoretically, no matter how many times it is boiled, it will not produce carcinogens.
只要水源符合标准，理论上来说，无论煮沸多少次，都不会产生致癌物质。
“You don’t have to worry about excessive nitrite in overnight water and repeatedly boiled water”, said Ruan Guangfeng, of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Centre, in an interview with Science and Technology Daily.
“不必担心隔夜水和反复煮沸的水亚硝酸盐超标。”科信食品与营养信息交流中心的阮光峰在接受科技日报采访时表示。
Rumour 2: Drinking Four Litres of Water Every Day is Poisonous
谣言二：每天喝四升水有毒
Feeling cold? Drink water. Headache? Drink plenty of water. In a bad mood? Drink more water. In the eyes of many a Chinese, a glass of H2O is the perfect cure for an endless array of ailments. But can it be too much?
感觉冷吗？喝水。头痛？多喝水。不爽？多喝水。在许多中国人眼中，一杯水可以治愈无数的疾病。但会不会太多了？
When the quantity of water consumed by the human body greatly exceeds the amount discharged, water poisoning may be the result, also known as hyponatremia. This results in sodium in the body becoming diluted. According to the Mayo Clinic, “When this happens, your body’s water levels rise, and your cells begin to swell. This swelling can cause many health problems, from mild to life-threatening”.
当人体消耗的水量大大超过排出的水量时，可能会导致水中毒，又称低钠血症。这会导致体内的钠被稀释。根据梅奥诊所的说法，“当这种情况发生时，你体内的水位会上升，你的细胞开始肿胀。这种肿胀会导致许多健康问题，从轻微到危及生命”。
But while water poisoning is technically possible, it rarely occurs in clinical practice. In cases where it does, it is not only due to the excessive drinking of water, but also to underlying health issues, such as kidney disease. “As long as you don’t drink it [4 litres] in a short time, it won’t affect your health”, said Ruan.
尽管水中毒在技术上是可能的，但在临床实践中很少发生。如果确实如此，这不仅是由于喝水过多造成的，而且还与潜在的健康问题有关，例如肾脏疾病。 “只要你不在短时间内喝掉它（4升），就不会影响你的健康”，阮说。
Rumour 3: Drinking Hard Water Gives You Kidney Stones
谣言三：喝硬水会得肾结石
After a kettle is used for a long time, scale will form on its inner wall. The phenomenon is especially prevalent in hard-water areas such as northern China. Being in the middle of the country, Nanjing’s water is neither hard nor soft. It may taste bad, but it doesn’t harm your health.
水壶使用时间长了，内壁就会形成水垢。这种现象在中国北方等硬水地区尤其普遍。南京地处中部，水不硬也不软。它可能味道不好，但不会损害你的健康。
According to a 2018 study published by the Korean Urological Association, most of the large, long-term studies show no or very little relationship between hard water and kidney stones. For the general population, there simply is no increased risk associated with drinking hard water.
根据韩国泌尿外科协会 2018 年发表的一项研究，大多数大型长期研究表明硬水与肾结石之间没有关系或关系很小。对于普通人群来说，饮用硬水并不会增加风险。
On the other hand, kidney stones can be partly the result of not drinking enough water. In actual fact, hard water is rich in calcium and magnesium, and therefore, in this sense, drinking hard water can also supplement the body with additional minerals.
另一方面，肾结石的部分原因可能是没有喝足够的水。事实上，硬水富含钙和镁，因此，从这个意义上说，喝硬水还可以为身体补充额外的矿物质。
The Healthy Way to Drink Water this World Water Day
世界水日的健康饮水方式
According to the Nutrition Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016 Edition), adult men should drink 1.7 litres of water per day, and adult women 1.5 litres. These amounts should be adjusted according to people’s own situations. Do a lot of exercise and sweat more? Drink more. Live in the north where the air is dry? Drink more.
根据《中国居民营养膳食指南（2016年版）》，成年男性每天应饮用1.7升水，成年女性每天应饮用1.5升水。这些金额应根据人们自身的情况进行调整。 Do a lot of exercise and sweat more?多喝点。 Live in the north where the air is dry?多喝点。
In general, between six and eight glasses of water per day ought to be sufficient. Experts also advise us to drink small quantities frequently, and not to wait until we are thirsty before lapping up nature’s most valuable resource, on World Water Day, or any day.
一般来说，每天六到八杯水就足够了。专家还建议我们经常少量饮水，不要等到口渴时才在世界水日或任何一天饮用大自然最宝贵的资源。
