英國高溫熱死760人：爲何30℃死數百人

The U.K. is enduring a serious heat wave that has resulted in an estimated 540 to 760 deaths over nine days. The temperature on Thursday hit 31.0C, following Wednesday's year-high of 31.9C, marking the longest heatwave for seven years.
近日英國遭受到強熱浪侵襲，9天內的死亡人數預計達到540人至760人。繼本週三達到全年最高的31.9℃後，週四氣溫繼續維持在31℃，這是英國近7年來持續時間最長的一波熱浪。

Yet the highest the temperature has risen is 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the time, temperatures have hovered in the high 80s, which, while toasty, doesn't seem like it could kill hundreds of people.
雖說英國今夏的最高溫度已達到近90華氏度（約32℃），但大多數時候也不過徘徊在85華氏度（約29℃）以上。這樣的天氣的確很熱，但似乎也不至於導致數百人喪命。

Last month, for example, the temperature hit 117 degrees in Las Vegas during a heat wave that scorched the Southwest and parts of California. Yet, across a vast region of the United States, only a few fatalities were recorded.
比方說上個月一股熱浪席捲了加州西南部及其他部分地區，拉斯維加斯的最高氣溫一度達到117華氏度（約47℃），但是在美國大片地區也只有少數幾起死亡案例。

So why does 90 degrees kill in the U.K.?
所以說爲何在英國90華氏度就能致人死亡呢？

One reason is that air-conditioning is relatively rare in England. Only 0.5 percent of homes in the U.K. have air-conditioning, according to the BBC. Compare that to the United States, where an estimated 87 percent of households have an air-conditioning unit.
其中一個原因是空調。在英國，空調相對來說並不常見，根據BBC的數據，只有0.5%的家庭安裝了空調。而在美國，大約87%的家庭都配備了空調機組。

Temperatures approaching 90 degrees are unusual in the U.K. In London, the average high in July is only 73 degrees. As a result, many people don't take the proper precautions against extreme heat.
英國的氣溫很少會達到90華氏度，倫敦7月份的最高溫度平均只有73華氏度（約23℃）。因此很多人沒有對極端高溫採取適當的預防措施。

The heat wave, the U.K.'s first prolonged one since 2006, is expected to continue for several more days. Stay cool, U.K.!
自2006年來，英國第一次遇到持續時間如此長的熱浪，而它還將再逗留數日。找到涼快的辦法吧，英國！