日本将重启核反应堆 Japan to restart nuclear reactor

Japan will begin to bring online a nuclear reactor for the first time in nearly two years on Tuesday in a step towards reviving the country's nuclear industry devastated by the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

日本将于周二启动一座核反应堆，这是该国将近两年来首次启动核反应堆，此举的目的在于重振因2011年福岛(Fukushima)核灾难而受到毁灭性打击的日本核工业。

In a statement on Monday, Kyushu Electric Power said the No 1 reactor at the Sendai plant in southern Japan is expected to start generating power Friday before reaching full capacity in early September, writes the FT's Kana Inagaki in Tokyo.

在周一的一份声明中，九州电力(Kyushu Electric Power)表示，仙台核电站1号反应堆预计将于周五开始发电，并将在9月初实现全力运转。

The restart would be the first under new safety requirements implemented after a tsunami in March 2011 caused a series of devastating meltdowns in Fukushima.

这次重启将是首次依照2011年3月一场海啸后实施的新安全规定运转。那场海啸导致福岛发生一系列毁灭性的熔堆事故。

All of Japan's nuclear reactors remain offline, posing a serious challenge to a country with no fossil fuel reserves of its own. Restarting some reactors would help Japan reduce its energy import bill and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

目前，日本所有核反应堆依然处于停机状态。对自身没有化石燃料储量的日本来说，这种局面带来了严重挑战。重启部分核反应堆将有助于日本减少用于能源进口的开销，降低温室气体排放。

But a nuclear restart would be a further blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's already sliding popularity as public opposition remains strong towards Japan's return to nuclear energy. The road to rebooting Japan's atomic industry has not been smooth, with many citizens protesting against restarts.

不过，重启核反应堆可能会进一步打击日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)已在不断下滑的民意支持率，原因是公众依然强烈反对日本恢复使用核能。日本重振核工业的道路并不平坦，许多日本公民因反对重启核反应堆举行过抗议活动。

"We will carefully move forward with the restart process, putting the highest priority on ensuring safety," Kyushu Electric said in a statement.

九州电力在一份声明中表示：“我们将小心推进重启过程，把确保安全放在首位。”