中國南水北調官方網站公布，南水北調北京段應急調水已開始，第一批河北水源正在奔向北京，預計9月下旬正式到京。目前，北京已做好迎接南水北調京石段應急水源準備，并將出臺河北應急來水的水量配置計劃，主要保證城市生活用水。

請看新華社的報道：

According to the South-to-North water diversion office, when part of the project is completed in 2010, about 1 billion cubic meters of water will be diverted to Beijing annually.

據南水北調辦公室稱，到2010年該工程部分項目完工時，每年將會有大約十億立方米的水源輸往北京。

上述報道中，South-to-North water diversion就是“南水北調”的英文表達，South-to-North Water Diversion Project是“南水北調工程”，The South-to-North Water Diversion Project, consisting of eastern, middle and western routes, is designed to divert water from the water-rich south of the country, mainly the Yangtze River, the country's longest, to the dry north.（南水北調工程包括東線、中線、西線三條調水線路，主要從水資源豐富的長江流域往干旱的北方地區輸送水源）。

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）