韩国政府让公务员穿保暖内衣“节能”

This illustration file photo shows a model wearing a high-tech thermal bra. Government buildings in South Korea have to keep the office temperature below 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) and state employees are encouraged to wear thermal underwear to battle the cold.

South Korea's civil servants have been ordered to do their public duty by switching off the heating and donninglong johnsas the severe cold puts a strain on power resources, according to officials.

In an emergency energy savings plan, all ministries and state-run companies have been told to turn off the heating from 11:00 am to noon and 5:00-6:00 pm, the Knowledge Economy Ministry said.

Government buildings have to keep the office temperature below 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) and state employees are encouraged to wear thermal underwearto battle the cold, it said.

"Offices will be quite cold under the required temperature, so state employees, whether encouraged or not, will end up wearing thermal underwear anyway," a ministry official, Roh Keon-Ki, told AFP.

Officials will patrol state buildings to check the temperature, he said.

"We're trying to set an example because the country may face a severe electricity shortage if the current pace (of heating consumption) continues."

Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Kyung-Hwan warned last week of possible blackoutsafter electricity demand soared to record highs this winter.

Sunday's temperature in Seoul fell to a 10-year record low of minus 17.8 degrees Celsius. Large parts of the Han river that bisectsthe capital are frozen over.

The temperature in the southeastern port of Busan sank to minus 12.8 degrees Sunday, the lowest level in 96 years, causing the death of a homeless man.

Water supplies in the southeastern city of Gimhae were cut off Sunday after pipes burst.

据一些韩国官员说，韩国政府要求公务员履行公职，关掉暖气，穿上秋衣秋裤，以应对严寒天气造成的电力资源紧张的局面。

知识经济部称，政府出台了一项紧急节能计划，要求各部委和国企在上午11时至12时以及下午5时至6时停止暖气供应。

根据该计划，所有的政府办公楼都须将室内温度调到18摄氏度（华氏64度）以下，同时政府提倡公务员穿保暖内衣御寒。

一位名叫卢健基的政府官员告诉法新社记者说：“调到规定的温度后，办公室里肯定很冷。因此不管政府提不提倡，公务员们都会穿保暖内衣来上班。”

他还说官员们会在办公楼里巡视，检查温度。

“我们尽量以身作则，如果人们还按照现在的速度来消耗热量，那么韩国可能会面临严重的电荒。”

今冬韩国的电力需求量达到了历史最高值，知识经济部部长崔炅焕上周警告说这可能会导致停电。

上周日（16日）首尔的最低气温降到了零下17.8摄氏度，创下了10年以来的最低温度。将首尔从中隔断的汉江出现大面积结冰。

韩国东南部港口城市釜山周日的最低气温降到了零下12.8摄氏度，是96年来的最低温。一名流浪汉被活活冻死。

韩国东南部的金海市周日发生水管冻裂，供水被切断。

Vocabulary:

don: to put clothes, etc. on（披上；穿上；戴上）

long johns: warm underpants with long legs down to the ankles（至踝部的）长内裤，衬裤

thermal underwear: 保暖内衣

blackout: a period of darkness caused by an electrical power failure（断电；停电）

bisect: to divide something into two equal parts（对半分；二等分）