Almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales are now officially in drought(干旱). But what does this mean and could taps eventually run dry(干涸，耗尽)?
目前，英格兰近四分之三的地区和威尔士全境已正式进入干旱状态。但这意味着什么？水龙头最终会干涸吗？
What does it mean to be in drought?
进入干旱状态意味着什么？
There is no single definition of drought and every drought is different. But they are all characterised(以……为特征) by a prolonged(长期的，持久的) period of low rainfall creating a shortage of water.
干旱没有单一的定义，每次干旱也各不相同。但它们的共同特点是长期降雨不足，导致水资源短缺。
Some droughts are short and intense, like the recent “flash drought” declared across three-quarters of England, which developed quickly because of unusually low rainfall and high temperatures.(有些干旱短暂而剧烈，比如最近在英格兰四分之三地区宣布的“突发性干旱”，由于降雨异常少、气温高而迅速发展。) Others can take a long time to develop(需要很长时间才能形成) over multiple seasons due to prolonged low rainfall.
有些干旱短暂而剧烈，比如最近在英格兰四分之三地区宣布的“突发性干旱”，由于降雨量异常少、气温高，迅速发展。另一些干旱则可能因长期降雨不足，需要多个季节才能逐渐形成。
What are the drought conditions like this summer?
今年夏天的干旱状况如何？
But isn’t the UK famously rainy?
但英国不是以多雨著称吗？
Where do water companies get the water?
水务公司从哪里取水？
Do only water companies take water from the environment?
只有水务公司从环境中取水吗？
Why are England and Wales running out of water?
为什么英格兰和威尔士的水资源正在枯竭？
Isn’t there also a water quality crisis?
难道不存在水质危机吗？
Do people in England and Wales use more water than elsewhere?
英格兰和威尔士的人均用水量比其他地方多吗？
How can individuals reduce water wastage?
个人如何减少水资源浪费？
How can drought resilience be improved as climate breakdown accelerates?
随着气候崩溃加速，如何提高抗旱能力？
Can water companies go further than a hosepipe ban?
水务公司能采取比水管禁令更严格的措施吗？
If nothing changes, could we actually run out?
如果一切照旧，我们真的会断水吗？
What does this mean for the future?
这对未来意味着什么？