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High Hopes for Hydrogen 「氢」净新能源

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Just over a decade after the Gulf War, the United States is calling for a second assault on Iraq. But standing in its way is a handful of former allies who are unwilling to support another disruptive battle in the Middle East. Countries such as France and Russia might be appealing on humanitarian grounds, but few people would deny that their objections may also have a lot to do with protecting their access to Iraqi oil.

在波湾战争十年后，美国准备对伊拉克发动第二次攻击。但，横梗在中间的阻碍是一些以前的盟国，他们现在不愿意支持在中东爆发另一次引起大乱的战争。一些国家，例如法国和俄罗斯，或许会以人道的立场作诉求，但很少人会否认这些国家反对这次的战争或许跟为了保障他们自己能取得伊拉克石油有很大的关系。

The stakes are dangerously high because, today, oil is quite literally the lifeblood of global industry. But this won’t be the case for much longer: some oil authorities say that reserves will last for another forty years; others believe that oil supplies will start to run out at the end of this decade. Either way, the world needs to find a new source of energy – fast.

这种情况是非常危险的，因为石油实际上是今日全球工业的命脉。但这种情形不会太久：一些石油相关单位表示，他们石油的储存量足够再用四十年；另一些人相信，石油供应会在2010年年底耗尽。无论如何，世界需要找出新能源──而且要快。

The optimists among us see the end of oil era as an opportunity to switch to a clean, renewable fuel. In the running are wind power, hydroelectric energy, and solar power – but all of these are susceptible to the vagaries of weather. A far more attractive option is hydrogen – a clean energy source that also happens to be the most abundant element on the planet.

其中有些乐观人士认为，石油年代的结束是个转换到一种干净、可再生的燃料的契机。而现在正在考虑的是风力、水力和太阳能──但这些能源都易受变幻莫测的天气影响。一种更吸引人的选择是氢气──一种地球上蕴含量最丰富的干净能源。

Vocabulary

单词发音

call for 要求；呼吁；号召

assault [əˋsɔlt] n. 攻击，袭击

handful [ˋhændfəl] n. 少数，少量[C][（+of）]

ally ['ælaɪ] n. 同盟国；同盟者

disruptive [dɪsˋrʌptɪv] adj. 分裂性的，破裂的

appeal [əˋpil] v. 诉诸，求助

ground [graʊnd] n. 根据，理由

Iraqi [ɪˋrɑkɪ] adj. 伊拉克的；伊拉克人的

stake [stek] n. 危险，风险

literally [ˋlɪtərəlɪ] adv. 确实地，真正地

lifeblood [ˋlaɪf͵blʌd] n. 生机的根源；命脉

optimist [ˋɑptəmɪst] n. 乐观者；乐观主义者

renewable [rɪˋnjuəb!] adj.〔由于自然循环或管理有方〕可再生的

in the running 在运转

susceptible [səˋsɛptəb!] adj. 易受……影响的

vagary [ˋvegərɪ] n.【正式】〔事件﹑想法等〕不可捉摸[异常]的变化(常用pl, vagaries)

Sentence of the Day

Let's make a clean break.

让我们做个了结吧。

make a clean break if you make a clean break from someone or something, you leave them quickly and completely, and are not involved with them at all in the future

课文讲解

Although hydrogen is found all over the planet, it seldom exists in pure form. At present, the easiest way of producing hydrogen is to extract it from natural gas; unfortunately, carbon dioxide is a by-product of the steam refining process. Environmental considerations aside, natural-gas reserves would probably be exhausted by 2030 anyway, leaving us back where we started.

虽然地球到处都有氢气，但却决少以纯氢的型态存在。目前，制造氢气最简单的方式是将它从天然气中分解出来。但可惜的是，二氧化碳是蒸汽精炼法中的副产品。且撇开环保因素不提，天然气的储存量无论如何或许会在2030年以前耗尽，那会让我们回到原点。

The solution then would be to use renewable energy sources to create electricity and to use that electricity to extract hydrogen from water via electrolysis. It may seem illogical to first create electricity in order to harness a second energy source, but it’s necessary because electricity can’t be stored. Hydrogen can, in fuel cells, and wind- and water-powered electricity generation is already feasible in some parts of the world.

那么，解决的方式将会是使用再生能源来制造电力，再透过电力，以电解法将氢气从水中分离出来。为了利用第二项能源而先制造出电力，看起来似乎不合逻辑，但是这样做是有必要的，因为电力无法储存。氢气可以储存在燃料槽。而且风力和水力发电在世界上某些地区已经是可行的。

But, what makes hydrogen really attractive as an energy source is that it is distributed evenly across the globe. Switching to hydrogen power would therefore end the world’s reliance on a handful of unstable Middle Eastern countries and hopefully help to defuse tensions in that region. With a little luck, hydrogen will solve not only energy problems, but some of our environmental and political ones too.

然而，把氢气当能源真正吸引人的地方是它平均分布在地球的每个角落。将能源换成氢气会因而结束全世界对中东几个不稳定国家的依赖，也希望有助于降低那个区域的紧张情势。运气好的话，氢气不只可以解决能源问题，还可以解决我们的环保与政治问题。

－by Michael Costello

Vocabulary

单词发音

natural gas 天然气

by-product [ˋbaɪ͵prɑdəkt] n. 副产品

electrolysis [ɪlɛkˋtrɑləsɪs] n. 电解作用

illogical [ɪˋlɑdʒɪk!] adj. 不合逻辑的

harness [ˋhɑrnɪs] v. 利用；控制

feasible [ˋfizəb!] adj. 可行的；可实行的

reliance [rɪˋlaɪəns] n. 依赖，依靠[U][（+on/upon）]

defuse [diˋfjuz] v. 缓和﹐ 改善〔困难或危险局面〕

Sentence of the Day

They should pour oil on troubled waters.

他们该平息风波了。

pour oil on troubled waters 平息风波