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Toward a Cleaner Future: The Hydrogen Economy 环保氢燃料

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We all know that fossil fuels are not going to last forever, and we also know they seriously pollute the environment. However, there is one alternative that is clean and totally renewable: hydrogen.

我们都知道化石燃料总有一天会枯竭，我们也知道化石燃料会严重污染环境。不过现在有一种干净又完全可再生的替代燃料：氢气。

It sounds futuristic, but the reality is that in the coming centuries, fuel will be extracted from water. Water is separated into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis. Technically, cars – and pretty much everything else, for that matter – could run on hydrogen.

听起来很新潮，但实际上在将来数世纪里，燃料将从水粹取出来。透过电解过程，水分子可分解成氢跟氧，氢气就可当作汽车燃料。因此，几乎所有东西都可以用氢气作为能源来驱动。

Today, power is mainly used for two things: transport and electricity. The vast majority of world consumers use fossil fuels to power their cars, trucks, and airplanes. Fossil fuels also generate electricity for light bulbs, computers, and everything else we plug into an outlet. By tapping into hydrogen, though, we will finally have a truly clean fuel.

今日的能源主要用在两类东西上：交通和发电。全球绝大多数消费者用化石燃料来驱动车子、卡车和飞机。化石燃料也可产生电力供给电灯泡、计算机和所有电器产品使用。不过藉由开发氢气，我们终将获得真正干净的燃料。

When fossil fuels are burned, they give off substantial amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. However, when hydrogen is used, the only exhaust is pure, harmless water. Researchers are trying to find ways to store hydrogen so that it can be used in fuel cells. Fuel cells act like batteries, except that they combine hydrogen and air to produce heat and water.

化石燃料经过燃烧就会释放出大量温室气体：二氧化碳。然而，使用氢气唯一的排出物则是无害的纯水。研究人员正尝试找出储存氢气的方式，以供燃料电池使用。燃料电池的作用就像一般电池，只不过燃料电池是结合氢气和空气来产生热能和水。

Hopefully, breakthroughs in technology will help steer the world in the direction of a feasible hydrogen economy. When that happens, we’ll have a brighter, cleaner future to look forward to.

希望科技上的突破有助全球朝可行的氢经济方向迈进。如此，我们将可期待有一个更美好、更干净的未来了。

−by Joseph Schier

Vocabulary

单词发音

extract [ɪkˋstrækt] v. 榨取

generate [ˋdʒɛnə͵ret] v. 产生

substantial [səbˋstænʃəl] adj. 大量的

feasible [ˋfizəb!] adj. 可行的

alternative [ɔlˋtɝnətɪv] n. 选择; 供选择的东西（或办法等）

More Information

单词发音

fossil [ˋfɑs!] fuel [ˋfjʊəl] 化石燃料（如煤、石油、天然气等）

futuristic [͵fjutʃɚˋɪstɪk] adj. 未来的

electrolysis [ɪlɛkˋtrɑləsɪs] n. 电解作用

transport [ˋtræns͵pɔrt] n. 运输

outlet [ˋaʊt͵lɛt] n. 电源插座

tap into 利用，开发

give off 发出, 发散

carbon dioxide 二氧化碳

look forward to 期待

steer [stɪr] v. 带领; 驾驶，掌舵

for that matter 就此而言  so far as that is concerned; as for that

majority [məˋdʒɔrətɪ] n. 大多数

fuel cell  燃料电池