時差N小時:細(xì)菌能 Bacteria produce energy

Yael:Welcome to another episode of Lunch withDon and Yael.

雅埃爾:歡迎來到唐和雅埃爾的另一個午餐時光。

So, Don, what are you eating today?

那唐，你今天吃什么?

Don:Nothing.

唐:什么都不吃。

YAEL:Nothing!Are you on a diet or something?

雅埃爾:不吃? 你在節(jié)食還是要干什么?

DON:Not by choice. To be honest, I'm trying to savemoney by buying less food.

唐:這可不是出于自愿。老實說,我想少吃點省些錢。

YAEL:Why?

雅埃爾:為什么?

DON:Because I'm spending all my money on putting gas in my car and heating my home.

唐:因為我把所有錢花在汽車和給自家供暖上了。

The other day I filled up my tank and spent over fifty bucks!

前幾天光加個油就花了我50塊錢!

And you don't even want to know how high my heating bills have been.

你甚至不想知道我的取暖費有多高。

YAEL:I hear you. We're all in the same boat.

雅埃爾:我聽到你的訴苦了。我們都差不多。But check this out:scientists at ArizonaState University are working on a fuel cell that uses bacteria to produce energy from wastematerial like sewage or pig manure.

但看看這個:亞利桑那州立大學(xué)的科學(xué)家們正在致力于一項細(xì)菌從污水或豬糞等廢棄物中產(chǎn)生能量燃料的研究。

DON:You mean they can generate energy from garbage? Sounds like science fiction.

唐:你是說他們可以從垃圾中產(chǎn)生能源?聽起來像科幻小說。

YAEL:I know, but this is for real.

雅埃爾:我知道,但確有其事。

It's kinda technical, but the basic idea is that bacteria are good at breaking down almost anykind of organic waste.

里面涉及很多技術(shù)環(huán)節(jié),但基本的原理是細(xì)菌善于分解幾乎任何種類的有機廢物。

They eat stuff like sewage and manure, essentially.

它們本質(zhì)上以污水和糞便等為食。

And when they do, the waste material releases electrons.

當(dāng)它們進食的時候，廢物材料釋放電子。

The so-called "microbial fuel cell" uses the freed electrons to generate electricity.

所謂的“微生物燃料電池”使用自由電子產(chǎn)生電能。

DON:That sounds great. So where can I get one?

唐:聽起來不錯。我在哪里能得到一個?

YAEL:Nowhere, yet. Microbial fuel cells are still in the early prototype stage.

雅埃爾:還不行。微生物燃料電池仍在早期的原型階段。

But one day they could make a huge difference.

但總有一天它們會帶來翻天覆地的變革。

The researchers think that in time, the cells could produce around twenty-five percent of theworld's energy demand and help reduce our use of fossil fuels.

研究人員認(rèn)為假以時日,細(xì)菌可以產(chǎn)生世界上百分之二十五的能源需求,幫助減少化石燃料的使用。

DON:But meanwhile, I'm starving.

唐:但與此同時,我餓了。

YAEL:Wanna share my lunch?

雅埃爾:想分享我的午餐嗎?

DON:That depends . . . what do you have?

唐:這個要看情況。你吃啥?