時(shí)差N小時(shí):細(xì)菌能 Bacteria produce energy
雅埃爾:歡迎來到唐和雅埃爾的另一個(gè)午餐時(shí)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(shí)說,我想少吃點(diǎn)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?yàn)槲野阉绣X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(gè)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(fèi)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(gè):亞利桑那州立大學(xué)的科學(xué)家們正在致力于一項(xiàng)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(jī)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(jìn)食的時(shí)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(cuò)。我在哪里能得到一個(gè)?
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(huì)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(shí)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(shí),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(gè)要看情況。你吃啥?
