2020考研英语：《经济学人》中英读译Day8

英语阅读能力依靠什么？必然是词汇的积累，但，仅仅是词汇的积累是不够了，更应该了解英语句式，不同句型所表达意义。如何培养自己的阅读语感呢？那么就跟着聚英聚创考研信息网小编每天学一点英语，一起为考研筑起坚实的地基。阅读是需要积累的，就像我们需要经常和人沟通才会促进我们的表达能力一样~小伙伴跟着小编一起，每天坚持打卡，培养英语阅读能力及语感，了解文章一些经典词汇的用法。

  经济学人: 回收:塑料公路 (1)

  Of all the plastic produced since the 1950s, less than 10% has been recycled.The vast majority ends up being dumped, most of it in landfill.Some is left to litter the natural environment, where it can get into rivers and wash out into the sea.

  译文

  20世纪50年代以来，产生的所有塑料中，只有不到10%得到回收。其中大部分都成了垃圾，大多数都倾倒在了垃圾填埋场。一些被丢弃在自然环境中，流进河里，冲刷进海洋里。

  The plastic-waste problem will worsen before it gets better: some 380m tonnes of the stuff are likely to be made this year.That is more than three times as much as the 120m tonnes of bitumen produced annually, most of which goes into building the world's roads.

  译文

  塑料废物问题将在出现好转前恶化：今年似乎生产了3.8亿公吨塑料。这是每年生产的1.2亿公吨沥青的三倍还多，大部分沥青都被用于建造世界范围内的公路。

  There is a connection. Just as plastic is derived from petrochemicals, bitumen is produced as a by-product of refining oil.Both are polymers, which consist of long strands of molecules bound together firmly.It is this characteristic that makes plastic strong and contributes to its great longevity.Such features are also useful for road builders, who use hot bitumen to bind together aggregates made from broken rocks and stones,into what is commonly known as asphalt. All of which has got some people thinking: why not swap one polymer with another?Recycled plastic is already used to make some products, such as guttering and sewage pipes.

  译文

  其中有一个联系。塑料源自石油化工产品，而生产出的沥青是精炼油脂的副产品。两者都是聚合物，由紧密相连的分子长链组成。正是这种特征让塑料牢固且寿命超常。这些特点对公路建造者而言也很有用，他们利用热沥青将由碎石子和石头组成的聚合物粘合在一起制成我们熟悉的柏油。所有这一切不禁让人联想：为什么不将一种聚合物用另一种聚合物替换掉呢？回收塑料已被用于制作一些产品，比如排水沟和排污管。

  Now attention is turning to roads. On September 11th in Zwolle, a town in the Netherlands,a 30-metre bicycle track made from 70% recycled plastic and the rest from polypropylene was opened.It will be used to test a product called PlasticRoad, which is being developed by two Dutch firms—KWS, a road builder,and Wavin, a firm that makes plastic piping—in partnership with Total, a French oil-and gas firm.

  译文

  现在注意力转向了公路，9月11日，在荷兰的一个城镇兹沃勒由70%的回收塑料以及30%的聚合物组成的一条30米长的自行车径通车。这条公路将被用于测试一种被称为塑料公路的产品，由两家荷兰公司研发—公路建造商KWS以及制造塑料管道的公司Wavin—合作方为一家法国油气公司Total。

  PlasticRoad is prefabricated in a factory as modular sections.The sections are then transported to the site and laid end to end on a suitable foundation, such as sand.Because these sections are hollow, internal channels can be incorporated into them for drainage, along with conduits for services such as gas and electricity.For the Zwolle project, sections that were 2.4 metres long and 3 metres wide were used.These were fitted with sensors to measure things such as temperature, flexing and the flow of water through the drainage channels.A second pilot cycleway is being built in the nearby town of Giethoorn.

  译文

  塑料公路先在一家工厂预先建造组合作为组装节段。然后将组装节段运输至场地并将节段以首尾相连的方式铺设在一个合适的地基上，比如沙地。因为这些节段是空心的，所以可以装入排水用的内部沟道以及提供气电的导管。用于兹沃勒项目的节段长2.4米，宽3米。这些节段都配有传感器以测量温度、弯曲程度以及通过排水管道的水流。第二个试点自行车道将建在附近的希特霍伦。

  注释

  1.end up doing 以...而告终

  It is not official but many people end up doing four-day weeks.

  这不是官方规定的，但很多人最后每周工作四天。来源于《BBC》

  2.worsen 恶化

  Extending patent protection would only worsen that situation.

  扩大专利保护只会使这种情况恶化。来源于《WSJ》

  3.is derived from 源自；从...中产生

  Currently, most ethylene is derived from oil.

  目前，大多数乙烯都是从油中提炼出来的。来源于《WSJ》

  4.consist of 构成

  Major international competitions consist of qualification and final rounds.

  主要的国际比赛包括资格赛和决赛。来源于《BBC》

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