時差N小時:細菌能 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:亞利桑那州立大學的科學家們正在致力于一項細菌從污水或豬糞等廢棄物中產生能量燃料的研究。

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.

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

They eat stuff like sewage and manure, essentially.

它們本質上以污水和糞便等為食。

And when they do, the waste material releases electrons.

當它們進食的時候，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.

研究人員認為假以時日,細菌可以產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?