Gulf Coast Oil Spill
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Explosion Aboard the Deepwater Horizon.
深水地平线上的内容爆炸列表.
4 The Bigger Problem.
4大问题.
6 Why Oil Spills Are Disasters.
6 为何石油泄漏是灾害。
9 The Risks of Oil Rigs.
9 石油钻机的风险。
11 Other Big Oil Spills.
11 其他"大石油溢出".
12 Cleaning Up Oil Spills.
12"打扫出油溢".
13 The Offshore Drilling Debate.
13 近海钻探辩论。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 Explosion Aboard the Deepwater Horizon On the night of April 20, 2010, an explosion lit up the sky in the Gulf of Mexico.
16 深海地平线上爆炸 2010年4月20日晚,墨西哥湾一起爆炸将天空点燃.
A fireball rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling rig as it worked forty-two miles off the coast of Louisiana.
火球在路易斯安那州海岸42英里外作业时 震撼了深水地平线钻油平台
Within seconds, fire engulfed the Deepwater Horizon.
几秒钟之内,火就吞噬了深水地平线.
The 126 workers on the rig found themselves caught in a fiery inferno with nowhere to escape but the ocean itself.
钻井平台上的126名工人发现自己被困在一股大火中,除了海洋本身,别无所逃生.
This photograph was taken from a helicopter as it circled the burning oil rig on the night following the accident.
这张照片取自一架直升机,该直升机在事故发生后夜间将燃烧的油井盘旋。
Eleven of the 126 rig workers died in the explosion.
126个钻机工人中有11人死于爆炸.
The others were rescued by nearby ships, and the injured were flown to a hospital in Alabama.
其他人被附近的船只所救出,伤者被空运到阿拉巴马州的一家医院.
For two days, ships attempted to put out the flames by spraying huge amounts of water onto the massive oil rig.
两天来,船只试图通过向大型石油钻井平台喷出大量水来扑灭火焰。
But on April 22, 2010, a second explosion sent the Deepwater Horizon to the bottom of the ocean.
但在2010年4月22日,第二次爆炸将"深水地平线"送入了海底.
The loss of life, the injuries, and the destruction of the oil rig were a major disaster.
人员伤亡和石油钻井平台被摧毁是一起重大灾难。
But at the time of the accident and in the days that followed, no one knew just how serious the disaster would become.
但在事故发生时和之后的日子里,没有人知道这场灾难会变得多么严重.
The Bigger Problem The Deepwater Horizon accident was much worse than was first feared because the safety valve on the well failed.
更大的问题 深水地平线事故比最初担心的要糟糕得多,因为井上的安全阀失效了.
Safety valves on oil wells are designed to shut off the flow of oil in emergencies.
油井上的安全阀被设计为在紧急情况下关闭油流.
But for some reason, the safety valve on the well beneath the Deepwater Horizon didn’t close.
深水地平线井下的安全阀没有关闭。
Because of that failure, about 60,000 barrels of oil leaked into the ocean each day.
由于这次失败,每天有约6万桶石油漏入海洋.
By May 3, the oil slick covered an area of 2,500 square miles — larger than the state of Delaware.
至5月3日,浮油覆盖了面积为2500平方英里——比特拉华州要大.
By July 15 when the well was capped from the top, about 5 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf of Mexico.
至7月15日井自上而下被封顶时,约500万桶石油已漏入墨西哥湾.
Fireboats battled the blaze aboard the Deepwater Horizon.
消防艇在"深水地平线"上与火焰相搏
Over one thousand people went to work on solving the problems created by the leaking well in the days, weeks, and months following the explosion.
在爆炸发生后数天、数周和数月里,有上千人去努力解决漏井造成的问题。
Small robotic submarines were sent to the ocean floor to examine the damage and try to stop the leak.
小型机器人潜艇被送往洋底去检查受损情况并试图阻止泄漏.
The small submarines were used to flip a switch that was supposed to close the safety valve, but all attempts to stop the leak failed.
小型潜艇被用来翻开一个本应关闭安全阀的开关,但所有阻止泄漏的尝试都失败了.
As the first edges of the oil slick neared the Gulf Coast shores, another solution was tried.
由于浮油的最初边缘接近了海湾海岸,因此尝试了另一种解决办法。
The idea was to build a large metal box to place over the leaking well.
想法是建造一个大型的金属盒,放在漏出井上.
The oil that collected inside the box would be pumped out into tanker ships that would haul the oil away.
装箱内收集的石油将被泵出油轮将油运走。
Unfortunately, when this plan was tried, the box became blocked with frozen crystals of natural gas.
不幸的是,当这个计划被尝试时,盒子被被冷冻的天然气晶体挡住.
The cold temperatures and high pressures at the seafloor kept the box from working.
海底的寒冷温度和高压使盒子无法工作。
Plans were also made to drill relief wells next to the leaking well.
还计划从漏井旁钻出救济井.
The relief wells would connect with the original well and would be used to pump mud or concrete down the pipes to try to plug it.
救济井将与原井相接,并用于将泥或混凝土泵入管道以试图插上.
On September 16 a relief well finally reached the original well.
9月16日,一口救济井终于到达了原井.
Mud and cement were pumped into the well to seal it shut.
泥和水泥被泵入井中封住.
On September 19 the well was declared plugged from the bottom for good.
9月19日,该井被宣布从底部永久插上.
Workers tried to catch the oil leaking from the well in a big metal box, but it didn’t work.
工人试图在一个大金属盒里抓住从井中漏出来出油,但是没有成功.
Crew members work on an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
船员在墨西哥湾的海上石油钻井平台工作。
Why Oil Spills Are Disasters The harmful effects of oil spills become clear when the oil gets close to and reaches the shore.
为何石油泄漏是灾害 当石油接近并到达岸边时,溢出石油的有害影响就变得很明显了.
Oil spills can cause tremendous damage to marine life, the environment, and the economy.
石油外溢可能对海洋生物、环境和经济造成巨大损害。
Countless birds, fish, and other animals can be killed as the oil reaches the areas where they hunt and live.
无数的鸟类,鱼类,以及其他动物,随着石油到达了它们狩猎和生活的地区,可以被杀死.
Beaches and wetlands can become contaminated with toxic oil.
海滩和湿地可能会被有毒油污染.
Wildlife refuges that are home to rare animals can be destroyed.
珍稀动物栖息地的野生动物保护区可以被破坏.
Many coastal towns rely on oyster beds, fishing, and the shrimping industry for jobs.
许多沿海城镇依靠牡蛎床、捕鱼和捕虾业就业。
Other towns have beautiful beaches and fishing areas that attract tourists and other people for recreation.
其他城镇有美丽的海滩和捕鱼地,能吸引游客和其他人来娱乐.
All of these important parts of the Gulf Coast’s economy can be severely damaged or even destroyed by spilled oil.
海湾沿岸经济的所有这些重要部分都可能受到石油外溢的严重破坏甚至破坏.
The possible effect on the lives of people who live in the path of the spill is enormous.
对生活在溢出道上的人的生活可能产生的影响是巨大的。
Some estimates put the damages to fishing and tourism from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill at more than $5 billion.
一些估计认为"深水地平线"漏出石油对渔业和旅游业造成的损害超过50亿美元.
Shrimping boats put out of work by the oil spill help with the cleanup effort.
溢出石油导致船只停工,有助于清理工作。
Rare birds such as these brown pelicans off the Louisiana coast are threatened by the oil spill.
路易斯安那州海岸外的这些棕榈等稀有鸟类受到漏油的威胁.
The Risks of Oil Rigs The work done by oil rigs always carries the risk of leaks and explosions.
石油钻机的风险 石油钻机的工作总是有泄漏和爆炸的危险。
Fires, mechanical failures, and severe weather such as hurricanes can cause accidents at any time.
火灾,机械故障,飓风等恶劣天气随时会引发事故.
Explosive natural gas often bubbles up from oil wells.
爆炸性天然气往往从油井中冒出。
If a natural gas cloud reaches the surface, a single spark can touch off a huge explosion.
如果天然气云到达地表,单一的火花可以触出巨大的爆炸.
In addition, oil can leak from underwater pipes that carry oil from offshore wells to refineries on land.
此外,从将石油从岸外井运入陆上炼油厂的水下管道会漏出石油.
Other Big Oil Spills Some of the world’s biggest oil spills have been the result of shipwrecks.
其他大石油泄漏事件 世界上一些最大的石油外溢事故都是由沉船造成的.
One of the most famous spills was caused by the ship Exxon Valdez in the unspoiled waters off the coast of Alaska.
最出名的外溢事故之一是由埃克森·瓦尔德斯号(英语:Exon Valdez)号飞船在阿拉斯加近海未受污染的水域所出.
More than 10 million gallons of oil leaked from the ship, causing major damage to the environment.
舰只漏出1000多万加仑石油,对环境造成重大破坏.
Hundreds of thousands of animals died from contact with the oil, and the effects of the spill were felt for years afterward.
数十万只动物因与油的接触而死亡,而溢出物的影响在之后多年被感受到.
However, the worst oil spill ever was created on purpose.
然而,有史以来最严重的漏油事件是故意造成的。
In 1991, Iraqi soldiers released oil into the Persian Gulf to try to prevent enemy soldiers from landing on their shores.
1991年,伊拉克士兵向波斯湾放出石油来试图阻止敌军士兵登陆他们的海岸.
Up to 520 million gallons of oil were released into the water, creating an oil slick that covered 4,000 square miles.
高达5亿2千万加仑的石油被放入水中,造成浮油,覆盖了4,000平方英里.
The Development Driller III rig that was chosen to drill the relief well is similar to the Deepwater Horizon.
被选来钻取救灾井的"开发地钻III"钻机与"深水地平线"类似.
Offshore oil wells and oil tankers have both been involved in large oil spills in the past.
近海油井和油轮过去都曾参与过大规模的石油外溢.
Cleaning Up Oil Spills Trying to clean up oil spills is difficult and expensive.
清理溢出石油 试图清理石油外溢是困难而昂贵的.
Cleaning up the spill caused by the Deepwater Horizon explosion will cost the company that owns the well billions of dollars.
清理由"深水地平线"爆炸所引发的溢出会让拥有数十亿美元井权的公司付出代价.
There is no easy way to remove oil from the environment once it’s been spilled.
石油一旦溢出,
Authorities used a variety of methods to deal with the damage from the spill.
当局采用各种方法处理溢出所造成的损害。
Methods of Cleaning Up Oil Spills Absorption: Special towels are used to absorb oil that is coating sand and other material along the shore.
清理漏油的方法: 专用毛巾用于吸收沿岸涂有沙子等材料的油.
Burning: When conditions are fairly calm and the oil is fairly thick, it can be set on fire.
燃烧: 当条件相当平静,而石油相当浓厚时,就可能起火.
Burning removes oil from the surface but fills the air with harmful black smoke.
燃烧会从地表取出油,但会让空气充满有害的黑烟.
Chemicals: Planes flying over an oil spill drop chemicals that break the oil into tiny droplets that sink below the surface.
化学品: 飞机飞过石油外溢 将化学物质分解成小水滴 沉入地表以下
Natural bacteria living in the ocean water then eat the droplets.
生活在海水中的天然细菌再吃水滴.
Containment: Booms, or long floating tubes, are strung out to form a barrier to prevent the oil from spreading.
阻塞: Boom,或长浮管被接出来形成屏障来防止石油扩散.
Microbes: Tiny, microscopic oil-eating organisms are spread over the spill.
微生物: 细小的,显微的食用石油的生物分布在溢出地上.
They eat and digest the oil.
他们吃和消化油。
Power washing: Power sprayers are used to remove oil from rocks and other objects that get coated with oil that comes ashore.
洗电: 动力喷雾器用于去除被上岸的油涂上岩石和其他物体的油.
Skimming: Ships with special equipment are used to skim oil collected within floating booms.
斯克明:有特殊设备的船舶被用来去滑取在浮起的繁荣中所收集的石油.
The Offshore Drilling Debate As long as the world depends on oil for energy, there will be pressure to look for new sources of oil.
海上钻井辩论 只要世界依靠石油来获取能源,就会有寻找新的石油来源的压力.
Many people oppose offshore drilling and the use of tanker ships to move oil across the oceans.
许多人反对近海钻探,反对用油轮将石油运出海洋.
They say the risks of oil spilling and leaking are not risks worth taking.
他们说漏油和漏油的风险不值得承担。
Many others argue that our growing energy needs make drilling through the ocean floor necessary.
其他许多人认为,我们日益增长的能源需求使得需要钻入洋底。
Scientists know that big pockets of oil lie beneath the ocean floor in many regions of the world.
科学家们知道,在世界许多地区,大片石油位于洋底之下。
Those who favor offshore drilling believe that taking proper safety precautions will minimize the risks involved.
那些赞成近海钻探的人认为,采取适当的安全防范措施将最大限度地减少所涉风险。
But as the Deepwater Horizon accident and others like it show, we can never guarantee that large oil spills won’t happen.
但正如"深水地平线"事故和其他类似事件所显示的那样,我们永远无法保证不会发生大面积石油外溢.
Glossary absorb (v.)
词汇吸收(五.)
to soak up or take in (p.
浸入或吸收(p.
13) contaminated (adj.)
13)被污染(adj.)
covered with harmful substances (p.
由有害物质覆盖(p.
9) engulfed (v.)
9)被吞没(五.
sourrounded completely (p.
完全被酸化(p.
4) guarantee (v.)
4) 保障(五.
to promise or ensure (p.
承诺或保证
15) inferno (n.)
15)地狱 (n.
a fire that burns fiercely or with great intensity (p.
烈火燃烧或烈火(p.
4) marine (adj.)
4) 海洋(adj.)
relating to, found in, or living in the sea (p.
与海洋有关、在海洋中发现或活在海洋中(第3页)
9) minimize (v.)
9) 尽量减少(五.)
to lessen or reduce as much as possible (p.
尽可能减少或减少(p.
15) oil slick (n.)
15) 浮油 (n.
a thin layer of oil floating on water (p.
一薄层浮于水上(p.
6) precautions (n.)
6) 预防措施(n.)
actions done as protection against possible undesirable events (p.
B. 为防范可能发生的不良事件而采取的行动(第5页)
15) refineries (n.)
15)炼油厂(n.
factories that purify raw materials (p.
净化原材料的工厂(p.
11) toxic (adj.)
11)有毒(adj.
poisonous; dangerous to life (p.
有毒;对生命有危险(p.
9) wetlands (n.)
9) 湿地(n.
areas of land that are marshy or swampy (p.
沼泽地或沼泽地(p.
9) President Obama talks about the spill on May 2, 20 1 0.
9) 奥巴马总统于5月2日20:10谈论了溢出事件.