The Story of Plastic
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents The Convenience of Plastic.
目录 塑相之会.
4 A Short History of Plastic.
4 《塑料简史》。
5 Miracle Material.
5"奇迹材料".
7 The Case for Plastic.
7 《塑料案》。
9 The Problem with Plastic.
9 塑料问题。
12 Inventing a New Future for Plastic.
12 为塑料创造出新的未来。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 The Convenience of Plastic In 2016, people around the world bought more than 480 billion plastic drinking bottles.
16 塑料的方便 2016年,全球民众购买了超过4800亿个塑料酒瓶.
That figure equals almost 70 bottles for each person on Earth.
这个数字相当于地球上每人70瓶。
Every minute, more than a million plastic bottles are sold around the world.
每分钟,全世界都会有超过一百万个塑料瓶被出售.
Disposable bottles are just one example of how we use plastic.
可处理的瓶子只是我们如何使用塑料的一个例子。
This amazing material is everywhere.
这惊人的材料到处都是。
It’s lightweight and inexpensive, strong yet flexible, and can be molded into almost any shape for a million different purposes.
它的重量轻而价格低廉,强而灵活,可以被塑造成几乎任何形状,达到一百万种目的。
Plastic products are all around us.
塑料制品在我们周围
Your computer keyboard?
你的电脑键盘?
Your pen?
你的笔?
Your candy bar wrapper?
你的糖果条包装?
These and many other products are made of some type of plastic.
这些和许多其他产品由某种塑料制成.
We live in an age of plastic.
我们生活在一个塑料时代。
This material is a modern-day wonder.
这份材料是近代的奇观.
It is also cause for growing concern as we consider what to do with all our plastic trash.
在我们考虑如何处理我们所有的塑料垃圾时,这也引起了越来越多的关注。
Plastic bottles are light, strong, and cheap.
塑料瓶是轻而易举,强而便宜.
A Short History of Plastic Not that long ago, plastic didn’t exist.
塑料简史 不久前,塑料并不存在。
In the 1850s, British inventor Alexander Parkes became the first maker of plastic.
1850年代,英国发明家亚历山大·帕克斯(Alexander Parkes)成为了第一位塑料制造商.
He called it Parkesine and saw it as a means for waterproofing cloth.
他称它为"帕克辛"(Pakesine),视之为防水布的一种手段.
American John Wesley Hyatt bought the patent for Parkesine and conducted experiments to improve upon it.
美国人约翰·卫斯理·海特(John Wesley Hyatt)为帕克辛购买了专利并进行了改进的实验.
In 1869, he came up with a new kind of plastic and named it celluloid.
1869年,他想出一种新型的塑料并取名为"纤维素".
It proved to be a good replacement for elephant ivory, animal horn, and tortoise shell.
它被证明是大象象象牙,动物角和龟壳的好替代品.
Combs, false teeth, piano keys, and billiard balls were all manufactured from this amazing new material.
口罩,假牙,钢琴钥匙,和台球都是用这种惊人的新材料制造的.
Celluloid was also used to make photographic and cinematic film.
Celluloid也被用来制作相片和电影.
Toy makers began using plastic almost as soon as it became available.
玩具制造商几乎一得到塑料就开始使用.
In 1907, Belgian American chemist Leo Baekeland accidentally invented the first completely synthetic plastic.
1907年,比利时裔美国化学家利奥·贝克兰意外地发明了第一种完全合成的塑料.
Called Bakelite, the material could be formed into most any shape and then cooled into a hard, stiff form.
被称作"巴克利特"(Bakelite),材料可以被形成大多数任何形状,再被冷却成硬而僵硬的形式.
It was the forerunner of such materials as plexiglass, polyester, nylon, and vinyl.
它是花玻璃、聚酯、尼龙和乙烯等材料的前身。
Bakelite was used to make telephones, radios, kitchenware, car parts, and thousands of other products.
巴克利特用于制造电话,收音机,厨房用具,汽车零件等上千种产品.
The word plastic itself, though, did not become popular until the 1930s.
然而塑料一词本身直到1930年代才被流行.
It comes from the Greek word plassein, which means “to mold or shape.”
它出自希腊语"plassein"一词,意为"去模具或形状". “
Plastic can be molded and shaped into almost anything, and chemists and material engineers are still finding new forms and uses for it.
塑料可以被模制并被塑造成几乎任何东西,化学家和材料工程师仍然在为它找到新的形式和用途.
Bakelite popularized the use of plastic in household goods.
巴克利特普及了家庭用品中塑料的使用.
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
Leo Baekeland was trying to create a new chemical for coating furniture when he accidentally created Bakelite.
利奥·贝克兰(Leo Baekeland)在无意中创造出"巴克利特"(Bakelite)时,试图为涂装家具创造出一种新的化学物质.
Like Baekeland, many scientists have created important substances by accident.
和贝克兰一样,许多科学家意外地创造了重要的物质.
Charles Goodyear reportedly created weatherproof rubber after accidentally leaving a chemical mixture on a hot stove.
据报道,查尔斯·古德年(Charles Goodyear)在不小心把化学混合物放入热炉后制造出防风橡胶.
Chemist Stephanie Kwolek came up with Kevlar, used in bulletproof vests, while working to develop a strong, lightweight fiber for tires.
化学家斯蒂芬妮 Kwolek想出克夫拉尔,被用在防弹背心上,同时努力为轮胎发展出坚固而轻巧的纤维.
Miracle Material Plastic is special because of its atomic structure.
奇迹材料塑料因其原子结构而特别.
Atoms link together to form molecules—the tiny building blocks of all matter.
原子连接在一起形成分子——所有物质的微小构件.
Plastic is a polymer—a substance made of large molecules that are linked in repeating units.
塑料是一种聚合物——由大分子所制成的物质,在重复单元中相接.
These molecules bond very strongly in long chains, making them difficult to break and therefore very durable.
这些分子在长链中紧密地结合在一起,使它们很难被打破,因此非常持久.
Cellulose, a material that forms the cell walls of plants, is a type of natural polymer.
纤维素(Cellulose)是一种构成植物细胞壁的材料,是一类天然聚合物.
Most plastics today, though, are made from synthetic polymers that don’t occur in nature.
如今大多数塑料都是由合成聚合物所制成,
Scientists are able to create these polymers using oil, natural gas, or chemicals that can be made from them.
科学家能够使用能从中制取的石油,天然气或化学物质来创造出这些聚合物.
The chemicals are loaded with carbon atoms that form strong bonds with other atoms.
化学物质被装入碳原子,这些原子与其他原子形成很强的结合.
Cotton, wood, and latex from rubber trees are all natural polymers.
棉花,木材和橡胶树的乳胶都是天然聚合物.
Plastic storage containers are light and strong.
塑料存储容器轻而有力.
Thermoset countertop tiles are strong and heat resistant.
热能反托顶瓦很坚固,耐热.
There are two types of plastics— thermosets and thermoplastics.
塑料有两种类型——热器和热塑料.
Thermosets are hard and brittle, and can withstand heat.
发热器硬而脆,能耐热.
Once they are shaped and cooled, they cannot be remelted.
一旦被造型和冷却,它们就不能被回熔.
Examples of thermoset plastic include bathroom tiles, countertops, and baking dishes.
热器塑料的例子包括浴室瓦片、柜台和烘焙盘子。
Thermoplastics can stretch and can also be melted, reformed, and recycled fairly easily.
热塑性能可以拉伸,也可以被融化,改造并相当容易地被再生.
Milk jugs, plastic storage containers, and most toys are examples of this kind of plastic.
牛奶罐,塑料储存容器,以及大多数玩具都是这种塑料的例子.
Thermoplastics make up more than 90 percent of plastic products we know and use.
热塑胶占我们已知和使用塑料产品的90%以上。
The Case for Plastic In the past century, plastic became the shape- shifting wonder of manufacturers’ dreams.
塑料问题 在上个世纪,塑料成为制造商梦想的外形变化之奇。
Wood, metal, stone, glass, and ceramics can be fragile and difficult to work with.
木材,金属,石头,玻璃,和陶瓷可能很脆弱,难以使用.
Plastic, on the other hand, can be molded with great precision to meet the needs and wishes of businesses and consumers.
另一方面,可塑性能够被非常精确地塑造,以满足企业和消费者的需要和愿望.
Plastic is easy to make and transform, and has come to represent convenience.
塑料很容易制造和变形,并已成为方便。
It is the plastic bottle we drink from, the toothbrush we use to clean our teeth, and the disposable plates we picnic on and toss away.
这是我们喝的塑料瓶, 我们用来清洗牙齿的牙刷, 和一次性的盘子,我们野餐和扔走。
Plastic has also proven its value in other ways we may not notice.
塑料也以我们可能没有注意到的其他方式证明了它的价值。
Plastic has largely replaced leather and cloth as the main material used in athletic shoes.
塑料基本取代了皮革和布料,成为运动鞋中使用的主要材料.
One example of plastic’s benefits is energy savings.
塑料的好处之一是节能。
Builders use plastics to insulate homes, schools, and office buildings.
建筑商使用塑料来隔热住家、学校和办公楼。
Insulation saves energy by keeping heat in on cold days and keeping heat out when the thermometer climbs.
绝缘通过在寒冷的天气中保持热能并让温度计攀升时保持热能而节省能量.
Plastic is also lighter than glass or any other material that might be used for packaging.
塑料也比玻璃或其他可用于包装的材料轻。
The lighter weight saves fuel when shipping goods.
更轻的重量节省了运输货物时的燃料.
In a similar way, plastic parts have helped reduce the weight of cars, trucks, aircraft, and other forms of transport.
同样,塑料零件有助于减少汽车、卡车、飞机和其他形式的运输的重量。
The less a vehicle weighs, the less fuel it needs to move.
车辆重量越小,需要移动的燃料就越少.
In turn, lower manufacturing and shipping costs save money for shoppers.
反过来,较低的制造和运输成本为购物者节省了资金。
Most plastic products can also be mass-produced more efficiently and cheaply than products made from other materials, again reducing costs for consumers.
大多数塑料产品也可以比由其他材料制成的产品更高效更廉价地大规模生产,这再次降低了消费者的成本.
Plastic packaging also reduces food waste by keeping meat, bread, and vegetables fresh for longer periods.
塑料包装还可以通过将肉类、面包和蔬菜保持更长时间的新鲜来减少食物浪费。
Plastic has proven to be good business for manufacturers, retailers, and customers.
塑料已证明是制造商、零售商和客户的好生意。
Plastic helps make cars more lightweight and saves fuel.
塑料能帮助使汽车更轻而易举并节省燃料.
Any visit to a hospital or doctor’s office demonstrates plastic’s value to health care.
前往医院或医生办公室的任何访问都表明塑料对保健的价值。
Operating rooms are packed with plastic equipment, from monitors to tubes to surgical instruments.
手术室装有塑料设备,从显示器到管到外科仪器.
Plastic is easy to clean and resists contamination.
塑料易于清洁并能抵御污染.
Cheap, disposable supplies like syringes, examination gloves, and patient gowns reduce costs as well as the chances of infection.
廉价、一次性用品,如注射器、检查手套和病人礼服,既能减少费用,又能减少感染的机会。
Cheap to make, lightweight, durable, versatile—these are the big reasons we have found so many uses for plastic in our lives.
轻而易举、耐用、多才多艺,
Disposable plastic medical supplies help keep doctors and patients safe in hospitals but create a large amount of plastic trash.
可处置的塑料医疗用品有助于在医院中保持医生和病人的安全,但制造出大量塑料垃圾.
The Problem with Plastic Plastic has proven to be a miracle material, but more and more its drawbacks are there for all of us to see.
塑料塑料问题已经证明是一种奇迹材料,但是,我们大家都可以看到它的弊端越来越多。
A glance into a full dumpster reveals the problem—plastic trash.
翻一翻垃圾箱就能发现问题所在,
Plastic is turning into an environmental disaster.
塑料正在变成环境灾难。
A plastic bottle of water can be a cool, refreshing drink, but it comes at a price.
塑料瓶水可以是一种凉爽,清爽的饮料,但它会以出价来.
More than four hundred years from now, that plastic bottle will likely still be on Earth, perhaps buried in a landfill or lying on the seafloor.
400多年后,这个塑料瓶可能仍会留在地球上,也许被埋入填埋地,或者被埋入海底.
An Ocean of Plastic Each year, more than 99 METRIC TONS of plastic goes into the ocean.
每年有超过99个METRIC TONs的塑料进入海洋。
That’s more than one That amount is DOUBLING every years.
这不止一个 这笔钱每年都会被没收
3 11 millionmillion It just gets smaller over time.
3 100万 时间变小了
A single plastic bottle can break down into more than tiny pieces of plastic.
单个塑料瓶可以分解成超过小块塑料.
These tiny pieces of plastic are eaten by shellfish and other sea life.
这些小块塑料被贝类和其他出海生物所吃.
Plastic doesn’t go away!
塑胶不会消失!
Tiny pieces of plastic also make their way up the food chain into people.
细小的塑料块也会让食物链上升成人.
The average seafood eater takes in pieces of plastic each year.
海鲜食用者平均每年取出一块塑料.
Larger pieces of plastic can harm fish and wildlife when they eat it, choke on it, or become entangled in it.
更大的塑料块会伤害鱼类和野生生物,当它们食用时,会窒息,或者被缠入其中.
TRUCKLOAD of garbage every minute.
每分钟都有一堆垃圾
Sources: 1University of Georgia; 2Seachangeproject.
资料来源:1所格鲁吉亚大学;2所海洋交流项目。
eu; 3CSIRO; 4Dell.
eu; 3CSIRO; 4 Dell. (中文).
com/oceanplastics Plastic doesn’t go away!
相机/海洋塑料 塑胶不会消失!
Plastic’s durability presents huge environmental challenges.
塑料的耐用性带来了巨大的环境挑战。
Most food, wood, paper, and other plant materials break down over time and can be reused by nature.
大部分食物,木材,纸张等植物材料随时间推移而分解并可以被自然再利用.
Plastic is different, though.
塑相虽异.
Because most plastic is made from petrochemicals, natural forces cannot break it down easily, if at all.
因为大部分塑料由石油化工所制取,自然力量无法轻易地将其分解出来,如果有的话.
Over time, a plastic object may break into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, but it never completely disappears.
随着时间的推移,一个塑料物体可能会被分解成更小而更小的被称作"微塑料"的碎片,但从未完全消失.
The low cost of making plastic also adds to the problem.
制造塑料的低成本也加剧了这一问题.
It is cheaper to make new plastic bottles and other products than to reuse or recycle them.
制造出新的塑料瓶和其他产品比再利用或再循环便宜。
Many communities in the United States have recycling programs, but less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled, while another 15 percent is burned for energy.
美国许多社区都有回收计划, 但不到10%的塑料被回收, 而另外15%的塑料被烧为能源。
More than 75 percent of plastic is trucked to landfills or ends up dumped in the ocean.
超过75%的塑料被卡车运到垃圾填埋地或最终被倾倒入海洋.
Plastic trash is not just ugly; biologists have proven that plastic is harming and killing wildlife.
塑料垃圾不只是丑陋;生物学家已经证明,塑料正在伤害和杀害野生动物。
Dead whales have washed ashore with their guts stuffed with plastic bags they have mistakenly swallowed, thinking they were jellyfish or other food.
死鲸用胆子冲上岸,被错误地吞下塑料袋,以为是水母或其他食物.
Many seabirds are dying after swallowing plastic bits, and researchers are finding microplastics in fish, oysters, and other seafood we eat.
许多海鸟在吞下塑料块后会死亡, 研究人员在鱼,牡蛎和我们吃的其他海鲜中发现了微塑料.
As the plastic piles up, more people are taking action to help solve these problems.
随着塑料堆积而来,更多的人采取行动来帮助解决这些问题.
Communities are banning disposable plastic bags in their stores.
社区正在禁止其商店里装有一次性塑料袋。
Some countries are experimenting with charging customers a small deposit on each plastic drink bottle; they then get that money back when the container is returned.
一些国家正在尝试向顾客收取每个塑料饮料瓶的小额存款;然后,当货瓶被退回时,他们就能收回这笔钱。
Norway’s “Deposit Return Scheme” has resulted in 96 percent of that country’s plastic bottles being recycled instead of becoming garbage.
挪威的“存款返还计划”已导致该国96%的塑料瓶被回收,而不是成为垃圾。
In some cases, kids are leading the way in tackling plastic pollution.
在某些情况下,儿童正在率先解决塑料污染问题。
Milo Cress was nine years old when he started the Be Straw Free campaign in 2011.
米洛·克雷斯(英语:Milo Cress)于2011年发起"Be Straw Free"运动时已经9岁.
He urged restaurants and their customers to stop using plastic straws.
他敦促餐馆及其顾客停止使用塑料吸管.
The organization estimates that Americans use half a billion straws every day, and straws are among the most common forms of plastic trash.
该组织估计,美国人每天使用5亿根稻草,而稻草是最常见的塑料垃圾形式.
Still, plastic pollution remains a big problem in search of an answer.
然而,塑料污染仍然是寻找答案的一个大问题。
Plastic drinking straws can often be replaced with paper or metal straws, which are less harmful to the environment.
塑料饮用吸管往往可以被取而代之的有纸张或金属吸管,这些吸管对环境危害较小.
Inventing a New Future for Plastic Plastic is here to stay for many, many reasons.
创造出塑料塑料的新未来 有很多原因
Plastic products make our daily lives easier, more affordable, and more convenient.
塑料制品使我们的日常生活更加容易,更负担得起,更方便.
Chemical engineers and inventors used their creative genius and worked hard to create a material that has so many good uses.
化学工程师和发明家利用了他们的创造才智,并努力创造出具有如此多优点的材料.
Now, similar minds need to embrace the challenge of creating new forms of plastic that do less harm to the environment.
现在,类似的思想需要接受挑战,创造对环境危害较小的新型塑料.
In the meantime, we all can take action to be more mindful of our plastic habits.
与此同时,我们大家都可以采取行动,更加注意我们的塑料习惯。
We need no special talents or knowledge to reduce our use of plastic, reuse it when possible, and recycle it at every opportunity— while still enjoying its benefits.
我们不需要特别的才智或知识来减少塑料的使用,在可能时重新使用塑料,并随时回收,同时继续享受塑料的好处。
A fork made from a special corn-based plastic breaks down in as little as forty-five days.
用一种特殊的以玉米为原料的塑料制成的叉子在45天之内就断裂了。
Biodegradable Plastic?
可生物降解塑料?
Biodegradable Plastic?
可生物降解塑料?
Plastic makers are working to create biodegradable plastics.
塑料制造商正在努力制造可生物降解的塑料.
These plastics are designed to break down naturally from exposure to weather or by means of chemicals released by microorganisms.
这些塑料被设计成从受天气影响或微生物释放出化学物质中自然分解.
However, materials engineers and chemists have yet to produce plastics that break down under normal environmental conditions.
然而,材料工程师和化学家还没有生产出在正常环境条件下会分解的塑料.