2020年经济学人 发烧预测(1)

Sticking a thermometer into an armpit, mouth, ear or other body cavity is the most accurate way to take someone's temperature.

将体温计插入腋窝、口腔、耳朵或其他体腔是测量体温最准确的方法。

Understandably, though, this cannot be done at airports or checkpoints set up elsewhere

然而，可以理解的是，这在机场或其他地方设立的检查站是做不到的，

to screen the masses for feverish¹ victims of covid-19.

这些地方是为了筛查人群中是否有covid-19的发烧患者。

So, in a bid to detect the warmth produced by a fever without touching² any bodies, officials have opted³ for alternatives.

因此，为了在不接触任何身体部位的情况下检测发烧产生的热量，各国选择了其他办法。

The hand-held "thermometer guns" now ubiquitous in China, among other places, are one option.

现在在中国和其他地方随处可见的手持“温度计枪”是一种选择。

These instruments, known technically⁴ as spot pyrometers, use a device called a bolometer to estimate an object's temperature.

这些仪器，技术上称为现场高温计，使用一种称为辐射热测定器的设备来估计一个物体的温度。

A bolometer's electrical resistance depends on how hot it is.

辐射热测定器的电阻取决于它的热度。

That, in turn, depends on the amount of infrared⁵ radiation falling on it from whatever it is pointing at.

反过来，这又取决于从它指向的任何地方落在它身上的红外辐射的数量。

Spot pyrometers are used widely in industry to check equipment for signs of overheating,

现场高温计在工业中广泛用于检查设备过热迹象，

but the infrared signals they rely on can be muddled⁶ by dust, moisture, smoke, a change in ambient temperature,

但是它们所依赖的红外信号可能会被灰尘、湿气、烟雾、环境温度的变化、

a smudge on the device's lens or even by radio signals.

设备镜头上的污迹甚至无线电信号所干扰。

Beyond all this, an official checking a stream of foreheads may, for reasons of personal safety,

除此之外，出于个人安全的考虑，测量额头体温的检察人员

be reluctant to hold the gun close enough to obtain an accurate reading.

可能不愿意拿着测温枪近距离读取准确的读数。

An alternative technology, the thermal⁷ camera, is costlier⁸. But it can operate from farther away.

另一种替代技术，即热感摄像机，成本更高。但它可以在更远的地方运行。

Instead of a single bolometer, it has an array of them.

它不是单一的辐射热测定器，而是大量的辐射热测定器。

These form the pixels which generate the camera's image, thus building up a heat map of whatever that camera is looking at.

这些像素形成了相机的图像，从而将相机看到的画面形成一个热图。

One popular thermal camera, the A320, made by FLIR Systems, an American firm,

一种受欢迎的热感摄像机是A320，由美国FLIR公司制造，

can detect variations in radiation which correspond to temperature differences within an image of just 0.02°C.

该设备可以在在0.02°C的图像中，探测到与温差相对应的辐射变化。

But this merely shows whether one part of the object being examined is warmer or cooler than another.

但这仅仅表明了被检测物体的一部分比另一部分更热或更冷。

When measuring the object's actual temperature, the A320 is accurate only to about 2°C, says Giovanni Scaglia, FLIR's head of sales in Italy.

当测量物体的实际温度时，A320的精确度只有2摄氏度左右，FLIR在意大利的销售主管Giovanni Scaglia说到。

For a single reading, this is enough to mistake normal body temperature for a raging fever.

仅仅一个读数，就足以将正常体温误认为是高烧。

In practice, however, the camera's software looks for deviations⁹ from the average temperature of passers-by.

但在实际操作中，相机的软件会寻找路人平均温度的偏差。

Those noticeably hotter than their fellows can then be selected for closer investigation¹⁰.

那些体温明显比他们同伴更高的人可以被挑选出来进行更深入的调查。

1 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

2 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

3 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

4 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

5 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

6 muddled   

adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子

参考例句：

• He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。
• I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

8 costlier   

adj.昂贵的( costly的比较级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的

参考例句：

• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather. 鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。 来自互联网
• Disagreements among creditors can be costlier still. 债权人之间的分歧会加大重组的费用。 来自互联网

9 deviations   

背离，偏离( deviation的名词复数 )； 离经叛道的行为

参考例句：

• Local deviations depend strongly on the local geometry of the solid matrix. 局部偏离严格地依赖于固体矩阵的局部几何形状。
• They were a series of tactical day-to-day deviations from White House policy. 它们是一系列策略上一天天摆脱白宫政策的偏向。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。