2020年经济学人 船只防污技术(2)

Bacterial¹ biofilms, as these layers are known technically², are used as anchorages by the larvae³ of so-called "hard growth" organisms,

这些层在技术上被称为生物被膜，被所谓“硬生长”生物体的幼虫用作锚固，

such as barnacles and molluscs, and by the spores⁴ of bailing⁵ seaweeds.

这些生物体包括藤壶和软体动物，以及海草的孢子。

An absence of biofilms means fouling⁶ will never get going in the first place.

没有生物膜意味着从一开始就不会产生污垢。

Jotun claims that regular pre-emptive cleaning in this way of a typical bulk carrier will result in a continuous reduction in that ship's fuel consumption of 12-13%,

佐敦漆称，对一艘典型的散货船定期采用这种先发制人的清洁方式，将使该船的燃料消耗持续减少12-13%，

as opposed to the episodic reductions brought about by current cleaning regimes. This translates into a saving of 4,000 tonnes of oil a year,

而当前的清洁制度带来的是间歇性的减少。这样每年则可节省4000公吨石油，

and a concomitant reduction of around $800,000 in fuel bills.

同时还能减少大约80万美元的燃料费用。

A bonus of all this effort is that an unfouled ship has little risk of carrying unwanted passengers

所有这些努力的一个好处是，一艘无污染船只没有携带不必要乘客的风险，

in the form of alien animal species that might make a nuisance of themselves if they were to become established far from home.

这些外来动物物种，如果在远离家乡的地方定居了下来，可能会成为麻烦。

Asian paddle crabs⁷, North Pacific seastars, Asian green mussels and European fan worms

亚洲桨蟹、北太平洋海星、亚洲绿贻贝以及欧洲扇虫

are four common hull⁸-fouling animals that can turn into pests if introduced into the wrong settings.

是四种常见的船体污染动物，如果被引入不当环境中，它们可能会变成害虫。

That can easily happen with conventional cleaning-by-diving, because this leaves a mass of debris⁹ floating in the water

常规的潜水员清洁很容易造成这些问题，因为常规方式使得大量的残体漂浮在水面和海床上，

and on the seabed which can harbour such undocumented migrants.

而这些海床可以容纳这些非法移民。

Many ports have therefore introduced restrictions¹⁰ on what sorts of hull cleaning can be carried out in their waters.

因此，很多港口对在其水域可进行的船体清洁方式进行了限制。

Widespread adoption¹¹ of the International Maritime¹² Organisation's biofouling guidelines,

国际海事组织的生物淤积指导方针

which require an assessment¹³ of the risks associated with any cleaning carried out while afloat,

要求对在海上进行的任何清洁所涉及的风险进行评估，

is likely to tighten¹⁴ things up still further, so new cleaning methods are desirable.

广泛采用这一指导方针可能使清洁变得更加严格，所以新的清洁方式是可取的。

The HullSkater approach is not perfect. Regular cleaning by robot could, the makers¹⁵ admit,

HullSkater的方法并不完美。制造者承认，机器人定期清理可能

wear away some types of anti-fouling coating, thus limiting the process's efficacy.

磨损一些类型的防污涂层，因此会限制清洁的功效。

Jotun has, however, developed a special, hard-wearing coating, which it plans to sell in conjunction with the robot, to minimise this problem.

但佐敦漆开发了一款特殊的耐磨涂层，其计划和机器人捆绑销售，以最大限度地减少这一问题。

HullSkater is now being tested in various parts of the world (for rates of fouling depend on local conditions, such as sea temperatures),

现在HullSkater正在接受世界各国的检测（因为污垢率取决于当地的环境，如海洋温度），

and the plan--at least at the moment--is to roll it out commercially this summer.

并且该计划——至少目前——将在今年夏天进行商业推广。

If that is a success, according to Hans Peter Havdal, Semcon's general manager,

根据Semcon的总经理Hans Peter Havdal，如果取得成功，

the next stage will be to develop a family of such robots, designed for ships of different sizes and types.

那么下一阶段将是为不同尺寸和类型的船只研发一系列这样的机器人。

Ideally, these will have higher levels of autonomy than HullSkater.

理想情况下，这些机器人将会比HullSkater拥有更高的自主权。

They may even be able to learn the shape of the hull they have been designated to keep spick and span, and thus get on with the job unsupervised.

它们甚至还能够学习它们被指定保持整洁的船体的形状，这样就能够在没有监管的情况下继续工作。

1 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

2 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。

3 larvae   

n.幼虫

参考例句：

• Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
• The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。

4 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

5 bailing   

（凿井时用吊桶）排水

参考例句：

• Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌，两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
• The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理，提出了现场操作注意事项。

6 fouling   

n.（水管、枪筒等中的）污垢v.使污秽( foul的现在分词 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏

参考例句：

• He was sent off for fouling the other team's goalkeeper. 他因对对方守门员犯规而被罚出场。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A basketball player is allowed five personal fouls before fouling out. 篮球运动员侵人犯规五次即被罚下场。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 crabs   

n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• As we walked along the seashore we saw lots of tiny crabs. 我们在海岸上散步时看到很多小蟹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

9 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

11 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

12 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

13 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

14 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

15 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》