2020年经济学人 学会和自然灾害共存(2)

Buildings and communities can be built in such a way that fires sweep through them—or better still, around them—leaving them more-or-less intact.

建筑和社区建可以以这样一种方式建在，即火灾会席卷，或者更好的是，将它们包围，使它们或多或少保持完整。

Infrastructure¹ can be made more resilient. And forests themselves can be managed to reduce the risk of catastrophic blazes.

可以使基础设施更具恢复力。森林本身可以减少灾难性火灾的风险。

Start with the buildings. Most buildings burn not when the flaming front of a fire reaches them,

先从建筑开始。大多数建筑物会在大火的火焰触及建筑物，

but when embers (also called "firebrands") thrown off by distant fires land on them.

而不是在远处的大火抛出的余烬（也被称为“火种”）落在它们身上时燃烧。

A 2010 paper tracked how a 1991 fire in Oakland Hills burned steadily² in a cluster of houses before embers were lifted by strong winds,

2010年的一篇论文追踪了1991年奥克兰丘的一场火灾如何在一群房屋中持续燃烧，直到余烬被强风吹起，

landing on other houses hundreds of metres away and igniting more than a dozen new "spot fires".

落在几百米外的其他房屋上，并引发了十几起新的“二次火灾”。

Estimates of the share of buildings lost to firebrands vary, but all are large—between 60% and 90%.

对火灾造成的建筑物损失的估计各不相同，但损失都很大——在60%到90%之间。

Clever design can help make buildings resistant³ to fires that spread in this way.

聪明的设计可以帮助建筑物抵抗以这种方式蔓延的火灾。

Materials such as concrete, adobe⁴ or stucco are a better bet than cladding walls in flammable wood.

像混凝土、土坯或灰泥这样的材料是比用易燃木材做覆盖板墙更好的选择。

Some composite panels promise to hold back the flames for two hours or more. Gaps under roofs can be blocked up, to stop embers drifting in.

一些复合材料面板承诺可以阻止火焰燃烧两个小时或更长时间。房顶下的空隙可以被堵住，以阻止余烬飘进来。

Vents⁵ can be covered with mesh⁶, or eliminated entirely⁷. Heat-resistant windows, which are less likely to break, help keep firebrands out.

通风口可以用网丝覆盖，或者完全不要通风口。不易碎的隔热窗户有助于将火源挡在外面。

Experts recommend a five-foot "non-combustible zone" around the base of homes.

专家建议房屋底部周围设置一个5英尺的“不易燃区”。

Neighbourhoods can be toughened up, too. In a report published in April,

邻里关系也可以得到增强。在四月出版的一篇报道中，

Dr Moritz and his colleague Van Bustic at the University of California in Berkeley describe how entire communities can be planned to resist fires.

Moritz博士和加州大学伯克利分校的同事描述了整个社区如何计划抵御火灾。

Building near water is one tactic⁸. But moats are not the only defence.

建在水边是一种策略。但护城河并不是唯一的防御手段。

Open agricultural lands—including the vineyards common in the Napa Valley— can offer a useful buffer⁹, too.

开放农业用地——包括在纳帕谷常见的葡萄园——也能提供有效的缓冲。

Even golf courses can serve as firebreaks. Rather than lining¹⁰ the greens with homes, Dr Moritz suggests doing the opposite, and putting houses in the middle.

即便是高尔夫球场也能作为防火带。与其把绿色区域与房屋排在一排，Moritz博士建议不如反过来，并把房屋排在中间。

Burying electricity lines can help avoid blackouts, as well as subsequent costly¹¹ rebuilding.

埋线可以帮助避免停电，以及后续昂贵的重建费用。

It can also prevent power lines themselves sparking fires.

还能防止电线本身引发火灾。

That is a persistent¹² problem in California, and one which has cost Pacific Gas & Electric, a utility, billions in settlements.

这在加州是一个长期存在的问题，已经让太平洋煤气与电力公司花费了数十亿美元的和解费用。

Australia, which also suffers from wildfires, has experimented with bunkers specially¹³ designed to withstand flames for an hour or more—

同样遭受野火袭击的澳大利亚已经试验了一种特别设计的掩体，可以承受一个小时或更长时间的火焰——

long enough for a flaming front to move through. These offer a last-resort option for trapped residents.

足以让火头通过。这为被困居民提供了最后的选择。

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

3 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

4 adobe   

n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司

参考例句：

• They live in an adobe house.他们住在一间土坯屋里。
• Adobe bricks must drived dried completely before are used.土坯砖块使用前一定要完全干燥。

5 vents   

（气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩

参考例句：

• He always vents his anger on the dog. 他总是拿狗出气。
• The Dandelion Patch is the least developed of the four active vents. “蒲公英区”在这四个活裂口中是发育最差的一个。

6 mesh   

n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络

参考例句：

• Their characters just don't mesh.他们的性格就是合不来。
• This is the net having half inch mesh.这是有半英寸网眼的网。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

9 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

10 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

11 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

12 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

13 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。