5-15 室内植物的神奇功能

The Magic Powers of Indoor Plants

 

　　Common indoor plants may prove to be a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. Those plants in your office or home are not only decorative¹, but NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air inside modern buildings.

 

　　NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors² of America (ALCA) have announced the findings of a 2-year study that suggest the common indoor plant may provide a natural way of helping³ combat "Sick Building Syndrome⁴."

 

　　Research into the use of biological processes as a means of solving environmental problems, both on Earth and in space habitats, has been carried out for many years by Dr. Bill Wolverton, formerly⁵ a senior research scientist at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Miss.

 

　　Based on preliminary¹ evaluations² of the use of common indoor plants for indoor air purification and revitalization³, ALCA joined NASA to fund a study using about a dozen popular varieties of ornamental⁷ plants to determine their effectiveness in removing several key pollutants⁸ associated with indoor air pollution. NASA research on indoor plants has found that living plants are so efficient at absorbing contaminants⁴ in the air that some will be launched into space as part of the biological life support system aboard future orbiting space stations.

 

　　While more research is needed, Wolverton says the study has shown that common indoor landscaping plants can remove certain pollutants from the indoor environment. "We feel that future results will provide an even stronger argument that common indoor landscaping plants can be a very effective part of a system used to provide pollution free homes and work places," he concludes.

 

　　"Plants take substances out of the air through the tiny openings in their leaves," Wolverton said. "But research in our laboratories has determined⁹ that plant leaves, roots and soil bacteria are all important in removing trace levels of toxic¹⁰ vapors⁵."

 

　　"Combining nature with technology can increase the effectiveness of plants in removing air pollutants," he said. "A living air cleaner is created by combining activated⁶ carbon with a potted plant. The roots of the plant grow right in the carbon and slowly degrade⁷ the chemicals absorbed there," Wolverton explains.

 

　　NASA research has consistently shown that living, green and flowering plants can remove several toxic chemicals from the air in building interiors. You can use plants in your home or office to improve the quality of the air to make it a more pleasant place to live and work -- where people feel better, perform better, and enjoy life more.

 

注释:

1.preliminary [pri5liminEri] a. 初步的，起始的，预备的

2.evaluation⁶ [i7vAlju5eiFEn] n. 估算，评价

3.revitalization [ri:7vaItElaI5zeIFEn] n. 新生，复兴

4.contaminant [kEn5tAminEnt] n. 致污物，污染物

5.vapor¹¹ [5veipE] n. 蒸气，汽，toxic～有毒气体

6.activate¹² [5Aktiveit] vt. 使活动起来，文中过去分词作形容词，意为“有活性的”

7.degrade [di5^reid] vt. 使退化，[化] 使降解

室内植物的神奇功能

 

普通室内盆栽植物可能是很有价值的武器，可以用来对付日益严重的室内空气污染。那些摆放在你办公室或家中的植物不仅是装饰品，而且美国国家航空航天局发现，它们在吸收潜在有害气体和净化现代建筑内的空气方面还能起到令人惊异的作用。

　　美国国家航空航天局和美国园林产业联合会发布了他们研究两年后的发现：普通室内植物可能提供一种帮助防治“大楼综合症”的自然方式。

　　比尔•沃尔弗顿博士同时在地球上和太空站里，对使用生物方法作为一种解决环境污染问题的手段，进行了多年的研究。沃尔弗顿博士先前是美国国家航空航天局位于密西西比州贝圣路易斯的约翰•斯坦尼斯航天中心的高级研究员。

　　基于对使用普通室内植物净化室内空气和再生新鲜空气的初步评估，美国园林产业联合会与美国国家航空航天局共同赞助了一项研究。该研究用约12种常见的观赏植物，测定它们清除与室内空气污染相关的几种主要污染物的效力。美国国家航空航天局的室内植物研究发现：活的植物吸收空气中的污染物非常有效。一些植物将会被送上太空，作为未来轨道空间站上生物生命保障系统的一部分。

　　虽然还需要进一步的研究，但是沃尔弗顿说：这项研究已经表明，普通室内观赏植物能够清除室内环境中的某些污染物。他的结论是：“我们认为，未来的研究成果将会更有力地证明，普通室内观赏植物可以作为一个系统的一部分发挥效力，营造无污染的住所和工作场所。”

　　“植物通过叶片上的小孔吸收空气中的有害物质，”沃尔弗顿说。“但是，我们的实验室研究已得出结论：植物叶片、根部以及土壤细菌在清除微量有害气体方面都起着非常重要的作用。”

　　“把自然和技术结合起来能够增强植物清除空气污染物的效力，”他说。“把活性碳和盆栽植物结合在一起，一个活的空气清洁器就诞生了。植物的根就长在活性碳中，在那儿慢慢地将吸收的化学物质降解，”沃尔弗顿解释说。

美国国家航空航天局的研究一再表明，活的、绿色以及开花的植物，能够清除建筑物内空气中多种有害化学物质。你可以在家中或办公室里摆放植物，用它们来改善空气质量，使这些地方成为更舒适的生活与工作场所——人们在这儿感觉更好，办事效率更高，更多地享受生活。

 

1 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

2 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

6 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

7 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

8 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

11 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

12 activate   

vt.使活动起来，使开始起作用

参考例句：

• We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
• These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。