彭蒙惠英语：The Mercury Mess

The Mercury Mess

 

By Samantha Levine / © 2004, as first appeared in U.S.

News & World Report. All rights reserved with permission.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services International.

 

What are the dangers of mercury in fish? Can the mercury mess be cleaned up?

 

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Are these fish safe to eat?” It’s a question being asked by customers who buy fish directly from fishing boats and local food store patrons alike. Because the reality is that these days your favorite fish may come with a side of toxic¹ mercury.

 

Recently the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that consumers at high risk should cut back on eating canned tuna, eating no more than one 6-ounce can of albacore per week. Swordfish, shark and several other fish are also off-limits for young children and women who are pregnant, nursing or planning to conceive. Why? High mercury levels can cause learning problems or retardation² in children and neurological damage in developing fetuses³.

 

Where does it come from?

Over 1,000 coal-burning power plants are the main uncontrolled source of mercury pollution in the United States. As coal burns, it releases traces of mercury that waft⁴ out of smokestacks. Much of the mercury stays airborne for up to two years and spreads around the globe. But some is emitted as a water-soluble compound formed when mercury reacts with chlorine, an element often found in coal from the eastern United States.

 

How does mercury get into fish?

Precipitation quickly washes this form of mercury into lakes, rivers and oceans, where microorganisms take it up and convert it into toxic methylmercury. The mercury then passes up the food chain into fish—reaching the highest levels in large predatory species like swordfish and tuna—and on into people.

 

 

Vocabulary Focus

side (n) [said] extra, often referring to food; a small serving

off-limits (adj) [5C:f 7limits] forbidden, usually from entering a place

waft (v) [wB:ft] to move gently through the air

water-soluble (adj) [5wC:tE7sCljubl] relating to something that can be dissolved in water

 

Specialized⁵ Terms

mercury (n) 汞 a heavy, silver-colored metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures

albacore (n) 长鳍鲔 a large type of tuna fish that is used most often for canned tuna

neurological (adj) 神经性的，与神经有关的 relating to nerves and the brain

methylmercury (n) 甲基 a toxic compound of mercury formed when mercury bonds with microorganisms

food chain (n phr) 食物链 a series of living things that are connected because each group of things eats the group below it in the series

 

汞污染

 

含汞的鱼会带来什么样的危险？汞污染可以被清除吗？

 

陈小欣 译

 

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“食用这些鱼安全吗？”这是顾客向渔船或当地食品店直接购买鱼时提及的问题。因为事实上，现在你最喜欢吃的鱼，都可能含有毒性的汞。

近来美国环保局和食品及药物管理局警告处于高危险群的消费者，应减少食用罐装鲔鱼，每周食用不超过一罐以上的6盎司装罐头长鳍鲔鱼。对于幼儿及怀孕、哺乳中或计划生育的妇女，也禁止食用剑鱼、鲨鱼和另外几种鱼类。为什么呢？因为高含量的汞会导致儿童学习上的困难及障碍，并且对发育中的胎儿造成神经性的损伤。

 

它从何处而来？

超过1000家以上的燃煤发电厂，是美国最主要未被控制的汞污染来源。煤燃烧时所释出微量的汞会飘出烟囱。大量的汞会停留在空中长达两年，并扩散至全球各地。有些则与来自美国东部的煤中常见的成分——氯，发生化学反应，形成一种水溶性的化合物。

 

汞如何进到鱼体内？

随着雨、雪的降下，这种型态的汞很快就被冲进了湖泊、河流和海洋。微生物从这些地方把它吃了下去，而且转变为有毒的甲基。而汞也就随着食物链进到鱼体里面，一路抵达最高等的大型肉食鱼类，像剑鱼和鲔鱼，然后进入人体。

 

 

1 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。

2 retardation   

n.智力迟钝，精神发育迟缓

参考例句：

• Asbestos reinforcement confers excellent flame retardation properties on a composite. 石棉增强材料使复合材料具有优异的防火性能。
• The theory confirms the increase in the retardation effect with decrease in particle size. 理论证实，随着颗粒尺寸的减小，这一减速效应将增大。

3 fetuses   

n.胎，胎儿( fetus的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• DNA was extracted from fetuses at mid-gestation, about 10 days past conception. DNA从受孕大约10天后的中期妊娠胚胎中提取。 来自互联网
• Brucellosis is a disease that causes fetuses to abort in cattle. 普鲁士菌病是一种可以导致牲畜胎儿夭折的疾病。 来自互联网

4 waft   

v.飘浮，飘荡；n.一股；一阵微风；飘荡

参考例句：

• The bubble maker is like a sword that you waft in the air.吹出泡泡的东西就像你在空中挥舞的一把剑。
• When she just about fall over,a waft of fragrance makes her stop.在她差点跌倒时，一股幽香让她停下脚步。

5 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。