【轻松英文阅读】有害的发明

 You may have never heard of him, but Thomas Midgley was considered one of the great chemists and inventors of his time. But perhaps no single person in history has done more harm to our earth.

 

While working at a subsidiary of General Motors in 1921 he developed tetra-ethyl lead, or TEL. This was an additive¹ for gasoline to reduce the problem of ‘knocking’ in car engines.

 

In a few years, nearly every automobile² on earth was pumping lead into the air. This lead, a known neurotoxin, ended up in our blood. After TEL’s introduction, nearly 90% of children in America had twice the level of lead in their blood that is considered safe. Even light exposure can cause a decrease in intelligence and an increase in antisocial behavior. Before lead was phased out in the last decades of the last century it caused perhaps millions of illnesses and deaths around the world.

 

But our story does not end here. In the late twenties, Midgley synthesized the first fluorocarbon, commonly known as CFCs. These are the same CFCs that left a big hole in our protective ozone³ layer. CFCs are now banned but the damage is unlikely to heal until well past our lifetimes.

 

Midgley’s inventions seemed brilliant at the time but we will be living with their consequences for a long time. Let’s hope we can learn a lesson from Midgley’s story.

1 additive   

adj.附加的；n.添加剂

参考例句：

• Colour is often an additive in foods.颜料经常是各种食物中的添加物。
• Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。

2 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

3 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。