研究警告：新车“香味”有毒！

 The scent¹ of a new car can be enticing² in showrooms, and even intoxicating³ in its appeal. There’s a good reason for that. That new car smell comes from an assortment⁵ of chemicals, some of which can be highly toxic⁴.

展厅中的新车会散发出迷人的气味，甚至令人陶醉。这种“醉人”的味道不是白来的，而是来自多种化学产品的混合物，其中一些还具有很高的毒性。

The source of the bouquet⁶ so many buyers find appealing is in the various solvents⁷, adhesives⁸, plastics, rubbers and fabrics⁹ used in car construction. Many of these contain volatile¹⁰ organic compounds (VOCs), some of which can be deadly in sufficient quantities. Others are just bad for you.

这种让众多买家感到好闻的香味源于生产汽车所使用的各种溶剂、粘合剂、塑料、橡胶和纤维。其中许多成分还含有挥发性有机化合物，如果大剂量的接触这种化合物将会致命，其他一些化合物只是对身体不好。

香味

“It’s a chemical cocktail¹¹ made up of lots of toxins,” said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director of the Ecology Center in the US state of Michigan. The Ecology Center has been monitoring and testing chemical levels in car interiors for years, and has noted¹² some improvement. But Gearhart says there is still work to be done.

美国密歇根州生态中心研究室主任杰夫?吉尔哈特说：“这是由许多毒物混合而成的化学鸡尾酒”。生态中心近年来一直在监测并检验汽车内部的化学物质水平，而且已经看到了一些进展，但是吉尔哈特称，还有不少工作要做。

“There are over 200 chemical compounds found in vehicles,” he said. “Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face.”

他说：“汽车内部有两百多种化学混合物。因为这些化学物质不受监管，所以消费者无从知晓自己所面临的危险”。

Just reading a list of the substances is scary enough, and makes your car’s interior sound like a hazmat hall of fame. Benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and heavy metals are all part of the mix. And the danger of exposure is scarier still. Immediate¹³ symptoms can range from a sore throat to headaches, dizziness, allergic¹⁴ reactions and nausea¹⁵, depending on the sensitivity of an individual.

仅仅是读一下这些化学物质的名单就已经够吓人的了，你的汽车听起来就像是危险物的名品堂。苯、甲苯、甲醛和重金属都名列其中。而且，接触这些化学物质带来的危险更加可怕，可能会即刻产生咽喉肿痛、头痛、眩晕、过敏反应、恶心等症状，症状根据每个人的敏感程度而不尽相同。

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, continued exposure to some of these can lead to hormonal¹⁶ disruption, reproductive impacts and damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system — or even cancer. It’s that long-term exposure that experts find most worrisome.

据美国环保署称，持续与其中一些化学物质接触可能导致荷尔蒙紊乱、生殖功能下降，对肝、肾、中枢神经系统造成破坏——甚至会引发癌症。专家们认为最值得担忧的就是这种长期接触。

“People spend over an hour a day in their vehicles on average,” said Gearhart. “Whether it’s adults, children, or pets, we’re concerned about prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals inside the vehicle.”

吉尔哈特说：“人们平均每天要在汽车内待一个小时以上。我们十分关注长期在汽车内接触有毒化学物质带来的危害，无论里面坐的是大人、小孩、还是宠物”。

The danger is greatest when the car is new, and that new car smell is most noticeable. This is when components¹⁷ are still unstable¹⁸ and prone¹⁹ to what is called off-gassing — the release of chemical vapours, which leads to the odour. Heat from a vehicle left in the sun can make matters worse, and speed up the chemical reaction. The danger is reduced over time, and experts say the worst is usually over within about six months.

新车的气味最明显，对健康的危害也最大。因为新车中的化学成分还不稳定，容易进行所谓的“逸散”——即化学气体挥发，这样就产生了气味。太阳下暴晒的汽车会使情况更糟，因为高温会加速化学反应。汽车使用时间越长，危害越小，专家称最严重的时候就是购车后的头六个月。

Experts advise the best thing that buyers can do to limit exposure is to keep car interiors well ventilated, especially during the first six months of ownership. Park in the shade with the windows open when it’s safe to do so, or at least try to air it out before getting inside — especially on hot days.

专家建议购买者最好保持车内通风良好以减少同化学物质的接触，尤其是在刚买车的头六个月。把车停在阴凉处，如果开窗安全的话，就把车窗打开，或者至少在上车前先通风换气，特别是在天热的时候。

Vocabulary

hazmat: 危险物料

formaldehyde: 甲醛

1 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

2 enticing   

adj.迷人的；诱人的

参考例句：

• The offer was too enticing to refuse. 这提议太有诱惑力，使人难以拒绝。
• Her neck was short but rounded and her arms plump and enticing. 她的脖子短，但浑圆可爱；两臂丰腴，也很动人。

3 intoxicating   

a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的

参考例句：

• Power can be intoxicating. 权力能让人得意忘形。
• On summer evenings the flowers gave forth an almost intoxicating scent. 夏日的傍晚，鲜花散发出醉人的芳香。

4 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。

5 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

6 bouquet   

n.花束，酒香

参考例句：

• This wine has a rich bouquet.这种葡萄酒有浓郁的香气。
• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。

7 solvents   

溶解的，溶剂

参考例句：

• It is resistant to borohydride reduction in alcoholic solvents. 在醇溶剂中，它不能被硼氢化物还原。
• Strains require special treatments for removal such as spotting with organic solvents. 要清除这些着色物质，需要特殊处理，例如：滴加有机溶剂。

8 adhesives   

黏合剂( adhesive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These include dyes, adhesives, solvents, detergents, metals, and other foreign materials. 其中包括染料，粘合剂，溶剂，洗涤剂、金属等外界物质。
• Preparation, properties and kinds of polyurethane adhesives were described. 综述了聚氨酯胶粘剂的合成、特性和种类。

9 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

10 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

11 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 allergic   

adj.过敏的，变态的

参考例句：

• Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
• Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。

15 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

16 hormonal   

adj.激素的

参考例句：

• Some viral diseases are more severe during pregnancy, probably tecause of hormonal changes. 有些病毒病在妊娠期间比较严重，可能是由于激素变化引起的。
• She underwent surgical intervention and a subsequent short period of hormonal therapy. 他接受外科手术及随后短暂荷尔蒙治疗。

17 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

18 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

19 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。