VOA慢速英语2014 核聚变反应堆会很快推出？（在线收听）

Is a Fusion Nuclear Reactor Coming Soon? 核聚变反应堆会很快推出？

美国科技组织的洛克基德·马丁称五年内，将会建成一个核聚变反应堆。他说预计到2017年能呈现一个操作雏形，到2022年，就能够投入使用。核聚变就是让原子核发生相互作用。

But the Lockheed Martin announcement has met with disbelief. Critics say nuclear fusion as a power source that can be sustained over time will not be developed anytime soon. But they also say that once the process is ready, it will be as huge a development as the discovery of electricity. Whenever it arrives, nuclear fusion promises to be the future source of cheap and safe energy.

但是洛克基德·马丁说有很多人不相信能做到这一点。批评者认为和聚变反应作为一种能量来源，随着时间的流逝也不会改变，不应该这么快的研发。不过他们说一旦准备工作做好，就会像发现电一样成为一个巨大的发现。不管什么时候建成，核聚变反应堆都会成为未来既廉价又安全的能源。

About 400 nuclear power plants operate in the world. All create heat by fission – dividing atoms of heavy, radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium. Such plants cost a lot to build. But they also provide a huge amount of energy. Still, their highly radioactive fuel makes them dangerous.

世界上大概有400多个核电站，都是通过核聚变反应——把重原子、类似铀和钚的放射性元素分裂来发电。建这些核电站花费很大，但同时也会供应很多的能量。但是，放射性的燃料还是很危险。

There is also the problem of what to do with still dangerous spent, or used up, fuel. Also, the fusion plants can be used for building nuclear weapons.

在处理这些放射性的燃料方面仍存在很多问题，核电站还可以用来建造核武器。

Fusion provides a much safer way to use nuclear power for creating electricity. But it is much more difficult to do this process, which is the opposite of fission.

核聚变提供了另一种更加安全的方式使用核电来供电。但是要实现这以目标面临更多困难，这跟核裂变完全相反。

Both the U.S. and European Union have been experimenting with fusion reactors. They say they do not expect them to operate for many years.

美国和欧盟都在试验核聚变反应堆，他们称在很多年内，并不指望能够运作使用。

David Ingram leads the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University. He says a fusion reactor would be a welcome development.

大卫·英格拉姆斯是俄亥俄大学物理和天文系的主任，他说核聚变反应堆的研究是个受欢迎的研发。

Scientist Ingram says fusion reactors use isotopes of the lightest element, hydrogen. He says they make a million times more energy than released from burning coal.

科学家英格拉姆斯称核聚变反应堆使用最轻元素的同位素——氢。这种同位元素释放出来的能量是燃烧煤炭释放能量的100万倍。

Scientists also say there would be no danger of explosions, unlike today’s nuclear centers. The researchers also say fusion reactors could not have a core meltdown, such as those that happened at the Chernobyl and Fukushima reactors.

科学家称与当今的核电站不同，核聚变爆炸不会有危险。研究者称核聚变反应堆不会有核融化，不会像切尔诺贝利和福岛发生的情况那样。

Words in This Story

prototype – n. an original model on which something is patterned

sustain – v. to provide what is needed for something or someone to exist, continue, etc.

radioactive – adj. having or producing a powerful and dangerous form of energy called radiation

isotope – n. any one of various forms in which the atoms of a chemical element can occur

fuse – v. to join or become joined because of heat or a chemical reaction