VOA慢速英语2019 巴黎圣母院大火导致铅中毒

Poisonous Lead Dust a Result of Notre Dame¹ Cathedral Fire

Paris has many old buildings with lead, yet does not have rules about lead dust in public spaces.

巴黎有许多含铅的老建筑，但没有关于公共场所铅尘的规定。

The issue has become an important concern after last spring's huge fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. The fire, in April, released thousands of kilograms of toxic² lead dust into the atmosphere in just a few hours.

在去年春天巴黎圣母院发生大火之后，这个问题已成为一个重要的问题。 4月的大火在短短几个小时内将数千公斤的有毒铅尘释放到了大气中。

The Associated Press (AP) news agency has found that many countries lack rules about lead in outdoor, public spaces. Other historic European capitals such as Rome and London do not have rules for outdoor lead dust levels. That is also the case for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.

安妮·苏伊里斯（Anne Souyris）对美联社说：“当巴黎圣母院大火发生时，我们没有任何代表危险铅水平的阈值。”她是巴黎市政厅负责公共卫生的副市长。 “这是一个警钟，在巴黎圣母院燃烧的铅数量是空前的。”

Poisoning from lead dust can cause permanent loss to mental ability, seizures⁴, coma⁵ or death. Pregnant mothers and young children are at the greatest risk.

美联社（AP）新闻社发现，许多国家/地区缺乏有关室外公共场所铅含量的规定。其他历史悠久的欧洲首都，例如罗马和伦敦，没有室外铅尘含量的规定。美国环境保护署和世界卫生组织也是如此。

Concerns about lead are especially strong in Paris. Lead is common in many parts of Paris' 19th-century buildings — in roofs, balconies, floors and terraces. Experts say because Paris is a highly preserved historic city it also is a danger spot for lead.

铅尘中毒会导致精神能力永久丧失，癫痫发作，昏迷或死亡。怀孕的母亲和幼儿面临最大的风险。

"Paris is a beautifully preserved city," Souyris said. "But we realize we have also beautifully preserved its lead."

在巴黎，对铅的担忧尤其强烈。铅在巴黎19世纪建筑的许多部分中很常见，包括屋顶，阳台，地板和露台。专家说，由于巴黎是一座保存完好的历史名城，因此也是铅的危险场所。

Neil M. Donahue is a chemistry professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Preservation⁶ does make Paris unusual," he said. "Incineration of one of the most famous roofs in the world may be especially dramatic, but there is no alchemy in this world. Lead will remain lead forever."

索里斯说：“巴黎是一个保存完好的城市。” “但是我们意识到我们也保持了其领先地位。”

The fire also brought attention, among officials and the public, to the dangers of lead. In June, Paris' Regional Health Agency advised that all pregnant women and young children living near the site take a test for lead levels. The agency said 12 children in the surrounding areas tested positive for elevated lead levels in their blood since the fire. None had to be hospitalized or given medication.

Neil M. Donahue是宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡卡内基梅隆大学的化学教授。他说：“保护的确使巴黎与众不同。” “焚烧世界上最著名的屋顶之一可能特别引人注目，但是这个世界上没有炼金术。铅将永远保持铅的状态。”

One child's lead exposure came from a source other than the cathedral: the lead balcony of his family's apartment. It is unlikely the child would have been tested at all had it not been for the fire.

大火还引起官员和公众注意铅的危险。六月，巴黎地区卫生局（Paris's Regional Health Agency）建议，居住在该场所附近的所有孕妇和幼儿均应进行铅含量测试。该机构说，自大火以来，周边地区的12名儿童血液中铅含量升高，呈阳性反应。无需住院或服用药物。

Despite the lead fallout from the fire, experts say tourists should not change their travel plans to one of the most visited cities in the world.

一个孩子的铅暴露来自大教堂以外的其他来源：他家人公寓的铅阳台。如果不是因为大火，那孩子就不可能接受测试。尽管大火导致了铅尘坠落，但专家们说，游客不应改变其前往世界上人潮最密集的城市之一的旅行计划。

How to remove lead dust in Notre Dame?

如何清除巴黎圣母院的铅尘？

However, poisonous lead dust remains⁷ a problem inside the fire-damaged cathedral.

然而，有毒的铅尘仍然是失火的大教堂内部的问题。

Aline Magnien is director of the Historic Monuments Research Laboratory. She recently sent a team of scientists to Notre Dame. Their goal is to find out how to remove lead from inside the famous religious building without causing more damage.

Aline Magnien是历史古迹研究实验室的负责人。她最近派遣了一组科学家前往巴黎圣母院。他们的目标是找出如何从著名的宗教建筑内去除铅而不会造成更多损害。

"It's a race against the clock," she said. "The lead is a real problem. The cathedral is exceptionally precious. And we don't have the luxury of time."

她说：“这是一场争分夺秒的比赛。” “领导是一个真正的问题。大教堂非常珍贵。而且我们没有时间的浪费。”

Words in This Story：

threshold – n. the point or level at which something begins or changes

unprecedented⁸ – adj. not done or experienced before

seizure³ –n. medical : an abnormal state in which you become unconscious and your body moves in an uncontrolled and violent way

coma –n. a state in which a sick or injured person is unconscious for a long time

preserved – adj. kept in good condition over a long period of time

incineration – n. the complete burning of something

alchemy – n. a science that was used in the Middle Ages with the goal of changing ordinary metals into gold : a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way

precious – adj. very valuable or important : too valuable or important to be wasted or used carelessly

 

1 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

2 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。

3 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

4 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

5 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

6 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。