VOA标准英语2012--Scientists Develop Test for Fake Whiskey

Scientists Develop Test for Fake Whiskey

St. Andrews is famous for many things. It’s the home of golf - the Old Course, and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club by the sea - some of the most recognizable images in world sports.

It's also famous for being home to the university where Prince WIlliam and Kate Middleton met for the first time as students.

But now, the university is staking a different, more down-to-earth claim to fame.

Scientists here have developed a pocket-sized test to see if a particular batch¹ of whiskey is fake. Here’s how it works. One of the scientists, Praveen Ashok, places just a drop of the whiskey in a tiny ridge² on the glass

A laser beam shines through the sample.

And a computer sensor³ linked to the glass says immediately whether it recognizes the sample or not.

This one is genuine.

Try it again by diluting⁴ it with water ... and the computer warns it is fake.

Whiskey is a multi-billion-dollar business. The famous brands are expensive to buy, and lucrative⁵ to try to fake. Industry representative Campbell Evans says counterfeiting⁶ is a big threat.

"Scotch⁷ whiskey can only be made in Scotland and it is vitally important to protect the identity, so we hunt for fakes appearing around the world," he said. "If somebody buys a fake product and doesn’t like it, they may never buy the genuine article ever again. We have five in-house lawyers whose job it is to stop anyone who puts brown liquid in a bottle and pretends it's whiskey when it’s not. And we can have up to 70 court cases on the go at any one time."

But it's not only lawyers who may find the device has valuable applications. Kishan Dholakia, one of the scientists behind the research, says it could even save lives.

“We think it is a real public safety and health concern," Dholakia said. "People lose their lives for example in India, many people lose their lives because people tamper⁸ with alcoholic⁹ drinks and toxicology and they make additives¹⁰ that I think have resulted in peoples’ deaths. 

Kishan and Praveen hope they've struck gold. And found a device that could not only help distillers cut down on fakes and counterfeits¹¹, but also save lives in the process.

Their challenge now is to get the device out of the lab and into production. 

1 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

2 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

3 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

4 diluting   

稀释，冲淡( dilute的现在分词 )； 削弱，使降低效果

参考例句：

• A companion would have been a distraction, diluting the pathos of the moment. 要是有一个伴侣在旁就会分散我的注意，冲淡此时此刻的哀婉之情。
• Diluting agent has certain transparency for ink multi-color overprint. 冲淡剂具有必定的透明量，适分油不朱的众色叠印。

5 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

6 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

7 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

8 tamper   

v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• Do not tamper with other's business.不要干预别人的事。
• They had strict orders not to tamper with the customs of the minorities.他们得到命令严禁干涉少数民族的风俗习惯。

9 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

10 additives   

n.添加剂( additive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• chemical additives in petrol 汽油中的化学添加剂
• It'says on the packet that these crisps contain no additives. 包装上说这些炸薯片不含添加剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 counterfeits   

v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Objects and people looked like counterfeits of themselves. 各种人和事好象都给自己披上了伪装。 来自辞典例句
• We have seen many counterfeits, but we are born believers in great men. 我们见过许多骗子，但是我们天生信赖伟人。 来自辞典例句