VOA常速英语2014--现代科技帮助预测变幻莫测天气

 

Modern Technology Helping¹ Weather Predictions 现代科技帮助预测变幻莫测天气

WASHINGTON— 

Severe storms that cause heavy damage throughout the world are a reminder² of how important it is to be able to predict the weather.  A meteorological exhibition in Brussels earlier this month featured the latest technology to help improve our ability to forecast the weather and better prepare for its effects. 

On October 17, Hurricane Gonzalo hit the island of Bermuda, knocking down trees and power lines, and making roads and streets impassable. The damage was substantial. But thanks to early warnings from forecasters, residents were able to prepare and no deaths or serious injuries were reported.

10月17日飓风冈萨洛袭击百慕大岛,推倒树木和电线,造成公路和街道瘫痪。飓风造成相当大的损害。但由于预警预报提前发布,居民们能够及时做好准备并且没有死亡或严重伤亡报告。

Scientists say weather systems are notoriously hard to predict because so many variables have to be taken into account. But increasingly sophisticated algorithms and accessibility to supercomputers are making weather prediction much easier.

科学家们表示天气系统之所以出了名的难以预测是因为必须考虑许多变量。但超级计算机愈渐复杂精细的算法及可访问性正使得天气预测变得更加容易。

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric³ Administration (NOAA) says its new storm prediction system, called NEIS, collects millions of data points from all over the world to create a four-dimensional model of the world's weather.

美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)表示其名为NEIS的最新风暴预测系统收集来自世界各地的数百万数据点后创建一个四维模型的世界天气。

天气预测.jpg

Agency director Alexander MacDonald said the satellite picture of huge storms that bited China in October 2010 seen on the left screen is very similar to the one created by its computer model on the right.

该机构主管亚历山大·麦克唐纳表示屏幕左侧2010年10月登陆中国的巨大风暴卫星照片和右侧由计算机模型所创造的非常相似。

“So this really shows the skill that we are developing, when we run a computer model and Mother Nature does the same thing with the real world and they are pretty alike. We are excited a lot about these improvements.”

“这的确展现了我们正在开发的技术,当我们运行计算机模型，大自然母亲也在现实世界做同样的事情，而结果二者非常相似。我们对于这些改进非常兴奋。”

Air pollution is another modern calamity⁴ that affects large cities and industrial areas. So its adverse⁵ effect on health also makes its timely measurement important.

空气污染是另一个影响到大城市和工业领域的现代灾难。因此它对健康造成的不利影响也使得及时测量变得极为重要。

Alan Taylor, Director of the Britain-based company Turnkey Instruments, said their device, called Topas, uses lasers to monitor the air for particulates⁶.

英国特内基设备公司负责人艾伦·泰勒表示他们所开发的名为Topas的设备使用激光监测空气微粒。

But, he said, providing accurate measurement does not solve the problem.

但他表示提供精确的测量并不能解决问题。

“It's what cities do about it when they know about it. Do they stop traffic going through, do they stop trucks going through? So we can get that information, but what the city does with that information is a different situation.”

“当人们意识到污染的时候城市需要做些什么。他们出台交通禁令举措,他们禁止卡车通行了吗?所以我们有这些信息是一回事,城市对此做些什么又是另一回事。”

Even in cities that do not have pollution problems, it is important to measure other atmospheric conditions, like the level of pollen⁷, which can make life miserable⁸ for those who are allergic⁹ to it.

即使在没有污染问题的城市,大气条件下的其它物质检测也至关重要,比如花粉水平,这种物质会使对它过敏的人痛苦不堪。

University of Geneva research team leader Svetlana Afonina said their new instrument, called Plair, uses an optical detector¹⁰ with ultraviolet laser technology.

瑞士日内瓦大学研究小组领导人斯维特拉娜·埃佛里娜称他们名为Plair的新仪器使用带有光学探测器的紫外激光技术。

“The device is highly specific and allows identification of different kind of particles in the atmosphere.We are able to detect and measure different species of pollen in the real time.”

“这种设备非常特别并且能够识别在大气中不同类型的粒子。我们能够实时检测及测量不同种类的花粉。”

The Brussels exhibition, now in its fifth year, drew more than 2,500 people from around the world to see the latest weather and climate change forecasting technology.

现在第5届的布鲁塞尔展览吸引了来自世界各地超过2500人一睹最新天气和气候变化预测技术的风采。

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

3 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

4 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

5 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

6 particulates   

n.微粒，粒子( particulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Techniques for controlling particulates include filtering, washing, centrifugal separation, and electrostatic precipitation. 控制颗粒污染物的技术包括过滤、洗涤、离心分离、静电沉降。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Only micronic particulates penetrate to the depth of the lung. 只有微细粒子穿透到肺深部。 来自辞典例句

7 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

8 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

9 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。

10 detector   

n.发觉者，探测器

参考例句：

• The detector is housed in a streamlined cylindrical container.探测器安装在流线型圆柱形容器内。
• Please walk through the metal detector.请走过金属检测器。