2020年经济学人 原子能--小型裂变(2)

Vehicles are also moving away from fossil fuels: America expects to have all-electric brigades within the decade.

车辆也正在远离化石燃料：美国预计在十年内将拥有全电动车队。

A report by the army in 2018 said that Holos, a prototype mobile nuclear reactor¹, would be 62% cheaper than using liquid fuel.

2018年的军方报告称原型移动核反应堆Holos将比使用液体燃料便宜62%。

It is not just American troops experimenting with mobile nuclear power.

不仅仅是美国军队在试验移动核能。

NASA is developing smaller "Kilopower" reactors² for space missions, designed to power small lunar outposts.

美国宇航局正在为太空任务开发更小的“Kilopower”反应堆，为小型月球前哨提供动力。

Russia already uses larger floating reactors for its nuclear-powered icebreakers.

罗斯已经在使用更大的浮动反应堆来建造核动力破冰船。

China plans to install similar devices on disputed islands in the South China Sea.

中国计划在中国南海岛屿安置类似装置。

But the planned microreactors would be distinct in several ways.

但是拟定的微反应堆在几个方面有所不同。

They are intended to be assembled in a factory and shipped in one piece,

他们打算在工厂进行组装，并整体运输，

doing away with the need for tricky³ engineering in remote places.

这样就不需要在偏远地区进行复杂的工程。

They should weigh under 40 tonnes and fit onto the back of an articulated lorry.

它们的重量应在40吨以下，安装在一辆铰接式卡车的后面。

And they are supposed to run themselves, with "minimal⁴ monitoring" from afar.

有了远处的“最少限度的监控”，它们应该能够自动运行。

The risks are manageable, say proponents⁵. Designs feature "passive safety" systems,

倡议者表示风险是可控的。设计的特点是“被动安全”系统，

which keep working even if electricity is lost or a component⁶ breaks.

即使停电或部件损坏，该系统仍能继续工作。

Cooling pumps can be replaced by natural convection currents, for instance.

例如，冷却泵可以用自然对流代替。

The reactors use "tristructural isotropic particle fuel", in which blobs of fissile uranium

反应堆使用了“三结构各向同性颗粒燃料”，其可裂变铀

(along with oxygen and carbon) are wrapped in layers of carbon and silicon⁷ carbide.

（以及氧和碳）的斑点被包裹在碳和碳化硅层中。

The pellets can withstand high temperatures, contain radioactive contamination and limit the impact of accidents.

这些微粒可以耐得住高温、含有放射性污染，并限制事故的影响。

The reactors themselves "would be shielded and protected,

反应堆本身“将被隔离和保护，

and possibly placed in a hole in the ground", says Bill Lee, a nuclear engineer and materials scientist at Bangor University, in Wales.

并可能被放置在战场的一个洞穴中”，威尔士班戈大学的一位核工程师和材料科学家比尔·李说到。

A nuclear meltdown should be "physically⁸ impossible", says the Pentagon. The grunts⁹ on the ground will be hoping that is right.

国防部表示，核反应堆熔毁“在物理学上是不可能的”。战场上的士兵会希望是这样的。

1 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

2 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

3 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

4 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

5 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

6 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

7 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

9 grunts   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈

参考例句：

• With grunts of anguish Ogilvie eased his bulk to a sitting position. 奥格尔维苦恼地哼着，伸个懒腰坐了起来。
• Linda fired twice A trio of Grunts assembling one mortar fell. 琳达击发两次。三个正在组装迫击炮的咕噜人倒下了。