2020年经济学人 污水的社会经济学(2)

Among many correlations¹ detected, the researchers found that high levels of B vitamins

在检测到的很多相关性中，研究人员发现高浓度的B族维生素

(abundant in red meat, whole grains and dark leafy greens),

（在红肉、全谷物和深色绿叶蔬菜中含量丰富）、

alcohol and caffeine were associated with high-rent districts, generally in the middle of cities,

酒精和咖啡因与高租金的地区相关，这些地区通常都位于城市中心，

while opioids and antidepressants went hand in hand with an abundance of people with low-skilled occupations.

而阿片类药物和抗抑郁药与大量低技能工作者相关。

These general correlations are not, perhaps, that surprising (though another,

或许这些普遍的相关性并不令人惊讶（虽然另一种相关性，

between a lack of internet connection and an antihypertensive medication called atenolol, is intriguing—

缺乏网络连接与一种叫做阿替洛尔的降压药之间的联系，很有趣——

possibly being mediated² through people's age).

可能会随着年纪调节）。

But Dr Samanipour found that in combination they could predict quite accurately³ the demographic make-up of a sewage plant's catchment area.

但Samanipour博士发现，结合起来看，它们可以相当准确地预测污水厂集水区的人口构成。

He did this by taking the model he and his colleagues had devised, based on their 100 initial plants, and applying it to nine others.

通过利用他和同事设计的模型，以他们最初的100个处理厂为基础，并将该模型应用到其他9个处理厂中。

For each of these they forecasted the socioeconomics of the surrounding area and then tested those forecasts against reality, as revealed by the census⁴.

他们对每一个周围区域的社会经济进行了预测，并将这些预测与人口普查披露的实际情况进行对比。

These forecasts were quite specific: how many people in an area had finished secondary school;

这些预测相当详细：这片区域内有多少人中学毕业；

how many had cars; how many were single parents; and so on.

多少人有车；多少人是单身父母等等。

Of the 37 questions asked by the census about education, occupation, income, social life and housing,

在人口普查调查的37个关于教育、职业、收入、社交生活以及住房的问题中，

the model was able to predict the pattern of answers to 30 of them with 25% or less deviation⁵ from the values calculated by the census.

该模型能够预测其中30个的答案模式，且与人口普查计算值的偏差不超过25%。

Based on these results the researchers argue that, considering the relative ease,

基于这些结果，研究人员认为，鉴于收集和分析

low cost and high frequency with which wastewater samples can be collected and analysed, their model could profitably be used,

这些污水样本的容易度、低成本和高频率，他们的模型可以被有效利用，

if not as a replacement⁶ for censuses⁷, then at least as a way of keeping track of changes in the characteristics of populations more or less continuously,

即便不能替代人口普查，至少也可以作为一种持续追踪人口特征变化的方法，

as they happen, rather than in a punctuated⁸ manner every five or ten years.

而无需间断式的每五年或每十年一次。

1 correlations   

相互的关系( correlation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One would expect strong and positive correlations between both complexes. 人们往往以为这两个综合体之间有紧密的正相关。
• The correlations are of unequal value. 这些对应联系的价值并不相同。

2 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

3 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

4 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

5 deviation   

n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题

参考例句：

• Deviation from this rule are very rare.很少有违反这条规则的。
• Any deviation from the party's faith is seen as betrayal.任何对党的信仰的偏离被视作背叛。

6 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

7 censuses   

人口普查，统计( census的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Data derived from population censuses is useful for social researchers. 从人口普查中得到的数据对社会研究者们很有用处。
• UNFPA also helps countries compile reliable demographic data and carry out censuses. 人口基金还帮助各国汇编可靠的人口数据及开展人口普查。

8 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》