【英语时差8,16】太阳能石油钻机

 In the 1940s, when offshore¹ oil and gas drilling got started in the Gulf² of Mexico, offshore platforms were required to have hazard lights to warn ships of their presence. To power the lights, oil companies had to invest in big, expensive, non rechargeable batteries that needed replacing at least once a year. By the early 1970s, when some of the first commercial solar cells were coming on the market, oil companies were ready to give them a try. So instead of large batteries, some oil companies fitted their offshore platforms with smaller, rechargeable batteries powered by solar panels. It worked so well that soon most rigs in the Gulf went solar. Intereting!I suppose solar energy makes a lot of sense any place that’s remote and doesn’t have a ready source of electricity. Right.There’s a lot of interest today in using solar power instead of electricity made by burning coal. But the fact is that for many years solar energy has been used to generate power when other sources aren’t available.

1 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。