新奇事件簿 新型超薄材料让建筑更凉爽

A team of engineers has created a super-thin material that could help keep buildings cool. The team is from the University of Colorado Boulder¹ in the USA. Engineers from the university developed the revolutionary new material, that is very thin and can cool objects even under direct sunlight. The material does not need energy to work nor does it need water to help keep things cool. The engineers say the new material could provide an answer to air conditioners, which are expensive to run and need a lot of water. The material is unlike anything found in nature. It is a glass-polymer hybrid² that is just 50 micrometers thick. That's slightly thicker than the aluminium³ foil⁴ we use for cooking.

一些工程师发明了一种超薄材料，可以让建筑保持凉爽。该研究小组来自美国科罗拉多大学波尔得分校。这所大学的工程师开发了这种革命性的新材料，非常薄，即使在阳光直射下也可以让物体保持凉爽。这种材料不需要消耗能量，也不需要水来保持物体凉爽。工程师们表示，这种新材料可以为空调提供解决方案，因为空调运作起来成本很高，需要很多水。这种材料与大自然中找到的任何材料都不同。这种材料是玻璃聚合物，厚度只有几微米，只比用来烹饪的铝箔厚一点。

The engineers explained how their new material works. They said when it is put on top of something, two things happen. The first thing is that it cools the object underneath⁵ by reflecting the sun's rays back into space. At the same time, the second thing happens - the material removes the object's own heat and sends that into the air. An engineer said: "The key advantage of this technology is that it works 24/7 with no electricity or water usage….We're excited about the opportunity to explore potential uses in the power industry, aerospace⁶, agriculture and more." Another researcher said: "Just 10 to 20 square meters of this material on the rooftop could nicely cool down a…house in summer."

工程师们解释了这种新材料的工作原理。他们表示，把这种材料放在某种物体顶部的时候，会发生两件事。首先，通过阳光反射回空中来冷却物体。与此同时，第二件事情发生了——这种材料可以带走物体本身的热量，传递到空气中。一位工程师表示：“这种技术的关键优势是可以七天二十四小时连续不断地工作，不需要电或水。我们非常兴奋，希望探索将这种材料应用在电力，太空，农业甚至更多行业的机会。”另外一位研究人员表示：“夏季，屋顶上覆盖10到20平方米这种材料就可以很好地给房子降温。”

1 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

2 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

3 aluminium   

n.铝 (=aluminum)

参考例句：

• Aluminium looks heavy but actually it is very light.铝看起来很重，实际上却很轻。
• If necessary, we can use aluminium instead of steel.如果必要，我们可用铝代钢。

4 foil   

n.箔，金属薄片，陪衬；vt.挫败，使受挫折

参考例句：

• Milk bottle tops are made of tin foil.牛奶瓶盖是用锡箔做的。
• An ugly woman serves as a foil to a pretty girl.一个丑女人可以将美丽的姑娘反衬得更加漂亮。

5 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

6 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。