VOA慢速英语2021 榴莲壳"变身"抗菌绷带（在线收听）

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have found a new way to handle food waste.

新加坡南洋理工大学（南大）的科学家发现了一种处理食物垃圾的新方法。

They are turning unused durian fruit coverings, or husks, into antibacterial bandages.

他们将未使用的榴莲壳制成抗菌绷带。

The researchers took fibers from the fruit's husks after they were cut and dried.

研究人员先把榴莲壳切片和干燥，之后从中提取纤维素粉。

Then they mixed the fibers with a liquid called glycerol.

然后，他们将纤维素粉与一种名为甘油的液体混合。

This mixture becomes a soft substance called a hydrogel, which is then made into bandages.

这种混合物变成一种叫做水凝胶的柔软物质，然后被制成绷带。

The fruit's husks make up more than half of a durian's structure.

榴莲的外壳占榴莲结构的一半以上。

They are usually thrown away and burned, which adds to environmental waste.

它们通常被扔掉和焚烧，这增加了环境垃圾。

William Chen is director of the food science and technology program at NTU.

威廉·陈是南大食品科技项目主任。

He said, "In Singapore, we consume about 12 million durians a year, so besides the flesh, we can't do much about the husk and the seeds and this causes environmental pollution."

他说：“在新加坡，我们每年消费大约1200万榴莲，所以除了果肉，我们对果壳和种子无能为力，这就造成了环境污染。”

Chen added that the technology can also turn other food waste, such as soybeans and grains, into hydrogel.

陈补充说，这项技术还可以将大豆和谷物等其他食物垃圾转化为水凝胶。

The hydrogel bandages can keep wound areas cooler and more moist than normal bandages which can help speed up healing.

相比普通绷带，水凝胶绷带能保持伤口更凉爽湿润，有助于加速伤口愈合。

The researchers say using waste materials and yeast for the antibacterial bandages is less costly than using normal bandages.

研究人员表示，使用废弃材料和酵母制作抗菌绷带比使用普通绷带的成本更低。

The antibacterial substances in those bandages use more costly metallic compounds like silver or copper.

普通绷带中的抗菌物质使用了更昂贵的金属化合物，如银或铜。

Fruit seller Tan Eng Chuan said he goes through as much as 1,800 kilograms of durian each day during durian season.

水果商谭恩川说，在榴莲季节，他每天要处理多达1800公斤的榴莲。

He said being able to use the parts of the fruit that are usually thrown away would make enjoying durian, in his words, "more sustainable."

他说，能够利用榴莲中通常被扔掉的部分，用他的话说，会让吃榴莲“更可持续”。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

我是乔纳森·埃文斯。