(单词翻译:单击)
Nuclear power is one option to free humanity from our dependence on fossil fuels for energy.
核能能够使我们人类摆脱对化石能源的依赖。
Unlike oil, coal, or gas, generating nuclear power emits no CO2.
因为与石油、煤炭或天然气不同，利用核能发电不会产生二氧化碳。
Though, it must be said that it does create radioactive waste, some of which has to be stored securely for thousands of years.
然而，必须指出的是，利用核能发电会产生放射性废物，其中有一些必须安全储存数千年才不会危害我们的环境。
And unlike wind or solar, it can produce energy on demand.
与风能和太阳能不同的是，核能发电可以实现按需供应。
So a few countries are aggressively pursuing nuclear power
因此，一些国家正在积极地研发核能，
and some have even designed ships with reactors to serve as mobile power plants.
一些国家甚至设计了带有反应堆，可充当移动发电厂的船只。
Is this idea ingenious or a disaster waiting to happen?
这到底是一个巧妙的构思？还是一场即将爆发的灾难呢？
China is reportedly starting construction on a floating nuclear power station said to be sea-worthy by 2021.
据报道，中国将在2021年前开始建设一座浮动核电站，据说该核电站可以在海上使用。
While Russia has already a built a barge with two 35 megawatt reactors.
俄罗斯则已经建造了一艘载有两个35兆瓦反应堆的浮动驳船。
It's expected to be hooked up to the grid in the far northeast region of Chukotka by December of 2019.
预计到2019年12月，该核电站就会接入楚科奇东北地区的电网。
Now, I know there are some keywords in there that set off alarm bells for some of you.
说到这里，我知道，有一些关键词，尤其是俄罗斯和核能这两个词，
Particularly, the words: Russia and nuclear power.
已经给你们中间的一些人敲响了警钟了。
One of the biggest disasters in the history of nuclear energy occurred in the former Soviet Union in 1986 when a reactor in Chernobyl exploded.
因为核能史上最大的灾难之一就发生在前苏联，那是1986年，切尔诺贝利的一个反应堆爆炸了。
For some, this forever tainted nuclear energy and critics of the floating power plant have dubbed it Chernobyl on Ice.
对一些人来说，这一灾难给核能抹上了永远也洗不掉的污点，漂浮式核电站的批评者甚至将其称为“冰上的切尔诺贝利”。
But nuclear power at sea actually has some advantages.
然而，将核电站建在海上是有一定优势的。
Land-based power plants need to be built by sources of water for cooling which can be valuable real estate.
为方便冷却，陆基核电站需要建在水源附近，但水源附近也是宝贵的地产资源。
Building on land can also require a lengthy construction process and face backlash from locals.
在陆地上建设核电站的过程会很漫长，可能还会引起当地人的反对。
And of course, once the plant is built, it can't go anywhere.
当然，还有一个问题就是，一旦陆基核电站建成，它的位置也就固定了。
A floating reactor can be tugged to a new location to supply power if the need arises or it can bring power to remote parts of the world.
漂浮式反应堆则能被拖到新的地方供电，如果需要的话，也能将电力输送到世界偏远地区。
Of course, putting a reactor on a boat is not without its own challenges.
当然，将反应堆放在船上也不是完全没有挑战。
First and most obvious is the motion of the ocean.
首先也是最明显的挑战就是海洋的运动。
The cooling system has to be designed to keep the reactor temperatures at safe levels even as the whole system pitches and rolls around.
即便整个系统都会摇来晃去，冷却系统的设计也必须要让反应堆温度保持在安全水平。
There's also the problem of containment.
此外还有安全壳的问题。
Land-based reactors can be built with heavy concrete containment vessels over them
陆基反应堆还可以在上面设计重型混凝土安全壳，
to prevent radioactive material from escaping in the event of a major pipe break.
防止放射性物质在发生重大管道破裂时逸出。
On a floating vessel, experts say solving the containment issue makes the ship heavier,
专家说，在漂浮的船上，解决安全壳问题会加大船只的重量，
meaning the ship would have to be larger to support the weight.
这就意味着船只必须做得更大才能承受得起安全壳的重量。
It's either that or saving weight at the expense of robust containment.
要么这样做，要么就不做坚固的安全壳，省去这部分重量。
The good news for anyone losing sleep over this is we have a lot of experience with atomic power at sea.
在这里，有一个好消息要告诉那些会因为浮动核电站失眠的小伙伴，那就是我们已经有了很多在海上利用原子能的经验了。
The first nuclear power vessel, the submarine, USS Nautilus, launched in 1954.
史上第一艘核动力船——美国海军隶下的“鹦鹉螺号”核潜艇1954年就下水了。
Since then, militaries around the world have built hundreds of nuclear-powered submarines and surface vessels.
从那时起，世界各地的军队已经建造了数百艘核潜艇和水上舰艇。
The U.S. Navy has a stellar safety record with over 50 years of operation and no radiological accidents.
美国海军有着50多年没有发生过任何放射性事故的杰出记录。
The Russian Navy, on the other hand, had some teething issues and a number of serious accidents resulted in over 20 radiation deaths.
相比之下，俄罗斯海军在探索初期就出过一些问题，后面还发生过几起比较严重的事故，共造成20多人因辐射而死。
Since the late 1970s though, safety and reliability became a priority, and their track record improved.
然而，70年代末以来，安全和可靠性已经成了各国军队开发核能的第一要务，他们在这方面的成绩也已经有所改善。
There are also several Russian operated icebreakers that rely on nuclear power that are in service right now.
这会儿俄罗斯都还有几艘核动力破冰船在服役呢。
So with modern naval reactor design and years of accumulated experience in mind,
有现代海军反应堆设计和多年的探索经验的加持，
some experts like the former head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Dale Klein, think fears about a floating Chernobyl are overblown.
包括美国核管理委员会前主席戴尔·克莱因在内的一些专家认为，人们对漂浮在海上的切尔诺贝利的担心有些多余了。
If the design proves safe and effective, maybe it will lead to more offshore reactor designs.
如果能够证明海上反应堆的设计安全有效，这一设计兴许能引领出更多的海上反应堆设计。
MIT even floated their own idea for one back in 2015, and yes, the pun was intended.
2015年的时候，麻省理工学院的研究人员就已经提出过他们的设想了，没错，这句话就是一语双关。
Their concept was to combine a nuclear reactor with the same kind of cylindrical platforms we use for some floating oil rigs.
他们的想法是将核反应堆与我们用于一些浮动钻井平台的圆柱形平台结合起来。
Think of those chlorine dispensers you see bobbing in a backyard pool, only, giant and with a nuclear reactor inside.
大家不妨想象一下你在后院游泳池里看到的那些氯分发器，只不过他们设想的体积比较大，里面还有一个核反应堆。
The MIT researchers believe they could be mass produced and deployed easily,
麻省理工学院的研究人员认为，这些核电站可以大规模生产，部署起来也比较容易，
making them much less costly than current land-based plants,
这样一来，它们的成本就比陆基核电站的成本低得多，
and putting them over deep water and at least 13 kilometers offshore can reduce the threat from tsunamis or earthquakes.
而且，将它们置于深海之上或距离海岸线至少13公里的海上，还能减小海啸或地震的威胁。
They're still looking into the idea and hope the first ones are operational by 2030.
不过，目前他们仍在研究这个想法，希望到2030年，第一批浮动反应堆能投入使用。
If they live up to expectations, offshore nuclear power could one day be a huge contributor to the fight against climate change.
如果那些反应堆能够不负所望的话，海上核能发电站或将成为我们对抗气候变化的有力武器。
And one more fact before you go,
最后，还要跟大家分享一个事实，
while nuclear power is one way to reduce CO2 emissions and dependency on fossil fuels,
虽然核能是减少二氧化碳排放和减少对化石燃料依赖的一种方式，
the Russian floating nuclear power unit is being sent to a remote area of Russia to power the extraction of fossil fuels.
但俄罗斯的浮动核电站还是在被送往俄罗斯一个偏远地区，去为化石燃料的开采提供动力的路上了。
Oh, the irony.
呵呵，是不是很讽刺。
If you like this video, check out this one on how nuclear modular reactors could change the future of energy.
如果你喜欢这个视频，不妨看看这个关于核反应堆如何改变未来能源的视频吧。
Make sure to subscribe and I'll see you next time on Seeker.
记得订阅我们的节目噢，我们下期节目再见啦。
