(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Wind turbines are tall structures with large blades used to produce electricity. They are useful sources of low-cost, renewable energy. But they can also be deadly to birds and bats. The turbines' large blades turn quickly in the sky. Birds and bats sometimes fly into them and are killed.
But a new type of wind generator may offer an answer to that problem.
In 2002, Spanish inventor David Yanez saw a short film about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the U.S. Strong winds caused the bridge to collapse in 1940. That incident was an example of the powerful vibrations wind can create when it blows past a long pole, like a car antenna or a stick of light wood. It gave Mr. Yanez the idea for a new type of wind-energy generator. He said he wanted it to include all the desired qualities.
He said it should be as low-cost as possible and need as little maintenance as possible. He also said he wanted it to quick to set up.
Mr. Yanez and his friend Raoul Martin took the idea to an engineering business. But they were told their idea would never work. So, Mr. Yanez and Mr. Martin built a small wind tunnel to experiment on their own.
They built a large working model of the generator in a field near their workspace. They called the equipment Vortex.
Mr. Yanez described how the Vortex generator works.
He said there is a mast that serves like a blade on turbines. It is made from the same material as other generators. Wind causes the mast to oscillate, or move back and forth. It does not spin around. So it creates no risk to birds and bats.
The Vortex generator creates about 30 percent less energy than a wind turbine with blades. But it is lighter and less costly to build and maintain. It is made mostly of plastic and has very few moving parts. The generator also does not create noise.
The current prototype works at wind speeds ranging from 1.5 to 7 meters per second.
The inventors say the next step is building a 12.5-meter-tall bladeless generator that could power small businesses or individual homes. They add that the generator could also provide additional power to a larger power supply system.
Mr. Yanez expects the Vortex bladeless generator to be ready for general sale by 2017.
I'm Jonathan Evans.
词汇解析
1.turbine n. [动力] 涡轮；[动力] 涡轮机
The new ship will be powered by two gas turbines and four diesel engines.
那艘新轮船将由2台燃气涡轮机和4台柴油机驱动。
2.vibration n. 振动；犹豫；心灵感应
Vibration often springs many parts of the bike.
震动常常引起自行车许多零件的松动。
3.maintenance n. 维护，维修；保持；生活费用
The window had been replaced last week during routine maintenance.
那窗在上星期的例行检修中已被换掉了。
4.oscillate vt. 使振荡；使振动；使动摇 vi. 振荡；摆动；犹豫
I checked to see if the needle indicating volume was oscillating.
我查看了那根音量指针是否在摆动。
内容解析
1.Wind causes the mast to oscillate, or move back and forth.
back and forth 来来往往地；(前后)来回(地)；来来往往地；交互地；反复地；翻来覆去地
She passed the needle through the rough cloth, back and forth.
她一针一针地缝那块粗布。
The prosecution and defense were bandying accusations back and forth.
原告和被告你来我往，互相指责。
2.It does not spin around. So it creates no risk to birds and bats.
spin around 转圈圈；转身；原地旋转；原地打转
The boat started to spin around in the water.
船开始在水中打旋。
The propeller started to spin around.
螺旋桨开始飞快地旋转起来。
参考译文
风力涡轮机是配备大型叶片来发电的高大结构，是低成本、可再生能源的有效来源，但它们对鸟类和蝙蝠来说也是致命的。涡轮机的大型叶片在空中转的很快，鸟类和蝙蝠有时会撞到上面而身亡。
但一种新型的风力发电机可能会解决这一问题。
2002年，西班牙发明者戴维·亚涅斯在一部有关美国塔科马海峡大桥的短片，1940年的强风导致这座桥倒塌。这次事故说明了风吹过车载天线或细木条等长杆会造成强烈风振的情况，这就启发亚涅斯发明一种新的风力发电机，他说希望这种发电机具备所有所需的特质。
他说这种发电机的成本会尽可能的低，需要尽可能少的维护，他还说希望这种发电机能快速安装。
亚涅斯和朋友拉乌尔·马丁将该创意提供给一家工程公司，但他们被告知他们的想法根本不管用，所以亚涅斯和马丁自己动手建造了一个小型风洞来做实验。
他们在工作场地附近建造了一个大型的发电机工作模型，称这种设备为“涡旋”。
亚涅斯描述了这个涡旋发电机的工作原理。
他说桅杆的作用就像涡轮机的叶片，所用的材料和其他发电机一样。风让桅杆震荡或来回摆动，并不旋转，所以不会对鸟类和蝙蝠构成危险。
这种涡旋发电机的发电量比有叶片的风力发电机少30%，但重量更轻，建造和维护成本也更低，主要是由塑料制成，所以运转部件很少，这种发电机也不会产生噪音。
目前这台原型机的在风速每秒1.5到7米时工作。
这位发明者称下一步是建造能为小企业和家庭提供电能的12.5米高的无叶片发电机，而且这种发电机还能为一个大型供电系统提供额外电能。
亚涅斯希望这种涡旋无叶片发电机能在2017年之前上市。
我是乔纳森·伊万斯。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
