(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
This is Scientific American — 60-Second Science. I'm Emily Schwing.
On June 3rd, a train loaded with highly volatile crude oil derailed just outside the small town of Mosier in Oregon's Columbia River Valley. More than 40,000 gallons of crude spilled out of the train. Some burned away in a 14-hour long fire at the scene. Some got into the wastewater treatment system. And some of the spilled crude oil found its way into the nearby groundwater.
Crews with Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are now focused on getting that groundwater clean again. They're using a technique called "biosparging," which helps the naturally occurring microorganisms at the site consume the oil. The biosparging relies on pumping additional oxygen underground.
"And this additional oxygen will cause the population of microbes to expand very quickly."
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality project manager Bob Schwarz.
"So the more microbes, the more quickly the oil gets consumed."
Schwarz says it's unclear exactly how much oil contaminated the groundwater.
"We're measuring it in hundreds of parts per billion, with a 'b,' so it's a very small mass. But the levels are still high enough for us to have to clean it up."
Schwarz says the groundwater treatment system will likely continue for the next year. Meanwhile, trains will resume carrying oil through the area—a move that, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, local fire chief Jim Appleton called "insane" at the time of the accident.
Thanks for listening for Scientific American — 60-Second Science Science. I'm Emily Schwing.
参考译文
这里是科学美国人——60秒科学。我是埃米莉·施温。
6月3日，一辆装满高挥发性原油的火车，在俄勒冈州哥伦比亚河流域的莫西尔小镇外脱轨。超过4万加仑的原油从火车上倾泻而出。一些原油在现场燃烧了长达四个小时的大火中烧掉。一些原油进入了污水处理系统。而另外一些泄漏原油则流入了附近的地下水中。
联合太平洋铁路公司以及俄勒冈州环境质量部门的职员现在将注意力转移到了地下水清理上。他们利用了一种叫做“生物注气法”的技术，这种技术可以帮助现场存在的微生物消耗石油。“生物注气法”这种技术依靠的是注入地下的额外氧气。
“额外的氧气会导致微生物的数量迅速增长。”
勒冈州环境质量部门的项目经理鲍勃·施瓦茨说道。
“所以微生物越多，石油消耗的速度也就越快。”
施瓦茨表示，目前尚不清楚地下水中还有多少石油。
“我们估计大约是十亿分之几百，所以，数量非常的小。但是，这对于我们来说，需要清理的量也是非常多的。”
施瓦茨表示，地下水处理系统可能会持续至明年。同时，火车还会继续装载石油经过该区域，据俄勒冈州公共广播报道，当地消防队长吉姆·阿普尔顿在事故发生时表示这举动“十分疯狂”。
谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学。我是埃米莉·施温。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
重点讲解
重点讲解：
1. spill out 泄露；
例句：He knocks the bucket over and all the water spill out.
他撞翻了水桶，水全流出去了。
2. focus on 集中(注意力)；关注；
例句：When you are trying to focus on what you are reading, you need to be in a comfortable seat in a quiet room.
当你正在全神贯注的阅读时，你需要坐在一个安静的房间里的舒适的座位上。
3. rely on 依赖；依靠；
例句：You can rely on me to solve this problem.
你尽管相信我能帮你解决这个问题。
4. clean up 清理，清除(污染物)；
例句：We should clean up the dirty parts of the sea.
我们应该清除海里的污染部分。
