2021年经济学人 海神的召唤(2)

CMUT stands for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic¹ transducer. As its name suggests, it is a species of electrical capacitor, and, like all such, it is composed of two parallel plates. Any disturbance² of these plates, such as the vibration³ induced by a sound wave, changes the capacitor's properties in a way that is easily detected.

CMUT是电容式微机械超声波换能器的缩写。顾名思义，它是一种电容器。此外，和其它电容器一样，它是由两块平行板组成的。平行板上的任何骚动，比如由声波引起的振动，都会改变电容器的属性，不过改变的方式很容易检测。

CMUTS were developed at Stanford two decades ago. They are widely used in ultrasonic medical scanners and are made in the same way as the micro-electromechanical deceleration sensors⁴ which trigger the deployment⁵ of car air bags, so they can be mass produced. PASS employs CMUTS tuned⁶ to resonate at the exact frequency of the sonic pulse generated by the laser. This has the double benefit of improving reception and filtering out background noise.

CMUTS是斯坦福大学20年前开发的，它们被广泛应用于超声波医疗扫描仪，与触发汽车气囊展开的微机电减速传感器的制造方式相同，因此可以大规模生产。PASS利用CMUTS进行调整，使其能够以激光产生的声波脉冲的精确频率共振，起到改善接收和过滤背景噪声的双重作用。

Preliminary tests in a university fish tank used a laser weighing 50kg, but this was a general-purpose device and the apparatus⁷ could, the team reckon, be scaled down to weigh just a few kilograms. That would fit on commercial camera-carrying drones. A device this size would be able to "see" through tens of metres of water, making it suitable for use above rivers, lakes and coastal⁸ waters. A larger version for deep-sea operations would fit on a manned helicopter or a larger drone and would be able to peer down to depths of hundreds, and eventually thousands, of metres. The team's researchers imagine fleets of such drones making short work of the task of charting the abyss.

研究人员在一所大学的鱼缸里进行的初步试验中使用了一束重达50公斤的激光。但这是一种通用设备，研究小组认为可以将其重量缩减到几公斤，从而可适用于携带摄像机的商用无人机。这种尺寸的设备可以“透视”数十米深的水，适合在河流、湖泊和沿海水域的上空使用。大一些的可用于深海作业，安装在有人驾驶的直升机或者更大的无人机上面，能够向下窥视数百米、最终将达到数千米的深度。该团队的研究人员设想，这样的无人机舰队将能够轻而易举地完成绘制深渊地形图的任务。

Deep thoughts

深思

Besides the scientific value of mapping the seabed with the sort of resolution normal for terrestrial cartography, PASS will also be able to locate the wrecks⁹ of missing ships and aircraft, and engage in commercial tasks such as monitoring underwater infrastructure¹⁰ like oil and gas pipelines¹¹.

除了具备用陆地制图学的分辨率法来绘制海床的科学价值，PASS还将能够定位失踪船只和飞机的残骸并从事商业任务，比如监测水下基础设施，如石油和天然气管道。

There are military applications, too, particularly for the detection of submarines. In this context it is no surprise that the project is being sponsored by America's Office of Naval¹² Research. But for inhabitants of the third rock from the sun—or, at least, for those of them interested in hidden aspects of the orb¹³ they inhabit—the generation of the first high-resolution map of all of that orb's solid surface will be a matter of moment in its own right.

此外它还具备军事用途，特别是探测潜艇。就其强大的功能来说，这个项目能够得到美国海军研究办公室的资助便不足为奇了。但是对于居住在太阳外第三块岩石上的居民来说，或者至少对于那些对自己所居住的地球的隐秘方面感兴趣的人来说，绘制出第一张完整的地球固体表面的高分辨率地图将是一个重要时刻。

1 ultrasonic   

adj.超声的；n.超声波

参考例句：

• It was very necessary for people to take type-B ultrasonic inspection regularly.定期进行B超检查是十分必要的。
• Sounds are classified into two kinds: sonic and ultrasonic.声波分为两类，即普通声波与超声波。

2 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

3 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

4 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

5 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

6 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

8 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

9 wrecks   

n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉

参考例句：

• The shores are strewn with wrecks. 海岸上满布失事船只的残骸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune. 第二件我所关心的事就是集聚破产后的余财。 来自辞典例句

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

12 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

13 orb   

n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形

参考例句：

• The blue heaven,holding its one golden orb,poured down a crystal wash of warm light.蓝蓝的天空托着金色的太阳，洒下一片水晶般明亮温暖的光辉。
• It is an emanation from the distant orb of immortal light.它是从远处那个发出不灭之光的天体上放射出来的。