TED演讲:消灭铺张浪费,我们需要重新认识节俭(4)

If there's a building down the block which is being demolished¹, are there materials there that the new building being built here can use?

如果不远处有一栋楼正在被拆毁，拆下来的这些材料中有没有一些是这边的新建筑物可以使用的？

Can we use that, the ability to understand that all the materials available in that building are still usable? Can we then basically²

我们是否可以认为这个建筑物所有的建筑材料仍然可用？我们是否可以

put them into a new building, without actually losing any value in the process?

将它们用于建造新的建筑物且不丧失它们自身的任何价值？

So now let's think about other industries. What are other industries doing to create thrift³?

让我们再想想其他行业。其它行业是如何节俭的呢？

Well, it turns out that there are plenty of industries that are also thinking about their own waste and what we can do with it.

现在许多行业都在思考如何解决生产废料这个问题。

A simple example is the waste that they basically belch⁴ out as part of industrial processes.

一个简单的例子就是在工业生产中排放的工业废气。

Most metal smelters give off an awful lot of carbon dioxide. Turns out, there's a company called Land Detector⁵ that's actually

许多金属冶炼厂会在生产中排放大量的二氧化碳。我发现一个叫Land Detector的公司

working in China and also soon in South Africa, that's able to take that waste gas -- about 700,000 tons per smelter

在中国和南非开展工作，他们搜集工业废气——一个冶炼厂可以搜集70万吨废气，

and then turn it into about 400,000 tons of ethanol, which is equivalent⁶ to basically powering 250,000, or quarter of a million, cars for a year.

这些废气能转换成40万吨乙醇，这相当于给25万辆汽车提供了一年的燃料。

That's a very effective use of waste. How about products more close to home?

这是有效利用生产废料的方法。那我们身边的产品呢？

This is a simple solution. And it, again, takes the idea of reducing, reusing, but then also with economic advantage.

这里有一个简单的办法，还是基于减少使用重复利用的概念，但同时能给经济带来好处。

So it's a simple process of changing from a cut and sew, where typically between 20 and 30 materials are used

这是一个简单的流程，不再采用需要将20到30种材料的裁剪和缝制，

which are cut from a large cloth and then sewn together or even sometimes glued, they changed it and said that they just knitted⁷ the shoe.

即从大块布料中剪下再缝制或粘在一起的做法，而是改用编织的方式。

The advantage with this is not just a simplification of the process, it's also, "I've got one material.

优点不仅仅是简化了流程，而且我只需要一样材料。

I have zero waste," and then also, "I'm able to potentially recycle that at the end of its life."

没有浪费任何东西，以及在它寿终正寝时，我还可以对它回收利用。

1 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

2 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

3 thrift   

adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约

参考例句：

• He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。
• His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。

4 belch   

v.打嗝，喷出

参考例句：

• Cucumber makes me belch.黃瓜吃得我打嗝。
• Plant chimneys belch out dense smoke.工厂的烟囱冒出滚滚浓烟。

5 detector   

n.发觉者，探测器

参考例句：

• The detector is housed in a streamlined cylindrical container.探测器安装在流线型圆柱形容器内。
• Please walk through the metal detector.请走过金属检测器。

6 equivalent   

adj.（to）相等的，等价的；n.相等物，等值物

参考例句：

• Nodding your head is equivalent to saying "yes".点头就等于说“赞同”。
• You will receive the full equivalent of your money.你将收到与你的款项价值完全同等的物品。

7 knitted   

v.（使）愈合( knit的过去式和过去分词 )；编结；（使）紧密地结合；织平针

参考例句：

• I knitted this cardigan myself. 我自己织的这件开襟毛衣。
• Our two nations are knitted together by common concerns. 共同关心的问题使我们两国团结一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》