英语沙龙：细菌能帮助探测地雷

Bacteria Could Help Detect Mines

An aircraft flies over a no man's land sown with land mines，scanning it with an energy beam that pinpoints¹ each mine and records its location．That done，the aircraft flies over again，this time detonating each mine with a hit from a directed energy beam．

That is the future of land－mine location and destruction as envisioned by two scientists，Hudgins and Krock，who work at the Arm strong Laboratories at Brooks² Air Force Base near San Antonio．

They contend that land mines could be “sniffed³ out” by artificial means，in the same way bombs can be sniffed out by dogs．When a land mine is buried，Krock said，its chemical contents alter the soil very soon around it，resulting in a buildup of bacteria．He is to develop a sensor⁴ to substitute for the olfactory⁵ abilities of dogs．

A directed energy beam would scan the area from above．Inside the aircraft，a spectroscope would “read” the data and record where the bacteria around land mines is located．Then，combining laser technology and directed energy beam，the mines would be detonated from the sky，and no people or animals would be needed to perform the high risk jobs of finding and destroying them．

Using soil samples collected from around land mines found in Bosnia，Krock detected bacteria that he thinks would be a reliable identifier of land mines．Hudgins said the E－8 Joint⁶ STARS aircraft was a good aircraft for detecting the land mines．The Joint STA RS is a flying radar⁷ station designed to locate and target enemy ground forces．An official of the aircraft company said he thought outfitting⁸ the aircraft to detect land mines was doable．But the company could do nothing without direction，and a contract from the Air Force．

Forming a partnership⁹ with a company，the two scientists are developing the technology，which，however，has not been ratified¹⁰ by the military authorities and other agencies．

细菌能帮助探测地雷

一架飞机在一块布满地雷的无人居住的陆地上空飞过，用能源束对每颗地雷进行扫描、定位并作下记录。上述工作完成后，飞机再次飞过来，这一次是用定向能源束的冲击力引爆每颗地雷。

这是美国圣安东尼奥市附近布鲁克斯空军基地阿姆斯特朗实验室的两位科学家，赫金斯和克罗克设想的地雷定位和起爆前景。

他们坚持认为，既然炸弹能够被狗嗅出来，那么地雷同样可以靠人工手段“嗅出”。克罗克说，地雷被埋进土中之后，它的化学物质很快会改变它周围的土壤，从而导致细菌的集结。克罗克将研制一种传感器用以代替狗的嗅觉功能。

定向能源束从上空扫描雷区，飞机里面的分光镜“读出”数据，并记录下地雷周围细菌的具体位置。然后结合使用激光技术和定向能源束，从天空就可以起爆地雷。这样，就不再需要人和动物去干寻找和起爆地雷的高危险性工作了。

抽取从波斯尼亚收集的地雷周围的土壤作样本，克罗克对细菌进行了探测，认为细菌是可靠的地雷识别者。赫金斯说，E－８联星飞机是探测地雷的理想飞机。该飞机是个旨在测定和瞄准敌人地面部队的飞行雷达站。该飞机制造公司的一位官员说，他认为装备这种飞机去探测地雷是可行的。但是，没有命令，没有空军签的合同，公司是不能干的。

两位科学家正在和一家公司合伙开发这项技术。不过，这项技术还需要军方和其他机构批准和认可。

1 pinpoints   

准确地找出或描述( pinpoint的第三人称单数 )； 为…准确定位

参考例句：

• The bombs hit the pinpoints at which they were aimed. 炸弹精确地击中了目标。
• There's really no point in arguing about pinpoints. 为芝麻绿豆般的小事争论实在毫无意义。

2 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

5 olfactory   

adj.嗅觉的

参考例句：

• He is to develop a sensor to substitute for the olfactory abilities of dogs.克罗克将研制一种传感器用以代替狗的嗅觉功能。
• Based on these findings, Keller suspects that each person has an olfactory blind spot.根据这些发现，凯勒推断，每个人都有一个嗅觉盲区。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

8 outfitting   

v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The outfitting installation activities carried out on the building berth or dock. 舾装在船台上或船钨内完成。 来自互联网
• There is so much outfitting work. Do you subcontract some of them? 有这么多的舾装工作要做，你们将工程分包出去吗？ 来自互联网

9 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

10 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。