2006年VOA标准英语-Improved Anthrax Detection from NASA

By Paul Sisco
Washington, DC
19 May 2006
 
watch Anthrax Detection report 
 

Anthrax  
  
Space age technology is playing a role in the war on terror.  Paul Sisco reports on a device developed by the U.S. space agency, NASA, that detects anthrax, which can be used as a biological weapon.

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Anthrax … most Americans first learned of the killer¹ disease shortly after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, when bacterial² spores³ turned up in letters mailed to government offices and newspapers in the United States.  The anthrax killed at least five Americans and infected others.  

Amir Ettehadieh   
  
Researcher Amir Ettehadieh says a contaminated building has widespread implications. "A little amount of anthrax could contaminate a whole building like the Hart Senate [Office] Building, and we saw a lot of deaths coming from these anthrax attacks, so as far as anthrax goes, a little amount could cause a lot of death."

Dr. Andrian Ponce how anthrax was discovered. “When the anthrax attacks occurred the only way that we found out about them was that we observed people getting sick, and of course, that is not a very good way of monitoring this, the sort of canary approach."

 
Dr. Adrian Ponce 
  
Dr. Adrian Ponce works for NASA, the US space agency.  He was part of a team of chemists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which was developing a device for preventing the contamination of spacecraft traveling on Mars and in outer space.

They realized the device they were testing might have applications on Earth -- detecting anthrax. "It works great.  We got it to work in our first try in 2002 with a simple and cheap system and since then we've been working with this company to develop a commercial prototype incorporating their air sampler."

Chemical sensors⁴ turn a solution bright green if anthrax is present and trigger an alarm  
  
NASA is partnered with Universal Detection Technology, a public company that assists in marketing⁵ and improving the device, which looks like a smoke detector⁶.  Placed in large vents⁷, it samples the air every fifteen minutes.  Spores found are quickly heated and broken open for analysis. Chemical sensors turn a solution bright green if anthrax is present and then trigger an alarm.  It all takes place in less than fifteen minutes. Fast enough, NASA says, to prevent widespread contamination and save lives.

Dr. Ponce adds, "We don't just want to develop technology -- we want to apply it and have it be useful for a lot of people."

There are other anthrax detectors⁸ on the market, but NASA says the one it developed is among the smallest, quickest and cheapest.

1 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

2 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

3 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

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 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 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。

7 vents   

（气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩

参考例句：

• He always vents his anger on the dog. 他总是拿狗出气。
• The Dandelion Patch is the least developed of the four active vents. “蒲公英区”在这四个活裂口中是发育最差的一个。

8 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技