2016年ESL之日常生活 04 Air and Water Pollution

ESL Podcast 1183 – Air and Water Pollution 

Julia: Stop poisoning us! Stop poisoning us! 

Robert: Why are you picketing² in front of this factory? 

Julia: This factory is polluting our air and water. They’re responsible for contaminating the environment with dangerous chemicals and waste. 

Robert: But your entire family works here. Aren’t you concerned you’ll cause trouble for them and the other workers? 

Julia: What’s more important is their health. The air quality in and out of this factory is at toxic³ levels and it’s endangering their health, not to mention what it’s doing to the ozone⁴. 

Robert: That’s terrible. Maybe I should help you picket¹. 

Julia: Here’s a sign. 

Robert: Okay, but maybe picketing is taking things a little too far. 

Julia: No way! Did you know that runoff from the factory has tainted⁵ the groundwater? Did you know that workers and people in the community are breathing in dangerous particulate⁶ matter? 

Robert: I didn’t know that. Do you have proof of all that? 

Julia: Of course I have proof. Environmental groups have done independent tests. 

Robert: Then it’s actually dangerous for me to be standing⁷ here talking to you and breathing in this toxic air. 

Julia: That’s true and your willingness to help me picket is really commendable⁸. Hey, where are you going? 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

2 picketing   

[经] 罢工工人劝阻工人上班，工人纠察线

参考例句：

• mass picketing of the factory 罢工工人集体对工厂的封锁
• "And my chaps were also there to prevent picketing! “我的人也是防着女工们要拦厂！ 来自子夜部分

3 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

4 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

5 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 particulate   

adj.微小的；n.微粒，粒子

参考例句：

• A special group was organized to dig up the particulate of the case.成立了一个专门小组来查明该案件的各个细节。
• Lungs retain relatively insoluble particulate material.肺脏内留有不溶解的颗粒物质。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 commendable   

adj.值得称赞的

参考例句：

• The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。
• Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。