新奇事件簿 欧盟为统一充电器投票

Have you ever wondered why every smartphone manufacturer makes a charger for its phone that is different from the rest? Lawmakers at the European Union have also been pondering the same mystery. Consumers should welcome a new, common-sense initiative voted for by European politicians. The EU has decided¹ that all smartphone companies will soon have to make the plug adaptor that connects to the electricity supply the same.They did not vote on making the other end of the cable, the part that connects to the phone itself, the same. This will leave many consumers feeling somewhat perplexed². They may well view the upcoming law as a half measure. There were calls to also standardize³ the connector that fits into the phone.

你有没有想过，为什么每个智能手机的制造商都拥有属于自己品牌的充电器？欧盟法律制定者也在对这同样的问题困惑不已。欧洲政治家投票称，他们希望顾客能够接受一种新的思想。欧盟已经决定所有智能手机都要生产出适合所有充电设备的插头转换器。他们并没有对接通智能手机另一头的接头有任何的投票。这让许多顾客感到困惑。他们认为即将出台的法律政策没有用。人们呼吁把接通手机的连接头标准化。

The dizzying variety in designs of current adaptors is detrimental⁴ to the environment. Every time someone buys a new phone, they usually end up throwing away their old charger and paying for another one that fitstheir new device. EU politician Barbara Weiler said the new law would help the environment by cutting downon electronic waste. She told reporters: "It will put an end to charger clutter⁵ and 51,000 tons of electronic waste annually⁶." She added: "The current incompatibility⁷ of chargers for mobile phones, smart phones, tablets, digital cameras and music players is a nightmare and a real inconvenience for consumers."Manufacturers have until 2017 to comply with the new directive.

各种不同型号的手机转换器对环境产生了不良影响。通常只要人们购买了一部新手机，他们就会扔掉老手机的充电器，并购买一个适合新手机的充电器。欧盟政治家芭芭拉·威雷尔称新法将减少人们对电子产品的浪费，并改善环境。她告诉记者说：“这样做将结束充电器的混乱状态，并节省每年5万1千吨的电子浪费。”她还说：“目前，手机、智能手机、平板电脑、数码相机以及音乐播放器充电器的不兼容状态简直是一场噩梦，给顾客带来了极大的不便。”生产商将在2017年遵循新规定。

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

3 standardize   

v.使符合标准，使标准化

参考例句：

• We will extend and standardize legal services and provide effective legal aid.拓展和规范法律服务，积极开展法律援助。
• There is a drive both to standardise components and to reduce the number of models on offer.正在为实现零部件标准化和减少推出的型号数量而努力。

4 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

5 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

6 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

7 incompatibility   

n.不兼容

参考例句：

• One cause may be an Rh incompatibility causing kernicterus in the newborn. 一个原因可能是Rh因子不相配引起新生儿的脑核性黄疸。
• Sexual incompatibility is wide-spread in the apple. 性的不亲合性在苹果中很普遍。