VOA慢速英语2014 低成本保育箱将拯救更多婴儿

 

Low-Cost Incubator May Save More Babies 低成本保育箱将拯救更多婴儿

Premature¹ birth is the biggest killer² of children worldwide. About one million babies around the world die of problems that strike because they are born too early. Many of these babies could have been saved if they had been placed in an incubator.

Weak or sick newborns can be cared for in an incubator for special protection and treatment until they are stronger. Yet, this costly³ device is mostly unavailable in developing countries. A young British researcher says he has found a solution -- a low-cost inflatable incubator.

Doctors say many expectant mothers in developing countries give birth to babies too soon, especially in refugee camps. They say the premature births happen because the mothers have poor nutrition and live in unhealthy conditions.

The tiny babies are born before their lungs are fully⁴ developed. Undeveloped lungs make them more likely to develop deadly infections.  If placed in an incubator, they can continue to develop in a warm, controlled environment.

However, one incubator costs about $50,000. Some hospitals in developing nations are unable to pay for the devices.

But 23-year-old design engineering student James Roberts says his inflatable incubator may help solve this problem. He calls the incubator MOM.

“It's basically an insulated piece of air, so it's like the difference between double and single glazing⁵, so it's easier to keep the inside at a stable heat environment, heat temperature.”

The MOM incubator is collapsible. When folded, the device looks like an ordinary travel bag. James Roberts developed the idea for the incubator after watching a documentary film on events in Syria. He says he wanted to find a way to help premature babies in developing countries.

James Roberts found a way to provide power to his incubator design. Power failures happen often in refugee camps. But a car battery can provide power for the MOM incubator. The incubator can run for 24 hours until main power sources return.

James Roberts won the $45,000 James Dyson Award earlier this year for his incubator design.  Mr. Roberts says the MOM incubator project is still being developed. But he hopes the award money will help him start a company for the mass manufacturing of inflatable incubators.

1 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

2 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。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 glazing   

n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神

参考例句：

• You should ensure against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应装双层玻璃以免散热。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You should ensure yourself against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应该装双层玻璃防止热量散失。 来自《简明英汉词典》