VOA慢速英语2019 科学家测试预测并控制闪电的系统

Scientists say they have developed a system that uses machine learning to predict when and where lightning will strike.

科学家表示，他们开发出一种系统，能利用机器学习来预测闪电在何时何地发生。

Researchers report the system is able to predict lightning strikes up to 30 minutes before they happen within a 30-kilometer area.

研究从员报告称，这个系统能最多提前30分钟预测半径30公里区域内何时何地会出现闪电。

The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland. The results were reported in the publication Climate and Atmospheric¹ Science.

这顶研究由来自瑞士洛桑的瑞士联邦理工学院的工程师领导。研究结果发表在《气候与大气科学》期刊上。

Lightning is a strong burst of electricity in the atmosphere. It is one of the oldest observed weather events on Earth. It can strike between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. Since lightning carries an extremely powerful electrical charge, it can be destructive and deadly.

闪电是大气中的强放电现象。闪电是地球上最早观察到的天气现象之一。其可以在云层之间或云层与大地之间出现。由于闪电携带威力极强的电荷，因此它可能造成毁灭性甚至是致命性后果。

It is difficult to know exactly how many people die of lightning-related causes. European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power outages, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires.

很难确切知道有多少人死于闪电相关原因。欧洲研究人员估计，全球每年有6000至2.4万人因闪电死亡。闪电袭击还会导致断电、财产毁损、电力设备受损并引发森林火灾。

For this reason, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. In the United States and other places, ground-based sensing devices are used to identify strikes as they happen. But, no system has been created to effectively predict or stop lightning.

出于这个原因，气候学家一直设法开发能预测和控制闪电的方法。在美国和其他地方，地基遥感设备用于在闪电发生时进行识别。但是，此前一直未能开发出有效预测或阻止闪电的系统。

The system tested in the experiments uses a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning.

实验中测试的这个系统使用来自气象站和机器学习方法的组合数据。研究人员开发了一种预测模型，并训练这个模型识别可能引发闪电的天气条件。

The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.

这一模型由12年间在城市和山区的12个瑞士气象站所收集到的数据创建。这些数据涉及四个主要地表状况：大气压力、气温、相对湿度和风速。

The atmospheric data was placed into a machine learning algorithm, which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.

大气数据被植入到机器学习算法中，随后算法会将这些数据与闪电袭击记录进行比较。研究人员表示，接下来算法就能了解闪电会在哪种情况下发生。

"Once trained, the system made predictions that proved correct almost 80 percent of the time," the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said in a statement. "It can now be used anywhere."

瑞士联邦理工学院在声明中表示，“经证明，这一系统在接受训练后做出的预测，准确率接近80%。现在该系统可以应用在任何地方。”

Amirhossein Mostajabi is a PhD student at the institute who led the development of the method. He said current systems for gathering² such data are slow and complex and require costly³ collection equipment like radar⁴ or satellites.

阿米尔霍塞因·莫斯塔加比是瑞士联邦理工学院的博士生，他领导了这一方法的开发。他表示，用于收集此类数据的现有系统运行慢且复杂，还需要雷达或卫生等昂贵收集设备的辅助。

"Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station," Mostajabi said. This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut, he added.

莫斯塔加比说：“我们的方法所使用的数据可以从任何气象站获取。”他补充说，这将改善一些地区的数据收集情况，比如不在雷达和卫星覆盖范围内的偏远地区，或是通讯系统被切断的地区。

The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership⁵ with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. The effort is called the European Laser Lightning Rod project.

研究人员计划继续开发这项技术，同时与旨在开发闪电保护系统的欧洲项目合作。该项目名为欧洲激光避雷针计划。

Scientists working on the Paris-based project are experimenting with a laser technology that could someday control lightning activity. The idea is that powerful, ground-based lasers can be positioned in the sky to direct energy from lightning.

这一项目在巴黎开展，科学家正在试验一种激光技术，该技术也许有朝一日能控制闪电活动。项目理念是，强大的地基激光可以部署在空中，引导来自闪电的能量。

The experiments involve the use of lasers to transfer lightning charges from clouds to the ground. The method uses a lightning rod placed at the base of the laser to take in electrical charges from lightning in the clouds.

这一试验包括用激光将来自云层的闪电电荷转移到地面。这一方法使用安装在激光基地的避雷针接收云层中的闪电电荷。

Researchers say laboratory testing has shown that lasers can be used as a way to guide lightning to a direct, safe path to the ground. They hope that such technology can one day be deployed⁶ as protection against lightning strikes. Possible uses could be at power plants, airports or places where large crowds gather.

研究人员表示，实验室试验表明，激光可以用来将闪电引导到通往地面的直接且安全的路径上。他们希望这项技术有一天能作为抵御闪电袭击的方法。这项技术可能应用在发电厂、机场或大量人群聚集的地方。

1 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

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 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。

5 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。

6 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。