VOA常速英语2014--美国能源公司：清洁科技有利可图

 

US Energy Company: Cleaner Technologies Make Good Business Sense 美国能源公司：清洁科技有利可图

BREMO BLUFF¹, VIRGINIA — Even before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its proposed rules this month for reducing carbon emissions² from the nation’s power plants, energy companies began converting older plants to cleaner technologies because they think it makes economic sense. The Bremo Power plant in Virginia has converted itself from the state's oldest coal burning facility to one powered by natural gas.

早在美国环境保护局这个月发布有关全国发电厂减少碳排放的提议之前，电力公司已经开始采用清洁能源技术，因为他们认为这样做有经济效益。维吉尼亚州的布莱默发电厂刚从这个州最古老的煤炭燃烧发电设施转换为天然气发电。

The trains that run through rural Virginia no longer deliver coal to the Bremo Power facility. The plant’s coal conveyor will soon be dismantled³. Greg Searcy, the plant’s operation manager, says the plan is to turn the old coal storage area into a grass field.

穿越维吉尼亚州乡村的火车不再向布莱默发电厂运送煤炭了。这个工厂的煤炭输送带也马上就要拆除。格雷格·瑟西是工厂的运营经理，他说他们计划将过去堆放煤的区域改造成一片草地。

“This area right here is where we used to have the coal pile, and we would have about 60 days of coal operation and inventory⁴ on the pile," said Searcy.

他说：“现在这个地点是我们以前堆放煤的地方，堆放的煤炭可以保障大约60天的消耗。”

Natural gas now powers the Bremo station.  The $53 million conversion⁵ project was undertaken in part to comply with existing environmental regulations.

布莱默发电厂现在靠天然气发电。进行这个五千三百万美元的技术改造项目，也是为了适应现有的环境法规。

The plant uses pressurized steam to turn the electromagnetic rotors to generate electricity.

发电厂使用压缩蒸汽带动电磁转轮发电。

Burning natural gas instead of coal to heat water into steam reduces by 40 percent the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions, that most scientists say are a major contributor to global warming.

电厂燃烧天然气代替煤炭，将水加热产生蒸汽，这样可以使这家电厂的二氧化碳排放量减少40%。许多科学家认为，二氧化碳排放是全球变暖的主要原因之一。

Ed Bain, Dominion⁶ Power's vice⁷ president for power generation, says converting this plant to gas was also part of the company’s long term business plan.

艾德·贝恩是多米尼恩电厂负责管理发电的副总裁。他说，把这家电厂转向天然气发电也是公司长期业务计划中的一部分。

“Dominion has always been an advocate of diversity in our fuel mix.  Whether it is coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, renewables, we want to make sure that we are doing what’s right to keep rates low for our customers, improve reliability⁸ and also protect the environment," said Bain.

他说：“多米尼恩公司一直倡导燃料的多样性。不论是煤炭、天然气、核能还是水电，我们都希望确保我们所做的能够让我们的客户少交钱，能够提高可靠性，并且能够保护环境。”

Bain says, in part because Dominion converted Bremo to gas, the company was given permission by state regulators to build a new coal burning plant elsewhere.

贝恩说，多米尼恩公司得到州监管机构的许可，可以在其他地方兴建一个新的燃煤电厂，部分原因是它将布莱默改造成了燃烧天然气的电厂。

Elgie Holstein, with the Environmental Defense⁹ Fund advocacy group, says it is unrealistic to ban coal completely. It is an abundant and relatively¹⁰ cheap fuel.  But he says new coal plants will be limited and cleaner.

环境捍卫基金倡导组织的埃尔吉·荷斯坦说，完全禁止燃煤是不现实的。煤炭是丰富和相对便宜的燃料。但是他说，新建燃煤电厂数量将会受到限制、而且它们将更加清洁。

“The new coal-fired plants that are being built in America today are much, much leaner than these 40 and 50-year-old plants. Still, even that new coal-fired generation is going to be much more limited because there is so much cheap natural gas," said Holstein.

荷斯坦说：“美国现在新建的燃煤工厂和那些40、50年的工厂相比更加清洁。但是，由于有大量的廉价天然气，新的燃煤电厂数量将很有限。”

Some business and political critics have voiced concerns that the new rules will greatly increase energy costs. But Dominion and many other U.S. power companies say they want to be good environmental stewards¹¹ and need consistent regulations to make long term investments in cleaner technologies that are both affordable¹² and profitable.

一些商界和政界批评人士担心，新的规定将会大幅提升能源价格。但是多米尼恩和许多其他美国电力公司说，他们希望成为优秀的环境捍卫者，并且需要稳定的监管法规，才能对价格合理而又有盈利空间的清洁能源技术进行长期投资。

1 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

2 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

3 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

4 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

5 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

6 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 stewards   

（轮船、飞机等的）乘务员( steward的名词复数 )； （俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的）管理员； （大型活动的）组织者； （私人家中的）管家

参考例句：

• The stewards all wore armbands. 乘务员都戴了臂章。
• The stewards will inspect the course to see if racing is possible. 那些干事将检视赛马场看是否适宜比赛。

12 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。