VOA常速英语2015--小小气泡学问大

小小气泡学问大

Under ultraviolet light greasy¹ residue² on human hands becomes visible, but trying to rinse³ it off with ordinary cold water is next to impossible.

在紫外线的照射下，光油油的残留在我们的手上清晰可见，但要想用凉水将它洗掉几乎不可能。

Infusing the water stream with a bit of ultrasound turns it into an effective scrubber that quickly and harmlessly rinses⁴ the skin to spotless clean.

在水中加入超声波将能够有效地将残留物清除，并能够迅速将皮肤上的污渍去除，并且对皮肤无害。

The simplicity⁵ of ‘Starstream,’ invented by two researchers from the University of Southampton, England, promises to change the way we clean our bodies as well as objects we use, from kitchen tools to medical instruments.

来自英格兰南安普顿大学的两名研究人员发明了这种名叫“Starstream”的物质，从厨房用品到医疗器具，它不仅能够改变我们使用的方式，还能够改变我们清洁的方式。

We wanted to build some kind of micro-scrubber that can clean without bleach⁶ and detergents⁷, and can get into the crevices⁸ and the cracks. And so what we did, what we found is the bubble.

我们希望发明一种“微型清洁用具”，它不需要用漂白剂，也不需要用洗涤剂，范围扩大到我们的边边角角。我们所发明的就是这种“气泡”。

Normally, bubbles of gas contained in ordinary water have smooth surfaces. But the infusion⁹ of ultrasound makes their surfaces ripple¹⁰, almost like the surface of sand paper. Flowing with water over contaminated surfaces the bubbles effectively take dirt away.

通常情况下，气泡是一种表面光滑，并富含水的水泡。但是通过加入超声波，它的表面会像砂纸一样出现波浪。将带有污渍的表面放入水中，这种气泡能够有效清除污渍。

One of the key factors of Starstream is that it takes any liquid that you are using and makes it several thousand times more effective. So if you are using soapy water or bleach, something like that, it will make it more effective.

“Starstream”最主要的一点就是它能够接收任何液体，并使其变得更加有效。如果你使的是肥皂水，或是漂白剂，它将会让其变得更加耐用。

Starstream is especially effective for removing bacteria where it hides, like in this piece of glass smeared¹¹ with lipstick¹² and mascara, or for cleaning rust¹³ spots from kitchen sinks.

“Starstream”特别能够清除残存的细菌，就像这个带有口红和睫毛膏的杯子，或是清理洗涤槽中的锈迹。

 

Researchers say their invention could easily replace the recommended 20-seconds washing of hands with soap and warm water, with only a six-second wash with water infused with ultrasound.

研究人员表示称，比起人们推荐的20秒肥皂温水洗手法，他们的发明能够轻而易举地将其替代，用带有超声波的水，6秒就能搞定。

1 greasy   

adj. 多脂的，油脂的

参考例句：

• He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

2 residue   

n.残余，剩余，残渣

参考例句：

• Mary scraped the residue of food from the plates before putting them under water.玛丽在把盘子放入水之前先刮去上面的食物残渣。
• Pesticide persistence beyond the critical period for control leads to residue problems.农药一旦超过控制的临界期，就会导致残留问题。

3 rinse   

v.用清水漂洗，用清水冲洗

参考例句：

• Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
• Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子，要仔细地洗洗里面。

4 rinses   

v.漂洗( rinse的第三人称单数 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉

参考例句：

• This soap rinses easily. 这肥皂容易漂清。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Another method of process change is to substitute standing baths and rinses for running ones. 工艺过程改变的另一方法是用固定式的浴槽和漂洗代替连续式的。 来自辞典例句

5 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

6 bleach   

vt.使漂白；vi.变白；n.漂白剂

参考例句：

• These products don't bleach the hair.这些产品不会使头发变白。
• Did you bleach this tablecloth?你把这块桌布漂白了吗？

7 detergents   

n.洗涤剂( detergent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Such detergents do not yellow the wool as alkali tends to do. 这种洗涤剂不会象碱那样使羊毛发黄。 来自辞典例句
• Development of detergents has required optimization of the surfactants structure. 发展洗涤剂时，要求使用最恰当的表面活性剂结构。 来自辞典例句

8 crevices   

n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It has bedded into the deepest crevices of the store. 它已钻进了店里最隐避的隙缝。 来自辞典例句
• The wind whistled through the crevices in the rock. 风呼啸着吹过岩石的缝隙。 来自辞典例句

9 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

10 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

11 smeared   

弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上

参考例句：

• The children had smeared mud on the walls. 那几个孩子往墙上抹了泥巴。
• A few words were smeared. 有写字被涂模糊了。

12 lipstick   

n.口红，唇膏

参考例句：

• Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

13 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。