VOA常速英语2016--热核反应堆仍在建设中

Fusion¹ Reactor² Still in Works 热核反应堆仍在建设中

All today’s nuclear power plants make energy by thge splitting of uranium atoms -- which creates a lot of useful heat but also a lot of dangerous and deadly nuclear waste. The opposite process -- fusion -- also creates heat but with hardly any pesky radiation. The problem is that fusion is way more difficult to achieve. Scientists from 35 nations, including United States, Russia and China, are painstakingly³ trying to solve the problem -- to create technology that could power the world for thousands of years.

Scientists have long known that fusing atoms of two isotopes⁴ of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium, releases huge amounts of energy and very little radiation.  But doing so requires the kind of heat and pressure found in our sun, though focused on a much, much smaller point, -- about the size of a person's smaller pocket change.

很久以前，科学家已经知道，将两个氢，氘和氚的同位素原子融合会释放出大量的能量和非常少量的辐射。但是这样做需要太阳中发现的热量和压力，但是必须集中在小的多的一个点，大概是一个人口袋里的零钱那么大。

Modern technology says it is very difficult but not impossible to achieve.  Powerful lasers would provide pressure and heat while huge magnets would keep the little sun levitating⁵ in the middle of a special chamber⁶.

现代技术认为，要做到这一点非常困难，但并非不可能。强激光可以提供压力和热量，而巨大的磁铁可以让少量的阳光悬浮在特定的空间中央。

Fusion, It is projected, will yield up to 10 times more energy than it uses.

按照预定方案，核聚变产生的能量比所消耗的能量多10倍。

Started in 1985, a project in Southern France called ITER is slowly plodding⁷ along with plans for a working fusion reactor.  It's been plagued by politics, and by organizational and funding difficulties.

从1985年开始，法国南部一个叫做ITER的项目艰难地执行着热核反应堆的计划。该计划面临着政策阻挠，以及组织和资金方面的困难。

But its new director general, French physicist⁸ and chemist Dr. Bernard Bigot, said the reactor is finally on its way to being built.

但是该项目新任总干事，法国物理学家和化学家Bernard Bigot博士表示，该反应堆终于即将建成。

“For example the first delivery of what we call the cryostat piece is coming from India, okay. In the U.S., General Atomics has been able for example to deliver the first set of the central solenoid,” said Bigot.

“比如，第一批低温恒温器片正在从印度运往这里。在美国，通用原子航空系统公司已经能够交付第一批中央螺线管。”

The Congressional committee that approves U.S. participation⁹ in the project has seesawed¹⁰ on its support. In 1998 it withdrew from the project, only to rejoin the effort in 2005 and then drastically reduce the funding in 2008. Bigot came to the U.S. to try to persuade it to stay on.

批准美国参与该项目的国会委员会的态度不断摇摆。1998年，该委员会撤出该项目，2005年又重新加入，2008年又突然大幅减少资金。Bigot博士亲自前往美国，说服他们继续留在该项目。

“The U.S. is now wondering if it is worth to move on, okay, forward with project for the next coming years or maybe to step down. And so it was quite important to show them that despite the fact they just have the sharing of 9%, okay, project is moving on and it’s worth for them to stay in,” said Bigot.

“美国现在正在考虑未来几年是否值得继续该项目，还是退出。所以，我们必须向他们表明，即使他们只享有9%的份额，项目仍在继续，所以他们留在该项目是值得的，这一点非常重要。”

Bigot added that if the new schedule is endorsed¹¹ by seven core members, including the U.S., China and Russia, the assembly of the reactor could be finished by 2025, with first experiments starting in 2028.

Bigot博士补充说，如果包括美国，中国和俄罗斯在内的七个核心成员支持新的日程表，反应堆的装配将在2025年之前完成，首次试验将于2028年开始。

Ultimately the reactor will cost billions of dollars to build, but if it works, the results will be literally¹² priceless.

最终反应堆将耗费数十亿美元来建造，但是一旦投入使用，其带来的效益将是无价的。

1 fusion   

n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。

2 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

3 painstakingly   

adv. 费力地 苦心地

参考例句：

• Every aspect of the original has been closely studied and painstakingly reconstructed. 原作的每一细节都经过了仔细研究，费尽苦心才得以重现。
• The cause they contrived so painstakingly also ended in failure. 他们惨淡经营的事业也以失败而告终。

4 isotopes   

n.同位素；同位素( isotope的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the many isotopes of carbon 碳的诸多同位素
• Tritium is one of the mildest radioactive isotopes. 氚是最和缓的放射性同位素之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 levitating   

v.（使）升空，（使）漂浮( levitate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It will not mean things like levitating objects and reading others minds. 你将开始明白掌握力量的真正意义。 来自互联网
• As the pole rotates the balls spin out levitating higher the faster the system spins. 柱子旋转的时候，这两个球也会转起来，这个系统转得越快，它们飞得越高。 来自互联网

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 plodding   

a.proceeding in a slow or dull way

参考例句：

• They're still plodding along with their investigation. 他们仍然在不厌其烦地进行调查。
• He is plodding on with negotiations. 他正缓慢艰难地进行着谈判。

8 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

9 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

10 seesawed   

v.使上下（来回）摇动( seesaw的过去式和过去分词 )；玩跷跷板，上下（来回）摇动

参考例句：

• The boat seesawed in the heavy sea. 小舟在波涛汹涌的海中颠簸不已。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He seesawed between two opinions. 他在两种意见之间举棋不定。 来自互联网

11 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。