Too high a price?

原文

Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, over industrialized planet. When you come to think about it, there are only four ways you can deal with rubbish: dump it, burn it, turn it into something you can use again, attempt to produce less of it. We keep trying all four methods, but he sheer volume of rubbish we produce worldwide threatens to overwhelm us.

Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. The need to produce ever-increasing quantities of cheap food leads to a different kind of pollution. Industrialized farming methods produce cheap meat products: beef, pork and chicken. The use of pesticides and fertilizers produces cheap grain and vegetables. The price we pay for cheap food may be already too high: Mad Cow Disease (BSE) in cattle, salmonella in chicken and eggs, and wisteria in dairy products. And if you think you'll abandon meat and become a vegetarian, you have the choice of very expensive organically-grown vegetables or a steady diet of pesticides every time you think you're eating fresh salads and vegetables, or just having an innocent glass of water!

However, there is an even more insidious kind of pollution that particularly affects urban areas and invades our daily lives, and that is noise. Burglar alarms going off at any time of the day or night serve only to annoy passers-by and actually assist burglars to burgle. Car alarms constantly scream at us in the street and are a source of profound irritation. A recent survey of the effects of noise revealed (surprisingly?) that dogs barking incessantly in the night rated the highest form of noise pollution on a scale ranging from 1 to 7. The survey revealed a large number of sources of noise that we really dislike. Lawn mowers whining on a summer's day, late-night parties in apartment blocks, noisy neighbors, vehicles of al kinds, especially large container trucks thundering through quiet village, planes and helicopters flying overhead, large radios carried round in public places and played at maximum volume. New technology has also made its own contribution to noise. A lot of people object to mobile phones, especially when they are used in public places like restaurants or on public transport. Loud conversations on mobile phones invade our thoughts or interrupt the pleasure of meeting friends for a quiet chat. The noise pollution survey revealed a rather spurring and possibly amusing old fashioned source of noise. It turned out to be snoring! Men were found to be the worst offenders. It was revealed that 20% of men in their mid-thirties snore. This figure rises to a staggering 60% of men in their sixties. Against these figures, it was found that only 5% of women snore regularly, while the rest are constantly woken or kept awake by their trumpeting partners. Whatever the source of noise, one thing is certain: silence, it seems, has become a golden memory.

译文

污染是我们为一个人口过剩、工业化过度化的星球所付出的代价。想一想吧,我们处理垃圾只有四种方法:倾倒它、焚烧它、将它转化为可再利用的东西,或者设法减少它的产生。我们一直在尝试这四种方法,但我们全球生产的垃圾数量之巨,却有压倒我们的危险。

垃圾污染,不过是我们污染地球问题的一部分。生产日益增多的廉价食品的需求,导致了另一种污染。工业化耕作方法生产出廉价的肉类制品:牛肉、猪肉和鸡肉。使用杀虫剂和化肥生产出廉价的谷物和蔬菜。我们为廉价食品付出的代价可能已经过高:牛身上的疯牛病(BSE)、鸡肉和蛋中的沙门氏菌,以及乳制品中的李斯特菌(注:原文可能为打字错误,应指李斯特菌)。如果你以为可以放弃肉食而成为素食者,那你只能选择非常昂贵的有机蔬菜,或者每次吃着新鲜色拉和蔬菜、或是喝一杯无害的水时,都在不知不觉中摄入杀虫剂!

然而,还有一种更隐蔽的污染特别影响城市地区,并侵入我们的日常生活,那就是噪音。防盗警报器在白天或黑夜的任何时候响起,只会惹恼路人,反而帮助窃贼行窃。汽车警报器在街上不断尖叫,成为一种深重的烦扰。最近一项关于噪音影响的调查(令人惊讶吗?)显示,狗在夜间不停地吠叫,被评为从1到7级噪音污染中最高等级。该调查揭示了我们真正讨厌的多种噪音来源:夏日里嗡嗡作响的割草机、公寓楼里的深夜派对、吵闹的邻居、各种车辆,尤其是大型集装箱卡车在宁静的村庄轰鸣而过、头顶飞过的飞机和直升机、在公共场所高声播放的大型收音机。新技术也为噪音增添了它的贡献。许多人反对手机的使用,尤其是在餐厅或公共交通工具等公共场所。手机上的大声通话侵扰我们的思绪,或打断我们与朋友安静聊天的乐趣。该噪音污染调查还揭示了一个颇为刺激且可能有趣的旧式噪音来源。原来是打鼾!男性被发现是最严重的罪魁祸首。调查显示,35岁左右的男性中有20%会打鼾,这一比例上升到60岁男性的惊人60%。相比之下,只有5%的女性会定期打鼾,而其余女性则不断被她们的“号角”般的伴侣吵醒或保持清醒。不管噪音的来源是什么,有一点是肯定的:沉默,似乎已成为一种金色的回忆。

词汇表

pollution

名词
英:/pəˈluːʃən/
美:/pəˈluːʃən/
定义
1. 污染 - The introduction of harmful substances or contaminants into the environment.

例子: Air pollution from factories is causing health problems in the city.

例子: Water pollution has led to the death of many fish in the river.

2. 玷污 - The act of making something impure or dirty.

例子: Noise pollution disrupts our daily lives and affects mental health.

例子: Light pollution makes it hard to see the stars at night.

近义词
contamination: 强调有害物质的引入,常用于科学或环境语境中,与 'pollution' 类似但更侧重于纯净度的破坏。
defilement: 更正式且文学化,常用于道德或宗教语境,表示玷污,与 'pollution' 的环境含义相比更抽象。
impurity: 泛指不纯净的状态,不一定涉及环境,常用于化学或道德语境中,与 'pollution' 相比更中性。
反义词:
purity, cleanliness, sanitation
用法
常用于环境、空气、水或噪音等语境中,强调人类活动对自然或生活的影响;常见搭配如 'air pollution' 或 'reduce pollution';在正式报告和日常对话中均适用。
形式:
复数: pollutions

深入解析:关键句型 "When you come to think about it, [main clause]"

定义

这个句型是一种引导从句的表达,用于引出思考或反思,通常以时间状语从句开头。结构为:When(当)+ you come to think about it(你仔细想想)+ 逗号 + [main clause](主句)。在权威教材如《新概念英语》或《剑桥英语语法》中,它被定义为一个常见的口语化表达,用来引出后续的解释或观点,强调对事物的重新审视。核心含义是引导读者或听者从一个新角度考虑问题,例如文章中的 "When you come to think about it, there are only four ways..." 表示在深思后呈现事实。

用法

此句型主要用于非正式对话或文章中,引出对主题的深入讨论或列举选项。规则是:When 引导的时间从句必须先于主句,使用逗号分隔。它在语法体系中属于时间状语从句的一部分,与其他从句如原因状语从句(e.g., "Because...")或条件状语从句(e.g., "If...")相关联,帮助建立逻辑连接。跨语法点联系:它常与列举结构结合,如文章中的列表(dump it, burn it 等),从而将简单句扩展为复杂句,提升文章的连贯性。在写作中,它可以链接到主题句,帮助学生从介绍过渡到主体内容。

注意事项

学生易犯的错误包括:省略逗号,导致句子结构混乱,例如直接写 "When you come to think about it there are only four ways",这会使阅读困难;另一个偏误是误用 When 为其他含义,如纯粹的时间描述,而非反思。另外,学生可能过度使用这个句型,使文章显得重复。纠正建议:总是记住逗号的使用,并在练习时检查句子是否自然流畅。避免在正式学术写作中使用过于口语化的表达,如在报告中替换为更正式的 "Upon reflection,..."。

练习

一个额外的例子:在讨论环境问题时,你可以说:"When you come to think about it, recycling is the most effective way to reduce waste." 通过这个例子,学生可以尝试替换 [main clause],如 "global warming is a serious threat",并在口头练习中应用,以强化对从句的理解和实际使用。

额外内容

背景知识:这个句型源于英语的口语传统,常在辩论或随笔中出现,对比分析:与法语的类似表达(如 "Quand on y pense")相似,但英语版本更直接。补充信息:掌握此句型后,学生能更好地处理复杂句式,提升批判性思考,例如将其与假设句结合,形成更丰富的表达,如 "When you come to think about it, if we act now, we can change the future."。

深入解析:关键句型 "If [condition], [result]"

定义

这个句型是条件状语从句的典型形式,用于表达假设或真实条件的结果。结构为:If(如果)+ [condition](条件从句)+ 逗号 + [result](结果主句)。根据权威教材如《新概念英语》和《牛津英语语法》,它定义为第一类条件句,表示现实或可能的条件,强调因果关系。例如,文章中的 "If you think you'll abandon meat... you have the choice..." 展示了这种结构。

用法

此句型常用于讨论假设情景、建议或警告,适用于口语和书面语。规则是:条件从句通常用一般现在时,而结果主句用一般将来时或现在时,以表示可能性。它在语法体系中是条件句的核心,与其他句型如时间状语从句(e.g., "When...")或结果状语从句(e.g., "so that...")相关联,帮助学生构建逻辑严谨的句子。跨语法点联系:它可以与情态动词结合(如 "If you go, you might see..."),或扩展到第二类条件句(e.g., "If I were..."),从而从简单假设过渡到虚拟语气。

注意事项

学生易犯的错误包括:时态不一致,例如用一般过去时在条件从句中(如 "If I went..." 而非 "If I go..."),导致句意混乱;另一个偏误是遗漏逗号或错误放置从句位置。纠正建议:通过记忆基本公式并练习不同情境,学生可以避免这些问题。同时,注意文化语境,因为英语中条件句常用于礼貌建议,而过度使用可能显得犹豫不决。

练习

一个额外的例子:在环境话题中,你可以说:"If you recycle more, you can reduce pollution significantly." 学生可以通过替换 [condition] 和 [result],如 "If we use less plastic,...",来练习,并在对话中应用,以加深对条件句的掌握。

额外内容

背景知识:条件句起源于古英语的假设表达,对比分析:与中文的 "如果...就..." 类似,但英语更注重时态一致。补充信息:这个句型在实际应用中非常实用,能帮助学生在辩论或写作中表达观点,例如文章中用于讨论饮食选择,从而丰富语言表达的多样性。