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

关键句型 "X is the price we pay for Y."

定义

此句型用于表达某种负面结果或代价是因特定原因而产生的，常见于讨论社会问题或后果分析。结构为：X（负面事物） + is the price we pay for（是我们付出的代价） + Y（原因或条件）。根据《剑桥英语语法》教材，这种句型强调因果关系，常用于正式或议论文中，突出人类行为的后果。

例如，在文章中，“Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, over industrialized planet.” 这里，X 是污染，Y 是过度人口和工业化。

用法

此句型主要用于环境、社会或经济话题，表达隐含的代价或负面影响。规则：X 通常是名词或名词短语，表示结果；Y 描述原因。位置在语法体系中属于简单陈述句，但强调因果，常与主题句结合。

横向比较：与 "Because of Y, we have X" 相比，此句型更简洁，直接突出代价，避免了复杂从句；与 "Y leads to X" 不同，它更具情感色彩，暗示人类责任。跨语法联系：可与条件句结合，如 "If we continue Y, X is the price we pay."，帮助学生连接因果和假设结构。

在实际中，此句型适合作文开头或结尾，增强说服力。

注意事项

学生易犯错误包括：忽略主谓一致，如将 "is" 误用为 "are" 当 X 是复数；或过度复杂化 Y 部分，导致句子冗长。纠正建议：保持句子简洁，练习时用简单名词替换 X 和 Y。

另一个常见偏误是误用为正面表达，如 "Happiness is the price we pay for hard work"，但原意多为负面；需注意语境。

错误示例：Pollutions are the price we pay for industrialize planet.  // 错误：Pollutions 应为 Pollution，且 industrialize 应为 industrialized。
正确示例：Pollution is the price we pay for an industrialized planet.

练习

原创例子：讨论环境时可以说：“Climate change is the price we pay for excessive energy consumption.” 学生可替换 X 为 "Stress" 和 Y 为 "A busy lifestyle"，如：“Stress is the price we pay for a busy lifestyle.”

通过替换，学生能在日常对话中应用，例如在辩论中表达个人观点，这有助于加深对因果关系的理解。

额外内容

背景知识：此句型源于英语中常见的经济或社会隐喻，如 "No pain, no gain"，反映工业革命后的反思文化。对比分析：与中文的 "为了...我们付出了...的代价" 类似，但英语版本更结构化。了解此句型能帮助学生在国际讨论中自信表达，例如环保主题演讲中。

关键句型 "A recent survey revealed that [fact]."

定义

此句型用于报告研究或调查结果，强调新发现或数据。结构为：A recent survey（最近的调查） + revealed（揭示） + that + [fact]（事实或细节）。根据《牛津英语语法》指南，它是一种正式报告句型，常在新闻或学术文章中引用证据。

在文章中，如 "A recent survey of the effects of noise revealed that dogs barking incessantly in the night rated the highest form of noise pollution."

用法

此句型适用于科学、新闻或日常讨论场景，介绍可靠信息。规则：revealed that 后跟从句，[fact] 需具体且可验证。在语法体系中，它属于陈述句，常与过去时结合，突出客观性。

横向比较：与 "According to a survey, [fact]" 相比，此句型更动态，强调 "revealed" 的发现过程；与 "It was found that [fact]" 类似，但更直接。跨语法联系：可扩展到被动语态，如 "It was revealed that"，或与其他报告句型结合，如 "Studies show that"，帮助学生构建证据-based 表达。

它在写作中增强可信度，尤其在议论文。

注意事项

学生常犯错误是忽略 that 从句，导致句子不完整，如直接说 "A recent survey revealed dogs barking"；或用错时态，如用现在时 "reveals" 而非过去时。纠正建议：始终使用过去时表示已完成调查，并练习完整从句结构。

另一个问题是添加主观意见，如 "A recent survey revealed that it's annoying"，应保持客观。

错误示例：A recent survey revealed dogs barking is the worst.  // 错误：缺少 that 和完整从句。
正确示例：A recent survey revealed that dogs barking incessantly is the highest form of noise pollution.

练习

原创例子：在讨论健康时可以说：“A recent survey revealed that 60% of people prefer walking for exercise.” 学生可替换 [fact] 为其他数据，如 “A recent survey revealed that social media use has increased by 20%.”

鼓励学生在模拟新闻报道中应用，例如：“A recent survey revealed that noise from traffic affects sleep.” 这能帮助他们练习真实场景表达。

额外内容

背景知识：此句型流行于现代英语，受数据驱动社会影响，源自20世纪调查报告的兴起。对比分析：与法语的 "Une récente enquête a révélé que" 相似，但英语更简洁。学习它能提升学生在全球语境中的信息表达能力，如阅读新闻时辨识事实。