Ted青少年演讲课 14-三个塑料瓶的故事
● 上节课回顾
上一期演讲中，我们了解到塑料瓶产生于塑料厂，通过一系列复杂的化学工艺，塑料从分子变成我们所看到的瓶子。这三个塑料瓶离开工厂后就开始了各自的旅途。
那么，一号塑料瓶将去向何方呢？
注：解析中的音标采用的是英式音标；中文解释，一词多义的，采用该词汇文中含义。
Part 1 演 讲 视 频
Pre-watching 带着问题听演讲
Where do the three bottles end up?
这三个瓶子去向何方？
戳下方原声视频先睹为快吧！
Part 2 段 落 学 习
Bottle one, like hundreds of millions of tons of his plastic brethren, ends up in a landfill. This huge dump expands each day as more trash comes in and continues to take up space. As plastics sit there being compressed amongst layers of other junk, rainwater flows through the waste and absorbs the water-soluble compounds it contains, and some of those are highly toxic. Together, they create a harmful stew called leachate, which can move into groundwater, soil and streams, poisoning ecosystems and harming wildlife. It can take bottle one an agonizing 1,000 years to decompose.
一号瓶子，同它亿万吨的塑料弟兄们一样，生命终结在垃圾填埋场。每天都有很多垃圾被丢到这里，于是这个巨大的垃圾堆就越来越大。塑料与其他的垃圾一层层累积，当雨水流经这些垃圾时，会吸收其中的水溶性化合物，而某些化合物是剧毒的。它们聚集在一起，形成有害的“垃圾渗滤液”， 这种“垃圾渗滤液”可以进入地下水、土壤、河流，毒害生态系统和野生动物。一号瓶子大概要一千多年才能分解。
Part 3 重 点 解 析
Key Points 演讲重点
Key Points 演讲重点
Bottle one, like hundreds of millions of tons of his plastic brethren, ends up in a landfill.
一号瓶子，同它亿万吨的塑料弟兄们一样，生命终结在垃圾填埋场。
brethren /ˈbreð.rən/
(n.)(used as a form of address to members of an organization or religious group) brothers（用于称呼组织或宗教团体的成员）兄弟们
landfill /kənˈsiːv/
(n.) he process of getting rid of large amounts of rubbish by burying it, or a placewhere rubbish is buried垃圾填埋；垃圾填埋场
90 percent of American rubbish is dumped in landfill sites.美国90%的垃圾都是倾倒进垃圾填埋场。
Key Points 演讲重点
This huge dump expands each day as more trash comes in and continues to take up space. As plastics sit there being compressed amongst layers of other junk, rainwater flows through the waste and absorbs the water-soluble compounds it contains, and some of those are highly toxic.
每天都有很多垃圾被丢到这里，于是这个巨大的垃圾堆就越来越大。塑料与其他的垃圾一层层累积，当雨水流经这些垃圾时，会吸收其中的水溶性化合物，而某些化合物是剧毒的。
dump /bɒnd/
(n.)垃圾场，垃圾堆
I'm going to clean out the basement and take everything I don't want to the dump.我要清理一下地下室，把不要的东西都扔进垃圾堆。
expand /ɪkˈspænd/
(v.) （使）（尺寸、数量或重要性）扩大，增加；（使）膨胀
The air in the balloon expands when heated.气球里的空气加热后膨胀。
compress /kəmˈpres/
(v.) 压缩；压紧
Firmly compress the soil in the pot so that the plant is secure. 把盆里的土压实使植株固定。compressed air压缩空气
absorb /əbˈzɔːb/
(v.) （尤指逐渐）吸收
Plants absorb carbon dioxide.植物吸收二氧化碳。
water-soluble /ˈwɔː.təˌsɒl.jə.bəl/
(adj.) 能溶解于水的，水溶性的
Are these tablets water-soluble?这些药片能溶于水吗？
toxic /ˈtɒk.sɪk/
(adj.) =poisonous有毒的；引起中毒的
toxic waste/chemicals/effluent有毒的废料／化学品／废水
very unpleasant or unacceptable令人极不愉快的；不可接受的
Key Points 演讲重点
Together, they create a harmful stew called leachate, which can move into groundwater, soil and streams, poisoning ecosystems and harming wildlife. It can take bottle one an agonizing 1,000 years to decompose.
它们聚集在一起，形成有害的“垃圾渗滤液”， 这种“垃圾渗滤液”可以进入地下水、土壤、河流，毒害生态系统和野生动物。一号瓶子大概要一千多年才能分解。
stew /stjuː/
(n.) a type of food consisting usually of meat or fish and vegetables cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid（通常由肉或鱼加蔬菜制成的）炖菜，煨菜lamb/bean/fish stew炖羊肉／豆子／鱼She prepared a hearty stew for dinner.她为晚餐准备了一个丰盛的炖菜。
leachate /ˈliːtʃ.eɪt/
(n.) liquid that takes in substances from the material through which it passes, often making the liquid harmful or poisonous:
High levels of toxic leachates have been detected in ground water.
agonizing /ˈæɡ.ə.naɪ.zɪŋ/
(adj.) causing extreme physical or mental pain使人十分痛苦的；折磨人的
decompose /ˌdiː.kəmˈpəʊz/
(v.) 前缀de（与……相反））+ 词根compose（组成）= 分解
(化学）to break, or to break something, into smaller parts（使）分解，（使）分化Microbes decompose organic waste into a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.微生物把有机废物分解为一种甲烷和二氧化碳的混合物。
前缀de-：否定/相反；向下/降低
depress：压制，压抑（de+press压→向下压→压制→使消沉）
Wet weather always depresses him.下雨天总让他心情抑郁。
devalue：降低价值（de+value价值→去掉价值）
Work in the home is often ignored and devalued. 家务劳动常常被忽视和贬值。
Part 4 学 后 挑 战
上期参考答案：
她是个适应力很强的女孩儿——她不会长时间沉浸于悲伤之中的。She's a resilient girl - she won't be unhappy for long.
本期挑战：
通过今天的学习，你能回想之前学过的带有前缀de-的单词吗？请你写出它们，整理一下他们的含义吧！