阅读外刊：A body armor inspired by lo
防弹衣在安防行业应用很广，但一直存在一个问题：如果防护能力强，对肢体活动的影响就大，反之如果对肢体活动的影响小，防护能力就弱。最近科学家在龙虾身上发现一种材料，可以完美地解决这个问题。
A body armor inspired by lobsters
by Peter Holley
Imagine a highly sophisticated body armor that is tough – a shield that consists largely of water, but is strong enough to prevent mechanical penetration – while being flexible enough for a wearer to easily move body parts, while swimming in water, walking across the ground or rushing to escape danger.
imagine /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ v. 想象
highly /ˈhaɪli/ adv. 高度地（由high加后缀-ly变成副词）
sophisticated /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ adj. 复杂精妙的
armor /ˈɑːmə(r)/ n. 盔甲、护甲（body armor在现代就是指防弹衣）
tough /tʌf/ adj. 牢固的、坚韧的
shield /ʃiːld/ n. 盾牌、护盾
consist /kənˈsɪst/ of 由…组成
largely /ˈlɑːdʒli/ adv. 基本上、在很大程度上（由large加后缀-ly变成副词）
mechanical /məˈkænɪk(ə)l/ adj. 机械的
penetration /ˌpenɪˈtreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 穿透
flexible /ˈfleksəb(ə)l/ adj. 易弯曲的、有弹性的
wearer /ˈweərə(r)/ n. 穿着者（由wear加上表示人的后缀-er）
rush /rʌʃ/ v. 快速移动
That description might sound like a suit worn by a fictional hero in the DC Comics franchise, but it actually describes portions of a lobster's exoskeleton（外骨骼）.
description /dɪˈskrɪpʃ(ə)n/ n. 描述、说明
fictional /ˈfɪkʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 虚构的、小说中的（由fiction加后缀-al变成形容词）
DC Comics 是美国的动漫公司（其作品有超人、蝙蝠侠等）
franchise /ˈfræntʃaɪz/ n. 系列电影
portion /ˈpɔːʃ(ə)n/ n. 部分
lobster /ˈlɒbstə(r)/ n. 龙虾
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard say the soft membrane covering the crustacean's joints and abdomen（腹部） – a material that is as tough as the industrial rubber used to make car tires and garden hoses – could guide the development of a new type of flexible body armor for humans, one designed to cover joints such as knees and elbows.
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者（由research加上表示人的后缀-er）
Massachusetts /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts/ n. 麻萨诸塞州（美国东北部的州）
institute /ˈɪnstɪtjuːt/ n. 学院
Harvard /ˈhɑːvəd/ n. 指哈佛大学
membrane /ˈmembreɪn/ n. 膜、薄膜
crustacean /krʌsˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 甲壳动物
joint /dʒɔɪnt/ n. 关节
industrial /ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ adj. 工业的（由industry加后缀-al变成形容词）
rubber /ˈrʌbə(r)/ n. 橡胶
tire /taɪə(r)/ n. 轮胎（这是美式英语，在英式英语里写作tyre）
hose /həʊz/ n. （塑料或橡胶做的）水管
elbow /ˈelbəʊ/ n. 肘、肘部
"We think this work could motivate flexible armor design," said Ming Guo, an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT, noting that lobsters' membrane has helped them survive on Earth for more than 100 million years. "If you could make armor out of these types of materials, you could freely move your joints, and it would make you feel more comfortable."
motivate /ˈməʊtɪveɪt/ v. 激励、促进
assistant professor 助理教授（比副教授低一级）
survive /səˈvaɪv/ v. 生存、存活
freely /ˈfriːli/ adv. 自由地（由free加后缀-ly变成副词）
MIT researchers say that lobsters could offer a solution to the problem plaguing most modern body armors: the more mobility an armor offers, the less it protects the wearer's body.
plague /pleɪɡ/ v. 困扰、带来困难
mobility /məʊˈbɪləti/ n. 移动性
Guo said that the idea for developing body armor inspired by lobsters arrived while he was eating one and noticed that the transparent membrane on the animal's belly was difficult to chew. Unlike the crustacean's bone-like outer shell, the animal's softer tissues remained a mystery, he said.
inspire /ɪnˈspaɪə(r)/ v. 启发、给予灵感
transparent /trænˈspær(ə)nt/ adj. 透明的
belly /ˈbeli/ n. 肚子、腹部
chew /tʃuː/ v. 咀嚼
outer /ˈaʊtə(r)/ adj. 外面的、外层的
shell /ʃel/ n. 壳
tissue /ˈtɪʃuː/ n. 组织、细胞组织
mystery /ˈmɪst(ə)ri/ n. 谜团
Once researchers began to dissect those tissues, they made a surprising discovery. Making significant cuts into the membrane didn't affect the material's elasticity. Researchers determined that the elasticity and strength is due to the membrane's unique structure, which includes tens of thousands of layers that they compare to plywood（胶合板）. The fibers within those layers help the material dissipate（使消散） energy when it's under stress, making it "damage tolerant," researchers wrote.
dissect /daɪˈsekt/ v. 解剖
discovery /dɪˈskʌv(ə)ri/ n. 发现
significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ adj. 显著的、明显的
affect /əˈfekt/ v. 影响
elasticity /ɪlæsˈtɪsəti/ n. 弹性、韧性
determine /dɪˈtɜːmɪn/ v. 发现、查明
strength /streŋθ/ n. 强度
unique /juːˈniːk/ adj. 独特的
structure /ˈstrʌktʃə(r)/ n. 结构
layer /ˈleɪə(r)/ n. 一层
fiber /ˈfaɪbə(r)/ n. 纤维
stress /stres/ n. 压力
tolerant /ˈtɒl(ə)r(ə)nt/ adj. 容忍的
"The knowledge learned from the soft membrane of natural lobsters sheds light on designing synthetic soft, yet strong and tough materials for reliable usage under extreme mechanical conditions, including a flexible armor that can provide full-body protection without sacrificing limb mobility," the study added.
shed /ʃed/ light on something 为某事带来曙光
synthetic /sɪnˈθetɪk/ adj. 人工合成的
yet /jet/ adv. 然而
reliable /rɪˈlaɪəb(ə)l/ adj. 可靠的
usage /ˈjuːsɪdʒ/ n. 使用
extreme /ɪkˈstriːm/ adj. 极端的
condition /kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 状态、条件
protection /prəˈtekʃ(ə)n/ n. 保护（由protect加后缀-ion变成名词）
sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfaɪs/ v. 牺牲
limb /lɪm/ n. 肢、四肢
Guo said that material designed to replicate the strength and flexibility of lobster membranes could also be used in soft robotics and tissue engineering.
replicate /ˈreplɪkeɪt/ v. 复制、仿制
flexibility /ˌfleksəˈbɪləti/ n. 灵活性、柔韧性
robotics /rəʊˈbɒtɪks/ n. 机器人学
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