阅读外刊学英语

外刊阅读:How existing buildings coul

2019-03-20  本文已影响3人  爱英语爱阅读

为了应对全球变暖,需要节能减排,而建筑物的节能改造尤为重要,因为它们消耗的能量实在太多了。

How existing buildings could fix climate change

by Samantha Sharf

Like its historic neighbors, the headquarters of the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities is covered in shingles and has an inviting front porch. Impossible to miss, however, are the modern bits – solar panels and angular gray window shades – which hint at the innovation happening inside.

historic /hɪˈstɒrɪk/ adj. 历史性的、有历史意义的(由history加后缀-ic变成形容词)
headquarters /hedˈkwɔːtəz/ n. 总部
Harvard /ˈhɑːvəd/ 指哈佛大学
shingle /ˈʃɪŋɡ(ə)l/ n. 贴在外墙的木质瓦板(类似于外墙瓷砖)
porch /pɔːtʃ/ n. 门廊
solar /ˈsəʊlə(r)/ adj. 太阳的、太阳能的
panel /ˈpæn(ə)l/ n. 面板
angular /ˈæŋɡjulə(r)/ adj. 有角度的(这里指不是竖直的)
window shade 上下卷动的遮光窗帘
hint /hɪnt/ v. 暗示
innovation /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 创新

Originally constructed in 1924 and gut-renovated last year, the former home is now a prototype(原型) for green-retrofitting, as well as a living research lab. Known as HouseZero, the structure consumes almost no energy, making this old house more efficient than today's most sustainable "net zero" new constructions.

originally /əˈrɪdʒ(ə)n(ə)li/ adv. 最早、最初(由original加后缀-ly变成副词)
construct /kənˈstrʌkt/ v. 建造
gut-renovated /ɡʌtˈrenəveɪtɪd/ adj. 彻底翻新的
retrofit /ˈretrəʊfɪt/ v. 翻新、升级改造(green-retrofitting指为了环保而升级改造)
as well as = and also
structure /ˈstrʌktʃə(r)/ n. 结构体、复杂建筑
consume /kənˈsjuːm/ v. 消耗、使用
efficient /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/ adj. 高效的
sustainable /səˈsteɪnəb(ə)l/ adj. 可持续的、可持续发展的(由sustain加后缀-able变成形容词)
net /net/ adj. 净的(net zero指净排放为零)
construction /kənˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n/ n. 建筑物;建造(由construct加后缀-ion变成名词)

But Ali Malkawi, the center's director, has a more audacious(大胆的) goal – seriously reducing the demand for energy and making green living possible for all. He hopes to take data collected from HouseZero's 285 sensors and create software that will make green-retrofitting technology widely available.

seriously /ˈsɪəriəsli/ adv. 严重地(这里指大幅度地;由serious加后缀-ly变成副词)
data /ˈdeɪtə/ n. 数据
sensor /ˈsensə(r)/ n. 传感器
widely /ˈwaɪdli/ adv. 广泛地(由wide加后缀-ly变成副词)

To increase the diversity of his data, similar experiments are under consideration in Colombia, China and elsewhere. "We have all the technologies that are needed to achieve efficiencies that people thought were not possible in existing buildings," says Malkawi, a professor of architectural technology.

diversity /daɪˈvɜːsəti/ n. 多样性(由diverse加后缀-ity变成名词)
consideration /kənˌsɪdəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 考虑(under consideration就是在考虑中)
Colombia /kəˈlɒmbiə/ n. 哥伦比亚(南美洲国家)
elsewhere /elsˈweə(r)/ pron./adv. 其他地方
efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nsi/ n. 效率、效能
existing /ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ/ adj. 现存的
architectural /ˌɑːkɪˈtektʃ(ə)r(ə)l/ adj. 建筑的、建筑学的(由architecture加后缀-al变成形容词)

Lowering demand from existing buildings will be critical to fighting climate change, given they account for 30% of all energy consumption globally. (Count energy used during construction, buildings cause 39% of all emissions.)

lower /ˈləʊə(r)/ v. 降低、减少
critical /ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)l/ adj. 关键的、至关重要的
given /ˈɡɪv(ə)n/ prep. 考虑到
account for
consumption /kənˈsʌmpʃ(ə)n/ n. 消耗量、使用量
globally /ˈɡləʊb(ə)li/ adv. 全球地、全世界地(由global加后缀-ly变成副词)
count /kaʊnt/ v. 计算、计入
cause /kɔːz/ v. 造成
emission /ɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 排放

Significant progress has been made in greening new buildings, with more than 76,000 projects completing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification since 2000. But an estimated 65% of buildings that will be in operation forty years from now are already standing. So, the newest version of LEED for existing buildings, released last March, includes radically updated criteria. "Existing buildings are the opportunity to take two steps forward," says Mahesh Ramanujam, CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council which administers LEED.

significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ adj. 显著的
progress /ˈprəʊɡres/ n. 进展
green /ɡriːn/ v. 使…环保
project /ˈprɒdʒekt/ n. 项目
leadership /ˈliːdəʃɪp/ n. 领袖、领导地位
environmental /ɪnˌvaɪr(ə)nˈment(ə)l/ adj. 环境的(由environment加后缀-al变成形容词)
certification /ˌsɜːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 认证过程
estimate /ˈestɪmeɪt/ v. 估计、估算
operation /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 运营
version /ˈvɜːʃ(ə)n/ n. 版本
release /rɪˈliːs/ v. 发布
radically /ˈrædɪk(ə)li/ adv. 根本地、彻底地(由radical加后缀-ly变成副词)
update /ʌpˈdeɪt/ v. 更新
criterion /kraɪˈtɪəriən/ n. 判断标准(criteria /kraɪˈtɪəriə/ 是复数)
opportunity /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti/ n. 机会、机遇
council /ˈkaʊns(ə)l/ n. 理事会
administer /ədˈmɪnɪstə(r)/ v. 管理

Why are existing buildings just now getting serious attention? It's a lot harder to convince a building owner to spend on upgrades than it is to incorporate those costs upfront. Returns on investment need to be clear and quick to justify inconveniencing tenants who can bring their business elsewhere.

convince /kənˈvɪns/ v. 劝说、说服
upgrade /ˈʌpɡreɪd/ n. 升级(由up和grade组成)
incorporate /ɪnˈkɔːp(ə)reɪt/ v. 包含、包括在内
upfront /ʌpˈfrʌnt/ adv. 提前地、先期地
return /rɪˈtɜːn/ n. 回报
investment /ɪnˈvestmənt/ n. 投资(由invest加后缀-ment变成名词;return on investment意思是投资回报)
justify /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ v. 证明…合理
inconvenience /ˌɪnkənˈviːniəns/ v. 带来不便(由convenience加上表示否定的前缀in-)
tenant /ˈtenənt/ n. 租客、承租人

According to Carl Seville, principal of Georgia-based green building consultancy SK Collaborative, sustainable home building is not more expensive than standard building that has been done to code. But costs are harder to predict when renovating an old home. "Everything you do touches something else," he says.★

principal /ˈprɪnsəp(ə)l/ n. 负责人
Georgia /ˈdʒɔːdʒə/ n. 乔治亚州(美国南部的州)
-based /beɪst/ 后缀,意思是“总部在某地的”
consultancy /kənˈsʌlt(ə)nsi/ n. 咨询公司
standard /ˈstændəd/ adj. 标准的
code /kəʊd/ n. 规范、法规
renovate /ˈrenəveɪt/ v. 整修、翻新
这句话里you do是省略了引导词的定语从句,修饰之前的everything

Anyone who has worried about the future of our planet or griped about the cost of heating an old home should hope Malkawi succeeds – and fast.

gripe /ɡraɪp/ v. 抱怨、发牢骚
heat /hiːt/ v. 加热、给…供暖
succeed /səkˈsiːd/ v. 成功

原文格式更丰富,点此查看

(如果您使用的是火狐浏览器,可能会发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了,这是简书系统的Bug,换成Chrome或其他浏览器就能正常显示了。)

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