外刊阅读:The dangerous pavement in h
在高温季节,随着烈日的暴晒,路面温度很高,能达到把人烫伤的程度。对于老人和孩子等特殊人群,要特别当心才行。
The dangerous pavement in hot weather
by Ed Cara
Doctors at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas are warning about a less-recognized danger of summer heat: pavement burns. Their recent study suggests that people in hot places can end up in the hospital with serious burn injuries caused by contact with sizzling(滚烫的) pavement.
Las Vegas /ˌlæs ˈveɪɡəs/ 拉斯维加斯(美国城市)
pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/ n. (水泥或沥青铺的)路面
burn /bɜːn/ n./v. 烧伤、烫伤
suggest /səˈdʒest/ v. 提出
end up 以…告终
injury /ˈɪndʒ(ə)ri/ n. 伤、受伤
cause /kɔːz/ v. 造成
contact /ˈkɒntækt/ n. 接触
The researchers, who published their study in the Journal of Burn Care and Research, took a look at cases from their own university's burn center unit. Over a five-year span, they found 173 reported pavement-related burn cases. By cross-referencing the day's recorded weather with the date of these cases, the authors also found that the vast majority (88 percent) happened when it was at least 35 degrees Celsius outside. And once it was over 40 degrees, the risk of pavement burn got exponentially(指数级地) higher.
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者(由research加上表示人的后缀-er)
publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ v. 发表
journal /ˈdʒɜːn(ə)l/ n. 期刊
case /keɪs/ n. 病例
span /spæn/ n. 跨度、时间跨度
related /rɪˈleɪtɪd/ adj. 有关的、相关的
cross-reference 交叉验证
record /rɪˈkɔːd/ v. 记录、记载
vast /vɑːst/ adj. 巨大的
majority /məˈdʒɒrəti/ n. 大多数(由major加后缀-ity变成名词;vast majority就是绝大多数)
degree Celsius /ˈselsiəs/ 摄氏度
risk /rɪsk/ n. 风险
While these cases might represent only a small portion of burn injuries that warrant medical attention, the authors say they're an ever-present worry in areas where the climate is constantly hot and sunny, like the Las Vegas desert.
represent /ˌreprɪˈzent/ v. 代表
portion /ˈpɔːʃ(ə)n/ n. 部分
warrant /ˈwɒr(ə)nt/ v. 使有必要
medical /ˈmedɪk(ə)l/ adj. 医疗的
ever-present 一直存在的
constantly /ˈkɒnst(ə)ntli/ adv. 始终、一直(由constant加后缀-ly变成副词)
"Pavement burns account for significant burn-related injuries in the Southwestern United States and other hot climates with nearly continuous sunlight and daily maximum temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius," they wrote.
account for 解释、说明…的原因
significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ adj. 显著的(这里指数量大)
continuous /kənˈtɪnjuəs/ adj. 持续不断的(由continue加后缀-ous变成形容词)
As anyone who's walked on asphalt(沥青) during the summer should know, road pavement and sidewalks absorb the Sun's heat exceptionally well. That means the surface of the street can be much hotter than the surrounding air. "At peak temperatures, pavement can be hot enough to cause second-degree burns in a matter of seconds," the authors noted.
sidewalk /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/ n. 人行道(这是美式英语的用词,在英式英语里,人行道是pavement)
absorb /əbˈzɔːb/ v. 吸收
exceptionally /ɪkˈsepʃ(ə)n(ə)li/ adv. 格外地(由exceptional加后缀-ly变成副词)
surface /ˈsɜːfɪs/ n. 表面
surrounding /səˈraʊndɪŋ/ adj. 周围的
peak /piːk/ adj. 峰值的、最高的
In some cases the researchers looked at, the burns were worsened by additional injuries sustained during a car accident, such as friction burns that scraped away layers of skin. In other cases, people have suffered stroke, seizures, or drug intoxication that left them unable to get up from the blistering(极热的) pavement after a fall. People with certain complications like late-stage diabetes have also gotten burned, likely because their nerve endings are impaired(损害) and less responsive to things like temperature.
worsen /ˈwɜːs(ə)n/ v. 变差、恶化(由worse加后缀-en变成动词)
additional /əˈdɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 额外的
sustain /səˈsteɪn/ v. 遭受、受(伤)
friction /ˈfrɪkʃ(ə)n/ n. 摩擦(friction burn指擦伤)
scrape /skreɪp/ v. 刮、擦、削
layer /ˈleɪə(r)/ n. 一层
stroke /strəʊk/ n. 中风
seizure /ˈsiːʒə(r)/ n. (癫痫、惊厥等疾病)发作
drug /drʌɡ/ n. 毒品(drug intoxication /ɪnˌtɒksɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ 指吸毒后的精神异常)
fall /fɔːl/ n./v. 摔倒
complication /ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 并发症
stage /steɪdʒ/ n. 阶段(late-stage就是晚期的)
diabetes /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz/ n. 糖尿病
nerve /nɜːv/ n. 神经
ending /ˈendɪŋ/ n. 末端、末梢
responsive /rɪˈspɒnsɪv/ adj. 反应快的(由response加后缀-ive变成形容词)
The people most at risk for these pavement burns, according to the authors, include motor vehicle accident victims, the elderly and disabled (who are more likely to fall in general), and the very young, who might not understand the dangers of hot pavement. Besides, you don't have to search long before coming across sad stories of dogs getting pavement burns on their paws during the summer.
motor /ˈməʊtə(r)/ n. 发动机、马达
vehicle /ˈviːɪk(ə)l/ n. 车辆(motor vehicle意思是机动车)
victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ n. 受害者
the elderly 老人
the disabled /dɪˈseɪb(ə)ld/ 残疾人
come across 遇到、碰到
paw /pɔː/ n. 爪子
And though the authors don't discuss it, there's also the elephant in the room that is climate change. It's already helped cause more scorching(酷热的) summer days in many areas of the world, especially in cities, and it will undoubtedly lead to more periods of extreme weather, such as heat waves.
the elephant in the room 指显而易见因此无需提起的问题(有点像汉语里“秃子头上的虱子”)
undoubtedly /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/ adv. 毫无疑问地
lead to 导致、引起
extreme /ɪkˈstriːm/ adj. 极端的
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