Fossil Fuels 化石燃料 ⑴Most of the energy we use for heating, lighting, transportation and manufacturing comes from fossil fuels. These are carbon-based fuels from oil, coal and natural gas. 大部分我们用于供暖,照明,运输和制造业的能量都来源于化石燃料。这些含碳燃料产生于石油,煤炭和天然气。(“carbon-based fuels”查了词典,指的就是“含碳燃料”。) ⑵There are three main disadvantages to using these fuels. Firstly, they are causing climate problems because of the Greenhouse Effect. When we burn fossil fuels they produce carbon dioxide which causes global warming. Secondly, when we have used up all our coal, oil and natural gas, we will have nothing left to burn. Thirdly, they are not very efficient. The internal combustion engine that we use in most cars, trucks and buses, for example, is only about 14% efficient. 使用化石燃料主要存在三个方面的不足。 第一,使用化石燃料会产生气候问题,造成温室效应。焚烧化石燃料的时候会产生二氧化碳,导致全球气候变暖。第二,我们把煤炭,石油和天然气都用完后,我们将一无所有。第三,化石燃料的使用效率不是很高。比如安装在我们大多数的汽车,卡车和公交车里的内燃机大约只有14%的功率。(前面一句中的“because of”不知道在这边具体用法和想要表达的意思,所以这句话的翻译我就猜测其可能的意思。后面的一句中,我觉得这边的“efficient”表达的不是很准确。) ⑶Scientists are working on another fuel—hydrogen. There are a couple of advantages to using hydrogen as a fuel. Firstly, because two-thirds of the earth's surface is water and water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. There is an almost unlimited supply of hydrogen. Secondly, burning hydrogen does not cause global warming. Thirdly, it is much more efficient than carbon-based fuels. 科学家正在研究另外一种燃料---- 氢气。氢气作为一种燃料有几个优点。第一,因为地球表面的三分之二被水覆盖,而水是由氢气和氧气组成,所以,氢的供给源源不断。第二,燃烧氢气不会造成全球气候变暖的问题。第三,氢气比含碳燃料的使用效率更高。(“a couple of”不能看到“couple” 就这问是“两个”,我查了一下词典,其实这个词组解释为“几个”) ⑷Unfortunately there are problems with hydrogen at the present time: there is the problem of separating it from water cheaply, and there is the difficulty of storing it. It can be stored under pressure but high pressure tanks are far from safe. It can also be stored as a liquid but only at extremely low temperatures. It seems likely, therefore, that there will have to be a completely new technology before hydrogen replaces fossil fuels. Solving these problems is an urgent matter. Although China, India and Australia have huge amounts of cheap coal, and there are still large oil and gas reserves elsewhere, the effects on the planet’s climate will be bad if they are used. 不幸的是,目前使用氢气存在许多问题:如何用较低的成本将氢气从水中分离出来,还有如何储存氢气,这些都时难题。氢气可以储存在高压水槽中,但是这样很危险,也可以像液体那样储存,但是必须是在温度极其低的环境之下。因此,看来在氢气取代化石燃料之前必须研究一个完全新型的技术。解决这些问题是当务之急。尽管中国,印度,澳大利亚拥有大量的煤炭,在其他地方也有大量的石油和天然气,但是使用它们会对地球的气候带来不良影响。(“It can be stored under pressure but high pressure tanks are far from safe ”不知道理解有没有偏差。“an urgent matter ”译成“当务之急”,似乎在我们生活报道中更常用一些。)