一个更宁静的世界 - 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com 的《6分钟英语》。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

你好，这里是 BBC Learning English 的《6分钟英语》。

I'm Neil.

我是尼尔。

And I'm Georgina.

我是乔治娜。

In this program, 表達脈絡

在本期节目中，

we're talking about something that always surrounds us,

我们要谈论一种总是围绕着我们的东西，

noise.

噪音。

Yes, whether it's the natural sounds of birdsong, 語法

是的，不管是鸟儿鸣唱的自然之声，

the wind blowing,

还是风吹过的声音，

or man-made noise like traffic or music, 用詞

或是像交通或音乐这样的人造噪音，

there's always something we can hear.

总有一些声音是我们可以听到的。

Of course, there are sounds that we like to hear

当然，有些声音是我们喜欢听的，

and then there are those sounds that really grate, 用詞

然后也有那些真的让人觉得刺耳、

annoy, or irritate.

烦人，或者惹人恼火的声音。

Like the beeping sound on a reversing lorry

比如倒车卡车发出的滴滴声，

or someone drilling a hole in the road.

或者是有人在马路上钻孔的声音。

Indeed, soon we'll be looking at the language of noise 短語搭配

的确，很快我们就会来看看关于噪音的词汇，

and hearing about ideas for making the world a quieter place. 短語搭配

并听听让世界变得更安静的一些想法。

But let's kick off with a question about the measurement of sound, 短語動詞

不过，让我们先从一个关于声音测量的问题开始，

which is in units called decibels. 用詞

声音的测量单位叫做分贝。

According to a guide by the World Health Organization, 表達脈絡

根据世界卫生组织的一份指南，

what is considered the highest level we can be safely exposed to 講解

我们在最多8小时内，可以安全暴露在的最高声音级别

for a maximum of 8 hours? 短語搭配

被认为是多少？

Is it A, 55 decibels?

是 A，55分贝吗？

B, 85 decibels?

B，85分贝？

Or C, 125 decibels?

还是 C，125分贝？

I imagine it's quite low, 語氣意圖

我猜应该相当低，

so I'll go for A, 55 decibels. 短語動詞

所以我选 A，55分贝。

Well, as always, I'll reveal the correct answer later.

好的，像往常一样，我稍后会揭晓正确答案。

Now, let's sound out what people know about sound, 短語動詞

现在，让我们来探听一下人们对声音的了解，

starting with Julian Treasure,

从朱利安·特雷热（Julian Treasure）开始，

the founder of the Sound Agency.

他是“声音机构”（Sound Agency）的创始人。

He spoke to the BBC World Service program

他在接受 BBC 世界频道节目

"People Fixing the World".

《修复世界的人们》（People Fixing the World）采访时说到了这个。

He discussed why noise is a form of pollution and it's bad for our health, 短語搭配

他讨论了为什么噪音是一种污染形式，并且对我们的健康有害，

but we don't always realize.

但我们并不总是能意识到。

Sound has powerful effects on us all the time, 短語搭配

声音一直对我们产生着强大的影响，

even though most of the time we're not conscious of it 講解

尽管大多数时候我们并没有意识到这一点，

because we've kind of got into the habit of suppressing our listening. 講解

因为我们某种程度上已经养成了压抑自己听觉的习惯。

There's so much noise around us in cities 語法

城市里围绕着我们的噪音太多了，

that we get into the habit of ignoring it.

以至于我们养成了忽略它的习惯。

Now, that's not a great thing when the noise is having a bad effect on us. 短語搭配

不过，当噪音对我们产生不良影响时，这就不是什么好事了。

Julian makes a good point that sounds affect us all the time, 短語搭配

朱利安提出了一个很好的观点，即声音时刻都在影响着我们，

even when we don't realize.

哪怕我们并没有意识到。

We're not conscious of it,

我们没有察觉到它，

so we're not aware of it, but it is there.

所以我们没有意识到，但它确实存在。

It may be irritating us,

它可能在惹恼我们，

but we don't stop to think what it is that's annoying us. 短語搭配

但我们并没有停下来思考到底是什么在烦我们。

As Julian also said, we get into the habit of ignoring sounds.

正如朱利安还说过的，我们养成了忽略声音的习惯。

When you get into the habit of something, you start doing something regularly without even thinking about it.

当你养成某种习惯（get into the habit of something）时，你就开始经常做某事，甚至都不去想它。

And another habit we get into is suppressing our listening.

我们养成的另一个习惯是压抑（suppressing）我们的听觉。

So, preventing or stopping ourselves from hearing the noises.

也就是说，阻止或阻拦我们自己听到那些噪音。

But experts have found this isn't good for us.

但专家发现这对我们并不好。

That noise in the background can lead to stress and mental health issues. 短語搭配

背景中的噪音可能会导致压力和心理健康问题。

Yes, we all need some peace and quiet. 短語搭配

是的，我们都需要一些和平与宁静。

Of course, there are many techniques for reducing and absorbing noise. 短語搭配

当然，有很多减少和吸收噪音的技术。

For example, trees are grown by motorways to absorb the traffic noise. 語法

例如，在高速公路旁种树以吸收交通噪音。

At a large rock concert,

在大型摇滚音乐会上，

acoustic screens are put up to stop the sound being heard too far away. 短語動詞

会设置隔音屏障以防止声音传得太远。

All sound ideas, 習語

这些想法都很可靠（sound），

I mean good ideas.

我是说都是好主意。

But let's head to the world's noisiest city, 講解

不过，让我们前往世界上最喧闹的城市，

Mumbai in India,

印度的孟买，

where honking car horns are a big problem. 短語搭配

在那里，按汽车喇叭是一个大问题。

I love the sound of that word honk, 用詞

我喜欢 honk 这个词的读音，

a short loud sound,

短促而响亮的声音，

but I don't like the actual noise.

但我不喜欢实际的噪音。

The People Fixing the World program discussed this problem and met a woman who's been working for years to try and reduce noise levels and create quiet zones. 講解

《修复世界的人们》节目讨论了这个问题，并采访了一位多年来致力于降低噪音水平和创建安静区的女士。

She's Sumaira Abdul Ali from the Awaaz Foundation,

她是来自 Awaaz 基金会的苏麦拉·阿卜杜勒·阿里（Sumaira Abdul Ali），

and she explained why honking horns was a hard thing to control. 語法

她解释了为什么按喇叭是一件很难控制的事情。

Honking and noise in general in India is a medium of expression, 用詞

在印度，按喇叭和噪音总体来说是一种表达媒介，

of sadness, of happiness, 表達脈絡

表达悲伤、表达快乐，

of every kind.

表达各种各样的情感。

This is what I was told when I started working

这是我刚开始工作时别人告诉我的，

that these are all Western ideas to want to control noise. 文化背景

想要控制噪音这全都是西方的观念。

Indians love noise and it's about the noise, 表達脈絡

印度人喜欢噪音，这关乎噪音，

it's about the color,

关乎色彩，

it's about the laughter and happiness.

关乎欢笑和幸福。

We don't want to be like the West,

我们不想像西方那样，

you know, those kind of dull boring people who don't express themselves the way we do. 語法

你知道，那种不以我们的方式表达自己的、枯燥无聊的人。

I like how honking a horn isn't just for road safety. 語法

我喜欢按喇叭不仅是为了道路安全这一点。

It's almost another language. 習語

它几乎成了另一种语言。

People express themselves or show how they feel by sounding their car horn. 語法

人们通过按汽车喇叭来表达自己或展示自己的感受。

To control this noise to be quieter is considered a Western idea.

控制这种噪音使其变安静被认为是一种西方观念。

But Samairu is trying to change drivers' behavior

但苏麦拉正试图改变司机的行为，

and after much effort even got the police to run a campaign. 語法

经过大量努力，甚至让警察开展了一项运动。

If noise levels at traffic lights went over 85 decibels, 語法

如果在红绿灯处的噪音水平超过85分贝，

the lights would remain on red for longer.

红灯的时间就会保持得更长。

Sounds like a good idea. 短語搭配

听起来是个好主意。

There's much more about this on the BBC's "Fixing the World" webpage.

关于这一点，在 BBC 的《修复世界》网页上有更多信息。

So, Neil, you just mentioned 85 decibels.

那么，尼尔，你刚才提到了85分贝。

Is that the answer to the question you asked earlier?

这就是你之前问的问题的答案吗？

Earlier, I asked, "According to a guide by the World Health Organization,

早些时候，我问：‘根据世界卫生组织的一份指南，

what is considered the highest level we can be safely exposed to

我们在最多8小时内，可以安全暴露在的最高声音级别

for a maximum of 8 hours?"

被认为是多少？’

I said 55 decibels.

我选的是55分贝。

Uh, well, it's actually 85 decibels,

呃，其实是85分贝，

Georgina. Bad luck.

乔治娜。运气不佳。

The permissible time for safe listening decreases as sound levels increase. 講解

随着声音水平的增加，安全听力的允许时间会减少。

So, for example, a sound as high as 100 decibels, 短語搭配

所以，例如，高达100分贝的声音，

the level produced by a subway train, 語法

这是地铁列车产生的声音水平，

can be safely listened to for only 15 minutes each day. 語法

每天只能安全聆听15分钟。

Well, that's good to know.

嗯，这值得了解。

Now, let's recap on some of the vocabulary we've been discussing,

现在，让我们回顾一下我们一直在讨论的一些词汇，

starting with grate,

从 grate 开始，

spelt g-r-a-t-e.

拼写为 g-r-a-t-e。

It means annoy or irritate.

它的意思是烦人或惹怒。

When we are conscious of something, we are aware of it.

当我们对某事有意识（conscious）时，我们就察觉到了它。

And when we get into the habit of something,

而当我们养成某事的习惯（get into the habit of something）时，

we start doing something regularly,

我们就开始经常做某事，

often without even thinking about it.

通常甚至都不去想它。

Suppressing describes preventing, stopping, or reducing something.

压抑（Suppressing）描述的是阻止、停止或减少某事。

Honk is the short loud sound a car horn makes,

Honk 是汽车喇叭发出的短促响亮的声音，

like this: honk.

就像这样：honk。

I can hear you coming, Neil.

我能听到你走过来，尼尔。

Finally, to express yourself means to show how you feel. 短語搭配

最后，表达自己（express yourself）的意思是展示你的感受。

Well, I must express my sadness because we're out of time now. 短語搭配

好吧，我必须表达我的悲伤，因为我们现在没有时间了。

But there are lots more 6 Minute English programs to enjoy on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.

但在我们的网站 bbclearningenglish.com 上还有更多《6分钟英语》节目可供欣赏。

We also have an app you can download for free from the app stores 短語搭配

我们还有一个你可以从应用商店免费下载的应用程序，

and where you can download this program.

在那里你可以下载这个节目。

And of course, we are all over social media. 習語

当然，我们在社交媒体上无处不在。

Thanks for listening and goodbye.

感谢收听，再见。

Goodbye.

再见。

6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

来自 BBC Learning English 的《6分钟英语》。