一個更寧靜的世界 - 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com 的《6分鐘英語》。

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

你好，這裡是 BBC Learning English 的《6分鐘英語》。

I'm Neil.

我是尼爾。

And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜。

In this program, 表達脈絡

在本期節目中，

we're talking about something that always surrounds us,

我們要談論一種總是圍繞著我們的東西，

noise.

噪音。

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

是的，不管是鳥兒鳴唱的自然之聲，

the wind blowing,

還是風吹過的聲音，

or man-made noise like traffic or music, 用詞

或是像交通或音樂這樣的人造噪音，

there's always something we can hear.

總有一些聲音是我們可以聽到的。

Of course, there are sounds that we like to hear

當然，有些聲音是我們喜歡聽的，

and then there are those sounds that really grate, 用詞

然後也有那些真的讓人覺得刺耳、

annoy, or irritate.

煩人，或者惹人惱火的聲音。

Like the beeping sound on a reversing lorry

比如倒車卡車發出的滴滴聲，

or someone drilling a hole in the road.

或者是有人在馬路上鑽孔的聲音。

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

的確，很快我們就會來看看關於噪音的詞彙，

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

並聽聽讓世界變得更安靜的一些想法。

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

不過，讓我們先從一個關於聲音測量的問題開始，

which is in units called decibels. 用詞

聲音的測量單位叫做分貝。

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

根據世界衛生組織的一份指南，

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

我們在最多8小時內，可以安全暴露在的最高聲音級別

for a maximum of 8 hours? 片語搭配

被認為是多少？

Is it A, 55 decibels?

是 A，55分貝嗎？

B, 85 decibels?

B，85分貝？

Or C, 125 decibels?

還是 C，125分貝？

I imagine it's quite low, 語氣意圖

我猜應該相當低，

so I'll go for A, 55 decibels. 片語動詞

所以我選 A，55分貝。

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

好的，像往常一樣，我稍後會揭曉正確答案。

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

現在，讓我們來探聽一下人們對聲音的了解，

starting with Julian Treasure,

從朱利安·特雷熱（Julian Treasure）開始，

the founder of the Sound Agency.

他是「聲音機構」（Sound Agency）的創始人。

He spoke to the BBC World Service program

他在接受 BBC 世界頻道節目

"People Fixing the World".

《修復世界的人們》（People Fixing the World）採訪時說到了這個。

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

他討論了為什麼噪音是一種污染形式，並且對我們的健康有害，

but we don't always realize.

但我們並不總是能意識到。

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

聲音一直對我們產生著強大的影響，

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

儘管大多數時候我們並沒有意識到這一點，

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

因為我們某種程度上已經養成了壓抑自己聽覺的習慣。

There's so much noise around us in cities 文法

城市裡圍繞著我們的噪音太多了，

that we get into the habit of ignoring it.

以至於我們養成了忽略它的習慣。

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

不過，當噪音對我們產生不良影響時，這就不是什麼好事了。

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

朱利安提出了一個很好的觀點，即聲音時刻都在影響著我們，

even when we don't realize.

哪怕我們並沒有意識到。

We're not conscious of it,

我們沒有察覺到它，

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

所以我們沒有意識到，但它確實存在。

It may be irritating us,

它可能在惹惱我們，

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

但我們並沒有停下來思考到底是什麼在煩我們。

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

正如朱利安還說過的，我們養成了忽略聲音的習慣。

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

當你養成某種習慣（get into the habit of something）時，你就開始經常做某事，甚至都不去想它。

And another habit we get into is suppressing our listening.

我們養成的另一個習慣是壓抑（suppressing）我們的聽覺。

So, preventing or stopping ourselves from hearing the noises.

也就是說，阻止或阻攔我們自己聽到那些噪音。

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

但專家發現這對我們並不好。

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

背景中的噪音可能會導致壓力和心理健康問題。

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

是的，我們都需要一些和平與寧靜。

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

當然，有很多減少和吸收噪音的技術。

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

例如，在高速公路旁種樹以吸收交通噪音。

At a large rock concert,

在大型搖滾音樂會上，

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

會設置隔音屏障以防止聲音傳得太遠。

All sound ideas, 慣用語

這些想法都很可靠（sound），

I mean good ideas.

我是說都是好主意。

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

不過，讓我們前往世界上最喧鬧的城市，

Mumbai in India,

印度的孟買，

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

在那裡，按汽車喇叭是一個大問題。

I love the sound of that word honk, 用詞

我喜歡 honk 這個詞的讀音，

a short loud sound,

短促而響亮的聲音，

but I don't like the actual noise.

但我不喜歡實際的噪音。

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

《修復世界的人們》節目討論了這個問題，並採訪了一位多年來致力於降低噪音水平和創建安靜區的女士。

She's Sumaira Abdul Ali from the Awaaz Foundation,

她是來自 Awaaz 基金會的蘇麥拉·阿卜杜勒·阿里（Sumaira Abdul Ali），

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

她解釋了為什麼按喇叭是一件很難控制的事情。

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

在印度，按喇叭和噪音總體來說是一種表達媒介，

of sadness, of happiness, 表達脈絡

表達悲傷、表達快樂，

of every kind.

表達各種各樣的情感。

This is what I was told when I started working

這是我剛開始工作時別人告訴我的，

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

想要控制噪音這全都是西方的觀念。

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

印度人喜歡噪音，這關乎噪音，

it's about the color,

關乎色彩，

it's about the laughter and happiness.

關乎歡笑和幸福。

We don't want to be like the West,

我們不想像西方那樣，

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

你知道，那種不以我們的方式表達自己的、枯燥無聊的人。

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

我喜歡按喇叭不僅是為了道路安全這一點。

It's almost another language. 慣用語

它幾乎成了另一種語言。

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

人們透過按汽車喇叭來表達自己或展示自己的感受。

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

控制這種噪音使其變安靜被認為是一種西方觀念。

But Samairu is trying to change drivers' behavior

但蘇麥拉正試圖改變司機的行為，

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

經過大量努力，甚至讓警察開展了一項運動。

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

如果在紅綠燈處的噪音水平超過85分貝，

the lights would remain on red for longer.

紅燈的時間就會保持得更長。

Sounds like a good idea. 片語搭配

聽起來是個好主意。

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

關於這一點，在 BBC 的《修復世界》網頁上有更多資訊。

So, Neil, you just mentioned 85 decibels.

那麼，尼爾，你剛才提到了85分貝。

Is that the answer to the question you asked earlier?

這就是你之前問的問題的答案嗎？

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

早些時候，我問：‘根據世界衛生組織的一份指南，

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

我們在最多8小時內，可以安全暴露在的最高聲音級別

for a maximum of 8 hours?"

被認為是多少？’

I said 55 decibels.

我選的是55分貝。

Uh, well, it's actually 85 decibels,

呃，其實是85分貝，

Georgina. Bad luck.

喬治娜。運氣不佳。

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

隨著聲音水平的增加，安全聽力的允許時間會減少。

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

所以，例如，高達100分貝的聲音，

the level produced by a subway train, 文法

這是地鐵列車產生的聲音水平，

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

每天只能安全聆聽15分鐘。

Well, that's good to know.

嗯，這值得了解。

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

現在，讓我們回顧一下我們一直在討論的一些詞彙，

starting with grate,

從 grate 開始，

spelt g-r-a-t-e.

拼寫為 g-r-a-t-e。

It means annoy or irritate.

它的意思是煩人或惹怒。

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

當我們對某事有意識（conscious）時，我們就察覺到了它。

And when we get into the habit of something,

而當我們養成某事的習慣（get into the habit of something）時，

we start doing something regularly,

我們就開始經常做某事，

often without even thinking about it.

通常甚至都不去想它。

Suppressing describes preventing, stopping, or reducing something.

壓抑（Suppressing）描述的是阻止、停止或減少某事。

Honk is the short loud sound a car horn makes,

Honk 是汽車喇叭發出的短促響亮的聲音，

like this: honk.

就像這樣：honk。

I can hear you coming, Neil.

我能聽到你走過來，尼爾。

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

最後，表達自己（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. 片語搭配

好吧，我必須表達我的悲傷，因為我們現在沒有時間了。

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

但在我們的網站 bbclearningenglish.com 上還有更多《6分鐘英語》節目可供欣賞。

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

我們還有一個你可以從應用商店免費下載的應用程式，

and where you can download this program.

在那裡你可以下載這個節目。

And of course, we are all over social media. 慣用語

當然，我們在社群媒體上無處不在。

Thanks for listening and goodbye.

感謝收聽，再見。

Goodbye.

再見。

6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

來自 BBC Learning English 的《6分鐘英語》。