And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜

Of all the weird and wonderful creatures living under the sea,

所有生活在海底的奇怪而奇妙的生物中。

perhaps the strangest are jellyfish – those rubbery, cone-shaped creatures

最奇怪的可能是水母--那些橡膠的、圓錐形的生物。

found floating in the water, their long tentacles trailing behind.

發現它們漂浮在水面上，長長的觸手尾隨其後。

Some jellyfish species have a bad reputation for scaring away tourists,

有些水母種類名聲不好，會嚇跑遊客。

clogging up fishing nets, and even blocking power station pipes.

堵塞漁網，甚至堵塞電站管道。

But with more and more plastic rubbish ending up in the sea,

但隨著越來越多的塑膠垃圾最終流入大海。

these days you're as likely to swim into a plastic bag as a jellyfish.

這年頭，你就像水母一樣可能遊進塑膠袋裡。

Now scientific research is discovering that these rubbery sea creatures

現在科學研究發現，這些橡膠海生物

might provide an answer -

可能提供一個答案

a sticky solution to the problem of plastic pollution.

粘性解決塑膠汙染問題的辦法。

In this programme, we'll be learning how jellyfish mucus could provide

在這個節目中，我們將學習水母的粘液如何能提供

the answer to plastic waste in the seas.

解決海洋中的塑膠垃圾問題。

And of course we'll be learning some related vocabulary along the way.

當然我們也會順便學習一些相關詞彙。

But first it's time for my quiz question.

但首先是我的考題時間。

Georgina, you mentioned jellyfish scaring away beach

喬治娜，你說過水母會嚇跑海灘的人

goers with their sting, but what is the best way to treat jellyfish stings?

去者與他們的刺痛，但治療水母蜇傷的最佳方法是什麼？

Is it: a) with ice?, b) with salt?, or, c) with vinegar?

是：a)加冰塊嗎，b)加鹽嗎，還是，c)加醋嗎？

Well, Neil, I have been stung by a jellyfish before and I think the best

尼爾，我以前被水母蜇過，我覺得最好的是...

way to treat them is, c) with vinegar.

處理它們的方法是，c)用醋。

OK, Georgina, we'll find out later if that's right.

好吧，喬治娜，我們稍後會知道是否正確。

Now, as I mentioned, in recent years tiny pieces of plastic

現在，正如我所提到的，近幾年來，微小的塑膠片子。

called microplastic have been a significant problem for the world's

稱為 "微塑膠 "的塑膠一直是世界上的一個重大問題。

seas and oceans.

海和海洋；

They've been found all over the world – in Arctic ice, at the bottom of the sea

它們在世界各地都有發現 北極的冰層裡，海底也有

and even inside animals, including humans.

甚至包括人類在內的動物體內。

Slovenian scientist, Dr Ana Rotter, heads Go Jelly,

斯洛文尼亞科學家安娜-羅特博士是 "果凍 "的負責人。

a European research team of jellyfish ecologists looking into the problem.

一個由水母生態學家組成的歐洲研究小組正在研究這個問題。

Here she is speaking to BBC World Service programme,

在這裡，她正在對BBC世界服務節目進行演講。

People Fixing the World:

人們在修復世界。

Microplastics, plastics in general, are being an increasing problem –

微塑膠，一般的塑膠，正在成為一個日益嚴重的問題------。

they're everywhere.

他們到處都是。

When I was a little girl we were more environmentally friendly,

小時候我們比較環保。

not knowing… so we never used plastic bags to go shopping,

不知道......所以我們從來不用塑膠袋去購物。

we always went with a cloth bags, we never used plastic

我們總是用布袋，我們從來沒有使用塑膠袋。

to put our vegetable in it, single-use spoons, or forks, knives…

把我們的蔬菜放在裡面，一次性使用的勺子，或叉子，刀子... ...

this is for me something unheard-of when I was a little girl.

這對我來說是我小時候聞所未聞的事情。

Dr Rotter says when she was a child, people were more

羅特博士說，當她還是個孩子的時候，人們更多的是。

environmentally friendly - not harmful to the environment

環保----對環境無害

or having the least possible impact on it.

或對其影響最小。

At that time, there were very few single-use plastics –

當時，一次性使用的塑膠很少--。

plastic items, like spoons and forks,

塑膠物品，如勺子和叉子。

designed to be used just once, then thrown away.

設計為只用一次，然後扔掉。

Single-use plastic bags, for example, were unheard-of -

例如，一次性塑膠袋是聞所未聞的--。

surprising or shocking because they were not previously known about

出乎意料或令人震驚，因為它們是以前不知道的。

or commonly used.

或常用的。

The situation since then has changed dramatically.

此後的情況發生了巨大的變化。

In fact, there's been such an increase in microplastics

事實上，微塑膠的數量已經增加了很多

that today the UN lists plastic pollution as one of the world's

今天，聯合國將塑膠汙染列為世界上最嚴重的汙染之一。

top environmental threats.

最主要的環境威脅。

But how do jellyfish fit into the story?

但是，水母是如何融入故事的呢？

Well, it's the 'jelly' part of jellyfish, and specifically their sticky,

嗯，這是水母的 "果凍 "部分，特別是它們的粘性。

jelly-like mucus that is key.

果凍狀粘液，是關鍵。

Here's Dr Rotter again, explaining more to BBC World Service

這裡是羅特博士再次向BBC世界服務解釋更多。

programme, People Fixing the World:

節目《人民修復世界》。

The mucus – this is a like a viscous substance

粘液--這是一種像粘稠的物質。

that is being excreted from a jellyfish, might have they are called absorptive

從水母身上排洩出來的東西，可能有它們被稱為吸收性的。

properties… so it means that the particles - various particles can

所以，這意味著，粒子--各種粒子可以...

attach to this mucus… so, could we use jellyfish and their mucus

所以，我們能不能用水母和它們的黏液？

as a magnet for the microplastic particles?

作為微塑料顆粒的磁鐵？

Jellyfish produce a thick, sticky liquid called mucus.

水母會產生一種粘稠的液體，叫做粘液。

Dr Rotter has discovered that this mucus has strong absorptive properties –

羅特博士發現，這種粘液具有很強的吸收性--。

it can absorb, take in liquids and other substances and hold them in.

它可以吸收、攝取液體和其他物質，並將其保持在體內。

One of the substances jellyfish mucus absorbs are the particles that

水母粘液吸收的物質之一是顆粒，即

make up microplastics.

組成微塑膠。

By trapping these tiny pieces of floating plastic,

通過捕捉這些微小的漂浮塑料片。

the mucus acts like a magnet – an object that attracts certain materials,

粘液的作用就像磁鐵--一種吸引某些物質的物體。

like metal, or in this case, microplastic waste.

如金屬，或在這種情況下，微塑膠廢物。

As rising sea temperatures and overfishing of their natural predators

隨著海水溫度的上升和天敵的過度捕撈，它們的天敵也在不斷增加。

have boosted jellyfish numbers, this novel way of using their mucus

提高了水母的數量，這種利用水母粘液的新方法

couldn't have come at a better time.

不可能有在一個更好的時間。

Dr Rotter's research is still in the early stages, but it's hoped that

Rotter博士的研究仍處於早期階段，但希望

jellyfish mucus could hold the key

水母黏液可能是關鍵所在

to a future free of microplastic polluted oceans.

以期實現一個沒有微塑膠汙染的海洋的未來。

Which is a big prize for the cost of few jellyfish stings.

這是一個很大的獎的成本很少的水母蜇。

Speaking of which, Neil, what was the correct answer to your quiz question?

說到這裡，尼爾，你的測驗題的正確答案是什麼？

Right, I asked you the best way to treat jellyfish stings.

對了，我問你治療水母蜇傷的最好方法。

What did you say, Georgina?

你說什麼，喬治娜？

I said it's c) with vinegar

我說了是c)加醋。

Which is… the right answer! Well done.

這就是... 正確的答案！幹得好

Vinegar inactivates the sting's venom, so remember to pack

醋能使蜇人的毒液失活，所以記得帶好

a bottle of vinegar the next time you head to the beach!

下次去海邊的時候，帶一瓶醋!

In this programme, we've been hearing how scientists are using

在這個節目中，我們一直在聽科學家們如何使用。

jellyfish mucus - a thick, sticky liquid produced in their bodies,

水母粘液--它們體內產生的一種粘稠的液體。

to break down microplastics in the sea.

以分解海中的微塑膠。

Our addiction to single-use plastics – plastic items which are used

我們沉迷於一次性塑料製品--使用的塑料製品

only once, then thrown away, and which often get washed out to sea,

只用過一次，然後就被扔掉，而且經常被衝到海里去。

has created a situation which is definitely not environmentally friendly –

造成了一個絕對不環保的局面------。

that means having minimal impact on the environment.

這意味著對環境的影響最小。

Until quite recently, the problems of micropollution and single-use

直到最近，微汙染和一次性使用的問題才得以解決。

plastic were unheard-of - surprising or shocking because of not having

塑膠是聞所未聞的------令人驚訝或震驚，因為沒有。

been previously known about.

以前一直知道的。

Scientists are hoping that the mucus's absorptive qualities –

科學家們希望粘液的吸收性------。

it's ability to absorb liquids and other substances and hold them,

它吸收液體和其他物質並保持它們的能力。

will allow it to trap particles of plastic floating in the sea,

將使其能夠捕捉漂浮在海中的塑料顆粒。

making jellyfish mucus a magnet for pollution –

使水母粘液成為汙染的磁鐵----------。

an object that attracts certain materials - usually metals

吸附物

but in this case, microplastic waste.

但在這種情況下，微塑膠垃圾。

That's all for this programme, but to hear more about how

這個節目就到這裡，但要想聽到更多關於如何。

these amazing sea creatures could help clean our oceans,

這些神奇的海洋生物可以幫助清潔我們的海洋。

why not check out People Fixing the World from the BBC World Service?

為什麼不看看英國廣播公司世界服務部的《修復世界的人》？

And to hear more interesting items on trending topics, why not join us again soon here at 6 Minute English? Bye for now!

如果想聽到更多有趣的話題，不妨很快再加入我們6分鐘英語的行列。暫時再見

why not join us again soon here at 6 Minute English?

為什麼不盡快加入我們的6分鐘英語呢？

Bye for now!

再見

Bye!

再見！