Light-Emitting Trees a Golden Idea, Say Scientists
科學家說會發光的樹是黃金構想
本則影音新聞出處：新唐人電視台英語新聞http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_offbeat/2010-12-02/803084671815.html
【新聞關鍵字】
1. approach: v. [əˋprotʃ] 接近
2. bathe: v. [beð] 沈浸
3. streetlight: n. [ˋstrit͵laɪt] 路燈
4. infuse: v. [ɪnˋfjuz]注入
5. microscopic: n. [ˋmaɪkrəˋskɑpɪk]微小的
6. nano-particle: n. [ˋnænə͵pɑrtɪk!] 奈米微粒
7. emit: v. [ɪˋmɪt] 散發、發出
8. wrap around: ph. [ræp əˋraʊnd] 纏繞
9. synthesize: v. [ˋsɪnθə͵saɪz]使合成
10. sea-urchin: n. [si ˋɝtʃɪn] 海膽
11. electromagnetic: n. [ɪˋlɛktromægˋnɛtɪk] 電磁體的
12. light up: ph. [laɪt ʌp]照亮
With Christmas fast approaching, much of downtown Taipei is bathed in LED lights strung through trees that line the streets.
聖誕節將近，大部分台北市的鬧區，已沈浸在由LED燈串過樹木的街道裏。
But a researcher at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica suggests that not too far into the future, trees will glow bright enough to be used as streetlights.
但台灣中央研究院一位研究員表示，不久的將來，發光的樹木亮度將足以作路燈使用。
It’s possible to infuse the leaves of trees with microscopic gold nano-particles that will make them emit light.
有可能於樹葉注入微觀黃金奈米粒子，從而讓樹發光。
[Dr. Su Yen-Hsun, Researcher, Taiwan Academia Sinica]:
“We used chemical elements to wrap around the gold nano-particle and made it into a ball shape. It is then synthesized for a second time to grow into a sea urchin-like structure. This structure is special because its tips help produce a strong electromagneticfield when light enters, and this electromagnetic field can enhance the efficiency of its light emission.”
[Dr. Su Yen-Hsun, Researcher, Taiwan Academia Sinica] [台灣中央研究院研究員，邱彥勳博士說]：
「我們用化學元素來包裝黃金奈米粒子，把它做為球狀。然後第二次合成，長為海膽狀結構。這種結構很特殊，因為它的頂端在光進入時，會幫助產生很強的電磁場，這種電磁場可以提高發光效率。」
One gram of gold is enough to light up one thousand houseplants. But more research is needed before roadside trees can realistically double as streetlamps.
一克黃金就足以照亮千盆室內植栽。在街道樹可以實際兼任路燈之前，需要有更多的研究。
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本專欄由前衛英語David Lee主編 www.davidlee.url.tw
