Strange Green Machines 環保又實用的另類綠色發明‏

Nowadays, scientists are focusing more and more on green inventions. These are devices that promote the idea of using less fossil fuel1 and being less harmful to the environment. Some of these green inventions will probably become very popular. Some may even fail to get off the ground. Others are just strange. Such is the case with meat-eating furniture. A team of British inventors designed a digital2 wall clock that is powered not by a battery or electrical plug, but by dead flies. 現今的科學家都越來越重視各種綠色的發明物。這些發明指的是那些訴求為使用較少化石燃料和較不傷害環境的設備裝置。這些環保發明有的可能會一炮而紅。有些可能連第一步都跨不出去。還有一些則非常奇特。肉食性的家具就是其中一例。一個英國的發明團隊設計了一種數位掛鐘，它不靠電池或插頭供電，而是用死蒼蠅。 　　The clock has a strip of flypaper3 that revolves. After a fly lands and gets stuck on the paper, it is scraped off by a metal blade4 and drops into a special fuel cell5. There, the fly's body is transformed into energy. Time may have run out for the fly, but not for the person looking at the clock. 這種掛鐘配有一條會旋轉的捕蠅紙。當蒼蠅停在上頭而被黏在紙上後，牠會被金屬刀片刮下來並掉入特殊的燃料電池中。蒼蠅的屍體會在裡頭轉換成能源。蒼蠅可能時數已盡，但是對看時鐘的人來說可不是如此。 　　Of course, living bodies can create electricity as well, thanks to Orange Power Wellies6. These are specially designed rubber boots that will convert the heat from a person's feet into an electrical current7. In turn, the current can be used via a cable at the top of the boot to power a cellphone. It takes 12 hours of walking to charge a phone for one hour of use, but wearers can produce more energy just by making their feet hotter. Just think, you can walk and talk without having to worry about the battery dying on you. 當然，活生生的人體也能夠產生電力，而這都要感謝Orange Power Wellies這項發明（編按：這個產品是由英國的Orange公司所發明，故得此名）。這是一款經過特殊設計的橡膠長靴，能夠把人們腳底產生的熱能轉換成電流。而這股電流就可以透過靴子頂端的一條線路來為手機供電。想讓手機有一小時通話量的電力要走上十二小時才夠，但是穿上這雙靴子的人只要能使雙腳更熱便可以產生更多能量。想一想，您可以邊走路邊講話，完全不需要擔心手機的電池會沒電。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. power　vt. 給……提供動力
Cars powered by the sun are the wave of the future.
由太陽能驅動的車輛是未來的趨勢。
2. revolve　vi. 旋轉
People once believed that the sun revolved around the Earth.
人們曾一度認為太陽是繞著地球轉動的。
3. scrape　vt. 刮除
Tracy scraped the mud off her boots before entering the house.
翠西在進家門前先把她靴子上的泥巴刮掉。
4. convert　vt. 轉換，轉變
I bought a sofa that can be converted into a bed.
我買了一張可以變成床的沙發。
5. charge　vt. 使充電
The red light means the battery is being charged.
紅燈代表電池正在充電。

Phrases for Learning

1. get (...) off the ground　　（使……）成功∕順利展開
I don't have money to get my business off the ground.
我沒有資金來順利展開我的事業。
2. transform A into B　　把 A 轉變成 B
The hit movie transformed the young actress into a superstar overnight.
那部很紅的電影讓那位年輕女演員一夕之間成了超級巨星。
3. die on + 人　　（電力、機器）在某人使用時耗盡∕壞掉
My old truck died on me in the middle of the highway.
我的那台老貨車竟然在高速公路的路中央拋錨了。

Extra Words

1. fossil fuel　n. 化石燃料
2. digital　a. 數位的
3. flypaper　n. 黏蠅紙
4. blade　n. 刀片；刀刃
5. fuel cell　n. 燃料電池
6. wellies　n. 靴子（英式口語用法，恆用複數）
7. current　n. 電流；水流

Sentence Pattern

It takes 12 hours of walking to charge a phone for one hour of use...
（想讓手機有一小時通話量的電力要走上十二小時才夠……）
　　take 在此表『花費』，使用 take 時可用虛詞 it、人或事物作主詞，與表時間的名詞並用，句型如下：
1. It takes/took + 人 + 時間 + to + 原形動詞　　某人從事……花費了若干時間（表已完成）
　 It took Patrick a whole morning to clean his bedroom.
（派翠克花了一整個早上才把他的臥室清理乾淨。）
2. 人 + takes + 時間 + to + 原形動詞　　某人花了若干時間從事……（不一定有完成）
　 I took one month to learn how to drive.
（我花了一個月學開車。──是否學會不得而知）
3. 事 + takes (+ 人) + 時間　　某事物花（某人）若干時間
　 The special task took Annie two days.
（這項特殊任務花了安妮兩天來進行。）