Ted青少年演讲课 16-三个塑料瓶的故事
● 上节课回顾
上一期演讲中，我们了解到一号瓶最终流向了垃圾填埋场，而塑料的分解需要至少1000年的时间；二号瓶最终在大海里被海洋动物误食，流到了食物链中，最终很可能在人类身体里找到。
那么，三号塑料瓶将去向何方呢？
注：解析中的音标采用的是英式音标；中文解释，一词多义的，采用该词汇文中含义。
Part 1 演 讲 视 频
Pre-watching 带着问题听演讲
Where do the three bottles end up?
这三个瓶子去向何方？
戳下方原声视频先睹为快吧！
Part 2 段 落 学 习
And most plastics don't biodegrade, which means they're destined to break down into smaller and smaller pieces called micro plastics, which might rotate in the sea eternally.
大多数塑料是无法生物降解的，这也就意味着，它们只会分解成越来越小的碎片，这种碎片叫做“微塑料”，它们可能会在海中循环，永远地留在海里。
But bottle three is spared the cruel purgatories of his brothers. A truck brings him to a plant where he and his companions are squeezed flat and compressed into a block. Okay, this sounds pretty bad, too, but hang in there. It gets better. The blocks are shredded into tiny pieces, which are washed and melted, so they become the raw materials that can be used again. As if by magic, bottle three is now ready to be reborn as something completely new. For this bit of plastic with such humble origins, suddenly the sky is the limit.
而三号瓶子却幸免于它兄弟们遭遇的炼狱。 一辆卡车将它带到工厂, 在这里，它和小伙伴们被压平，之后再被压缩成块。嗯，这听起来也很糟糕，但是不要着急，情况会有转机的。那些压缩块被切成小片，经过洗涤、熔化，又变成了可以利用的材料。奇迹般地，三号瓶子做好了准备，即将摇身一变，成为某样全新的物品。对于这种出生如此卑微的塑料来说，突然之间天空才是极限。
Part 3 重 点 解 析
Key Points 演讲重点
Key Points 演讲重点
And most plastics don't biodegrade, which means they're destined to break down into smaller and smaller pieces called micro plastics, which might rotate in the sea eternally.
大多数塑料是无法生物降解的，这也就意味着，它们只会分解成越来越小的碎片，这种碎片叫做“微塑料”，它们可能会在海中循环，永远地留在海里。
biodegrade /ˌbaɪ.əʊ.dɪˈɡreɪd/
(v.) 生物降解，生物分解
Some plastics are designed to biodegrade when their useful lifeis over.有些塑料被设计为过了有效使用期就可以生物降解。
biology [bio生物，-logy ...学] n.生物学
biologist [bio 生物，-logist ...学家] n.生物学家
biography [bio 生物，graph 词根表示“写”，文字 → “记录”,-y 名词后缀：“一人生平的记录”→] n.传记
destined /ˈdes.tɪnd/
(adj.) 命中注定的，命运决定的
She is destined for an extremely successful career.她的事业注定会非常成功。
These plans are destined to fail.这些计划注定要失败。
micro /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ/
(adj.) 小的，微小的
microcomputer微型计算机
microbiology微生物学
rotate /rəʊˈteɪt/
(v.)（尤指围绕一个固定点）（使）旋转，（使）转动
The satellite slowly rotates as it circles the earth.人造卫星围绕地球旋转的同时也在缓慢自转。
Key Points 演讲重点
But bottle three is spared the cruel purgatories of his brothers. A truck brings him to a plant where he and his companions are squeezed flat and compressed into a block.
而三号瓶子却幸免于它兄弟们遭遇的炼狱。 一辆卡车将它带到工厂, 在这里，它和小伙伴们被压平，之后再被压缩成块。
spare /speər/
(v.)使避免，使免遭
Luckily, I was spared the embarrassment of having to sing in front of everyone.幸运的是，我躲过了在大家面前唱歌的尴尬。
cruel /ˈkruː.əl/
(adj.) 令人痛苦的
His death was a cruel blow.他的死是个无情的打击。
purgatories /ˈpɜː.ɡə.tər.is/
(n.) (天主教教义中的）炼狱
an extremely unpleasant experience that causes suffering痛苦的经历
I've been on a diet for two weeks now, and it's purgatory!我已经节食两周了，真是太痛苦了！
companion /kəmˈpæn.jən/
(n.) 同伴；伙伴；伴侣
a travelling companion旅伴
squeeze /skwiːz/
(v.) （尤指从各方面）挤压，捏，挤，榨
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
把柠檬一切为二，将汁挤到碗里。
Key Points 演讲重点
The blocks are shredded into tiny pieces, which are washed and melted, so they become the raw materials that can be used again.
那些压缩块被切成小片，经过洗涤、熔化，又变成了可以利用的材料。
shred /ʃred/
(v.) 把…切（或撕）成细条；切碎；撕碎Shred the lettuce and arrange it around the edge of the dish.将生菜切成丝，摆在盘子边缘。
raw /rɔː/
(adj.)原料未经加工的，自然状态的
raw material 原材料，原料
Oil is an important raw material that can be processed into many different products, including plastics.石油是一种重要的原料，可以加工成包括塑料在内的许多种产品。
Part 4 学 后 挑 战
上期参考答案：
mislead [mis错误的-lead带路]=mislead把……带错路，把……引入歧途。
Don't let my silence here mislead you; I'm taking you down. 别让我的沉默误导了你;我会打倒你.
misgiving [mis错误的-giving送给]=misgiving把东西给错人了，疑虑; 顾虑
She had some misgivings about what she was about to do. 她对自己即将要做的事情存有一些顾虑。
三个塑料瓶的故事已接近尾声，了解了塑料的不同命运后，对于塑料的使用，你会做出怎样的选择呢？