科學家們發明了一種名為 “去墨打印機” 的特殊裝置,它可以吸走打印紙上的墨水,這樣每張紙就可以使用十次。他們希望通過減少對辦公用紙的需求來降低制漿造紙業的二氧化碳排放量。
Making paper takes lots of energy, and the pulp and paper industry is a huge emitter of greenhouse gases. So, welcome to the de-printer, a machine that allows you to re-use a sheet of A4 ten times over.
造紙需要消耗大量的能源,制漿造紙業是一個溫室氣體的巨大排放源。因此,歡迎使用 “去墨打印機”,一種可以讓你把一張 A4 紙重復使用十次的機器。
The secret's in a special, ultra-thin coating that's applied to the paper to stop the ink sinking in. To return the sheet to pristine white, you zap it with a high-powered laser and vaporise the ink, which can be trapped and used again.
秘訣就在于紙上涂了一種特殊的超薄涂層,以防止墨水滲入。要還以紙張的潔白本色,就用高功率激光擊打紙面,使墨跡汽化,汽化后的墨水可存好并再次使用。
It's said to use a fraction of the energy taken to make new paper, but there's no guarantee it will be commercially viable.
據說,這一循環用紙的過程所需能量只是制造新紙張所需能量的一小部分,但不能保證它具有商業可行性。
pulp 紙漿
emitter 排放源
coating 涂層
pristine 嶄新的
vaporise 使汽化
guarantee 保證
commercially viable 在商業上行得通的
1. How many times will the de-printer enable a sheet of A4 paper to be re-used?
2. What is it about the paper that allows it to be re-used?
3. How is the ink on the original piece of paper removed?
4. Why could this invention help the environment, compared with making new paper?
1. How many times will the de-printer enable a sheet of A4 paper to be re-used?
The de-printer allows you to re-use a sheet of A4 paper ten times over.
2. What is it about the paper that allows it to be re-used?
A special, ultra-thin coating that's applied to the paper stops the ink sinking in.
3. How is the ink on the original piece of paper removed?
It is zapped with a high-powered laser which vaporises the ink.
4. Why could this invention help the environment, compared with making new paper?
The process of making the paper re-usable is said to use a fraction of the energy taken to make new paper.