法国在核聚变探索中创下新纪录
📖 逐句对照翻译
French scientists have announced they set a new record of 22 minutes for keeping hydrogen atoms in a state called plasma.
法国科学家宣布，他们创造了将氢原子保持在等离子态22分钟的新纪录。
The team said their work marks an important step in the search for nuclear fusion methods that could produce massive amounts of clean energy in the future.
该团队表示，他们的工作标志着在寻找未来能够产生大量清洁能源的核聚变方法方面迈出了重要一步。
France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) said the experiment – carried out February 12 – showed the process kept, or maintained, a state of plasma for 1,337 seconds.
法国原子能委员会（CEA）表示，2月12日进行的实验显示，该过程将等离子体状态维持了1337秒。
The CEA added that the new record was 25 percent longer than the previous one, set in China last month.
美国能源部还补充说，新纪录比上个月在中国创下的纪录高出25%。
The aim of fusion research is to create the same kind of nuclear reaction that happens in the center of the sun.
聚变研究的目的是创造一种与太阳中心发生的核反应相同的反应。
In a fusion reaction, the centers of two atoms fuse, or join together, to form a new atom with a heavier nucleus, or center.
在聚变反应中，两个原子的中心融合或结合在一起，形成一个具有更重原子核或中心的新原子。
This process releases large amounts of energy.
这个过程会释放大量的能量。
Some experts say this means fusion could be a major source of clean, safe, and almost limitless energy in the future.
一些专家表示，这意味着核聚变在未来可能成为一种主要的清洁、安全且几乎无限的能源。
However, because fusion happens at very high temperatures, it is difficult to control.
然而，由于聚变发生在非常高的温度下，因此很难控制。
The scientists in France used a machine called a tokamak to do their research.
法国的科学家使用了一种名为托卡马克的机器来进行他们的研究。
The machine is a circular ring with strong walls to resist intense heat.
这台机器是一个带有坚固壁面的圆环，能抵抗极高的热量。
Inside the ring, hydrogen atoms are heated to temperatures up to about 50 million degrees Celsius.
在环内，氢原子被加热到高达约5000万摄氏度的温度。
The process creates plasma that is held together by powerful magnets.
该过程产生的等离子体由强大的磁铁约束在一起。
Anne-Isabelle Etienvre is the CEA's head of fundamental research.
安妮-伊莎贝尔·埃蒂安弗尔是法国原子能委员会基础研究部门的负责人。
She told the French news agency AFP the new record for making plasma shows "that we control its production, but also its maintenance."
她告诉法新社，这一制造等离子体的新纪录表明，“我们控制了它的产生，也控制了它的维持。”
However, Etienvre noted that there are still many "technological barriers" to overcome before fusion can "produce more energy than it consumes."
然而，艾蒂安夫尔指出，在核聚变能够“产生比消耗更多的能量”之前，仍有许多“技术障碍”需要克服。
Scientists say that for nuclear fusion to succeed, hydrogen atoms will need to be heated up to more than 100 million degrees Celsius.
科学家表示，核聚变要想成功，氢原子需要被加热到超过1亿摄氏度。
At this extreme temperature, plasma can become unstable and difficult to control.
在这种极端温度下，等离子体会变得不稳定且难以控制。
This can lead to energy loss and limit how well a possible future nuclear fusion reactor could work.
这可能导致能量损失，并限制未来可能的核聚变反应堆的工作效率。
In the coming months, the research team will look to increase the time they can keep the atoms in a plasma state.
在接下来的几个月里，研究团队将致力于延长他们能使原子保持等离子态的时间。
They hope to bring the total time "up to several hours combined."
他们希望将总时间“合计延长至几个小时”。
The CEA noted that in future experiments, scientists will also aim to heat the plasma to higher temperatures and examine the effects the hot plasma has on their testing machine.
法国原子能委员会指出，在未来的实验中，科学家们还将致力于将等离子体加热至更高温度，并研究热等离子体对其测试设备的影响。
Teams from multiple countries are working together in southern France to build the world’s largest tokamak and fusion research center, called ITER.
来自多个国家的团队正在法国南部共同建造世界上最大的托卡马克和聚变研究中心，名为ITER。
The effort includes scientists from the United States, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.
这项工作汇聚了来自美国、中国、欧盟、印度、日本、韩国和俄罗斯的科学家。
The teams hope the current research on maintaining plasma will be useful for future projects at ITER.
各团队希望当前关于维持等离子体的研究能对ITER未来的项目有所帮助。
However, AFP reports that repeated delays and increasing costs have postponed operations at ITER until at least 2033.
然而，法新社报道，一再的延误和不断增加的成本已将国际热核聚变实验堆的运行推迟到至少2033年。
I’m Andrew Smith.
我是安德鲁·史密斯。
Andrew Smith adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting from Agence France-Presse.
安德鲁·史密斯根据法新社的报道，为VOA英语学习频道改编了这个故事。
