夏天车里的瓶装水能安全饮用吗

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🤔️小作业：

1. Which of the following best captures the author's main point?

A. Drinking from a plastic bottle left in a hot car is generally safe but unpleasant in taste.

B. There is no evidence at all about the effects of heated bottled water, so it is a non-issue.

C. Multiple potential risks, from microbial growth to chemical leaching, suggest it is better avoided.

D. Only opened bottles are risky, so unopened bottles are entirely harmless.

无注释原文：

I Left a Plastic Water Bottle in a Hot Car. Is It Safe to Drink?

From: The New York Times

Q: If I leave a plastic water bottle in my car for a few days, is it safe to drink the water when I come back?

One potential concern is that if you've already opened a plastic bottle and have consumed water from it, bacteria from your mouth, your hands or the air can get in and multiply, said Jaime Ross, a neuroscientist at the University of Rhode Island who studies how exposures to microplastics and other substances affect the body.

Beizhan Yan, a geochemist who researches environmental contamination at Columbia University, said he wasn't aware of any studies that have looked into exactly what happens if you leave a plastic water bottle in a hot car. But scientists can make inferences from relevant research.

In one peer-reviewed study published in 2013, for instance, researchers analyzed which microbes grew in various partly consumed beverages — including plastic bottled sodas, teas, juices, sports drinks and water — left at 77 degrees for two weeks. They found that bacteria, mold and yeast grew in many of them.

The insides of cars often become hotter than the outside air, creating the perfect environment for microbes to grow quickly — perhaps within a couple of hours, Dr. Ross said. Another study from 2005 concluded that bacteria grew in water bottles at room temperature within 48 hours of just one sip.

Many single-use plastic water bottles are made from a form of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, said Nicole Deziel, an environmental epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health.

When PET-containing bottles sit in the heat or in sunlight, they can release various kinds of chemicals, including phenols like bisphenol A, or BPA, and phthalates, she said.

The Food and Drug Administration says that the current use of BPA and certain phthalates in food packaging is safe. But some experts have disagreed, citing studies that have linked exposures to the chemicals early in life to chronic health conditions like allergies, asthma and Type 2 diabetes.

Water stored in plastic water bottles often contains tiny bits of plastic known as microplastics. A 2018 study analyzed water from plastic water bottles purchased in nine countries and found plastic fragments in 93 percent of them.

The heat of a car, along with UV light coming through side or rear car windows, most likely accelerates their release, Dr. Yan said. UV light has been shown to break down plastic polymers into smaller fragments, which “very likely” might then leach into the water, he said.

Experts don't know for sure what will happen if you leave a single-use plastic water bottle in a hot car and then drink from it. But given the potential for contamination, Dr. Ross said, doing so is “not a good idea.”

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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为纽约时报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

I Left a Plastic Water Bottle in a Hot Car. Is It Safe to Drink?

From: The New York Times

Q: If I leave a plastic water bottle in my car for a few days, is it safe to drink the water when I come back?

问：如果我把塑料水瓶留在车里几天，回来后里面的水还能安全饮用吗？

One potential concern is that if you've already opened a plastic bottle and have consumed water from it, bacteria from your mouth, your hands or the air can get in and multiply, said Jaime Ross, a neuroscientist at the University of Rhode Island who studies how exposures to microplastics and other substances affect the body.

专门研究微塑料和其他物质接触对人体影响的罗德岛大学神经科学家杰米·罗斯说，一个潜在的问题是，如果已经打开了塑料瓶并喝了里面的水，口腔、手部或空气中的细菌可能会进入瓶内并大量繁殖。

bacteria /bækˈtɪə.ri.ə/ bacterium的复数，bacterium /bækˈtɪə.ri.əm/ 表示“细菌”，英文解释为“a type of very small organism that lives in air, earth, water, plants, and animals, often one that causes disease”如：an illness caused by bacteria in drinking water 饮用水中细菌引起的疾病。

multiply /ˈmʌl.tɪ.plaɪ/ 表示“大幅增加；乘，使相乘”，英文解释为“to increase very much in number, or (in mathematics) to add a number to itself a particular number of times”举个🌰：In warm weather these germs multiply rapidly. 在温暖的天气里这些细菌会迅速繁殖。

microplastics /ˈmaɪ.krəʊˌplæs.tɪks/ 表示“微塑料，塑料微粒”，英文解释为“extremely small pieces of plastic that are harmful to the environment, used in cosmetics (= substances put on the face or body to improve appearance), or formed when plastic waste material breaks down”举个🌰：Microplastics typically come from plastic used in exfoliating face and body products. 塑料微粒通常来自用于去角质的面部和身体产品中所含的塑料。

substance /ˈsʌb.stəns/ 1）表示“物质；材料”，英文解释为“material with particular physical characteristics”如：an organic/chemical substance 有机/化学物质。

2）表示“重要性；要旨；实质；根据”，英文解释为“importance, seriousness, or relationship to real facts”举个🌰：There is no substance in/to the allegation. 这项指控毫无根据。

Beizhan Yan, a geochemist who researches environmental contamination at Columbia University, said he wasn't aware of any studies that have looked into exactly what happens if you leave a plastic water bottle in a hot car. But scientists can make inferences from relevant research.

哥伦比亚大学研究环境污染的地球化学家严北詹（音）表示，他不清楚是否有专门探讨将塑料水瓶留在高温车里带来影响的研究，但科学家可以从相关研究中进行推断。

contamination /kənˌtæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/表示“污染，玷污；污染物”，英文解释为“something that contaminates”；contaminate作动词，表示“污染；弄脏”，英文解释为“to make a substance or place dirty or no longer pure by adding a substance that is dangerous or carries disease”举个🌰：The drinking water has become contaminated with lead. 饮用水被铅污染了。

inference /ˈɪn.fər.əns/ 表示“推断，推论，推理”，英文解释为“a guess that you make or an opinion that you form based on the information that you have”举个🌰：They were warned to expect a heavy air attack and by inference many casualties. 他们被警告可能会受到严厉的空中打击，由此推断会有许多人员伤亡。

In one peer-reviewed study published in 2013, for instance, researchers analyzed which microbes grew in various partly consumed beverages — including plastic bottled sodas, teas, juices, sports drinks and water — left at 77 degrees for two weeks. They found that bacteria, mold and yeast grew in many of them.

例如，2013年发表的一项同行评审研究中，研究人员分析了部分饮用过的各种饮料（包括塑料瓶装的汽水、茶、果汁、运动饮料和水）在25摄氏度下放置两周后滋生的微生物。他们发现，其中许多饮料中都滋生了细菌、霉菌和酵母菌。

表示“同行评审，同行评议”，英文解释为“the evaluation by fellow specialists of research that someone has done in order to assess its suitability for publication or further development”

microbe /ˈmaɪ.krəʊb/ 表示“微生物；（尤指致病的）细菌”，英文解释为“a very small living thing, especially one that causes disease, that can only be seen with a microscope”

beverage /ˈbev.ər.ɪdʒ/ 表示“饮料”，英文解释为“a drink of any type”举个🌰：Hot beverages include tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. 热饮包括茶、咖啡和热巧克力饮料。

美式 mold 英式 mould /məʊld/ 表示“霉；霉菌”，英文解释为“a soft, green or grey growth that develops on old food or on objects that have been left for too long in warm, wet air”举个🌰：There was mould on the cheese. 这块奶酪发霉了。

yeast /jiːst/ 表示“酵母；酵母菌”，英文解释为“a type of fungus that is used in making alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine, and for making bread swell and become light”如：dried/fresh yeast 干/新鲜酵母。

The insides of cars often become hotter than the outside air, creating the perfect environment for microbes to grow quickly — perhaps within a couple of hours, Dr. Ross said. Another study from 2005 concluded that bacteria grew in water bottles at room temperature within 48 hours of just one sip.

罗斯说，车内温度通常比室外高，这为微生物快速生长创造了理想环境——可能只需几个小时就会滋生。2005年的另一项研究得出结论，在室温下，只喝了一口的水瓶在48小时内就会滋生细菌。

sip /sɪp/ 作名词，表示“一小口（饮料）”，英文解释为“a very small amount of a drink that you take into your mouth”如：to have/take a sip of water 喝一小口水。

作动词，表示“呷，啜”，英文解释为“to drink, taking only a very small amount at a time”举个🌰：This tea is very hot, so sip it carefully. 这茶很烫，喝的时候小心点。

Many single-use plastic water bottles are made from a form of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, said Nicole Deziel, an environmental epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health.

耶鲁大学公共卫生学院的环境流行病学家妮可·德齐尔说，许多一次性塑料水瓶是由一种名为聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)的塑料制成。

epidemiologist /ˌepɪˌdiːmiˈɑːlədʒɪst/ 表示“流行病学家”，英文解释为“Epidemiologists are scientists who study diseases within populations of people. In essence, these public health professionals analyze what causes disease outbreaks in order to treat existing diseases and prevent future outbreaks.”

When PET-containing bottles sit in the heat or in sunlight, they can release various kinds of chemicals, including phenols like bisphenol A, or BPA, and phthalates, she said.

她说，当含PET的瓶子处于高温或阳光下时，会释放出多种化学物质，包括双酚A(BPA)等酚类物质和邻苯二甲酸盐。

The Food and Drug Administration says that the current use of BPA and certain phthalates in food packaging is safe. But some experts have disagreed, citing studies that have linked exposures to the chemicals early in life to chronic health conditions like allergies, asthma and Type 2 diabetes.

美国食品和药物管理局表示，目前在食品包装中使用BPA和某些邻苯二甲酸盐是安全的。但一些专家对此表示反对，他们引用的研究表明，生命早期阶段接触这些化学物质，与过敏、哮喘和2型糖尿病等慢性健康状况有关。

chronic /ˈkrɒnɪk/ 1）表示“（疾病）慢性的，长期的”，英文解释为“a chronic disease or illness is one that continues for a long time and cannot be cured”如：chronic arthritis表示“慢性关节炎”。

2）表示“（问题）长期的”，英文解释为“a chronic problem is one that continues for a long time and cannot easily be solved”举个🌰：There is a chronic shortage of teachers. 长期存在师资短缺的问题。

3）还有一种解释是用来形容人“积习难改”，如“长期酗酒/沉迷赌博等的人”我们就可以用chronic alcoholic/gambler表示。

allergy /ˈæl.ə.dʒi/ 表示“变应性；过敏反应；过敏性”，英文解释为“a condition that makes a person become sick or develop skin or breathing problems because they have eaten certain foods or been near certain substances”如：an allergy to wheat 对小麦过敏。

asthma /ˈæsmə/ 表示“气喘，哮喘”，英文解释为“a medical condition that makes breathing difficult by causing the air passages to become narrow or blocked”如：an asthma sufferer 哮喘病患者。

diabetes /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪs, -tiːz/ 表示“糖尿病”，英文解释为“a disease in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood.”

Water stored in plastic water bottles often contains tiny bits of plastic known as microplastics. A 2018 study analyzed water from plastic water bottles purchased in nine countries and found plastic fragments in 93 percent of them.

储存在塑料水瓶中的水通常含有被称为“微塑料”的微小塑料颗粒。2018年的一项研究分析了在九个国家购买的塑料瓶装水中的水，发现93%的水样中含有塑料碎片。

作名词，表示“小片，小块；（尤指）碎片，碎块”，英文解释为“a small piece or a part, especially when broken from something whole”举个🌰：The road was covered with fragments of glass from the shattered window. 公路上到处是车窗的碎玻璃片。

作动词，表示“支离破碎，分裂”，英文解释为“consisting of several separate parts”举个🌰：In this increasingly fragmented society, a sense of community is a thing of the past. 在这个日益分崩离析的社会中，归属感已经一去不复返了。

The heat of a car, along with UV light coming through side or rear car windows, most likely accelerates their release, Dr. Yan said. UV light has been shown to break down plastic polymers into smaller fragments, which “very likely” might then leach into the water, he said.

严北詹说，汽车内的热量以及从侧窗或后窗进入的紫外线很可能会加速微塑料的释放。他说，有证据表明紫外线会将塑料聚合物分解成更小的碎片，这些碎片“很可能”会析入水中。

作形容词，表示“后部的；后面的；背部的”，英文解释为“at the back of something”举个🌰：There's a sticker on the rear door/window. 后门/后窗户上贴着一张纸条。

作动词，表示“抚养；养育；培养”，英文解释为“to care for young children or animals until they are fully grown”举个🌰：She reared a family of five on her own. 她一个人养活五个孩子。

作名词，the rear表示“后面；后部；背部”，英文解释为“the back part of something”举个🌰：We walked round to the rear of the house. 我们绕道走到房子的后面。

accelerate /əkˈsel.ə.reɪt/ 1）表示“（车辆或驾驶者）加速”，英文解释为“When a vehicle or its driver accelerates, the speed of the vehicle increases.”举个🌰：I accelerated to overtake the bus. 我加速超过了公共汽车。

2）accelerate /əkˈsel.ə.reɪt/ 表示“（使）加快，（使）增速；促进；提前，（促使）早日发生”，英文解释为“to happen or make something happen sooner or faster”举个🌰：They use special chemicals to accelerate the growth of crops. 他们使用特殊的化学品来刺激农作物生长。

decelerate /ˌdiːˈsel.ər.eɪt/ 表示“（使）降低速度；（使）减速”，英文解释为“to reduce the speed that a vehicle is travelling at”举个🌰：The car decelerated at the sight of the police car. 那辆汽车一见警车就慢了下来。

polymer /ˈpɒl.ɪ.mər/ 表示“聚合物”，英文解释为“A polymer is a chemical compound with large molecules made of many smaller molecules of the same kind. Some polymers exist naturally and others are produced in laboratories and factories.”

Experts don't know for sure what will happen if you leave a single-use plastic water bottle in a hot car and then drink from it. But given the potential for contamination, Dr. Ross said, doing so is “not a good idea.”

如果把一次性塑料水瓶留在高温的车里，之后再饮用里面的水会发生什么，对此专家们并不确定。但罗斯说，考虑到潜在的污染风险，这样做“不是个好主意”。

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