英汉短文翻译

PASSAGE A

Since about 1800, near the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, coal, petroleum, and gas have been used at a rapidly increasing rate. The supply of these fuels is limited, and electric power is very scarce in many places. Some scientists believe solar energy is the only source which can meet the worlds’ enormous need for power. Great progress had been made in harnessing the sun. Not only is the sun now used in cooking, but it also supplies power for such things as beacon lights for ships and airplanes. It operates telephone lines, portable radios, electric clocks, hearing aids, and even communications satellites. Some homes and office buildings in the United States are now being heated with solar energy.

The three most significant types of solar equipment so far are the furnace, the still, and the cell. Solar furnaces heat water or air, which is then circulated through a building to make it comfortable. Solar stills are especially important because they can provide fresh water at a relatively cheap rate. Salt can be easily removed from sea water with a solar still.

The most highly developed is the solar cell. Some cells are so effective that they can turn 16 per cent of the energy they receive from the sun into electric energy. One of the cell’s b iggest advantages is that it can be made either small enough to carry or large enough to produce a current that can run an automobile. Besides, it has a very long life. It is still too expensive for the average consumer. But when ways are discovered to produce it more cheaply, we can expect its use to be wide-spread.

PASSAGE B

Many theories concerning the causes of juvenile delinquency (crimes committed by young people) focus either on the individual or on society as the major contributing influence. Theories centering on the individual suggest that children engage in criminal behavior because they were not sufficiently penalized for previous misdeeds or that they have learned criminal behavior through interaction with others. Theories focusing on the role of society suggest that children commit crimes in response to their failure to rise above their socioeconomic status or as a rejection of middle-class values.

Most theories of juvenile delinquency have focused on children from disadvantaged families, ignoring the fact that children from wealthy homes also commit crimes. The latter may commit crimes for lack of adequate parental control. All theories, however, are tentative and are subject to criticism.

Changes in the social structure may indirectly affect juvenile crime rates. For example, changes in the economy, which lead to fewer job opportunities for youth and rising unemployment in general, make gainful employment increasingly difficult to obtain. The resulting discontent may in turn lead more youths into criminal behavior.

Families have also experienced changes these years. More families consist of one parent households or two working parents; consequently, children are likely to have less supervision at home than was common in the traditional family structure. This lack of parental supervision is thought to be an influence on juvenile crime rates. Other identifiable causes of offensive acts include frustration or failure in school, the increased availability of drugs and alcohol, and the growing incidence of child abuse and child neglect. All these conditions tend to increase the probability of a child committing a criminal act, although a direct causal relationship has not yet been established.