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The Minamata Convention on Mercury 汞水俣公約(上)
空中英語教室 20241108
Minamata 水俁
convention 公約，協定
mercury 水銀，汞
Mercury 水星
汞水俁公約 the Minamata Convention on Mercury，簡稱：《汞公約》，是一部全面對汞進行規制的國際公約。公約要求締約國自2020年起，禁止生產及進出口含汞產品。
2013年10月9日，在曾發生水俁病的日本熊本縣水俁市舉行會議開幕式，與會各國代表並於當天在該市進行公害視察，10月10日、11日兩天在熊本市的會議中正式通過公約。
汞水俁公約規定，2020年後禁止生產及進出口含汞量超過5毫克的普通照明用途的螢光燈。公約還將煤炭火力發電站的大氣排放列為規制對象。規定新設施自公約生效起5年內採用「最佳可行技術」（BAT）及「最佳環境實踐」（BEP）。現有設施需要在10年內採用最佳可行技術和最佳環境實踐、設定排放管理目標及排放限度值等。
汞水俁公約自2017年8月16日起對中華人民共和國生效，其中明確「自2026年1月1日起，禁止生產含汞體溫計和含汞血壓計。」2020年10月16日，中國國家藥監局在其網站發布《國家藥監局綜合司關於履行汞水俁公約有關事項的通知》，明確要求自2026年1月1日起，中國將全面禁止生產含汞體溫計和含汞血壓計產品。
修正英文文法，保留中文部分，同時將簡體中文修改為繁體中文
Certainly! Here’s the corrected version with the requested changes:
Hey friends,
Welcome back to Studio Classroom. Im John.
Im Ann Marie.
And today is a great day to learn something new. It is!
So let’s do that together. Ann Marie,
Ive been reading. You know,
there are different types of pollution, right?
Oh yeah.
Theres air pollution and ocean pollution.
We’ve been talking about microplastics a lot these last few years too. Yeah.
Did you know there is a new pollution to worry about? What’s that?
Well, it’s mercury pollution. It’s been around for a while,
but mercury is a special kind of metal we’ll learn more about,
and it’s really potentially dangerous, isn’t it? Mercury is super toxic!
This sounds like a really big problem.
That’s right. We’ll learn more about this pollution.
But Ann Marie, is pollution something you worry about?
It is. Pollution is something that I worry about on a pretty consistent basis,
because I wonder what kind of world is going to be left for my kids.
And that is part of what the Minamata Convention on Mercury is all about.
Friends, we’re going to learn exactly what that is. Let’s get into it right now!
The Minamata Convention on Mercury
Cleaning up mercury pollution requires a global effort.
Mercury, an elemental metal that exists in liquid form at room temperature, occurs naturally in the environment.
Metallic mercury occurs primarily in the earth’s crust but can be released into the atmosphere by human activities such as burning trash or coal and gold mining.
Organic mercury is mainly produced when tiny organisms consume inorganic mercury and convert it into an organic compound, such as methyl mercury, a toxic chemical that is commonly found in mercury-polluted water.
Hello everyone,
Welcome to Language Lab.
I’m Jack.
首先我們來看「organism」這個名詞。
它的意思是生物體或是有機體。
譬如：
The snail, a slow-moving organism, moved through the garden in search of food.
蜗牛是一種行动緩慢的生物，它在花園中尋找食物。
或是：
Every organism, from the huge elephant to the tiny ant, plays a unique role in the balance of nature.
從大象到螞蟻，每一種生物在大自然的平衡中都發揮著獨特的作用。
或者是：
Many scientists are searching for signs of life on distant planets, hoping to find even a single-celled organism.
許多科學家正在遙遠的行星上尋找生命跡象，希望找到哪怕是單細胞生物。
Okay, what’s the solution for pollution? Well, cleaning up, right?
So, we read that right at the beginning here:
Cleaning up mercury pollution requires a global effort.
That’s right. If you clean something up,
it means that you are making it better than it was before, making it cleaner.
For example, you could spend your Saturday afternoon cleaning up your yard or cleaning up your room.
You’re taking it from a state of being dirty and unusable to a state of being clean.
That’s right. What are we cleaning up? Well, mercury! Mercury is an elemental metal that exists in liquid form at room temperature, occurring naturally in the environment.
Okay, so “elemental” means something that occurs in a natural state.
You could say oxygen is an element. It’s elemental.
But there’s also that word “exists” that you need to know.
In English, “exists” means to be or to occur or to be found.
That’s right.
We also see this phrase “room temperature” here, friends.
If something is at room temperature,
it means that it’s not too hot and not too cold.
It means that the temperature of that thing is the same as the air in the room it is in.
A lot of people here where we live like to drink room temperature water.
I prefer to drink ice water when I can.
I see. Yeah, ice water is a very American thing. I like ice water too,
but room temperature water is very common here in other places.
That’s true, yeah.
But mercury is a liquid at room temperature. It’s a metal,
which is a little strange that it’s a liquid.
And we read “metallic mercury.”
“Metallic” means resembling or looking like a metal.
Metallic mercury occurs primarily in the earth’s crust,
but can be released into the atmosphere by human activities such as burning trash or coal and gold mining.
By the way, the crust is the upper hard layer of the earth’s surface.
Things like bread or toast also have a crust, like a hard outer layer.
So, what are some of these human activities that can release mercury?
Well, burning trash, burning coal, and also gold mining.
So when these activities are done by humans, then mercury gets released.
Organic mercury is mainly produced when tiny organisms consume inorganic mercury
and convert it into inorganic compounds.
Let’s stop there for just a minute,
because we already learned about this word “organic,” right?
You know what that means, but we see here a little bit different form of this word—“inorganic.”
What this means is that it is something that is not consisting of or that comes from living matter.
So something that is organic comes from living matter,
but if it’s inorganic, it’s not consisting of living matter here.
This word is used to describe mercury.
That’s right, and there’s a compound,
which is a chemical structure that we read about in “organic compound” such as methyl mercury.
So that’s a very scientific term, methyl mercury,
and it is a toxic chemical that is commonly found in mercury-polluted water.
Toxic means it’s poisonous.
Don’t drink anything that is toxic!
This sounds like a really serious problem.
Let’s continue learning about it in our next reading.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury
Although the impact of mercury on the environment has been underestimated by some industries and individuals,
it is a top 10 chemical of major health concern according to the WHO.
Despite this, the severity of mercury’s toxicity remains to be fully understood.
Prolonged exposure to mercury poses significant risks to human health,
including brain damage and reproductive issues.
Mercury also significantly damages the life cycles of water-dwelling creatures.
隨時來看，
動詞 underestimate 意思是低估。
例如：
The hikers underestimated the difficulty of the trail and ended up exhausted before they reached their destination.
登山者們低估了山路的難度，結果在到達目的地之前就已經筋疲力盡了。
With the ship,
The teacher underestimated the student’s artistic talent,
so was pleasantly surprised by his creativity and skill in his final project.
這位老師低估了該學生的藝術天分，所以對他在期末報告中的創意和技巧感到驚喜。
或者是：
Never underestimate the power of a kind word or small act of generosity.
永遠不要低估一句好話或一個小小的慷慨舉動的力量。
再來看名詞 toxicity，意思是毒性。
toxicity
KK[tɑkˋsɪsətɪ] DJ[tɔkˋsisəti]
譬如：
The polluted lake suffered from high levels of toxicity,
making the water unsafe for swimming or drinking.
這個被污染的湖泊受到劇毒的影響，無法飲用或在裡面游泳。
或是：
The workplace was full of toxicity with gossip and bullying,
creating a stressful atmosphere.
這個工作場所充滿了有害的八卦和霸凌，營造了緊張的氛圍。
Toxicity 的形容詞是 toxic，意思是有毒的或使人不愉快的。
譬如：
Lydia decided to cut out toxic people from her life
and surround herself with positive and supportive individuals.
Lydia 決定跟使人不愉快的人斷絕，只跟有正面性和能彼此支持的人交往。
Okay, why is mercury so damaging to the environment?
Well, let’s read together and find out. Although the impact of mercury on the environment
has been underestimated by some industries and individuals,
it is a top 10 chemical of major health concern according to the WHO (World Health Organization).
An industry is a word you need to know. It means a branch of economic activity, often with factories.
So, we also see something else really interesting in this sentence—
this idea of a top 10 chemical of major health concern list.
Now, this is an official list put out by the World Health Organization,
and this is the idea that there are these ten chemicals in our environment
that are a major health concern.
They can really impact people’s quality of life.
They’re really toxic to people.
So, it means that this is something that really needs a lot of attention,
so that we can solve this problem. That’s right.
So, let’s read exactly why mercury is so dangerous to humans.
We read that prolonged exposure to mercury—
prolonged by the way means over some time, right?
Yeah, so for example,
if you have prolonged stress, it can lead to major health issues.
You don’t want to have stress in your life for a long period of time.
I see. So, prolonged or long-term exposure to mercury
can pose significant risks to human health,
and some of these risks or these dangers are what?
Well, this can include brain damage and reproductive issues, you see.
Reproductive there is one of your word bank words.
Reproductive is the process of producing offspring or having babies.
So, this is a huge major concern for humans.
We read here,
Mercury also significantly damages the life cycles of water-dwelling creatures.
Now, a life cycle is the series of stages through which something passes during its lifetime.
So your life cycle could be different depending on what kind of creature you are.
Yeah.
You could say the life cycle of a butterfly is egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, then butterfly.
And so that would be the life cycle. In the water, oftentimes, fish lay eggs and those eggs hatch.
But mercury can really damage the babies of all kinds of creatures, including humans.
And it’s a big issue.
We also have a lot more to talk about the dangers and the solutions for mercury.
This is an important issue, but for now, let’s go to our InfoCloud.
Hello everyone,
Welcome to InfoCloud.
Garrett,
Have I ever told you about the saying “canary in a coal mine”?
No, Rex. I know that canaries are a kind of bird, but what do they have to do with mines?
“Canary in a coal mine” is a phrase that comes from a practice used by coal miners.
They would bring canaries into the mines because canaries are very sensitive to toxic gases like carbon monoxide.
Which is dangerous even to the canaries, right?
Yes, especially to canaries.
If the canaries showed signs of distress or died,
it was a warning to the miners that the environment was dangerous.
Okay, so the canaries were like a sensor from the animal kingdom.
So, how do we use this phrase today?
Today, a “canary in a coal mine” refers to an early warning of danger.
It is used to describe someone or something that indicates a problem before it becomes serious.
Could you give us an example?
Sure. Imagine a company noticing that a small group of customers is unhappy with a new product feature.
These customers are like canaries in a coal mine, signaling that there might be a bigger issue that needs to be addressed before it affects more people.
So, it’s about recognizing early signs of trouble and taking action before things get worse.
Thankfully, we usually don’t need to hurt any canaries today.
a canary in a coal mine 預知危險或災難 很多時候，我們會看到一些警訊，讓我們隱約知道可能會有危險或是一些問題產生。我們可以說，這種警訊是 a canary in a coal mine。 字面上是「煤礦裡的金絲雀」，為什麼會有這麼有趣的用語呢？
原來在煤礦裡，有時候會有金絲雀飛進來，而金絲雀對於一氧化碳等等的毒氣非常敏感。
只要有一點點，它們就會開始叫，讓工人們可以避免危險或災難。
The low birth rate is a canary in a coal mine.
低出生率是一個不好的預兆。
這就是今天的 InfoCloud，我們下次雲端見。
The Minamata Convention on Mercury To protect human health and the environment, the international community has taken steps to limit the use and release of mercury.
Adopted in 2013, the Minamata Convention on Mercury came into effect on August 16th, 2017, signaling a global commitment to combat mercury pollution.
In addition, some countries have implemented their own laws and regulations, such as the United States’ Mercury and Air Toxic Standards and the European Union’s regulation EU 2017/852.
最後來看 implement 這個動詞，意思是實施。
譬如：
The school implemented a new discipline policy, hoping to create a more focused and productive learning environment.
該學校實施了一個新的紀律政策，希望能創造一個更專注、更有成效的學習環境。
或是：
After learning their production process was too slow, the factory manager implemented a plan to get the necessary machines to make it more efficient.
在得知生產流程過於緩慢後，工廠經理實施了一項計劃，購置必要的機器來提高生產效率。
Implement 如果當名詞則是指工具，譬如：
The new factory building lacked the necessary implements for production, which delayed the launch of the new products.
新的廠房缺乏生產所需的工具，導致新產品遲遲不能上市。
Okay, so time to talk about the solution for pollution.
The solution is to protect human health and the environment.
The international community— that means different countries, right?
Has taken steps to limit the use and release of mercury.
The release of something means letting it go—in this case, letting it out from factories, burning, and into the environment.
Yeah, we learned about that earlier,
how human activities on the earth’s crust can release mercury,
such as gold mining, burning trash, and other things like that.
So I have a feeling that what we’re going to read next is going to put some limits on what people can do
so that not as much mercury is released.
How does our lesson continue here, John?
Well, we get some history first:
Adopted in 2013, the Minamata Convention on Mercury came into effect on August 16th, 2017.
So it took some time for something to come into effect.
“Coming into effect” means to start or to begin, right?
That’s right.
The definition of this phrase is to officially begin or be valid from that time.
So essentially, coming into effect means the time that something is started.
It’s not necessarily when something was created, but it’s the time when something is put into effect.
The time it starts.
That’s right.
It can take countries a long time to cooperate,
and this coming into effect signals or shows something.
It was signaling a global commitment to combat mercury pollution.
There’s that word combat as a verb. If you get it as a noun, it’s combat.
But to combat mercury pollution means to fight against.
What does it mean to signal, though?
Well, if you signal something,
it means to indicate the existence or occurrence of something by actions or sounds.
So it’s just showing that something is starting.
I see. And we also read in addition,
Some countries have implemented their own laws and regulations,
such as the United States Mercury and Air Toxic Standards,
and the European Union also has one, don’t they?
That’s right, and this is called the regulation EU 2017/852.
So these are all different ways that countries are trying to combat this mercury pollution,
because it is an international problem.
That’s right.
We’ve got two terms there: laws and regulations.
Laws mean rules: do this, don’t do this,
and regulations help you understand the limits of something.
So they’re very closely linked. Regulations are usually laws,
but oftentimes laws mean just a little bit more broad.
Well, friends, there’s a lot more to learn about the Minamata Act.
We’ll get a little bit more into the history of this tomorrow,
but for now, it’s time for something special, isn’t it?
It’s time for today’s Fun Fact!
Hello, Fact Friends! I am Detective Ernest Finder,
and I have a fun fact for you today.
Did you know that mercury is often used in thermometers
because it is liquid at room temperature? Pretty cool!
So, if you have a fever,
maybe you have some mercury in a thermometer.
A thermometer attests how hot or cold something or someone is. Pretty useful.
And that is today’s Fun Fact!
Okay, well that was our fun fact.
But this has been a pretty serious lesson, hasn’t it?
Mercury poisoning is so dangerous,
but here’s what I want us all to do:
We’ve been practicing a lot of English. Can you sum up today’s lesson in one sentence?
Ann Marie, would you like to give it a try?
I would like to give it a try.
So, I’m going to make a sentence that really doesn’t give my opinions on it,
it just says what the lesson taught:
Mercury pollution is an international problem, and the Minamata Convention is seeking to solve this problem.
That’s a really good sentence. Well, friends, it’s time for you to work on your own sentences.
Can you sum up this article in one English sentence?
Remember, sometimes you read scientific articles that are kind of hard to understand,
but it’s always good to practice writing down, or even better, saying out loud some English that sums it up.
Well, friends, for now, I’m John.
I’m Ann Marie,
and we’ll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom.
Goodbye!
ChatGPT翻譯
嘿，朋友們，
歡迎回到《Studio Classroom》。我是 John。
我是 Ann Marie。
今天是學習新知識的好日子！是的！
那我們一起來學吧！Ann Marie，
我最近在閱讀一些資料。你知道，污染有很多種類對吧？
哦，對呀。
有空氣污染和海洋污染。這些年我們也討論了很多微塑料的問題。
對啊。
你知道現在還有一種新的污染需要我們擔心嗎？那是什麼呢？
那就是汞污染。雖然這種污染已經存在一段時間了，但汞是一種特殊的金屬，我們今天會更多了解它，並且它實際上是非常危險的，不是嗎？汞真的超毒的！
這聽起來像是一個非常嚴重的問題。
沒錯，我們將會進一步了解這個污染問題。
Ann Marie，你會擔心污染的問題嗎？
會的。污染是我一直以來比較擔心的問題，因為我會想像我的孩子未來會生活在什麼樣的世界裡。
而這正是《水俁公約》的目標之一。
朋友們，我們將學習這是什麼意思，現在就讓我們來了解吧！
《水俁公約》——汞污染
清理汞污染需要全球合作。
汞是一種在常溫下呈液態的元素金屬，它在自然界中會出現。
金屬汞主要存在於地殼中，但也可能因人類活動而被釋放到大氣中，例如焚燒垃圾、燃煤和金礦開採等活動。
有機汞主要是當微小的生物體消耗無機汞並將其轉化為有機化合物（如甲基汞）時產生的，這是一種常見於汞污染水域中的有毒化學物質。
生活實驗室
大家好，
歡迎來到《語言實驗室》。我是 Jack。
首先我們來看「organism」這個名詞。
它的意思是生物體或有機體。
例如：
The snail, a slow-moving organism, moved through the garden in search of food.
蜗牛是一種行動緩慢的生物，它在花園中尋找食物。
或者：
Every organism, from the huge elephant to the tiny ant, plays a unique role in the balance of nature.
從大象到螞蟻，每一種生物在大自然的平衡中都扮演著獨特的角色。
或者：
Many scientists are searching for signs of life on distant planets, hoping to find even a single-celled organism.
許多科學家正在遙遠的行星上尋找生命跡象，希望找到哪怕是一個單細胞生物。
解決污染的方法
那麼，污染的解決方法是什麼呢？其實就是要清理對吧？
我們在一開始就讀到過這句話：
清理汞污染需要全球合作。
沒錯。如果你清理某物，這意味著你在讓它變得比以前更好，更乾淨。
舉個例子，你可以花一個星期六的下午清理你的院子，或者清理你的房間。
你把它從髒亂和無用的狀態，清理成乾淨和可以使用的狀態。
對的。我們要清理的是什麼？汞！汞是一種在常溫下呈液態的元素金屬，並且是自然界中會出現的。
「元素」這個詞意味著某物是自然存在的。
例如，氧氣就是一種元素。它是元素性的。
還有一個詞「exists」，你也需要了解。
在英語中，「exists」的意思是存在、發生或能夠被發現。
沒錯。
我們還看到「room temperature」這個詞組，朋友們。
如果某物是「room temperature」，意思就是它既不太熱也不太冷。
它的溫度和它所在的房間的空氣溫度是一樣的。
這裡有些人喜歡喝常溫水。
我自己則偏好喝冰水。
我明白了。是的，冰水在美國是很常見的。我也喜歡冰水，但在其他地方，常溫水是非常普遍的。
沒錯。
但是汞在常溫下是液體。它是一種金屬，這有點奇怪，因為金屬通常是固體的。
接著我們讀到了「metallic mercury」，「metallic」意思是像金屬一樣的。
金屬汞主要存在於地殼中，但也可能因為人類的活動而被釋放到大氣中，像是焚燒垃圾、燃煤和金礦開採等。
順便說一下，地殼是地球表面最上層的硬質外殼。
像是麵包或吐司也有「crust」，就是硬的外層。
那麼，有哪些人類活動會釋放汞呢？
對，焚燒垃圾、燒煤，還有金礦開採。
這些活動會釋放汞。
有機汞主要是當微小的生物體消耗無機汞並將其轉化為有機化合物。
讓我們稍作停頓，因為我們已經學過「organic」這個詞了，對吧？
你知道它的意思，但這裡我們看到了稍微不同形式的「organic」——「inorganic」。
「Inorganic」意思是指不是來自於或不包含生命物質的東西。
所以，「有機」的東西來自於生命物質，而「無機」的則不來自於生命物質。
這個詞用來描述汞。
對，而且還有化合物，這是一種化學結構，我們在「有機化合物」中讀到了像甲基汞這樣的例子。
甲基汞是非常有毒的化學物質，常見於汞污染的水中。
有毒的意思是它是有毒的。
不要喝任何有毒的東西！
這聽起來真的是一個非常嚴重的問題。
讓我們繼續在下一段閱讀中了解更多。
《水俁公約》——汞的危害
儘管某些行業和個人低估了汞對環境的影響，
但根據世界衛生組織，汞已經是十大健康問題化學物質之一。
儘管如此，汞的毒性嚴重性仍然未被完全理解。
長期暴露於汞會對人類健康造成重大風險，包括腦損傷和生殖問題。
汞還會對水生生物的生命週期造成重大損害。
知識雲端
大家好，
歡迎來到《知識雲端》。我是 Garrett。
有沒有聽過「煤礦裡的金絲雀」這個說法？
沒有，Rex。我知道金絲雀是一種鳥，但它們和煤礦有什麼關係呢？
「煤礦裡的金絲雀」是一個來自煤礦工人使用的做法的短語。
他們會把金絲雀帶進煤礦，因為金絲雀對有毒氣體如一氧化碳非常敏感。
這樣的話，金絲雀會出現不安的跡象或死亡，這樣就能提醒礦工們這裡的環境非常危險。
所以金絲雀就像來自動物界的感測器。
那麼，今天我們怎麼使用這個短語呢？
今天，「煤礦裡的金絲雀」指的是一個早期的危險警告。
它被用來描述一個能夠在問題變得嚴重之前提前發出警告的人或物。
你能舉個例子嗎？
當然可以。假設某公司注意到一小群顧客對新產品的某個功能不滿，
這些顧客就像煤礦裡的金絲雀，暗示可能有更大的問題需要解決，
以免影響到更多的人。
這就是關於提前識別問題並在事情變得更糟之前採取行動的意思。
幸運的是，我們今天通常不需要傷害任何金絲雀。
《水俁公約》——全球合作
為了保護人類健康和環境，國際社會已經採取措施來限制汞的使用和排放。
《水俁公約》於2013年通過，並於2017年8月16日生效，這標誌著全球在應對汞污染方面的承諾。
此外，一些國家也已經實施了自己的法律和法規，例如美國的汞與空氣毒物標準和歐盟的2017/852號法規。
實施 (Implement)
最後，我們來看「implement」這個動詞，它的意思是實施或執行。
例如：
The school implemented a new discipline policy, hoping to create a more focused and productive learning environment.
這所學校實施了一項新的紀律政策，希望能創造一個更專注和更有成效的學習環境。
After learning their production process was too slow, the factory manager implemented a plan to get the necessary machines to make it more efficient.
在得知生產過程過於緩慢後，工廠經理實施了一項計劃，購置必要的機器來提高生產效率。
「Implement」也可以作為名詞，指的是工具或設備，
例如：
The new factory building lacked the necessary implements for production, which delayed the launch of the new products.
新的廠房缺乏生產所需的工具，導致新產品的上市被延遲。
解決汞污染的方案
那麼，關於污染的解決方案是什麼呢？
答案是保護人類健康和環境。
「國際社會」是指不同的國家對吧？
已經採取措施來限制汞的使用和排放。
「排放」指的是將某物釋放到環境中，像是從工廠、燃燒或其他活動中釋放到空氣、水源或土壤中。
是的，我們在之前學到過，人類活動會釋放汞，例如金礦開採、焚燒垃圾等。
所以接下來我們要讀到的部分，應該是講述對汞排放的限制措施。
歷史背景
我們首先來看看一些歷史背景：
《水俁公約》於2013年通過，並於2017年8月16日生效。
這樣看來，這個公約有一些時間才開始生效。
「Coming into effect」這個詞組，意思是正式開始或生效，對吧？
沒錯。這個短語的意思是從某個時間點開始正式生效。
所以，「coming into effect」表示某件事情的開始，不是說某事的創建，而是某事的實行開始的時候。
這是開始的時間。
的確，國際間的合作通常需要一些時間，這個生效標誌著全球對抗汞污染的承諾。
這裡有一個動詞「signal」，意思是顯示或表示某事。
如果你「signal」某事，那就是通過行動或聲音來指示某事的存在或發生。
因此，這裡的「signal」意味著顯示出某個訊號，說明汞污染問題需要全球合作解決。
接下來，我們看到一些國家已經實施了自己的法律和法規，
例如美國的汞與空氣毒物標準，還有歐盟的2017/852號法規。
這些都是國家用來對抗汞污染的措施，因為這是個國際問題。
沒錯。
我們剛剛提到兩個詞：laws（法律）和 regulations（法規）。
「Laws」是指具體的規則，告訴你做什麼或不做什麼，而「regulations」則是指幫助你理解限制或規範的具體條款。
法規通常是法律的一部分，規則範圍更小些，幫助更具體地界定事情該如何進行。
《水俁公約》——全球行動
有更多國家正在實施自己的法律和法規來限制汞的使用和排放，這顯示了國際社會對這個問題的重視。
《水俁公約》提醒我們，這是一個需要各國共同合作解決的問題。
根據這些措施，許多國家正在逐步採取行動來減少汞污染，並保護環境和人類的健康。
今天的有趣事實 (Fun Fact)
大家好，
我是偵探 Ernest Finder，今天我有一個有趣的事實要和大家分享。
你知道汞為什麼經常被用來製作溫度計嗎？
因為汞在常溫下是液體！
很酷吧！
所以，如果你發燒，也許你的溫度計裡就有汞。
溫度計可以測量物體或人體的溫度，這真是非常有用的。
這就是今天的有趣事實！
總結今天的課程
這節課講的是汞污染，這是一個非常嚴重的問題。汞污染不僅對環境造成威脅，還會危害到我們的健康。我們學到了，水俁公約是全球為了對抗汞污染而制定的協議，這是國際社會在這方面的共同努力。它提醒我們每個國家都需要採取行動來限制汞的排放，並保護我們的健康和環境。
Ann Marie，今天的課程要用一句話總結，你會怎麼說呢？
我來試試看。
今天的課程告訴我們，汞污染是一個國際性問題，而《水俁公約》則旨在解決這個問題。
這是一個很好的總結句子！朋友們，現在輪到你們了，試著用一句英文總結今天的文章吧。
記住，有時候你會讀到一些科學文章，它們可能有點難理解，但寫下來，甚至大聲說出來總結一下，對你學習英語非常有幫助。
朋友們，今天的課程就到這裡。
我是 John。
我是 Ann Marie，
我們下次再見！
The Minamata Convention on Mercury 汞水俣公約(下) 空中英語教室 20241109
修正英文文法，保留中文部分，同時將簡體中文修改為繁體中文
Here is the revised version with corrected English grammar and simplified Chinese characters converted to Traditional Chinese:
Hey friends,
Welcome back to Studio Classroom!
I’m John, and I’m Ann Marie.
Friends, today is a great day to learn something new,
so let’s do that together!
We learned yesterday about something pretty dangerous—mercury poisoning.
Mercury is a chemical; it’s a metal that’s often a liquid in thermometers, right?
Oh, that’s right!
And we learned about the Minamata Convention on Mercury in yesterday’s article.
We were talking about how this convention is seeking to help with mercury pollution.
Mercury pollution can happen for a lot of different reasons.
Some reasons include humans disturbing the crust of the earth’s surface
by burning trash or digging for gold.
That’s right!
And this mercury pollution can get into the oceans,
it can hurt the fish, and it can hurt people’s bodies.
Well friends, there’s a lot more to learn,
and most importantly, there is some hope if we all work together.
So today, let’s start our reading together.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury
The goal of the Minamata Convention is to reduce mercury emissions and protect human health and the environment by limiting the production and use of mercury and mercury-containing products.
Additionally, the convention promotes scientific and technological innovation to develop greener, less toxic alternatives.
The convention targets a diverse range of products, including batteries, switches and relays, cosmetics, fluorescent lamps, etc.
Hi everyone, welcome to Language Lab.
I’m Jack.
Let’s start with the noun innovation.
它的意思是創新。
For example, some innovations are met with immediate success while others require time for the public to understand and accept them.
有些創新立刻立竿見影，有些則需要時間讓大眾理解和接受。
Or the awards ceremony celebrated the best innovations in sustainable energy solutions.
這個頒獎典禮表揚了在永續能源的解決方案上的最佳創新。
The adjective form of innovation is innovative, which means "創新的".
For example, the innovative architect designed a building that harvested rainwater for its own use.
這位創新的建築師設計了一座能收集雨水供自己使用的建築。
Okay, back to the Minamata Convention.
What is the point of the Minamata Convention?
Well, we read here:
The goal of the Minamata Convention is to reduce mercury emissions and protect human health and the environment.
We’ll stop here for a moment because we have some key terms that we need to talk about.
First of all, what in the world is a convention?
A convention is just a large meeting or conference.
The idea is that a lot of different people are getting together and talking about a certain topic.
That’s right! If you ever see those three English letters C-O-N, it means “together” and vention means “to come.”
It comes from a word like venir, which means "to walk together" or "to move."
There’s that word emissions too that you need to know for these environmental articles.
That’s right! So when we talk about emissions, we’re talking about the production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation.
Emissions are not a good thing.
So be careful with your emissions.
And we learned that they also protect human health.
We learned a lot more about the dangers yesterday, didn’t we?
That’s right.
So what the Minamata Convention is trying to do is limit the production and use of mercury and mercury-containing products.
But how does our lesson continue here, John?
Well, we read:
Additionally, the convention promotes scientific and technological innovation, which is one of your Language Labs, to develop greener, less toxic alternatives.
If something’s greener, it just means it’s good for the environment, right?
That’s right! And I really like this word alternatives as well.
If something is an alternative to something else, it means it’s a different choice.
So for example, maybe you really like to drink Coke or Pepsi, or some type of sugary drink like that, and you’re trying to cut back on your sugar.
So you start drinking seltzer or water instead, as an alternative.
It’s another choice!
But we read on: the convention targets a diverse range of products, including batteries, switches and relays, cosmetics, fluorescent lamps, etc.
Okay, we’ve got a lot of fun terms there.
Switches and relays are often times words we use for computers or semiconductors.
We’ve also got this term cosmetic that you need to know.
That’s right! So if something is a cosmetic, it means it’s a substance used to clean, improve, or change the appearance of your face, skin, hair, nails, or teeth.
Usually, when we’re talking about cosmetics, we’re just talking about makeup.
That’s right! So you could say lipstick and other cosmetics can be really expensive.
You’ll see that in marketing a lot.
There’s also this term fluorescent.
Fluorescent is a big word. What does it mean?
Okay, this is a really scientific term.
It’s the ability of certain chemicals to give off visible light after absorbing radiation.
Whoa, absorbing radiation?
I know! Sometimes you can buy fluorescent stickers, right? Little stars you might put on your wall.
And then they absorb the light, and when you turn off your lights, they glow. Those are fluorescent.
There’s also fluorescent tape and other kinds of fluorescent things that glow.
Alright friends, so we have more to learn about what this convention is doing to help with the problem of mercury pollution.
Let’s continue on right now with our next reading.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury
The plan is to phase out the mercury in these products over the span of a few years, aiming for full compliance by the end of 2027.
The convention also seeks to restrict dentists’ use of mercury in bulk form and dental amalgam, a mercury-based chemical mixture used to fill tooth cavities.
This restriction particularly applies to the dental treatment of baby teeth for patients under 15 years old and to dental treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
接下來我們來看 compliance 這個名詞。
它的意思是遵守和服從。
例如 the students eventually achieved compliance with the school’s new policies, which promoted a more professional learning environment.
學生們最終遵守了學校的新政策，促使學校成為一個更專業的學習環境。
或是 the new fire safety regulations required compliance from all businesses.
新的消防安全法規要求所有企業都要遵守。
Compliance 的動詞是 comply。
例如 when the employees finally complied with the company’s new work policy, they found it helpful for their work-life balance.
當員工們最終遵守公司的新工作政策後，他們發現這對工作與生活的平衡很有幫助。
再來看名詞 cavity，意思是蛀牙洞。
例如 the dentist that discovered a small cavity hidden between Julia’s back teeth during a routine checkup.
在例行檢查中，牙醫發現 Julia 的後牙間有一個不容易看見的小洞。
或是 ignoring a toothache can lead to a cavity and expensive dental work.
忽視牙痛可能會導致蛀牙和昂貴的牙科治療費用。
Cavity 也是空腔的意思。
例如 when roasting a turkey, rub butter on the outside and fill the cavity of the bird with chopped apples and herbs.
烤火雞時，在外面塗上奶油，然後將切碎的蘋果和香料塞進火雞的肚子裡。
Okay, so what’s the plan? Well, we read:
The plan is to phase out the mercury in these products over the span of a few years, aiming for full compliance by the end of 2027.
Phase out is a really useful term, and it basically means to stop using or doing something in gradual stages.
Really? That fast?
No, it’s not.
Here’s an example:
Friends, although cassette tapes were popular in the 80s and 90s, they were eventually phased out.
We’re not using cassette tapes to listen to music that much anymore.
But John, I’m really concerned because according to this, there is mercury in some cosmetics.
Yeah, that stuff that’s put on people’s skin and face.
It’s a really serious concern.
Oh, yeah, mercury poisoning is real, so you need to be careful.
But that’s exactly why we have this plan.
One other thing that the convention is trying to do: we read the convention also seeks to or is trying to restrict dentists’ use of mercury in bulk form and this thing called dental amalgam.
It’s a mercury-based chemical mixture used to fill tooth cavities.
Okay, let’s talk about dentists. But first, this term in bulk form.
You’ll see that sometimes in shipping or ordering, right?
That’s true! So if something is done in bulk, it means you’re doing a lot at one time.
For example, my family eats a lot of fruits and vegetables, so I often buy them in bulk.
I don’t just buy enough for that day. I buy a lot at one time—it makes it cheaper and more convenient.
So that’s another way we might use that phrase in bulk.
Sometimes we go to Costco to buy things in bulk instead of individually.
Well, we read what amalgam is—that’s a very scientific term.
But we also read that this restriction particularly applies to the dental treatment of baby teeth.
Baby teeth are the teeth a child has in their mouth until their other teeth come in.
Even though you don’t have to be a baby to have baby teeth, that’s what we call them in English.
Your first set of teeth is called baby teeth.
Okay, a question. I hope it’s not too off-topic.
Sometimes when I was growing up, my baby teeth would fall out, and my parents would pay me money for those baby teeth.
Did the money come from your parents, or did it come from the tooth fairy?
Well, Ann Marie, the tooth fairy kids... the tooth fairy is not real. I’m so sorry.
But we still would hide the tooth under our pillow, and then when we were sleeping, our parents would switch it out for money.
It’s like a game that a lot of parents play in the United States—trading baby teeth for money from the tooth fairy. Yes, it’s a lot of fun!
But we see here that this amalgam is used for patients under 15 years and to dental treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
I see. And this is probably because mercury is even more dangerous for people in this category.
That’s right. And again, actually for kids, when your brain is developing, these toxic chemicals like mercury can really damage your development.
There’s a word here, treatment, that you have to know.
Treatment means the medical care that’s given to a patient.
What kind of treatment did you get for COVID, for example?
That’s right!
Alright, friends, well, we have more to learn in just a minute, but right now, it’s time for today’s Infocloud!
Hello, friends!
Welcome to Infocloud! Hey, Garrett.
I heard our friend Max just opened up a restaurant. How’s that going for him?
Not very well.
He had about 30 customers on the opening day.
It’s a drop in the bucket when you think about how big the restaurant is.
Wow! It’s not easy to run a business like that, is it?
That’s an interesting expression you used: a drop in the bucket.
You can fill a bucket with a lot of water, but a drop in the bucket simply means a very tiny amount or quantity of something.
If you think about how little a drop of water is compared to the size of a bucket, you’ll understand that this expression emphasizes how small something is.
A drop in the bucket is often used to express that something is so small in size that it does not really offer much help.
For example, it’s great that we raised ten thousand dollars to help underprivileged families, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to our target amount.
Well, friends, when it comes to learning English, ten minutes a day is not a drop in the bucket.
If you can build a habit of studying English for ten minutes a day, your English will improve consistently.
a drop in the bucket 微不足道 當我們要表達一樣東西的數量太少，你可以用今天分享的用語 a drop in the bucket 來形容。
Bucket 是水桶，a drop 指的是一滴水。
A drop in the bucket 就是水桶裡的一滴水。
因此，你可以用 a drop in the bucket 來形容一樣東西微不足道。
This money is a drop in the bucket compared to how much we need.
這筆錢比起我們需要的根本微不足道，沒什麼幫助。
這就是今天的 Infocloud，我們下次雲端見！
The Minamata Convention on Mercury In response to the Minamata Convention, Taiwan has created its own plan to restrict the production and import of mercury-containing products and reduce mercury emissions.
These efforts not only protect the local environment, but also contribute to the global effort to reduce reliance on this dangerous element.
Mercury pollution is a critical environmental issue that no one person or industry can solve alone.
But if we all work together, we can mitigate the impact of mercury and create a healthier, cleaner planet.
最後來看 reliance 這個名詞，意思是依賴。
例如：
With the development of self-driving cars, our reliance on traditional public transportation systems may decrease.
隨著自駕車的發展，我們對傳統公共交通系統的依賴可能會減少。
或是：
The writer aimed to create a more independent style of writing, lessening her reliance on the traditional techniques taught by her professors.
這位作家想要建立一個更獨立的寫作風格，減少對教授傳授的傳統技巧的依賴。
或是：
Steve encouraged his children to develop strong problem-solving skills, promoting self-reliance and the ability to meet challenges.
Steve 鼓勵他的孩子們發展強大的解決問題能力，提高自力更生和應對挑戰的能力。
Okay, so what is Taiwan doing? Well, in response to the Minamata Convention, Taiwan has created its own plan to restrict the production and import of mercury-containing products and reduce mercury emissions. That sounds like a big plan! Let’s break this down in English:
First of all, restrict.
Okay, if you restrict something, it means that you put a limit on it or you keep it under control.
So it sounds like the government here is just trying to keep what is coming into the country under control.
It’s trying to restrict what’s coming in.
Yes, we’ve also got those two words you’ll see there: production and import.
Production means making things to sell locally or overseas, and then import means bringing goods into a country.
You can also use that as a verb: import something, which means to ship it in from another country.
That’s right! Here’s an example:
That fruit isn’t grown in this climate, so that company imports it in so that people can buy it.
So they’re getting that fruit from somewhere else so that people here can enjoy it.
So we’re reducing mercury-containing products and reducing mercury emissions.
These efforts not only protect the local environment, but also contribute to the global effort to reduce reliance on this dangerous element.
And there’s one of the points here, friends. The problem is that some industries are still relying on mercury for their businesses and their imports.
So that is what we really need to change as a global society.
Yeah, and we know it can be hard to shift whole industries, but it’s really good that there’s a plan in place, and we can all work together to make it happen, God willing.
Finally, we read here: Mercury pollution is a critical environmental issue.
This doesn’t just hurt people; it hurts the beautiful planet that we’ve been given.
It’s an environmental issue that no one person or industry can solve alone.
I totally agree. Definitely.
And we see that word critical there, which shows how important and how dangerous this situation is.
When we see that word critical, it means we’re at a point of crisis.
It has the potential to become disastrous, to become dangerous.
We use it as an adjective here to talk about how serious this issue actually is.
Right, lots of things can be critical. For example, knowing where you are—your location—is critical when you’re hiking in the mountains.
You don’t want to get lost!
But it really is a critical issue because of the damage mercury can cause.
But if we all work together, we can mitigate the impact of mercury and create a healthier, cleaner planet.
Okay, there’s a big word in there, isn’t there? Mitigate.
So the word mitigate means to make something less severe.
If you’re going to mitigate something, it means you’re going to do something to make sure that the consequences aren’t so bad.
Okay, so I could say, I tried to mitigate paint damage to my car during the typhoon by parking it in an underground garage.
That’s exactly right!
Alright, friends, so this is a pretty heavy topic—a very scientific topic.
We hope you’ve learned some new terms and learned a new way to study your English.
Right now, it’s time for us to learn something fun in today’s Fun Fact.
Hello, Fact Friends!
I am Detective Ernest Finder, and I have a fun fact for you today.
Did you know that Minamata is a place in Japan, and a disease caused by mercury poisoning was discovered there?
Yes, it’s true!
And there’s a movie called Minamata with Johnny Depp, the pirate actor.
It’s about this disease.
That’s today’s fun fact!
Okay, I learned a lot of new things about mercury pollution today and the Minamata Convention.
But it’s time for our Talk About It question, and I’d love for you to answer.
You can just talk to your screen to practice speaking your English.
Ann Marie, according to the article, what kinds of everyday items contain mercury, and do any of these items surprise you?
I remember two specific items: batteries and cosmetics.
Cosmetics really surprised me.
In a way, it surprised me, and I guess in a way, it didn’t, because this has been a pretty common problem.
What kind of ingredients go into the things that we put on our face?
There have been numerous lawsuits about this.
A lot of people have sensitive skin, like I do, and it’s very obvious when you put something on your face, and your face doesn’t like it—you break out, and your face gets red.
So that is a big concern for me. It surprised me, I guess, and did concern me as well.
That’s right! Well, friends, it’s a good reminder: do your research and check out what kind of chemicals and products go into the things you use.
For now, that’s all for today. I’m John.
I’m Ann Marie.
And we’ll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom!
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朋友們，
歡迎回到 Studio Classroom！
我是 John，
我是 Ann Marie。
朋友們，今天是學習新知識的好日子，
讓我們一起來學習吧！
昨天我們學到了一些相當危險的東西——汞中毒。
汞是一種化學物質，它是一種金屬，通常在溫度計中以液體形式存在，對吧？
沒錯！
而且我們昨天的文章也介紹了《水俁公約》。
我們討論了這個公約如何幫助解決汞污染的問題。
汞污染可能由許多不同的原因造成，
其中一些原因包括人類通過焚燒垃圾或挖掘金礦來干擾地球表層的地殼。
沒錯！
這種汞污染可能會進入海洋，
傷害魚類，也會傷害人的身體。
那麼朋友們，還有很多東西可以學，
最重要的是，如果我們大家齊心協力，還是有希望的。
今天，讓我們一起開始閱讀吧。
水俁公約
水俁公約的目標是減少汞排放，並通過限制汞和含汞產品的生產和使用來保護人類健康和環境。
此外，該公約還推動科學和技術創新，開發更環保、毒性較低的替代品。
該公約針對多種產品，包括電池、開關和繼電器、化妝品、熒光燈等。
大家好，歡迎來到 Language Lab。
我是 Jack。
讓我們從名詞 "innovation" 開始學習。
它的意思是創新。
例如，有些創新立刻獲得成功，而有些則需要時間讓大眾理解和接受。
或是：頒獎典禮表彰了在永續能源解決方案方面的最佳創新。
"innovation" 的形容詞形式是 "innovative"，意思是 "創新的"。
例如：這位創新的建築師設計了一座能收集雨水供自己使用的建築。
好，回到水俁公約。
水俁公約的目的是什麼呢？
我們在這裡讀到：
水俁公約的目標是減少汞排放，並保護人類健康和環境。
我們停在這裡，因為有一些關鍵詞需要討論。
首先，什麼是 "convention"？
"Convention" 只是一個大型的會議或會議。
這個詞的意思是很多不同的人聚在一起討論某個話題。
沒錯！如果你看到這三個字母 C-O-N，意思是“一起”，而 “vention” 來自拉丁文“venire”，意思是“來”或“走”。
還有一個詞 "emissions"，你需要了解這個詞，特別是在環境文章中。
沒錯！所以當我們談到 "emissions" 時，指的是某物的產生和排放，特別是氣體或輻射。
排放並不是好事。
所以要小心你的排放。
我們還學到它們也在保護人類健康。
昨天我們了解了很多關於危險的事，對吧？
沒錯。
那麼，水俁公約所要做的就是限制汞及含汞產品的生產和使用。
那麼，John，我們的課程怎麼繼續呢？
我們讀到：
此外，公約推動科學和技術創新（這也是你們在 Language Lab 中學到的），以開發更環保、更少有毒的替代品。
如果某些東西是 "greener"，那就意味著它對環境有益，對吧？
沒錯！我也很喜歡這個詞 "alternatives"。
如果某樣東西是另一種選擇的話，就意味著它是不同的選擇。
舉個例子，也許你很喜歡喝可樂或百事可樂，或者一些含糖飲料，而你正在試圖減少糖分的攝取。
所以你改喝氣泡水或水，作為一種替代品。
這是另一種選擇！
接著我們繼續讀到：公約針對各種產品，包括電池、開關和繼電器、化妝品、熒光燈等。
好了，這裡有許多有趣的詞語。
"Switches" 和 "relays" 通常是我們在談論電腦或半導體時會用到的詞語。
我們還有這個詞 "cosmetic"，你需要知道它。
沒錯！所以如果某樣東西是 "cosmetic"，意思就是它是一種用來清潔、改善或改變臉部、皮膚、頭髮、指甲或牙齒外觀的物質。
通常我們提到 "cosmetics" 時，指的就是化妝品。
沒錯！所以你可以說，口紅和其他化妝品可能非常昂貴。
你經常在市場營銷中看到這個。
這裡還有一個詞 "fluorescent"。
"Fluorescent" 是一個大詞，這是什麼意思呢？
這是一個非常科學的術語。
它指的是某些化學物質在吸收輻射後能夠發出可見光的能力。
哇，吸收輻射？
對！有時候你可以買到熒光貼紙，對吧？像是你可能會貼在牆上的小星星。
它們吸收光線，當你關掉燈時，它們會發光。那些就是熒光的。
還有熒光膠帶和其他會發光的熒光物品。
好吧，朋友們，還有更多要學的，這些是公約如何幫助解決汞污染問題的部分。
現在讓我們繼續進行下一段閱讀。
水俁公約
計劃是在幾年內逐步淘汰這些產品中的汞，目標是在 2027 年底前達到完全遵守。
該公約還尋求限制牙醫在牙科治療中使用汞原料及牙科汞合金，這是一種用於填補蛀牙的含汞化學混合物。
這項限制特別適用於 15 歲以下患者的乳牙治療，及孕婦和哺乳期婦女的牙科治療。
接下來我們來看看 "compliance" 這個名詞，
它的意思是遵守與服從。
例如：學生最終遵守了學校的新政策，促使學校成為一個更專業的學習環境。
或是：新的消防安全法規要求所有企業都要遵守。
"Compliance" 的動詞是 "comply"。
例如：當員工最終遵守了公司的新工作政策後，他們發現這對工作與生活的平衡有幫助。
再來看看名詞 "cavity"，意思是蛀牙洞。
例如：牙醫在例行檢查中發現 Julia 的後牙間有一個小蛀洞。
或是：忽視牙痛可能會導致蛀牙和昂貴的牙科治療費用。
"cavity" 也可以指空腔。
例如：在烤火雞時，將奶油塗在火雞的外皮上，並將切碎的蘋果和香料塞進火雞肚子裡。
好，這個計劃是什麼呢？我們讀到：
計劃是要在幾年內逐步淘汰這些產品中的汞，目標是在 2027 年底達到完全遵守。
"Phase out" 是一個非常有用的詞語，基本上它的意思是逐步停止使用或做某件事。
真的嗎？那麼快？
不，並不是這麼快。
這裡有一個例子：
朋友們，雖然磁帶在 80 和 90 年代非常流行，但它們最終被逐步淘汰。
我們現在不再用磁帶來聽音樂了。
但 John，我真的很擔心，因為根據這篇文章，有些化妝品含有汞。
對啊，那些塗在皮膚和臉上的東西。
這是一個非常嚴重的問題。
對，汞中毒對人類健康有極大的危害。
有些人使用含汞的產品來美白皮膚，但這會導致汞中毒，這是一個重大的健康問題。
反思
朋友們，今天的課程讓我們學到很多關於汞污染、環境保護和水俁公約的知識。
希望大家能夠了解更多關於汞對我們健康的危害，並且可以從中學習如何保護我們的環境。
如果你還有問題或想要更多了解，請務必告訴我們。
我們下次課堂再見！
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