2023年01月30日 VOA慢速英语：纽约市使用技术来识别嘈杂的汽车

Officials in New York City are using technology to cut down on noise on city streets. Cameras equipped with radar sound collectors identify loud vehicles in an effort to catch drivers violating noise rules.
纽约市的官员正在使用技术来减少城市街道上的噪音。配备雷达声音收集器的摄像头可识别嘈杂的车辆，以捕捉违反噪音规则的司机。
 
New York officials say at least 71 people have received fines for operating cars or trucks that make too much noise. The city's Department of Environmental Protection now has plans to expand the use of technology to enforce noise rules.
纽约官员说，至少有 71 人因驾驶汽车或卡车噪音过大而被罚款。该市的环境保护部门现在计划扩大技术的使用，以执行噪音法规。
 
City Council member Erik Bottcher told The Associated Press (AP) vehicles with illegally changed parts can produce extremely loud sounds. He said they have been a growing problem in recent years. Bottcher supports the use of radar to reduce noise in the city.
市议会成员 Erik Bottcher 告诉美联社 (AP)，带有非法改装零件的车辆会产生非常大的声音。他说，近年来，它们一直是一个日益严重的问题。Bottcher 支持使用雷达来降低城市噪音。
 
New York City already has some of the strongest rules in the country aimed at limiting noise on city streets. It has set permissible noise levels for building tools and vehicles.
纽约市已经制定了一些全国最严格的规定，旨在限制城市街道上的噪音。它为建筑工具和车辆设定了允许的噪音水平。
 
The new devices record the vehicle numbers of offenders, who then receive a violation notice in the mail. Owners face fines of $800 for a first noise offense. Some could be required to pay up to $2,625 if they have three violations and ignore court hearings.
新设备记录违规者的车辆号码，然后违规者会收到邮件中的违规通知。首次噪音违规的业主将面临 800 美元的罚款。如果他们有三项违规行为并且无视法庭听证会，一些人可能需要支付高达 2,625 美元的罚款。
 
The AP says there is evidence to support the idea that noise affects not only hearing but also mood and mental health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even says there are possible links between noise and higher risks for heart disease and raised blood pressure.
美联社表示，有证据支持噪音不仅会影响听力还会影响情绪和心理健康的观点。美国疾病控制与预防中心 (CDC) 甚至表示，噪音与心脏病和血压升高的高风险之间可能存在联系。
 
"You listen to the noise out there, it is nonstop – the horns, the trucks, the sirens," New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently told reporters at a press conference. "Noise pollution makes it hard to sleep and increases the risk of chronic disease."
纽约市市长埃里克·亚当斯 (Eric Adams) 最近在新闻发布会上对记者说：“你听外面的噪音，它是不停的——喇叭、卡车、警报器。” “噪音污染让人难以入睡，增加患慢性病的风险。”
 
The word "chronic" describes something, like a disease, that lasts a long time.
“慢性”一词描述了持续很长时间的事物，例如疾病。
 
Nearly 10 years ago, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a campaign against noise. A 45-page document included a series of rules such as ringing ice cream trucks and dog barking.
将近 10 年前，前市长迈克尔布隆伯格发起了一场反对噪音的运动。一份 45 页的文件包括了一系列规则，例如冰淇淋车的铃声和狗叫声。
 
Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic reduced some noise in the city. But the number of noise complaints actually increased during the pandemic. Some experts say that was because people who were forced to stay home became more sensitive to noise.
与 COVID-19 大流行相关的限制减少了城市中的一些噪音。但在大流行期间，噪音投诉的数量实际上有所增加。一些专家说，这是因为被迫待在家里的人对噪音更加敏感。
 
Complaints over noisy neighbors nearly doubled in the first year of the pandemic. Other complaints about cars and motorcycles with loud engines also increased.
在大流行的第一年，对吵闹邻居的投诉几乎翻了一番。其他关于汽车和摩托车发动机噪音大的投诉也有所增加。
 
However, some people in the city say the government efforts to quiet loud vehicles have gone too far. One person opposed to the policy is Phillip Franklin, a 30-year-old car lover from the Bronx area of New York. He launched an online effort to protest noise rules.
然而，该市一些人表示，政府为消除噪音车辆所做的努力做得太过头了。一位反对这项政策的人是来自纽约布朗克斯区的 30 岁汽车爱好者菲利普·富兰克林 (Phillip Franklin)。他在网上发起了一项抗议噪音规定的活动。
 
"The majority of us live here in New York City, where noise is a part of our daily lives," said a document explaining his effort. Franklin noted that quiet vehicles can also present dangers to inattentive individuals walking around New York City.
“我们大多数人都住在纽约市，噪音是我们日常生活的一部分，”一份解释他的努力的文件说。富兰克林指出，安静的车辆也会给在纽约市四处走动的注意力不集中的人带来危险。
 
"Fixing potholes is a lot more important than going after noisy cars," Franklin told the AP. A pothole is a hole in the road caused by weather or other environmental conditions.
富兰克林告诉美联社：“修复坑洼比追逐嘈杂的汽车重要得多。” 坑洼是由于天气或其他环境条件造成的道路坑洞。
 
The CDC has said loud noise – especially once it hits 120 decibels – can cause immediate harm to one's ears. Even listening to continual noise above 70 decibels can damage hearing over time, experts say. A motorcycle produces about 95 decibels of noise.
疾病预防控制中心表示，巨大的噪音——尤其是达到 120 分贝时——会对人的耳朵造成直接伤害。专家说，即使持续聆听超过 70 分贝的噪音也会随着时间的推移损害听力。摩托车会产生大约 95 分贝的噪音。
 
Even with sound barriers, close-fitting windows and noise-reducing materials, there is only so much that can be done to reduce sound levels in the city. Many New Yorkers have simply learned to live with the noise.
即使有隔音屏障、贴身窗户和降噪材料，要降低城市的噪音水平也只能做这么多。许多纽约人只是学会了忍受噪音。
 
"I think people developed an appreciation for the fact that it's a messy, noisy city," said NYU researcher Bello. "We like it to be active, and we like it to be lively. And we like it to be full of jobs and activity, and not this sort of scary, quite unnerving place."
纽约大学研究员贝洛说： “我认为人们对它是一个混乱、嘈杂的城市这一事实产生了欣赏。” “我们喜欢它活跃，我们喜欢它充满活力。我们喜欢它充满工作和活动，而不是这种可怕、令人不安的地方。”