生活环保又省钱：绿色家居十四招

英语自学网

　　Go Natural in the Kitchen
        　　绿色厨房清洁剂
        　　Toss those chemical cleaners (responsibly—take them to your local
hazardous-waste drop-off centre) and make your own general-purpose cleaner. Mix
½ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda and 
2 litres water. Pour into a spray
bottle and tackle household grime.
        　　抛弃那些化学清洁剂(负责任的做法是带去当地的危险废物回收中心)，制作你自己的万用清洁剂吧。你只需要半杯白醋，四分之一杯小苏打，再兑上两升水，倒进喷雾瓶，就可以解决家庭污垢了。
        　　Try a Veggie Night
        　　今夜素食为环保
        　　Animal agriculture accounts for up to 18 per cent of global warming. Adding
a single meatless meal to your weekly planner will help you save money—and the
planet.
        　　全球变暖有18%是因为畜牧业。每星期一餐素食不仅能帮助你省钱，还能拯救这个星球。
        　　Grow it Yourself
        　　自己动手种蔬菜
        　　Grow your own sprouts in a Mason jar. Pop a few holes in the lid, rinse ¼
cup organic lentil sprouts and soak them overnight. Drain the water through the
holes and rinse twice a day. Leave the jar in 
a warm, sunny spot, and you’ll
have healthy salad fixings in a couple of days.
        　　玻璃瓶里可以种豆芽。在盖子上钻几个洞，冲洗四分之一杯有机扁豆芽，浸泡一夜，把水从孔里滤掉，一天冲洗两次。把玻璃瓶放在温暖的地方晒太阳，过几天你就能吃到健康的色拉了。
        　　Unplug
        　　拔下插头更节电
        　　Did you know your appliances consume electricity even when shut down? Five
to 10 per cent of the energy used in your home is siphoned for standby power.
Unplug TVs, chargers, computers, coffee makers and stereos, or use power bars
with built-in timers to turn off electronics you don’t mind being reset.
        　　你知道吗，电器即使在关闭状态也会耗电，你家里用掉的能源中有5%~10%是电器在待机状态下消耗掉的。拔下电视机、充电器、电脑、咖啡机和音响的插头，有些电子产品你不介意重新设置的话可以使用内置定时器的电源。
        　　Vent it Out
        　　清洁地毯学问大
        　　That “new carpet smell” is actually an airborne cocktail of nasty
chemicals. Talk to your installer about how to properly vent your home in the
first 72 hours after installation and give the carpet a good vacuuming. To be
seriously green, consider fire-resistant, biodegradable and non-toxic
natural-fibre carpets like wool, sisal, coir and seagrass.
        　　所谓“新地毯的气味”其实是空气里脏的化学物质混合在一起的味道。告诉工人在铺上新地毯的72小时内如何正确地通风并给地毯吸尘。最环保的是选择防火的，生物可降解的，无毒的，天然纤维的材质，如羊毛、剑麻、椰子纤维和海草地毯。
        　　Try Carpooling
        　　拼车是个好主意
        　　Your daily car commute contributes to climate change, so get the family
walking or biking at least once a week. If self-powered travel isn’t possible,
use public transit (it can save a Canadian family a monthly average of $586,
according to the David Suzuki Foundation) or consider ride sharing.
High-occupancy vehicle lanes help speed up your commute; check online to find
carpooling sites that offer rides to your local transit station.
        　　你上下班开车也会导致气候变化，所以和你的家人每周至少步行或骑自行车一次吧。如果不行，也可以使用公共交通(根据大卫铃木基金会的数据，一个加拿大家庭平均每月能够节省586美元)或是考虑拼车。车辆的乘载率提高了，你的通勤时间也可以缩短;你可以上网查找拼车网站，有人能搭你到当地的中转站。
        　　Create a Moss Wall
        　　青苔上墙好清新
        　　Create word art without having to inhale noxious paint fumes. Combine a
handful of moss, 2 cups yogourt, 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon sugar in a blender,
and mix until smooth. Dip a paintbrush in the mixture and paint words onto any
rough surface (a garage’s outdoor wall is ideal). Spray with water regularly,
and you’ll soon have inspirational moss graffiti.
        　　无须吸入有毒的油漆味就能创造艺术字。你只需要有一捧苔藓、两杯酸奶、两杯水和半茶匙糖，放进搅拌机搅拌至顺滑，用画笔蘸上混合物就可以在粗糙的表面写艺术字了(车库外墙就很理想)。定期喷水，很快你就会有创意满满的苔藓涂鸦。
            
            

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        　　Switch Up Your Lawn
        　　翻新草地更美妙
        　　Every year your old gas mower produces as many greenhouse gas emissions as
a car driven 3,300 kilometres. Unless you’re the proud owner of a family of
sheep, there’s no need for all that grass. For a complete revamp, consider lawn
alternatives like micro-clover, verbena, sweet woodruff, cotoneaster, thyme and
camomile; perennial ground covers take work to install but don’t require much
water, and you won’t have to spend weekends cutting the grass.
        　　你的割草机每年燃烧汽油排出的温室气体就和一辆跑了三千三百公里的车一样多。除非你养着一家子羊并引以为豪，不然你真用不着那么多草。如果你愿意实施一次彻底的改造，你可以考虑用微苜蓿，马鞭草，甜香车叶草，枸子，百里香，甘菊等植物来替代草地，种多年生地被植物要花些工夫，不过不用很多水，而且你双休日都不用再割草了。
        　　Use Natural Pesticides
        　　天然农药家中制
        　　To keep pesky pests at bay, use natural pesticides such as marigold
flowers, coffee grounds or an easy-to-make all-purpose spray consisting of 1½
tablespoons liquid soap, 1 litre water and 5 drops lemon essential oil.
        　　要防害虫其实很简单，可以用万寿菊、咖啡渣或是万用喷雾，制作起来非常方便，只需要一勺半的皂液，一升水，再滴五滴柠檬精油。
        　　Save Water in the Garden
        　　花园里的节水经
        　　Reduce water usage by installing downspout extensions from your
eavestroughs to direct rain to your flower beds.
        　　从檐沟安装落水管，把雨水接到花坛，这样就可以节水了。
        　　Make Your Own Makeup
        　　美妆无须商场买
        　　Ditch your mercury-, formaldehyde- and lead-laden cosmetics for homemade
mascara and eyeliner. Mix 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon shea butter, 1½
teaspoons beeswax, 4 teaspoons aloe vera gel and 2 capsules activated charcoal
(available at health-food stores). Use a brush to apply as eyeliner or a comb
for mascara.
        　　别再用含汞、甲醛和铅的化妆品了，你可以自制睫毛膏和眼线笔。你需要一茶匙椰子油、一茶匙牛油、一茶匙半蜂蜡、4茶匙芦荟凝胶和2粒活性炭(可在健康食品商店买到)，混合后即可涂眼线，刷睫毛。
        　　Make Your Own Toothpaste
        　　自制牙膏真有效
        　　Concerned about harmful substances in your toothpaste? Pop 2 tablespoons
dried lemon rind, ¼ cup baking soda and 2 teaspoons sea salt in your blender,
and mix until it forms a fine powder. Dip your wet toothbrush in and brush as
usual.
        　　担心牙膏含有有毒物质?在搅拌机内放入两汤匙的干柠檬皮、四分之一杯小苏打和两汤匙海盐，搅拌使之形成细腻的粉末。蘸湿你的牙刷，蘸上粉末，你就可以和平时一样刷牙了。
        　　Donate Unused Clothing
        　　新衣不穿宜捐赠
        　　Textiles and clothing account for four per cent of materials in Canadian
landfills. Repair old clothes, organize a clothing swap with friends or donate
to a local charity.
        　　加拿大的填埋场里有4%是纺织品和服装。旧衣可修补，和朋友换着穿或是捐给当地慈善机构。
        　　Make Your Own Air Freshener
        　　一室花香空气清
        　　Make a calming lavender air freshener to encourage relaxation and
restfulness. Mix 8 drops lavender oil, 4 drops clove oil, ½ cup vodka (a natural
deodorizer) and ½ cup water, and place in a spray bottle. The vodka will kill
germs, while the soothing lavender sends you to sleep soundly.
        　　制作一个薰衣草空气清新剂，可以放松心情，缓解疲劳。8滴薰衣草油搭配4滴丁香油，半杯伏特加(一种天然除臭剂)和半杯水，倒进喷雾瓶里。伏特加能杀灭病菌，而薰衣草能助您安睡。