近年来，对于核能发电的争议很大。一方面，它不排放二氧化碳，属于清洁能源；另一方面，它又有潜在的核泄漏风险，安全成本非常高。
Nuclear power is green at a price
by Damian Carrington
All sources of electricity face the same trilemma（三重困难） in the 21st century: carbon emissions, continuity of supply and cost. The UK government has placed a big bet on nuclear power, but reactors meet only two of the three challenges. Nuclear power is low carbon and a secure source of electricity – but it is hugely expensive.
source /sɔːs/ n. 来源、源头
face /feɪs/ v. 面临
carbon /ˈkɑːb(ə)n/ n. 碳
emission /ɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 排放
continuity /ˌkɒntɪˈnjuːəti/ n. 连续性（由continue加后缀-ity变成名词）
supply /səˈplaɪ/ n. 供应、供应量
place /pleɪs/ v. 放置
bet /bet/ n. 赌注
nuclear /ˈnjuːklɪə(r)/ adj. 原子核的、核能的
reactor /rɪˈæktə(r)/ n. 核反应堆
meet /miːt/ v. 满足、达到
secure /sɪˈkjʊə(r)/ adj. 安全的、让人安心的
hugely /ˈhjuːdʒli/ adv. 在很大程度上、非常地
In the era of climate change, generating power without belching out carbon emissions is vital. While building nuclear plants and fuelling them requires concrete, transport and so on, the overall emissions are similar to wind and solar power. All produce far less carbon than coal or gas-powered stations.
era /ˈɪərə/ n. 时代、年代
climate /ˈklaɪmət/ change 气候变化（指由于全球变暖而引起的一系列气候上的变化）
generate /ˈdʒenəreɪt/ v. 产生、发电
belch /beltʃ/ out 喷出、吐出
vital /ˈvaɪt(ə)l/ adj. 至关重要的
plant /plɑːnt/ n. 工厂
fuel /ˈfjuːəl/ v. 提供燃料（这里指核燃料）
concrete /ˈkɒŋkriːt/ n. 混凝土
transport /ˈtrænspɔːt/ n. 运输
overall /əʊvəˈrɔːl/ adj. 总体的
solar /ˈsəʊlə(r)/ adj. 太阳的、太阳能的
coal /kəʊl/ n. 煤炭
gas /ɡæs/ n. 天然气
power /paʊə(r)/ v. 提供能量
Nuclear power also largely passes the security of supply test. The giant plants provide steady electricity, 24 hours a day. But the plants are incredibly complex and technical problems can cause long shutdowns. They also need vast amounts of cooling water, which causes problems when drought strikes.
largely /ˈlɑːdʒli/ adv. 在很大程度上、基本上
security /sɪˈkjʊərəti/ n. 安全、安全性（security of supply指供应能够得到保障）
giant /ˈdʒaɪ(ə)nt/ adj. 巨大的
steady /ˈstedi/ adj. 平稳的
incredibly /ɪnˈkredəbli/ adv. 难以置信地
complex /ˈkɒmpleks/ adj. 复杂的
technical /ˈteknɪk(ə)l/ adj. 技术的
cause /kɔːz/ v. 造成
shutdown /ˈʃʌtdaʊn/ n. 关闭（由shut和down组成）
vast /vɑːst/ adj. 巨大的
cool /kuːl/ v. 冷却
drought /draʊt/ n. 干旱
Nuclear's reputation for stability is being challenged by the crashing cost of energy storage, through new technologies such as banks of batteries and compressed air. These can keep electricity from solar and wind power for times when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. More interconnectors（互连器） between nations would also allow greater security – the wind is usually blowing somewhere.
reputation /ˌrepjuˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 形象、名声
stability /stəˈbɪləti/ n. 稳定性
crash /kræʃ/ v. 暴跌
storage /ˈstɔːrɪdʒ/ n. 存储
bank /bæŋk/ n. 一排
compress /kəmˈpres/ v. 压缩
nation /ˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 国家
Nuclear power's big problem is its price tag. Building extraordinarily complicated plants and keeping them safe is extremely expensive. Solar and onshore wind power prices have plummeted in recent years and are now about one-third that of nuclear.
tag /tæɡ/ n. 标签、吊牌
extraordinarily /ɪkˈstrɔːdɪn(ə)r(ə)li/ adv. 不寻常地、非常地（由extraordinary加后缀-ly变成副词）
complicated /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/ adj. 错综复杂的
onshore /ɒnˈʃɔː(r)/ adj. 陆上的
plummet /ˈplʌmɪt/ v. 暴跌
What's more, renewable energy's costs continue to fall, while those for nuclear only seem to go up. How to deal with nuclear waste in the long term is another expensive, and as yet unresolved, headache.
renewable /rɪˈnjuːəb(ə)l/ adj. 可再生的（由renew加后缀-able变成形容词）
deal with 处理
in the long term 从长期看
as yet 到目前为止仍然
unresolved /ˌʌnrɪˈzɒlvd/ adj. 未解决的（由resolve的过去分词加上表示否定的前缀un-）
The UK government faces a difficult decision. It could persist with its nuclear dream, hoping that a way to finance new plants can be found and that they are then built on time and on budget.
persist /pəˈsɪst/ v. 顽固坚持
finance /ˈfaɪnæns/ v. 提供资金
on time 准时
budget /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ n. 预算（on budget指不超出预算）
Or it can pivot towards renewable energy, storage and interconnectors, potentially with gas plants that capture and bury their carbon emissions as backup.★ That would mean overturning its antipathy to onshore wind and solar power and ramping up offshore wind even further.
pivot /ˈpɪvət/ v. 转动、转向
potentially /pəˈtenʃ(ə)li/ adv. 潜在地、可能地（由potential加后缀-ly变成副词）
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ v. 捕获
bury /ˈberi/ v. 埋、掩埋
backup /ˈbækʌp/ n. 后援、后备
★ 这句话在as之前断句，句中that capture and bury their carbon emissions是定语从句，修饰之前的gas plants；而with ... as backup意思是“以…为后备”
overturn /əʊvəˈtɜːn/ v. 推翻
antipathy /ænˈtɪpəθi/ n. 厌恶、反感
ramp /ræmp/ up 增加
offshore /ɒfˈʃɔː(r)/ adj. 离岸的、近海的
Around the world just two nations are currently putting new nuclear plants into service: China and Russia. Overall, nuclear construction is at its lowest for a decade and global nuclear generation has been flat since 2000. Even France, that most nuclear of countries, is planning big cuts in nuclear power. If the UK persists with nuclear, it will be swimming against the international tide.
currently /ˈkʌr(ə)ntli/ adv. 现在、目前（由current加后缀-ly变成副词）
put something into service 把某物投入使用
overall /əʊvəˈrɔːl/ adv. 总体而言
construction /kənˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n/ n. 修建、建造
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
global /ˈɡləʊb(ə)l/ adj. 全球的
generation /ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 发电（由generate加后缀-ion变成名词）
flat /flæt/ adj. 不增不减的、保持不变的
cut /kʌt/ n. 削减
tide /taɪd/ n. 潮汐、潮流
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