Pigeons and pollution are both common blights in cities around the world, but a group of engineers in London are hoping the birds can help them tackle problems with air quality.
對世界上許多城市來說，鴿子和污染問題都是常見的危害，但倫敦的一群工程師卻希望能利用鴿子來幫助解決空氣污染問題。

A technology company has revealed it is strapping pollution-monitoring backpacks onto ten pigeons in London to monitor air pollution over the next three days.
一家科技公司透露稱，他們在十只鴿子背上綁上了污染監測器，在未來三天監測倫敦空氣污染情況。

On Monday, the flock, nicknamed the Pigeon Air Patrol, were set loose from a rooftop in Brick Lane by pigeon fancier, Brian Woodhouse.
當地時間周一，鴿友布萊恩·伍德豪斯從布里克巷的屋頂放飛了這群被稱為“空中巡邏鴿”的鴿子。

For three days, Londoners will be able to get live updates of the pollution where they are by tweeting their location to @PigeonAir.
此后三天，倫敦市民可以通過在推特上發布自己的位置并@PigeonAir來了解該地實時更新的污染情況。

Data from three of the pigeons, called Coco, Julius and Norbert, will then be used to instantly reply, telling them about the level of pollution in their area.
名為可可、朱利葉斯和諾伯特的三只鴿子收集的數據被用來即時回復市民消息，告知市民所在地的污染水平。

A live map is also being updated as the pigeons fly around, detailing the levels of pollution in different areas of the capital.
隨著鴿子飛行軌跡改變，生成的實時地圖亦不斷更新，詳細顯示了倫敦各地區的污染水平。

'Air pollution isn't sexy and people don't engage with it,' said Pierre Duquesnoy, creative director at DigitasLBi, who had the original idea.
“空氣污染并沒什么吸引力，人們也不去關注它，”樂必揚創意總監皮埃爾·迪凱努瓦說道。這個想法最初是他提出的。

'So the heart of our idea was to make air pollution more accessible and relevant to people.
“因此我們的核心想法是讓人們更容易得悉空氣污染情況，讓空氣污染與人們更加切身相關。”

'The Pigeon Air Patrol is a perfect example of how data combined with creative storytelling can raise awareness of a serious health and environmental issue.'
“把數據同新奇的宣傳結合在一起能夠增加人們對嚴重環境衛生問題的關注度。空中巡邏鴿就是一個很好的例子。”

To develop the idea Mr Duquesnoy worked with Plume Labs, a technology company that helps consumers track and reduce their exposure to air pollution.
為了發展這個構想，迪凱努瓦選擇與科技公司Plume Labs合作。Plume Labs幫助其客戶追蹤并減少暴露在空氣污染中的機會。

'Air pollution is a huge environmental health issue, killing 10,000 people every year in London alone,' said Romain Lacombe, chief executive office of Plume Labs.
“空氣污染是一項重大的環境衛生問題。僅在倫敦，每年因空氣污染而死亡的人數就超過1萬，”Plume Labs首席執行官羅曼·拉科比說。

'Putting air sensors on the back of pigeons goes beyond raising awareness of this problem and helps Londoners understand the impact of pollution in an accessible, tangible and immediate way.'
“在鴿子背上安設空氣監測器不僅會使人們更加關注這個問題，也能讓倫敦市民用可行的方式更真切、更直觀地意識到污染的影響。”

The pigeons used in the study are racing pigeons, who usually live four times longer than street pigeons because they're so well cared for.
研究所用鴿子均為賽鴿。由于受到良好養護，它們的壽命通常是街頭普通鴿子的四倍長。

The flock even has their own vet to double check they're always in peak health.
這批鴿子甚至有自己的獸醫以確保它們總是處于最佳健康狀況。

The high-tech backpacks they wear to monitor pollution are tiny and light as a feather.
鴿子背的高科技污染檢測器像羽毛一樣又小又輕。

The campaign only runs for three days, after which the birds will be able to return to their normal life.
這項活動僅持續三天，在那之后鴿子們將回歸正常生活。

The company hope the campaign will encourage Londoners to join the Air Patrol, by becoming beta testers for a wearable version of Plume Labs' air pollution measuring device.
Plume Labs公司希望此舉能鼓勵倫敦市民參加“空中巡邏”活動，成為該公司設計的可穿戴式空氣污染檢測器的測試員。

‘We’re looking for 100 people to beta test our new pollution sensor, in partnership with Imperial College London,’ the website says.
“我們與帝國理工學院合作，尋找100人來測試我們的新污染監測器，”該網站表示。

‘If you’re a cyclist, runner, or pram pusher, who’d like to know what you’re breathing and how to beat pollution, join our programme testing a wearable version of our air pollution device.’
“無論你是騎自行車、跑步還是推嬰兒車，只要愿意了解你所呼吸的空氣的質量以及如何戰勝污染，那就加入我們的項目，測試一下我們研發的可穿戴式空氣污染檢測器。”

Vocabulary

pram: 嬰兒車

英文來源：每日郵報
譯者：劉蒙霏
審校&編輯：丹妮