The scent of a new car can be enticing in showrooms, and even intoxicating in its appeal. There’s a good reason for that. That new car smell comes from an assortment of chemicals, some of which can be highly toxic.
展廳中的新車(chē)會(huì)散發(fā)出迷人的氣味，甚至令人陶醉。這種“醉人”的味道不是白來(lái)的，而是來(lái)自多種化學(xué)產(chǎn)品的混合物，其中一些還具有很高的毒性。

The source of the bouquet so many buyers find appealing is in the various solvents, adhesives, plastics, rubbers and fabrics used in car construction. Many of these contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some of which can be deadly in sufficient quantities. Others are just bad for you.
這種讓眾多買(mǎi)家感到好聞的香味源于生產(chǎn)汽車(chē)所使用的各種溶劑、粘合劑、塑料、橡膠和纖維。其中許多成分還含有揮發(fā)性有機(jī)化合物，如果大劑量的接觸這種化合物將會(huì)致命，其他一些化合物只是對(duì)身體不好。

“It’s a chemical cocktail made up of lots of toxins,” said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director of the Ecology Center in the US state of Michigan. The Ecology Center has been monitoring and testing chemical levels in car interiors for years, and has noted some improvement. But Gearhart says there is still work to be done.
美國(guó)密歇根州生態(tài)中心研究室主任杰夫?吉爾哈特說(shuō)：“這是由許多毒物混合而成的化學(xué)雞尾酒”。生態(tài)中心近年來(lái)一直在監(jiān)測(cè)并檢驗(yàn)汽車(chē)內(nèi)部的化學(xué)物質(zhì)水平，而且已經(jīng)看到了一些進(jìn)展，但是吉爾哈特稱(chēng)，還有不少工作要做。

“There are over 200 chemical compounds found in vehicles,” he said. “Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face.”
他說(shuō)：“汽車(chē)內(nèi)部有兩百多種化學(xué)混合物。因?yàn)檫@些化學(xué)物質(zhì)不受監(jiān)管，所以消費(fèi)者無(wú)從知曉自己所面臨的危險(xiǎn)”。

Just reading a list of the substances is scary enough, and makes your car’s interior sound like a hazmat hall of fame. Benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and heavy metals are all part of the mix. And the danger of exposure is scarier still. Immediate symptoms can range from a sore throat to headaches, dizziness, allergic reactions and nausea, depending on the sensitivity of an individual.
僅僅是讀一下這些化學(xué)物質(zhì)的名單就已經(jīng)夠嚇人的了，你的汽車(chē)聽(tīng)起來(lái)就像是危險(xiǎn)物的名品堂。苯、甲苯、甲醛和重金屬都名列其中。而且，接觸這些化學(xué)物質(zhì)帶來(lái)的危險(xiǎn)更加可怕，可能會(huì)即刻產(chǎn)生咽喉腫痛、頭痛、眩暈、過(guò)敏反應(yīng)、惡心等癥狀，癥狀根據(jù)每個(gè)人的敏感程度而不盡相同。

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, continued exposure to some of these can lead to hormonal disruption, reproductive impacts and damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system — or even cancer. It’s that long-term exposure that experts find most worrisome.
據(jù)美國(guó)環(huán)保署稱(chēng)，持續(xù)與其中一些化學(xué)物質(zhì)接觸可能導(dǎo)致荷爾蒙紊亂、生殖功能下降，對(duì)肝、腎、中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)造成破壞——甚至?xí)l(fā)癌癥。專(zhuān)家們認(rèn)為最值得擔(dān)憂(yōu)的就是這種長(zhǎng)期接觸。

“People spend over an hour a day in their vehicles on average,” said Gearhart. “Whether it’s adults, children, or pets, we’re concerned about prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals inside the vehicle.”
吉爾哈特說(shuō)：“人們平均每天要在汽車(chē)內(nèi)待一個(gè)小時(shí)以上。我們十分關(guān)注長(zhǎng)期在汽車(chē)內(nèi)接觸有毒化學(xué)物質(zhì)帶來(lái)的危害，無(wú)論里面坐的是大人、小孩、還是寵物”。

The danger is greatest when the car is new, and that new car smell is most noticeable. This is when components are still unstable and prone to what is called off-gassing — the release of chemical vapours, which leads to the odour. Heat from a vehicle left in the sun can make matters worse, and speed up the chemical reaction. The danger is reduced over time, and experts say the worst is usually over within about six months.
新車(chē)的氣味最明顯，對(duì)健康的危害也最大。因?yàn)樾萝?chē)中的化學(xué)成分還不穩(wěn)定，容易進(jìn)行所謂的“逸散”——即化學(xué)氣體揮發(fā)，這樣就產(chǎn)生了氣味。太陽(yáng)下暴曬的汽車(chē)會(huì)使情況更糟，因?yàn)楦邷貢?huì)加速化學(xué)反應(yīng)。汽車(chē)使用時(shí)間越長(zhǎng)，危害越小，專(zhuān)家稱(chēng)最嚴(yán)重的時(shí)候就是購(gòu)車(chē)后的頭六個(gè)月。

Experts advise the best thing that buyers can do to limit exposure is to keep car interiors well ventilated, especially during the first six months of ownership. Park in the shade with the windows open when it’s safe to do so, or at least try to air it out before getting inside — especially on hot days.
專(zhuān)家建議購(gòu)買(mǎi)者最好保持車(chē)內(nèi)通風(fēng)良好以減少同化學(xué)物質(zhì)的接觸，尤其是在剛買(mǎi)車(chē)的頭六個(gè)月。把車(chē)停在陰涼處，如果開(kāi)窗安全的話(huà)，就把車(chē)窗打開(kāi)，或者至少在上車(chē)前先通風(fēng)換氣，特別是在天熱的時(shí)候。

Vocabulary

hazmat: 危險(xiǎn)物料
formaldehyde: 甲醛

英文來(lái)源：BBC
譯者：實(shí)習(xí)生孫美真
審校&編輯：丹妮