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Japan and geothermal energyIn hot waterA venerable leisure industry is blocking energy development日本與地熱能源陷入困境一個歷史悠久的休閑產業正在阻礙能源發展

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A centuries-old leisure industry is a powerful, but not inssurmountable, obstacleto progress擁有數百年歷史的休閑產業很強大、但并不意味著強大障礙不可逾越[Paragraph 1]WHITE STEAM rises from the waters of Okuhida Onsengo in snowy northern Japan. Each year thousands of bathers from across the country travel to soak in these hot springs.

白色蒸汽從日本北部白雪皚皚的奧飛達溫泉鄉的水域升起。每年都有成千上萬的人從全國各地來到這里泡溫泉。

Down the road, meanwhile, the spring’s underground reservoirs are being put to a new use: last December the Nakao Geothermal Power Plant began using steam from them to generate electricity.

與此同時，這條路上的溫泉地下水庫也有了新的用途：去年12月，中尾地熱發電廠開始使用水庫中的蒸汽發電。

With a maximum output of almost two megawatts (MW), the plant could supply electricity to 4,000 households.

該廠的最大輸出功率接近2兆瓦（MW），可為4000戶家庭供電。

[Paragraph 2]With over 100 active volcanoes, Japan is estimated to have a potential geothermal resource of 23 gigawatts, equivalent to the output of 23 nuclear reactors. 日本擁有100多座活火山，估計擁有 23 吉瓦的潛在地熱資源，相當于23個核反應堆的輸出功率。But the Nakao plant is a rarity—Japan has hardly developed its geothermal reserves. Geothermal energy accounts for just 0.3% of its electricity supply. 但是，中尾地熱發電廠屬于鳳毛麟角--日本幾乎沒有開發地熱儲量。地熱發電僅占其電力供應的0.3%。Japan holds the third-largest geothermal potential in the world, after America and Indonesia, but ranks tenth in terms of geothermal power generation. 日本的地熱潛力在全世界排名第3，僅次于美國和印度尼西亞，但在地熱發電方面卻排名第10。For a country heavily dependent on imported energy and struggling to honour its commitment to decarbonise its economy by 2050, this represents a huge missed opportunity. 日本嚴重依賴進口能源，并在努力履行2050年前實現經濟脫碳的承諾。對它來說，這是一個不容錯過的機會。[Paragraph 3]Japan’s sprawling onsen(hot spring) industry is the main obstacle to geothermal development. 日本龐大的溫泉產業是地熱開發的主要障礙。Though many geologists reckon there is little chance of geothermal plants negatively affecting bathing pools (which are generally filled by much shallower aquifers than the geothermal reservoirs energy companies look for), the onsen industry is unconvinced. 盡管許多地質學家認為，地熱廠對浴池產生負面影響的可能性很?。ㄟ@些浴池所在的含水層通常由比能源公司尋找的地熱儲層淺得多），但溫泉行業并不相信?！癟he government relies on hot springs for its tourism—what are they going to do if the hot springs disappear because they keep building geothermal power plants?” asks Sato Yoshiyasu of the Japan Onsen Association, a big industry group. 日本溫泉協會（一個大型行業組織）的佐藤.義亞蘇問道："政府依靠溫泉來發展旅游業--要是他們不停地建地熱發電廠，導致溫泉消失怎么辦呢？”Japan’s 3,000 hot-spring resorts routinely withhold the consent necessary for development to proceed. 日本有3000個溫泉度假勝地總是不同意地熱開發。And the fact that they are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, and attract around 130m visitors a year, has largely deterredthe government from pushing back. 而且溫泉深深植根于日本文化，每年約吸引1.3億游客，這一事實在很大程度上阻止了政府的打壓政策。[Paragraph 4]There are other obstacles to geothermal development. Some 80% of Japan’s reserves are in national parks. 地熱開發還有其他障礙。日本約80%的地熱儲備都在國家公園內。Much of Japan is mountainous. Its underground geology is relatively complex, with layers of hard rock that are difficult to drill through. 日本大部分地區是多山地形。地下地質較為復雜，巖層堅硬，鉆井難度大。Whereas countries such as Indonesia that produce a lot of geothermal power often have relatively large, well-connected power stations, Japan’s tend to be small and scattered. 印度尼西亞等大量地熱發電的國家通常有相對較大的、連接良好的發電站，而日本的發電站往往規模小且分散。Geothermal in Japan is “promising” but requires “diligent effort”, says Ehara Sachio of the Institute for Geothermal Information, a think-tank near Tokyo.東京附近的智庫“地熱信息研究所”的埃哈拉·薩基奧說，日本地熱發電產業 "前景光明"，但需要 "艱苦奮斗"。[Paragraph 5]With enough political will, none of these barriers is insurmountable, however, as Japan demonstrated in its response to the oil crisis of the 1970s. 然而，只要有足夠的政治意愿，這些障礙都是浮云，日本成功戰勝1970年代的石油危機就是很好的例證。Back then it launched an initiative, known as the “Sunshine Project”, to promote alternative energy sources, including solar, hydrogen and geothermal. 當時，它發起了一項被名為 "陽光工程 "的倡議，以推廣替代能源，包括太陽能、氫能和地熱能。The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), a government institution established in 1980, conducted a nationwide assessment of geothermal potential. 新能源和工業技術開發組織 (NEDO) 是一個成立于 1980 年的政府機構，它對全國范圍內的地熱潛力進行了評估。By the late 1990s, dozens of geothermal power stations were built across the country, adding over 500MW of generating capacity.到1990年代末，全國各地建立了數十座地熱發電站，新增發電量超過500兆瓦。[Paragraph 6]As oil prices stabilised and more nuclear power stations came online, Japan’s spurtof enthusiasm for geothermal petered out. 隨著石油價格穩定和更多核電站投入使用，日本對地熱發電的熱情逐漸減退。But the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2011, which turned public opinion against nuclear power, has brought another spurt. 但 2011 年福島核電站熔毀導致公眾輿論反對核能，這給地熱發電帶來了另一波熱度。Japan now hopes to triple geothermal output by 2030. Businesses and local governments are considering more than 50 possible sites to build new geothermal power plants.現在日本希望到2030年地熱產量能提高2倍。企業和地方政府正考慮在50多個可能地點新建地熱發電站。[Paragraph 7]To that end, the government is eyeing next-generation technology. 為了達到這個目標，政府正在關注下一代的技術。Japan and America recently signed an agreement to collaborate on geothermal projects, including on research for supercriticalgeothermal—which involves drilling deep wells to access ultra-hot fluids. 日本和美國最近簽署了一項地熱項目合作協議，包括超臨界地熱研究--這涉及鉆深井獲取超熱流體。Mr Ehara reckons such advanced technologies could ensure geothermal provides more than 10% of Japan’s energy. (America is aiming to get 8.5% of its electricity generation from geothermal by 2050.)埃哈拉先生認為，這種先進技術可以確保地熱發電占日本總發電10%以上。(美國的目標是到2050年地熱發電占比8.5%）。[Paragraph 8]In the short run, conventional geothermal plants remain a better way to reduce Japan’s carbon emissions. Developing them is becoming slightly easier. 從短期來看，傳統地熱發電仍然是日本減少碳排放的良方。開發地熱也逐漸變得容易起來。The timeline for environmental assessments was recently shortened from over a decade to eight years. The rules on developing national-park land were eased around a decade ago. 環境評估的時間期限最近由10多年縮短到8年。大約10年前，開發國家公園用地的規定也放寬了。Perhaps more promisingly, some geothermal-energy producers, such as Cenergy, which runs the plant at Nakao, are developing their own innovative ways to mollifythe objectors. 也許更有希望的是，一些地熱能源生產商，例如在中尾經營工廠的Cenergy公司，正在用自己的獨創方法來安撫反對者。[Paragraph 9]Hot water extracted at the plant is piped to the local onsen. The two parties enjoy a “win-win” situation, says Uchino Masamitsu, a local onsen owner. 從該廠提取的熱水被輸送到當地的溫泉。當地溫泉老板內野正光說，雙方享有 "雙贏 "的結果。This co-operation appears to be sparking interest in using the hot waters in other ways, too. Some local householders are using their heat to grow tropical fruits such as bananas and dragon fruit.這種合作似乎也激發了人們研究熱水另其他用途的興趣。?一些當地住戶正在利用熱量種植香蕉和火龍果等熱帶水果?！癎eothermal,” sighs Mr Uchino, “opens up so many dreams.”內野先生感嘆道："地熱開啟了許多夢想。”（恭喜讀完，本篇英語詞匯量773左右）原文出自：2023年6月3日《The Economist》Asia版塊精讀筆記來源于：自由英語之路

本文翻譯整理: Irene本文編輯校對: Irene僅供個人英語學習交流使用。

【補充資料】（來自于網絡）地熱能Geothermal Energy是指地球內部的熱量能夠被用于發電和供暖等方面。日本是全球最富有地熱資源的國家之一，擁有約10%的全球地熱發電容量。日本的地熱資源主要分布在火山地區，包括北海道、東北、東海、關東和九州等地。日本政府借助這種豐富的資源，積極推動了地熱能源的開發和利用，以減少對化石燃料的依賴，促進可持續發展。同時，地熱能源還被廣泛用于日本的溫泉設施（onsen），提供一種獨特的旅游體。日本的溫泉onsen分為多種不同類型，包括硫磺泉、鐵泉、碳酸氫鹽泉、氯化物泉等。每種溫泉都有其特定的功效和治療作用，例如硫磺泉可以治療皮膚病和神經痛，鐵泉可以幫助緩解貧血和疲勞等。溫泉被廣泛地應用于旅游、康養、醫療和美容等領域。日本的溫泉旅游非常受歡迎，每年吸引了大量的國內外游客。從溫泉酒店到溫泉旅館，從溫泉浴場到溫泉主題公園，日本的溫泉產業形態多樣，各種類型的溫泉設施也是應有盡有。日本溫泉產業是世界上最為發達的溫泉產業之一。超熱流體Ultra-hot fluids是指地球深部高溫高壓環境下的熱液體，溫度通常高達400°C以上，壓力也很高。這種流體常見于火山地區的深部，其中含有大量的礦物質和有機物質，具有很高的化學反應性和熱能量因此，超熱流體被認為是一種重要的地熱資源，可以用于發電、供熱和其他工業用途。此外，超熱流體還可以用于實驗室研究，研究熱化學反應和地球內部的物質循環過程，有助于深入了解地球的內部結構和動力學。【重點句子】（3個）Japan holds the third-largest geothermal potential in the world, after America and Indonesia, but ranks tenth in terms of geothermal power generation. 日本的地熱潛力在全世界排名第3，僅次于美國和印度尼西亞，但在地熱發電方面卻排名第10。Japan’s 3,000 hot-spring resorts routinely withhold the consent necessary for development to proceed. 日本有3000個溫泉度假勝地總是不同意地熱開發。With enough political will, none of these barriers is insurmountable, however, as Japan demonstrated in its response to the oil crisis of the 1970s. 然而，只要有足夠的政治意愿，這些障礙都是浮云，日本成功戰勝1970年代的石油危機就是很好的例證。

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