三位使得可充电锂电池成为可能的男性科学家获得了2019年诺贝尔化学奖。
One of the scientists is 97-year-old John Goodenough, who became the oldest winner of a Nobel prize. Goodenough is a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. He will share the award with Stanley Whittingham, a professor at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and Akira Yoshino of Japan. Yoshino is a professor with Meijo University and a fellow with the Asahi Kasei Corporation.
其中一位是97岁的科学家约翰·古迪纳夫，他成为了年龄最大的诺贝尔获奖者。古迪纳夫是德州大学奥斯汀分校的教授。他将与纽约州立大学汉姆顿分校的教授斯坦利·惠廷厄姆，以及日本的吉野彰共同获得这一奖项。吉野彰是名城大学教授，也是旭化成公司的职员。
Sara Snogerup Linse is a member of the Nobel committee for chemistry. She said the three men "developed lightweight batteries...useful in many applications – truly portable electronics: mobile phones, pacemakers, but also long-distance electric cars."
萨拉·斯诺格瑞普·林森是诺贝尔化学委员会成员。她说，这三人“开发了在很多场合都很有用的轻型电池，包括手机、心脏起搏器等便携式产品，也包括长途电动汽车。”
The invention of the lithium-ion battery has had a deep influence on modern life. It has made listening to music, watching television and communicating on electric devices something that can be done almost anywhere.
锂电池的发明对现代生活产生了深远影响。它使得人们在任何地方都能用电子设备听音乐、看电视以及交流。
Story of the lithium battery
锂电池的故事
Whittingham started his research into lithium batteries in the 1970s at a time when world oil prices were high and energy availability a big concern. He developed a battery that combined lithium and titanium disulfide. It could produce two volts of power, but it was too explosive to be useful. But the British-American researcher established that lithium ions could be held by a special material to create a lightweight battery.
惠特汉姆于上世纪70年代开始了他对锂电池的研究，当时全球石油价格居高不下，能源供应备受关注。他开发了一种结合锂和二硫化钛的电池。这种电池可以产生两伏特的电压，但是太容易爆炸无法使用。但是这位英裔美国研究人员证实，可以用一种特殊材料来保持锂离子，从而制造出轻巧的电池。
Goodenough found that combining lithium with cobalt oxide could produce a more powerful battery, one that produced four volts. His research was an important step in the development of more powerful and safer batteries.
古迪纳夫发现，将锂与氧化钴结合可以生产出功率更高的电池，这种电池可以产生4伏电压。他的研究是开发出更强大、更安全电池的重要一步。
Using Goodenough's design as a starting point, Yoshino developed the first commercially available lithium-ion battery in 1985. Yoshino's design used a carbon-based material to hold lithium ions. That made the battery lightweight and able to be recharged many times.
吉野彰以古迪纳夫的设计为出发点，于1985年开发出了第一款商用锂电池。吉野彰的设计使用了碳基材料来容纳锂离子。这使得电池重量更轻并且可以多次充电。
The Nobel committee said that lithium-ion batteries "have laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society, and are of the greatest benefit to humankind."
诺贝尔委员会表示，锂电池“为无线、无化石燃料社会奠定了基础，为人类做出了巨大贡献。”
Reaction to the announcement
奖项公布的反应
Yoshino spoke on Japanese television after hearing that he and the other winners were being recognized for helping the environment.
吉野彰在听说他和其他获奖者因为有益于环境获奖后在日本电视台上发表了讲话。
"I am happy that (the) lithium-ion battery won the prize in that context," he said.
他说：“我很高兴锂电池在这种背景下获得了大奖。”
Yoshino and Goodenough have developed a close relationship over the years. Yoshino said that Goodenough is like a father and he goes to Texas every year to see him.
吉野彰和古迪纳夫这些年来建立了亲密的关系。吉野彰表示，古迪纳夫就像是父亲一样，他每年都会去德克萨斯州看他。
Gregory Offer is an expert in mechanical engineering at Imperial College London. He called the German-born Goodenough's work "one of the key enabling technologies of the 21st century."
格力高利·欧福尔是伦敦帝国理工学院的机械工程专家。他称出生在德国的古迪纳夫的工作是“21世纪关键的使能技术之一。”
The three scientists will share the prize worth $918,000. They will receive their gold medals and be honored at the Nobel ceremony in Sweden on December 10.
这三位科学家将会共同获得91.8万美元的奖金。他们将于12月10日在瑞典举行的诺贝尔颁奖典礼上受到表彰并获得金质奖章。
I'm Mario Ritter Jr.
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