炎炎夏日，漫漫高溫路，除了空調(diào)，你還有高招打贏這場持久戰(zhàn)嗎？不如笑傲夏日江湖吧！

I don't know where you live， but there's a heat wave going on where I live and it's not pretty. And there's basically no escaping the direct sunlight， the humidity， the sweating， the dehydration1）， and the sluggishness2）... So what do you do when you just can't beat the heat？ You find air conditioning， and you stay there. Of course then you have to wear a sweatshirt during a heat wave， which makes you look stupid ... Basically， when it comes to heat waves， you just can't win. The only way to make it through an extra hot summer is to have a sense of humor and be able to laugh it off. （A working air conditioner that doesn't turn you into Mr. Freeze helps too.） Now let's just sit back， relax， and learn some fun things about heat waves.

我不知道你住在哪兒，不過我住的地方正逢熱浪來襲，這可真是不好受。艷陽炙烤、悶熱潮濕、汗流浹背、口干舌燥、全身乏力……這一切根本讓人無法逃脫。那當(dāng)你就是無法戰(zhàn)勝高溫的時候你會做什么？你會找個有空調(diào)的地方待著。當(dāng)然那樣的話，你在大熱天里卻不得不穿著件長袖運(yùn)動衫，讓你看上去很傻……基本上，在酷暑面前，你就是贏不了。唯一能幫你度過一個炎炎夏季的方法就是有點(diǎn)兒幽默感并能夠一笑置之。（一臺能用的、不會把你凍成“冰人兒”的空調(diào)也管用。）現(xiàn)在讓我們舒舒服服坐好，放輕松，一起來看看關(guān)于高溫天氣的一些趣事吧。

What are other countries doing to deal with heat waves？

其他國家如何應(yīng)對高溫酷暑？

Heat waves aren't a new thing and many counties have been working hard to deal with heat wave problems. Below are measures some countries are taking this year.

1. Australia： serve zoo animals iced treats

In an effort to help their residents beat the heat， keepers at Melbourne Zoo have been handing out a variety of iced treats. But forget your typical ice lollies3） and ice cream， these chilly offerings were something a little different. For Honey the Syrian Bear there was a fish， fruit， and vegetable iced combo.

2. America： breed heat-beating chickens

In extreme heat， chickens will die， or like dogs， pant—that changes the chemical balance of their blood， introducing a bitterness to the flavor of the meat. To deal with these problems， American scientists are attempting to develop chickens that can cope with scorching heat. This University of Delaware project is part of a series of government-funded programs looking to adapt to or mitigate4） the effects of extreme weather patterns on the food supply.

US climate agencies predict that by 2060 there will be 12 times as many 100F days in Delaware and Maryland， where poultry farmers produce 600 million birds a year.

3. Brazil： take cooling breaks

FIFA have clarified their position regarding "cooling breaks" at the World Cup. Climate conditions will be evaluated and should the temperature exceed 32 degrees， the FIFA Venue Medical Office will recommend cooling breaks to the FIFA General Coordinator and Match Commissioner. The implementation of the cooling breaks will reside with the referee.endprint

Cooling breaks lasting three minutes in duration are then implemented by the referee at approximately 30 minutes into the run-of-play in both halves of the match （i.e. around the 30th minute and 75th minute respectively）. Three minutes will then be added to stoppage time5） at the end of each half.

4. Athens： turn the metro train into a beach

Anyone who decides to move around the city of Athens using the metro is left speechless by a new ingenious6） design which turns the train into a beach. Waves， sand， footprints， and many more beach related images have filled the trains making everyone think they could be sitting on a beach enjoying the sun.

5. France： set up a warning system

In France， radio and television commercials have been produced to instruct the public of what to do when temperatures jump， such as closing the curtains during the daytime and avoiding drinking alcohol. Douste-Blazy even invited weathermen from the country's most popular television channels to get involved in informing their viewers. Additionally， the government has installed a heat-wave hotline with information and advice， and a national warning system， with four levels of alert.

If you are an average person， you might find the following things fun to do when heat waves come.

1. Close the curtains or hang wet sheets

If you have curtains or blinds7） hanging in your windows， close them. This will keep the outside light from shining in and further heating your home. As an alternative8） to closing the curtains， dampen9） a set of sheets with water and hang them in front of an open window. As the outside air blows through， the wet sheets will create a cooling effect.

2. Build your own "air conditioner"

Need a cooling alternative when you don't have an electric air conditioner？ Place a large bowl of ice in front of a fan. Position the fan so it blows directly on the ice. As the ice melts， the surrounding air is cooled and the fan blows that air toward you.

3. Create a rice-sock ice pack

Steamy10） summer nights can make for awful sleeping conditions. Stay cool under your sheets with an easy-to-make rice-sock ice pack. Simply grab a sock， stuff it with rice and put it in the freezer for a few hours. When it is sufficiently cold， place it under the covers with you. Rice retains the cold for long periods of time， keeping you cool.

4. Drink plenty of water with a twist11）

Drink lots of water. This may seem like a no-brainer， but it may be the most important way to stay cool. To get the most out of your beverage， add a few sprigs12） of mint to your glass. Mint creates a cooling sensation， making the water taste even more refreshing.endprint

5. Make your own lunch outside using solar heat energy

Most people have heard the myth that if it's hot enough outside， it's possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk. On its own， the sidewalk won't get hot enough to actually cook an egg. But if you put the egg on something metal， such as a frying pan or the hood of a car， it will work.

Here's something else to try. Cover the outside of a shoebox with black construction paper and the inside with aluminum foil13）. Cut a hole in the top of the box to let sunlight in. Put a hot dog or two inside the box and set it outside in direct sunlight. The foil will become hot enough to reflect heat onto the hot dog and cook it.

Besides these above， try to find yourself more fun things to laugh the heat off with. Cause before we know it， it'll be 17 degrees again and we'll be sad that summer's over—that's how the vicious cycle works.

高溫酷暑并非什么新鮮事物，許多國家都在努力應(yīng)對它帶來的問題。以下是一些國家今年（編注：本文寫于2014年6月）采取的措施。

1. 澳大利亞：為動物園里的動物提供冰鎮(zhèn)大餐

墨爾本動物園的管理員們?yōu)榱藥椭鷪@中居民消暑，一直在向它們發(fā)放種類豐富的冰鎮(zhèn)大餐。不過，可別想著你平常吃的冰棍和冰淇淋，這些冰冰涼的大餐可跟你吃的不太一樣。比如敘利亞棕熊Honey得到的就是一塊用魚、水果和蔬菜凍成的大冰塊。

2. 美國：培育耐高溫雞種

在極端高溫下，雞會死亡，或會像狗那樣大口喘氣來散熱——這會使雞血液中的化學(xué)平衡發(fā)生改變，使雞肉變得發(fā)苦。為了解決上述問題，美國科學(xué)家們正在嘗試培育能夠耐受酷熱天氣的雞種。特拉華大學(xué)的這一研究課題是由政府出資的一系列研究計劃中的一項(xiàng)，這些研究旨在尋求適應(yīng)或緩解極端天氣模式對食品供應(yīng)的影響。

美國多家氣象部門預(yù)測，到2060年，特拉華和馬里蘭地區(qū)達(dá)到100華氏度（編注：約37.8攝氏度）的高溫天數(shù)將會是現(xiàn)在的12倍，而這兩地的家禽養(yǎng)殖者現(xiàn)在每年可供應(yīng)6億只家禽。

3. 巴西：實(shí)行“降溫歇”

國際足聯(lián)已經(jīng)澄明了他們對世界杯期間考慮實(shí)行“降溫歇”的態(tài)度（編注：在2014年5月他們曾聲明不打算實(shí)行“降溫歇”，結(jié)果招致很多人的指責(zé)）。國際足聯(lián)賽場醫(yī)療部門會對天氣情況進(jìn)行評估，一旦氣溫超過32度，他們就會向國際足聯(lián)的總協(xié)調(diào)員和賽事專員提出啟動“降溫歇”的建議，而這一建議的履行將由裁判決定。

于是，時長為三分鐘的“降溫歇”會在每個半場，當(dāng)比賽進(jìn)行到30分鐘左右（大致分別在全場比賽的第30和第75分鐘）時由裁判執(zhí)行。每個半場結(jié)束時，這三分鐘將被加入傷停補(bǔ)時的時間。

4. 雅典：地鐵車廂變身為海灘

任何一個決定在雅典搭乘地鐵出行的人都會被一個新的創(chuàng)意設(shè)計驚得說不出話來。該創(chuàng)意設(shè)計將地鐵車廂變成了海灘。海浪、沙灘、腳印以及更多與海灘相關(guān)的圖案遍布地鐵車廂內(nèi)，令每位乘客恍若置身于海灘之上，盡情享受陽光。

5. 法國：建立預(yù)警系統(tǒng)

法國制作了一系列廣播和電視廣告，告知公眾在氣溫猛升時應(yīng)該做什么，比如在白天拉上窗簾以及避免飲酒。杜斯特-布拉齊（編注：曾任法國衛(wèi)生部長）甚至請來法國最受歡迎的電視頻道的氣象主播向觀眾進(jìn)行宣講。此外，法國政府還開通了一個高溫?zé)峋€，為公眾提供信息和建議，并設(shè)立了分為四個警報級別的國家級預(yù)警系統(tǒng)。

如果你是個普通人，當(dāng)高溫來襲時，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)下面這幾招十分好玩。

1. 拉上窗簾或者掛濕床單

如果你的窗戶上掛著窗簾或者百葉窗，那就拉上它們。此舉可以防止外面的光線照入室內(nèi)進(jìn)而使房間升溫。如果不拉窗簾，還可以把床單弄濕，掛在開著的窗前。當(dāng)風(fēng)從室外吹進(jìn)來時，這些濕床單就可以起到降溫的作用。

2. 自制“空調(diào)”

沒有電力空調(diào)的時候需要一個可以降溫的代替品？那就在風(fēng)扇前放一大碗冰塊，把風(fēng)扇放在一個可以直接對著冰塊吹的位置。隨著冰塊融化，冰塊周圍空氣的溫度會降低，而風(fēng)扇則會把這股清涼的風(fēng)吹向你。

3. 自制“充米冰袋”

悶熱潮濕的夏夜會讓睡眠環(huán)境很糟，用一個易于制作的“充米冰袋”可以讓你的被窩保持涼爽。只要找只短襪，塞滿大米，再把它放到冰箱里凍上幾個小時就行。等它變得足夠冷，將它放進(jìn)你的被窩里。大米可以長時間保持低溫，讓你一直覺得涼快。

4. 多喝帶味道的水

多喝水。這可能看上去有點(diǎn)蠢，但它或許是保持涼爽最重要的辦法。為了讓這些水發(fā)揮更大的功效，不妨在杯中加幾枝薄荷。薄荷會產(chǎn)生一種清涼的口感，讓水喝起來更爽口。

5. 利用太陽熱能在室外準(zhǔn)備午餐

大多數(shù)人都聽到過這種傳言：當(dāng)室外足夠熱的時候，人行道上可能可以煎雞蛋。人行道本身獲得的熱量不足以真的煎熟雞蛋。但是，如果你把雞蛋放在一個金屬制品上，比如煎鍋或汽車的引擎蓋，就能把它煎熟。

你還可以試試下面這招。在鞋盒外面包上黑色的美術(shù)紙，在鞋盒內(nèi)則鋪上鋁箔。在鞋盒蓋上方開一個孔好讓陽光能照進(jìn)去。然后在盒里放上一兩根熱狗，拿到烈日下曝曬。鋁箔會變得足夠燙，并將熱量反射到熱狗上，把它烤熟。

除了以上這些，你還可以試著自己找更多樂子笑對高溫。因?yàn)楹芸鞖鉁赜謺祷氐?7度，那時我們又會為了夏天的逝去感到沮喪——這個討厭的怪圈就是這樣循環(huán)往復(fù)。endprint