【双语新闻】英学生发明不变形挡风雨伞和智能花盆
On a rainy and blustery day it is not unusual to get soaking wet when wrestling with a troublesome brolly.Now one young British designer thinks he has come up with the solution to this problem.
The enterprising student from Brunel University has created the unbreakable 'Brolli', which he says will stay upright in the stormiest of weather.
The gadget opens inside-out and looks like an upside-down umbrella. It opens over the top of people's heads and the ribs flex with the wind, stopping it from being bent out of shape in a gale.
The design also means that the water is queezed out as it is drawn back into its carrying tube, so you won't be soaked carrying it.
Simon Warne, 27, said: 'I originally came up with the idea of Brollii when I was in Paris standing in front of the Musee d'Orsay in a long queue.
'It started to pour with rain and became very gutsy. I watched as people struggled to open their umbrellas while being squashed by the crowd and getting poked from flailing umbrella ribs.
'I thought to myself, surely with new technology and materials there must be a better solution!'
Another innovative design comes from Natalie King, who has developed a plant pot that tells gardeners if there is something wrong with their flowers.
The electronic base of the pot is illuminated with a green light if all is well and turns red if it is too dry, hot or cold or if it’s too light or dark.
The 'Tulipe' also vibrates when picked up if it has a red light on.
The 22-year-old designer said she was inspired by her grandfather who has an age-related sight condition.
'It was designed for people like him,' she said.
'It encourages the gardener to interact with their plant. When the base turns red, one doesn't know if the plant is thirsty, or too cold and you have to try out the options until it turns green.
Both the Brolli and the Tulipe will be on display with some other 250 designs at the annual Made in Brunel showcase run by graduating Brunel University design and engineering students.
遇上刮风下雨的天气，如果还要和不好用的雨伞较劲，那把你弄个浑身湿透也很正常。
如今，英国一名年轻设计师认为他找到了解决这个问题的办法。
这名来自布鲁内尔大学的富有创造精神的学生发明了一种“坚不可摧”的雨伞。据他介绍，这种伞能经得住任何风雨天气的考验。
这种伞由里向外打开后，看上去就像一把被倒置的普通雨伞。雨伞在人的头顶上撑开，伞骨柔韧性好，在大风天气不会被吹变形。
而且这款雨伞在收起来时，伞筒能将伞面上的水挤出去，人在拿着它的时候不会被弄湿。
这款雨伞的设计者、27岁的西蒙•沃恩说：“我的这一想法源于我在巴黎的奥赛博物馆前排长队的经历。”
“当时天下起了雨，而且越下越大，人们费劲地在人群中撑开雨伞，还不时地被别人支楞着的伞骨戳到。”
“当时我就想，用新的技术和某些材料一定能解决这个问题。”
另一个创意设计来自娜塔丽•金，她发明了一种能让主人知道盆栽植物生活环境是否正常的花盆。
这款花盆带有一个电子基座，当植物生活环境一切正常时，这个基座会亮绿灯，当植物缺水、温度过高或过低或阳光太强或太弱时，指示灯就会显示红色。
当红灯亮时，人们拿起Tulipe花盆，它还会发出震动。
这位22岁的设计师说，她之所以产生这一想法，主要是受到她因年迈而视力下降的祖父的启发。
她说：“这种花盆就是为了像他一样的人设计的。”
“这种花盆可以让主人与他们种植的植物进行互动。当底座亮红灯时，你可能还不能判断植物究竟是缺水、还是温度太低，所以就得一个个地去试，直到它变绿。”
西蒙的雨伞和娜塔莉的Tulipe花盆将与其他250个设计作品在布鲁内尔大学设计和工程系毕业生举办的一年一度的“布鲁内尔新发明”展览上展出。
[b]Vocabulary:[/b]
blustery: 大风的
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