englishnewseasy.com
Are data centers really good for towns?
data center 真的利好地方吗？
Watch on YouTube 📺
Are data centers really good for towns?
data center 真的利好地方吗？
在美国各地，因担忧环境破坏，反对新建 data center 的声音日益高涨。虽然政客们将其誉为“经济奇迹”并表示欢迎，但批评者指出，这些设施不仅浪费电力，在创造长期就业方面的效果也微乎其微。事实上，孟菲斯的一个中心就曾因使用天然气导致当地空气污染指数激增 79%。归根结底，data center 究竟是社区的福音还是负担，取决于在批准前是否对事实进行了严谨的核实。
Throughout the US, many people are fighting to stop new data centers.
美国各地反对增设 data center 的呼声日益高涨。
Critics say these giant 'server farms' destroy the environment and waste electricity.
有批评指出，巨大的 'server farm' 正在破坏环境并浪费电力。
While these buildings bring tax money, politicians often mislead people by calling them economic miracles.
虽然有助于增加税收，但政客们常将其夸大为“经济奇迹”来 mislead 民众。
Let’s look at the facts behind the noise.
让我们来看看这些争议背后的真相。
These centers power everything from your phone apps to AI.
从手机应用到 AI，所有的服务都依赖这些中心运行。
One center in Memphis used gas and made local air pollution jump by 79 percent.
孟菲斯的一个中心因使用天然气，导致当地大气污染指数激增了 79%。
However, other centers use clean energy like wind or solar.
相比之下，也有一些中心使用风能或太阳能等清洁能源。
What about the water they use?
那么，它们的耗水量又如何呢？
Most modern centers use a 'closed-loop' system that uses water over and over.
如今的 data center 大多采用 'closed-loop' 系统来实现水资源循环利用。
Actually, US golf courses use 33 times more water than these centers.
事实上，全美高尔夫球场的耗水量是这些 data center 的 33 倍。
The real tension is about money and jobs.
真正的冲突核心在于金钱和就业问题。
Local leaders often claim these projects will save the town’s economy.
地方官员常声称，引进这些项目能提振当地经济。
But here’s the catch.
然而，这其中隐藏着一个 catch。
They create many building jobs at first, but very few permanent jobs later.
初期确实需要大量建筑工人，但完工后留下的永久岗位极少。
A data center is one of the least labor-heavy buildings you can find.
data center 其实是自动化程度最高、最非 labor-heavy 的建筑之一。
Politicians might use these projects to gain votes by promising new growth.
政客们可能会利用这类项目承诺增长，以此作为争取选票的手段。
But if the tax rules are weak, the town gets little in return.
但如果税收政策不够严谨，社区获得的实际收益将微乎其微。
In the end, a data center can be a win or a loss.
归根结底，data center 可能带来双赢，也可能导致亏损。
It depends on whether the town checks the facts before saying yes.
结果如何，取决于在批准前是否详尽核实了事实。
Quiz 🧠
Q1. After they are built, large computer data centers need very few daily workers.
查看答案
✅ True
数据中心的大部分工作都由计算机完成，因此日常运营所需的常驻人员非常少。
Computers do most of the work inside data centers, so they only need a small staff to run.
Q2. What does 'mislead' mean in 'politicians mislead voters'?
查看答案
✅ give wrong information
'Mislead' 的意思是让人误信不实信息，或通过提供错误信息来进行误导。
To mislead means to make someone believe something that is not true.
Q3. Why are some US residents worried when a new data center opens nearby?
查看答案
✅ High pollution and power use
庞大的数据中心会消耗巨额电量，并可能加剧当地的空气污染。
Giant data centers consume huge amounts of electricity and can increase local air pollution.
Dialogue 🎧
Michael: Emma, did you see this? Many people are fighting to stop new data centers across the US.
Michael: Michael，你看到这个了吗？美国各地有很多人正在抗议，阻止新建 data center 呢。
Emma: I did. Critics say these giant 'server farms' destroy the environment and waste electricity.
Emma: 看到了。批评者认为这些巨大的 'server farm' 破坏环境，而且极其耗电。
Michael: Wait, destroy it? I thought politicians called these buildings economic miracles for towns.
Michael: 等等，破坏环境？我以为政客们都把这种建筑看作社区的经济奇迹呢。
Emma: That is often misleading. Politicians use these projects just to gain more votes.
Emma: 那往往是用来 mislead 大众的说法。政客们有时只是利用这些项目来套取选票。
Michael: How can a building be a miracle and a disaster? This doesn't make sense.
Michael: 同一栋建筑怎么会既是奇迹又是灾难？我完全糊涂了。
Emma: It is serious. One center in Memphis used gas and made local air pollution jump.
Emma: 问题确实很严重。孟菲斯的一个中心因为使用天然气，导致当地空气污染指数飙升。
Michael: Did the pollution jump a lot? I want to know the facts.
Michael: 污染真的变得那么严重吗？我想知道具体事实。
Emma: It jumped by 79 percent. However, other centers use clean wind or solar energy.
Emma: 据说激增了 79% 呢。不过，也有一些中心使用的是风能或太阳能等清洁能源。
Michael: That 79 percent jump is terrifying. But what about the water they use?
Michael: 79% 确实惊人。那它们的耗水量大吗？
Emma: Most modern centers use a 'closed-loop' system. They use water over and over.
Emma: 现在新建的中心大多采用 'closed-loop' 系统。这是一种不断循环用水的方式。
Michael: So the idea that they waste all our water is just noise?
Michael: 这么说，关于浪费水的说法只是毫无根据的传闻吗？
Emma: Yes. US golf courses use 33 times more water than these data centers do.
Emma: 没错。事实上，美国高尔夫球场的耗水量是 data center 的 33 倍。
Michael: Thirty-three times more? That is a wild fact. I am totally confused now.
Michael: 33 倍？这太不可思议了，我现在彻底乱了。
Emma: The real tension is actually about money and jobs. It is very dramatic.
Emma: 真正的博弈其实在于金钱和就业，竞争非常激烈。
Michael: But don’t these huge projects save the town’s economy with new jobs?
Michael: 但这种大型项目落户后，不是会通过创造就业来带动当地经济吗？
Emma: There is a catch. They create many building jobs only at the very start.
Emma: 这里有个 catch。只有在建设初期才需要大量建筑工人。
Michael: So most of those workers leave after the building is finished?
Michael: 也就是说，建筑完查后，大部分工人就离开了？
Emma: Yes. They create very few permanent jobs for the local people later.
Emma: 对。后续几乎不会为当地居民提供多少长期的固定岗位。
Michael: Why are there so few permanent jobs? It is a giant building!
Michael: 既然建筑规模那么大，为什么固定岗位却这么少呢？
Emma: A data center is one of the least labor-heavy buildings you can find.
Emma: 因为 data center 是人手需求量最低、最不属于 labor-heavy 类型的建筑之一。
Michael: So the town might get very little in return for all that noise?
Michael: 这么说，比起闹出的动静，社区得到的实惠可能并不多？
Emma: If the tax rules are weak, the town definitely gets a bad deal.
Emma: 如果税收规则不严谨，对社区来说确实是一笔赔本买卖。
Michael: It sounds like these centers can be a win or a total loss.
Michael: 看来这些中心确实可能是利好，也可能是坑啊。
Emma: Exactly. A town must check the facts before they say yes to a miracle.
Emma: 没错。在对所谓的“奇迹”投赞成票之前，必须彻底查清事实。