Kenya’s camels recently started sporting some unusual apparel: eco-friendly refrigerators! Some of the African country’s camels are carrying the solar-powered mini fridges on their backs as part of a test project that uses camels as mobile health clinics. Organizers hope the eco-friendly transport system will provide a cheap, reliable way of getting much-needed medicines and vaccines to rural communities in Kenya and Ethiopia.
肯尼亞的駱駝們最近穿上了一身“奇裝異服”—環(huán)保冰箱！作為駱駝移動(dòng)診所計(jì)劃的一個(gè)部分，非洲一些國(guó)家開始給駱駝“穿上”靠太陽(yáng)能發(fā)電的迷你冰箱。該計(jì)劃的組織者希望這種環(huán)保運(yùn)輸?shù)姆绞侥軌騼r(jià)廉、可靠地為肯亞以及埃塞俄比亞的鄉(xiāng)村地區(qū)運(yùn)送當(dāng)?shù)丶毙璧乃幤泛鸵呙纭?/div>

For the past decade, Nomadic Communities Trust has been using camels as mobile health clinics in Kenya’s Laikipia and Samburu districts, isolated areas with few roadways. While the camel convoys provide a cost-effective method of traversing the harsh terrain, the group had no way of delivering medicines and vaccines that required refrigeration — until now. In 2005, Nomadic Communities Trust partnered with California’s Art Center College of Design’s Designmatters and Princeton’s Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM). Together, the groups created a lightweight and durable solar-powered refrigerator that can be strapped to camels’ backs in order to transport chilled medicines and vaccines.
在過(guò)去的十年里，除了一些交通不便的地區(qū)，游牧社區(qū)信托基金組織已經(jīng)在肯尼亞的萊基皮亞和桑布魯?shù)鹊厥褂民橊勛鳛橐苿?dòng)診所了。雖然這些駱駝護(hù)送隊(duì)，經(jīng)濟(jì)有效，能夠穿越路況惡劣的沙漠地區(qū)，但是直到現(xiàn)在他們還沒(méi)有辦法運(yùn)送需要冰箱冷藏的藥品和疫苗。2005年，游牧社區(qū)信托基金組織與加利福尼亞藝術(shù)中心設(shè)計(jì)學(xué)院和普林斯頓材料科學(xué)與技術(shù)研究所合作，共同設(shè)計(jì)出一種質(zhì)量輕、靠太陽(yáng)能發(fā)電的冰箱，這種冰箱可以綁在駱駝的背上，用來(lái)運(yùn)送那些需要冷藏的藥品和疫苗。

The mini fridge is housed in a bamboo saddle that is lightweight and durable enough for camels to easily carry it across miles of rough terrain. The device itself is covered with crystalline solar panels that provide power for the compartmented fridge’s generator. The solar panels themselves can also be used by the mobile clinics for lighting and refrigeration in the field.
迷你冰箱被裝在一個(gè)輕便堅(jiān)韌的竹制駱駝鞍里，駱駝們可以載著它輕松穿越環(huán)境惡劣的沙漠。冰箱上覆蓋有水晶太陽(yáng)能面板可以為冰箱的發(fā)電機(jī)提供能量，同時(shí)還可以為夜間照明提供電力來(lái)源。

Mariana Amatullo, Designmatters‘ executive director, said the project was designed with a budget of only a few thousand dollars. To save money, designers tested the device on the Bronx Zoo’s camels so people wouldn’t have to fly back and forth to Kenya.
加利福尼亞藝術(shù)中心設(shè)計(jì)學(xué)院的行政主任瑪麗安娜說(shuō)，這個(gè)計(jì)劃的預(yù)算只有幾千美元，所以為了省錢，設(shè)計(jì)者們起初用紐約布朗克斯動(dòng)物園里的駱駝檢驗(yàn)裝置，省去了往返肯尼亞所需的費(fèi)用。

The solar-powered fridges are currently being tested on camels in Kenya and Ethiopia, but Amatullo says the system could be used by any rural communities with access to camels. If the project secures enough funding, it will be implemented in earnest in 2010. Let’s hope the eco-friendly venture receives the money it needs — in the Laikipia and Samburu districts alone, 300,000 people do not have access to the mobile health clinics.
最近這種太陽(yáng)能冰箱正在肯尼亞和埃塞俄比亞的駱駝身上接受檢驗(yàn)，但是瑪麗安娜說(shuō)這個(gè)裝置可以在允許駱駝同行的任何鄉(xiāng)村社區(qū)使用。如果該計(jì)劃能募集到更多資金，就會(huì)在2010年全面實(shí)施并普及。目前僅在萊基皮亞和桑布魯?shù)貐^(qū)就有30萬(wàn)人無(wú)法享受到移動(dòng)診所的救助，所以讓我們共同祈禱這種環(huán)保冰箱能夠得到足夠的資金支持吧。