The term e-waste is short for “electronic waste.” It refers to electrical or electronic products that are thrown away when they are no longer needed. These include computers, televisions, ovens, and basically anything else that runs on batteries or has an electrical cord. E-waste has been a problem since the 1970s because of how difficult it is to separate things like metal and plastic from various products. Another problem is that many electronics contain toxic materials that can pollute the environment if left in landfills.
電子垃圾一詞是「電子廢棄物」的縮寫。它指的是不再被需要而遭扔棄的電器或電子裝置。這些包括電腦、電視、烤箱，以及基本上其他任何使用電池或有電線的東西。自 1970 年代以來，電子垃圾一直是個問題，因為很難將金屬和塑膠等物質從各種產品中分隔出來。另一個問題是許多電子產品含有有毒物質，如果留在垃圾掩埋場可能會汙染環境。
生活必備字詞：
be short for... 是……的簡稱
run on... 以……為動力
separate A from B 將 A 與 B 分開
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本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見四月號。
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