Bacteria1) Could Help Detect Mines2)
An aircraft flies over a no man's land sown with land mines，scanning it with an energy beam that pinpoints each mine and records its location．That done，the aircraft flies over again，this time detonating3) each mine with a hit from a directed energy beam．
That is the future of land－mine location and destruction as envisioned by two scientists，Hudgins and Krock，who work at the Arm strong Laboratories at Brooks Air Force Base near San Antonio．
They contend that land mines could be “sniffed out” by artificial means，in the same way bombs can be sniffed out by dogs．When a land mine is buried，Krock said，its chemical contents alter the soil very soon around it，resulting in a buildup of bacteria．He is to develop a sensor to substitute for the olfactory4) abilities of dogs．
A directed energy beam would scan the area from above．Inside the aircraft，a spectroscope5) would “read” the data and record where the bacteria around land mines is located．Then，combining laser technology and directed energy beam，the mines would be detonated from the sky，and no people or animals would be needed to perform the high risk jobs of finding and destroying them．
Using soil samples collected from around land mines found in Bosnia，Krock detected bacteria that he thinks would be a reliable identifier of land mines．Hudgins said the E－８Joint STARS aircraft was a good aircraft for detecting the land mines．The Joint STA RS is a flying radar station designed to locate and target enemy ground forces．An official of the aircraft company said he thought outfitting the aircraft to detect land mines was doable6)．But the company could do nothing without direction，and a contract from the Air Force．
Forming a partnership with a company，the two scientists are developing the technology，which，however，has not been ratified7) by the military authorities and other agencies8)．
细菌能帮助探测地雷
一架飞机在一块布满地雷的无人居住的陆地上空飞过，用能源束对每颗地雷进行扫描、定位并作下记录。上述工作完成后，飞机再次飞过来，这一次是用定向能源束的冲击力引爆每颗地雷。
这是美国圣安东尼奥市附近布鲁克斯空军基地阿姆斯特朗实验室的两位科学家，赫金斯和克罗克设想的地雷定位和起爆前景。
他们坚持认为，既然炸弹能够被狗嗅出来，那么地雷同样可以靠人工手段“嗅出”。克罗克说，地雷被埋进土中之后，它的化学物质很快会改变它周围的土壤，从而导致细菌的集结。克罗克将研制一种传感器用以代替狗的嗅觉功能。
定向能源束从上空扫描雷区，飞机里面的分光镜“读出”数据，并记录下地雷周围细菌的具体位置。然后结合使用激光技术和定向能源束，从天空就可以起爆地雷。这样，就不再需要人和动物去干寻找和起爆地雷的高危险性工作了。
抽取从波斯尼亚收集的地雷周围的土壤作样本，克罗克对细菌进行了探测，认为细菌是可靠的地雷识别者。赫金斯说，E－８联星飞机是探测地雷的理想飞机。该飞机是个旨在测定和瞄准敌人地面部队的飞行雷达站。该飞机制造公司的一位官员说，他认为装备这种飞机去探测地雷是可行的。但是，没有命令，没有空军签的合同，公司是不能干的。
两位科学家正在和一家公司合伙开发这项技术。不过，这项技术还需要军方和其他机构批准和认可。
NOTE 注释：
bacteria [bAk5tiEriE] n. 细菌
mine [main] n. 地雷, 水雷
detonate [5detEuneit] v. 引爆
olfactory [Cl5fAktEri] adj. 嗅觉的
spectroscope [5spektrEskEup] n. [物] 分光镜
doable [5du:Ebl] adj. 可做的, 可行的
ratify [5rAtifai] vt. 批准, 认可
agency [5eidVEnsi] n. 机构
