Mystery Blobs Washing Up on Sydney's Beaches
WhenstickydarkblobsfirststartedwashinguponsomeofSydney'sbeacheslastmonth, expertswerepuzzled.
上個月，當雪梨的一些海灘上首次出現黏稠的黑色斑點時，專家們感到困惑。
Initiallyitwasthoughtthattheballsweremadeoftarwhichcouldhavecomefromanoilspill.
最初人們認為這些球是由焦油製成的，可能來自石油洩漏。
ResearchersinAustraliadecidedtocarryoutteststofindoutexactlywhatthemysteryspherescontained.
澳洲的研究人員決定進行測試，以找出神秘球體到底包含什麼。
They'venowdiscoveredthattheblobsaremadeupofamixtureofchemicals, cookingoil..andhumanpoo.
他們現在發現這些斑點是由化學物質、食用油…和人類糞便的混合物組成的。
TheblackobjectswerefirstspottedbylifeguardsatSydney'sCoogeeBeachthreeweeksago.
三週前，救生員在雪梨庫吉海灘首次發現了這些黑色物體。
Eachblobwasdarkinappearanceandslightlydifferent-buttheyallhadafirmsurface.
每個斑點的外觀都是黑色的，並且略有不同 - 但它們都有堅固的表面。
Asaresult, eightbeaches, includingSydney'sfamousBondiwereclosedforseveraldaysandamassiveclean-upoperationwasordered.
結果，包括雪梨著名的邦迪海灘在內的八個海灘關閉了幾天，並下令進行大規模清理行動。
LeadinvestigatorAssociateProfessorJonBeves, fromtheUniversityofNewSouthWales (UNSW) told9News:'Theysmellabsolutelydisgusting, theysmellworsethananythingyou'veeversmelt.'
新南威爾斯大學（UNSW）的首席研究員副教授喬恩·貝維斯（Jon Beves）告訴九號台新聞：“它們聞起來非常噁心，比你聞過的任何東西都難聞。”
Furthertestingfoundtheblobswereunlikelytohaveonlybeentheresultofanoilspillorwastefromaship, assomehadthought.
進一步的測試發現，這些斑點不太可能只是石油洩漏或船舶廢物的結果，正如一些人所認為的那樣。
ProfessorWilliamAlexanderDonald, fromUNSWaddedthattheballslookedlikefat, oil, andgreaseblobs-oftencalledfatbergs-whichareoftenformedinsewagesystems.
新南威爾斯大學的威廉亞歷山大唐納德教授補充說，這些球看起來像脂肪、油和油脂塊——通常稱為脂肪塊——通常是在污水系統中形成的。
However, SydneyWater, thecompanyresponsibleforwaterinthearea, hassaidthattherearenoknownissueswithwastesystemsinthecity.
然而，負責該地區供水的雪梨水務公司表示，該市的廢棄物處理系統不存在已知問題。
When sticky dark blobs first started washing up on some of Sydney's beaches last month, experts were puzzled.
Initially it was thought that the balls were made of tar which could have come from an oil spill.
Researchers in Australia decided to carry out tests to find out exactly what the mystery spheres contained.
They've now discovered that the blobs are made up of a mixture of chemicals, cooking oil..and human poo.
The black objects were first spotted by lifeguards at Sydney's Coogee Beach three weeks ago.
Each blob was dark in appearance and slightly different - but they all had a firm surface.
As a result, eight beaches, including Sydney's famous Bondi were closed for several days and a massive clean-up operation was ordered.
Lead investigator Associate Professor Jon Beves, from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) told 9News: 'They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you've ever smelt.'
Further testing found the blobs were unlikely to have only been the result of an oil spill or waste from a ship, as some had thought.
Professor William Alexander Donald, from UNSW added that the balls looked like fat, oil, and grease blobs - often called fatbergs - which are often formed in sewage systems.
However, Sydney Water, the company responsible for water in the area, has said that there are no known issues with waste systems in the city.
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