With electricity costs rising -- along with global-warming guilt -- consumers across the country are struggling to wean themselves from the A/C. It remains to be seen whether they'll take a cue from Marilyn Monroe in 'The Seven Year Itch' and stash their undies in the icebox. But they're trying just about everything else.
夹在电价上涨和全球变暖恶果之间的美国消费者在是否应关掉冷气的问题上很是挣扎。不知道他们会不会从玛丽莲·梦露的电影《七年之痒》里找到灵感，把内衣裤装在冰盒里，好随时给自己降降温；不过，其它所有能想到的办法都被他们拿来一试了。
In Thousand Oaks, Calif., Adina Nack keeps the thermostat at 28-- and lets her toddler dance around the house in a bathing suit, spritzing herself with cool water from a spray bottle. Cara Cummins, in Atlanta, turns on the air conditioner only when she's expecting guests. Otherwise, she makes do by snacking on watermelon cubes soaked in chilled bourbon.
在加州的千橡树镇，艾蒂娜·奈克把空调温度调到28度，并让自己蹒跚学步的小孩穿着泳衣在家里乱走，还用喷水瓶给自己洒凉水降温。亚特兰大市的卡拉·库明斯只有在客人来家里时才把空调打开，其他时候，她靠吃几块泡在冰镇波旁威士忌里的西瓜块来抵御酷暑。
Because many power plants run on natural gas, which has shot way up in price, utilities in every region of the nation have imposed -- or are planning -- big rate increases this year, some approaching 30%.
由于美国许多发电站都靠天然气发电，而随着燃气价格暴涨，今年全美各地电价要么已然大幅上调，要么正在筹划涨价，有的地方电价涨幅甚至逼近了30%。
In response, nearly two-thirds of families are cutting back on air conditioning, according to a recent Associated Press-Yahoo News poll. They're buying ceiling fans and programmable thermostats; burning up hot afternoons in malls and movie theaters; and bombarding blogger Erin Huffstetler, who writes about frugal living, with questions about the merits of tinting their windows dark to block the sun.
据美联社和雅虎新闻的最新联合调查显示，将近三分之二的美国家庭都因此减少了空调的使用。他们添置了吊扇和可编程控温器，去商场和电影院度过炎热的夏日午后，并向撰写博客介绍如何勤俭持家的艾琳·哈弗斯泰德勒提出了一大堆问题，比如怎么把窗户染黑，减少阳光的照射等。
The wealthy are even putting windmills in their backyards. Southwest Windpower in Flagstaff, Ariz., installs residential turbines that can supply a third or more of a typical household's electricity. The cost: At least $13,000.
有钱人甚至在自家后院安装了风力发电机。亚利桑那州Flagstaff市的美国西南风力公司为住户安装这种发电机，它可以满足一个家庭三分之一或更多的日常用电需求，而其成本至少要1.3万美元。
In Arizona, 50,000 customers of the Salt River Project utility have cut energy use by an average of 13%, thanks to a gizmo that lets them monitor their daily bill, so they can see exactly how much they save by bumping up the thermostat a few degrees. In Texas, Reliant Energy reports an 8% drop in per-customer energy use since 2005.
在亚利桑那州，盐河项目的5万名用户已平均减少了13%的用电量，原因是他们安装了一个能实时显示每日用电量的小仪器，这样他们可以清楚地看到如果把室温调高几度，那么能少用多少电。能源企业Reliant Energy表示，德克萨斯州的人均用电量自2005年以来减少了8%。
The Department of Energy calculates that heating and cooling account for nearly half the energy used in a typical home. That's more than all the light bulbs, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, the hot-water heater and the washer and dryer -- combined.
美国能源部做过计算，一栋普通住宅供暖和冷风的用电成本在总电费占去了将近一半，比一个家庭中灯泡、洗碗机、冰箱、热水器、洗衣机和烘干机全部加起来的耗电都要多。
Replacing a standard air conditioner set at 22 degrees with an energy-efficient model set at 25.5 can cut your cooling costs in half, though savings vary by climate, according to Xcel Energy Inc., a regional utility based in Minneapolis. A programmable thermostat can save as much as 12%. A ceiling fan can lower a room's temperature by several degrees. Even something as simple as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can make a big difference in electricity bills.
明尼阿波利斯市地方公用事业企业埃克西尔能源公司表示，如果把标准的22摄氏度室内空调温度改为25.5度的节电模式，大约能够节省一半的电费；当然，具体程度根据外界温度而有所不同。安装一个室内温控器可以节省12%的电费，在天花板上安装吊扇可以降低几度室温，甚至使用节能灯泡都有助于显著减少电费。
Micki Wehmeier offers another tip: Marry a man who likes it hot.
梅琪·韦麦尔还有一个小窍门：嫁给一个不怕热的老公。
Ms. Wehmeier and her husband, Gary, are renting a modest apartment this summer while they fix up a house they just bought in Des Peres, Mo. To save money, they resolved to keep the thermostat at 24.
今年夏天，梅琪和她丈夫盖瑞要给刚在密苏里州Des Peres买的房子装修，于是租了一个小房子过渡一下。为了省钱，他们决心把室内温度调到24度。
'He's got more willpower,' his wife says.
“他的意志力比我坚定。”梅琪说道。
And Reba Kennedy, who turned off her central air altogether?
那么，关掉中央空调的瑞芭?肯尼迪境况如何呢？
Ms. Kennedy now cools just the three rooms she uses most in her San Antonio home, with window units set at 25.5 degrees. To her surprise, she has found it pleasurable. With her downstairs windows open, she can smell the honeysuckle in her yard. She loves the look of her sheer curtains blowing in the breeze.
现在，住在圣安东尼奥的瑞芭只在最常用的三个房间使用窗式空调，温度调为25.5度。令她没想到的是，这种降温方法能让人过得很舒服。她把楼下的窗户打开，院子里金银花的香味阵阵飘来，而且她还喜欢看到微风撩起窗帘的样子。
Last week, though, when she reviewed her electric bills, Ms. Kennedy found that her sacrifices haven't translated into savings. In June of 2006 -- with the central air on full blast -- she used an average of 26 kilowatt hours a day. Last month? An average of 44.
然而，上周她收到电费帐单时，发现自己的牺牲没有得到应有的回报。2006年6月份──中央空调完全打开的那个月──家里每天的平均耗电量是26度；但2008年6月份呢？每天的平均耗电量是44度。
Harvey Sachs, a senior fellow at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, says that isn't surprising, because window units are notoriously inefficient.
美国节能经济委员会的资深成员哈维·萨奇说，这并不奇怪，因为窗式空调非常费电。
Her advice to middle-class families: Pull the plug.
她对中产阶级家庭的建议是：拔掉电源插头。
'You'll be hot,' Ms. Boylan said. 'Put a little cold water on your face and get on with your life.'
“你会觉得很热，”凯茜说，“那就往脸上泼点凉水降温，你会发现日子能照过不误。”
