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1、2014職稱英語閱讀理解 1. ASunshadeforthePlanet 地球防曬霜 Even with the best will in t, he world, reducing our carbon emissions is not goingtopreventglobalwarming.Ithasbecomeclearthatevenifwetakethe moststrongmeasurestocontrolemissions,theuncertaintiesinOurclimate modelsstillleaveopenthepossibilityofextremewar

2、mingandrisesinsea level. At the same time, resistance by governments and special interest groups makesitquitepossiblethattheactionssuggestedbyclimatescientistsmight not be implemented soon enough. 就算懷著最美好的愿望，僅僅減少二氧化碳的排放量還是不能制止全球變暖。很明顯，即便采取最強硬的措施來控制排放，氣候的變化無常仍能導(dǎo)致極速變暖和海平面上升。另一方面，受到政府和特殊利益群體的阻撓，氣候?qū)W家往往

3、不能將措施很快實施徹底。 Fortunately, if the worst comes to the worst, scientists still have a few tricks up their sleeves. For the most part they have strongly resisted discussing theseoptionsforfearofinvitingasenseofcomplacencythatmightthwart effortstotackletherootoftheproblem.Untilnow,thatis.Agrowingnumber

4、of researchers are taking a fresh look at large-scale "geoengineering" projects that might be used to counteract global warming. "I use the analogy of methadone,"saysStephenSchneider,aclimateresearcheratStanfordUniversity inCaliforniawhowasamongthefirsttodrawattentiontoglobalwarming."If

5、you have a heroin addict, the correct treatment is hospitalization, and a long rehab. But if they absolutely refuse, methadone is better than heroin." 幸好，如果被逼上絕路，科學(xué)家們還有最后幾招。在大多數(shù)情況下，他們拒絕討論這些措施，害怕人們會因此沾沾自喜而使這個問題不能被徹底解決。至少目前是這樣。越來越多的研究者相信一項大型的地質(zhì)工程建設(shè)可用來抵御全球變暖。“我把它比作美沙酮，” Stephen Schncidu說，他是斯坦福大學(xué)的一位氣象學(xué)

6、家是最早提出氣候變暖這項議題的學(xué)者之一?！叭绻隳抢镉幸粋€海洛閱上癮者，那么正確的治療方法就是住院，接受長時間的康復(fù)治療。拒絕正常住院治療，那服用美沙酮是一種緩解海洛因毒癮的有效方法?！? Basicallytheideaistoapply"sunscreen"tothewholeplanet.One astronomer has come up with a radical plan to cool Earth: launch trillions of feather-lightdiscsintospace,wheretheywouldformavastcloudthatwould bloc

7、kthesunsrays.Itscontroversial,butrecentstudiessuggestthereare ways to deflect just enough of the sunlight reaching the Earths surface to counteract the warming produced by the greenhouse effect. Global climate models showthat blocking just 1．8 per cent of the incident energy in the suns rays wouldca

8、nceloutthewarmingeffectsproducedbyadoublingofgreenhousegases in the atmosphere. That could be crucial, because even the most severe emissions- controlmeasuresbeingproposedwouldleaveuswithadoublingofcarbondioxide by the end of this century, and that would last for at least a century more. 總體思路是給地球也涂

9、上防曬霜。一個天文學(xué)家突發(fā)奇想，想借此冷卻地球：發(fā)射億萬輕如羽毛的碟片進(jìn)入太空形成巨大“云層”以阻礙太陽光。這個想法備受爭議，但最近的研究表明，有一些方法可以控制到達(dá)地球表面的陽光以抵消溫室效應(yīng)產(chǎn)生的氣候變暖。全球氣候模型表明，阻斷百分之一點八的太陽能剛好可以抵消大氣中雙倍的溫室氣體所引起的氣候變暖現(xiàn)象。這個想法影響深遠(yuǎn)，因為即使采取最嚴(yán)格的控制氣體排放措施，到本世紀(jì)末，二氧化碳量仍會翻倍，并且，這種情況將再持續(xù)至少一個世紀(jì)。 2. ThirstforOil 石油匱乏 Worldwide every day, we devour the energy equivalent of abou

10、t 200 million barrelsofoil.Mostoftheenergy on Earth comes from the Sun. In fact enough energyfromtheSunhitstheplanetssurfaceeachminutetocoverourneedsfor anentireyear,wejustneedtofindanefficientwaytouseit.Sofarthe energyinoilhasbeencheaperandeasiertogetat.Butassuppliesdwindle, this will change, and w

11、e will need to cure our addiction to oil. 全世界每天都要消耗相當(dāng)于2億桶石油的能源。地球上的大部分能源來自于太陽。事實上，每分鐘到達(dá)地球表層的來自于太陽的能源就足已滿足我們一整年的需求，我們只是需要有效地加以利用而已。到目前為止，石油一直是一種較便宜、易獲得的能源。但當(dāng)供應(yīng)縮減時，情況就會改變，我們就不能像現(xiàn)在這樣不加節(jié)制地消耗石油了。 Burning wood satisfied most energy needs until the steam-driven industrial revolution, when energy-dense co

12、al became the fuel of choice. Coal is still used, mostlyinpowerstations,tocoveronequarterofourenergyneeds,butitsuse hasbeendecliningsincewe started pumping up oil. Coal is the least efficient, unhealthiestandmost environmentally damaging fossil fuel, but could make a comeback,assuppliesarestillplent

13、iful:itsreservesarefivetimeslarger than oils. 在蒸汽工業(yè)革命時代，高能煤成為首選燃料之前，燃木能滿足大部分能源需求。現(xiàn)在，煤仍然大量地運用于發(fā)電站，滿足我們四分之一的能源需求，但自從我們開始大量開采石油后，煤的使用就已經(jīng)在逐漸衰退。煤是使用效率最低、最不健康、最不環(huán)保的化石燃料，但煤的使用量又有所回升，因其供應(yīng)充足：煤的儲量是石油的6倍。 Today petroleum, a mineral oil obtained from below the surface of the Earth and used to produce petrol,

14、diesel oil and various other chemical substances, providesaround40%oftheworldsenergy needs, mostly fuelling automobiles. The USconsumesaquarterofalloil,andgeneratesasimilarproportionof greenhouse gas emissions. 今天，石油作為一種從地表層挖掘出，用于生產(chǎn)汽油、柴油和其他各種化學(xué)物質(zhì)的礦物油，供應(yīng)著大約40％的世界能源需求，其中大部分用于供給機動車輛。美國消耗著世界四分之一的石油，同時排

15、放出大約全球1／4的溫室氣體。 The majority of oil comes from the Middle East, which has half of known reserves. But other significant sources include Russia, North America, Norway, VenezuelaandtheNorthSea. Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could be a major new US source, to reduce reliance on foreign impor

16、ts. 大部分的石油來自中東，中東擁有50％的世界已勘探石油儲存量。其他的石油產(chǎn)地包括俄羅斯、北美、挪威、委內(nèi)瑞拉和北海。阿拉斯加北極國家野生動物保護(hù)區(qū)最新成為美國能源的又一主要供應(yīng)地，減少了美國對國外進(jìn)口石油的依賴。 Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years,thoughopinionsandestimatesvary.Wecouldfastreachanenergycrisis in the next few decades, when demand exceeds s

17、upply. As conventional reserves becomemoredifficulttoaccess,otherssuchasoilshalesand tar sands may be used instead. Petrol could also be obtained from coal. 盡管意見和評價各有不同，但大多數(shù)專家預(yù)測人類將在50年之內(nèi)輕而易舉地耗盡現(xiàn)有的所有儲備石油。未來的幾十年，當(dāng)供不應(yīng)求時我們會很快陷入能源危機。當(dāng)常規(guī)能源不容易獲得時，代之使用的可能是諸如油頁巖和瀝青砂等能源。石油也可從煤中提煉獲得。 Sincewestartedusingfossi

18、l fuels, we have released 400 billion tonnes of carbon,andburning the entire reserves could eventually raise world temperatures by 13℃. Among other horrors, this would result in the destruction of all rainforests and the melting of all Arctic ice. 自從我們開始使用化石燃料，我們已經(jīng)釋放出4000億噸碳，當(dāng)化石燃料全部用完時，世界溫度將上升13攝氏度

19、。更恐怖的是，這將會導(dǎo)致所有熱帶雨林的破壞和北極冰的溶解。 3. MusicalRobotCompanionEnhances ListenerExperience 音樂機器人伴侶提升音樂欣賞體驗 Shimi,amusical companion developed by Georgia Techs Center for Music Technology,recommendssongs,dancestothebeatandkeepsthemusicpumping based on listener feedback. The smartphone-enabled, one-foot-ta

20、ll robot is billed as an interactive "musical friend". Shimi是由佐治亞理工大學(xué)音樂技術(shù)中心研發(fā)的一款音樂伴侶，它可以根據(jù)聽者的反饋推薦合乎節(jié)拍的歌曲、舞蹈，并且不斷播放音樂。這款高1英尺的機器人是由智能手機系統(tǒng)支持的，因此被標(biāo)榜為“一個可以互動的音樂朋友”。 "Shimi is designed to change the way that people enjoy and think about their music,"saidProfessorGilWeinberg,therobotscreator.Hewillunveil

21、the robot at the June 27th Google I/O conference in San Francisco. A band of three Shimirobotswillperformforguests,dancinginsyncwithmusiccreatedinthe lab and composed according to its movements. Gil Weinberg教授是該機器人的發(fā)明者，他解釋說：“Shimi設(shè)計的宗旨是改變?nèi)藗冃蕾p音樂、認(rèn)識音樂的方式。”他將在今年6月27日在舊金山的谷歌I／O大會上展示這款機器人。一個由三個機器人組成的樂隊將

22、為來賓演奏，并伴隨音樂起舞，而音樂是根據(jù)不同的運動形式編制的。 Shimi is essentially a docking station with a "brain" powered by an Android phone. Once docked, the robot gains the sensing and musical generation capabilities of the users mobile device. In other words, if theres an "app" for that,Shimiisready.Forinstance,

23、byusingthephonescameraandface- detectingsoftware,Shimicanfollow a listener around the room and position its "ears", or speakers, for optimal sound. Another recognition feature is based on rhythm and tempo. If the user taps a beat, Shimi analyzes it, scans the phones musical library and immediately p

24、lays the song that best matches the suggestion. Once the music starts, Shimi dances to the rhythm. Shimi實際上是一個擴充基座，它的“大腦”由安卓手機控制。一旦連接上，機器人便從用戶的移動裝置獲得傳感和音樂生成能力。換言之，只要有應(yīng)用程序，機器人便能使用。例如，通過手機的照相機和辨認(rèn)臉型的軟件，Shimi就能在房間周圍跟蹤到聽眾，然后安置好它的“耳朵”或揚聲器，以確保輸送最佳聲音。另外一種識別特征是基于節(jié)奏和速度。如果用戶打出某個(音樂)拍子，Shimi會對此進(jìn)行分析，然后瀏覽手機的音樂庫，

25、并立即演奏最符合要求的音樂。一旦音樂響起來，Shimi就隨韻律起舞。 "Many people think that robots are limited by their programming instructions,"saidMusicTechnologyPh．D．candidateMasonBretan."Shimishows us that robots can be creative and interactive. "Future apps in the works will allow the user to shake their head in disagreement

26、 or wave a hand in the air to alert Shimi to skip to the next song or increase/decrease the volume. The robot will also have the capability to recommend new music based on the users song choices and provide feedback on the music play list. “許多人認(rèn)為機器人受到程序指令的限制，”音樂技術(shù)博士研究生MasonBretan如是說。 “而Shimi給我們展示了機

27、器人可以具有創(chuàng)造力和與人交互的能力”。正在研發(fā)中的程序?qū)⑹褂脩裟軠贤ㄟ^搖頭或擺手表示不同意，來提醒Shimi跳到下一首歌或增減音量。機器人還可根據(jù)用戶對歌曲的選擇推薦新音樂，并對音樂播放列表提供反饋。 Weinberghopesotherdeveloperswillbeinspiredtocreatemoreappsto expandShimiscreativeandinteractivecapabilities."Ibelievethatourcenter is ahead of a revolution that will see more robots in homes. "Weinb

28、erg said. Weinberg希望其他研發(fā)者會因此獲得靈感，開發(fā)更多的應(yīng)用程序，來擴展Shimi的創(chuàng)新和交互功能。 “我認(rèn)為我們中心正在引領(lǐng)這場將更多機器人應(yīng)用到家庭中去的變革?！?他說。 WeinbergisintheprocessofcommercializingShimithroughanexclusive licensingagreementwithGeorgiaTech.Weinberghopes to make the robot available to consumers by the 2013 holiday season. "If robots are going

29、 to arrive in homes, we think that they will be this kind of machines-small, entertaining and fun," Weinberg said. "They will enhance your life and pave the way for more intelligent service robots in our lives." Weinberg正在通過獲得佐治亞理工學(xué)院的獨家授權(quán)來對Shimi進(jìn)行商業(yè)推廣。Weinberg希望到2013年的節(jié)日季消費者可購買到Shimi。“如果機器人進(jìn)人家庭，我們認(rèn)

30、為就應(yīng)該是這種類型的機器人：小巧、令人愉快和有趣，”Weinberg說?！八鼈兡芴岣呶覀兊纳钯|(zhì)量，為更多智能服務(wù)型機器人進(jìn)入我們的生活做好準(zhǔn)備?！?  4. ExploreroftheExtremeDeep 深海探索器 Oceanscovermorethantwo-thirdsofourplanet.Yet,justasmallfraction oftheunderwaterworldhasbeenexplored.Now,ScientistsattheWoodsHole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts are bu

31、ilding an underwater vehicle that will carry explorers as deep as 6,500 meters (21,320 feet). The new machine,knownas a manned submersible or human-operated vehicle (HOV), will replaceanotheronenamedAlvinwhichhasanamazingrecordofdiscovery,playing akeyroleinvariousimportantandfamousunderseaexpedition

32、s.Alvinhasbeen operatingfor40yearsbutcangodownonly4,500meters(14,784feet).Its about time for an upgrade, WHOI researchers say. 海洋覆蓋了我們地球三分之二的面積。但被開發(fā)的地下水卻只有很小一部分。目前，馬薩諸塞木洞海洋研究所的科學(xué)家們正在開發(fā)一種能載探索家們深入水下6 500米(21 320英尺)的水下交通于具。作為一種載人潛艇或人工操作工具，這種新的機器將替代世界上第一個深海潛水器Alvin，Alvin潛水器已經(jīng)保持了驚人的紀(jì)錄，在各種重要的深?？疾熘邪l(fā)揮著重要作用

33、。Alvin潛水器已經(jīng)運行了40年，但它只能深入水下4500米(14784英尺)。木洞海洋協(xié)會的研究家們說，潛水工具該升級了。 Alvinwaslaunchedin1964.Sincethen,Alvinhasworkedbetween200and250 daysayear,saysDanielFornari,amarinegeologistanddirectoroftheDeep OceanExplorationInstituteatWHOI.Duringitslifetime,Alvinhascarriedsome12,000 people on a total of more than

34、 3,000 dives. Alvin潛水器下水始于1964年。海洋地質(zhì)學(xué)家兼木洞海洋學(xué)研究所深海探索協(xié)會主任 DanielFornari說，自1964年后，Alvin潛水器每年運行200-250天。在整個航程中，它載12000人進(jìn)行過3 000多次潛水。 Anewer,betterversionsofAlvinisboundtorevealevenmoresurprises aboutaworldthatisstillfullofmysteries,Fornarisays.Itmightalsomake thejobofexplorationalittleeasier.“Wetake s

35、o much for granted on land,” Fornarisays.“Wecanwalkaroundandseewithoureyeshowbigthingsare.We can see colors, special arrangements.” Fornari說，新式的Alvin潛水器必將揭示這個依舊充滿神秘的水下世界的許多奇妙之處。它也可能會使水下探索更容易些。“我們在陸上把許多東西想當(dāng)然，”Fornari說；“我們會四處行走，用我們的雙眼看周圍的東西的大小。我們會看到各種顏色，各種特殊的布置?！? Size-wise,thenewHOVwillbesimilartoAl

36、vin.Itllbeabout37feetlong. The setting area inside will be a small sphere, about 8 feet wide, like Alvin, itllcarryapilotandtwopassengers. It will be just as maneuverable. In most other ways, it will give passengers more opportunities to enjoy the view, for one thing.Alvinhasonlythreewindows,thenewv

37、ehiclewillhavefive,withmore overlap so that the passengers and the pilot can see the same thing. 這種新的人千操作機器與Alvin潛水器很相似，大小適中。長約37英尺。里面環(huán)境將是個小球體，約8英尺寬，和Alvin一樣，它將載一名宇航員和兩名乘客。可調(diào)動。其他方面，它將使乘客有更多機會欣賞風(fēng)景。因為舊式Alvin潛水器只有三個窗戶，新式的將有五個窗戶，其中有很多折疊，乘客和宇航員可以看見相同的事物。 Alvincangoupanddownatarateof30meterseverysecond,

38、anditsmaximum speedis2knots(about2．3milesperhour),whilethenewvehiclewillbeable toascendanddescendat44meterspersecond.Itllreachspeedsof3knots,or3．5 miles per hour. 舊式Alvin潛水器可以每秒上下30米，最快時速是2節(jié)(約2.3英里／小時)，而新式潛水器將能每秒上下44米。它最快時速將達(dá)到3節(jié)，即3.5英里／小時。 5. PlantGas 植物，沼氣的又一來源 Scientists have been studying nat

39、ural sources of methane for decades but hadntregardedplantsasaproducer,notesFrankKeppler,ageochemistatthe Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heldelberg, Germany. Now Keppler and hiscolleaguesfindthatplants,fromgrassestotrees,mayalsobesourcesof thegreenhousegas.Thisisreallysurprising,because

40、mostscientistsassumed that methane production requires an oxygen-free environment. 德國馬克思?普朗克核物理研究所地球化學(xué)家Frank Keppler提到，科學(xué)家已經(jīng)研究沼氣幾十年，但一直沒認(rèn)為植物能產(chǎn)生沼氣?，F(xiàn)在Keppler和同事們發(fā)現(xiàn)從草到樹的植物也可能是溫室氣體的來源。這的確是令人驚訝的，閑為大多數(shù)科學(xué)家認(rèn)為沼氣是在缺氧環(huán)境中產(chǎn)生的。 Previously,researchershadthoughtthatitwasimpossiblefor plants to make significant am

41、ounts of the gas. They had assumed that microbes need to be in environmentswithoutoxygentoproducemethane.Methane is a greenhouse gas, like carbon dioxide. Gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap heat in Earths atmosphere and contribute to global warming. 以前，研究人員認(rèn)為植物不可能產(chǎn)生大量的氣體。他們認(rèn)為微生物需要在無氧環(huán)境下生

42、產(chǎn)沼氣。沼氣和二氧化碳一樣都是溫室氣體。它們在地球大氣中吸收熱量導(dǎo)致全球變暖。 Initsexperiments,Kepplersteamusedsealedchambersthatcontainedthe sameconcentrationofoxygenthatEarthsatmospherehas.Theymeasuredthe amounts of methane that were released by both living plants and dried plant material, such as fallen leaves. 在實驗中，Keppler一組使用內(nèi)含與地

43、球大氣中同等密度氧的密閉室。他們測量從活植物和干植物如落葉中釋放的沼氣量。 Withthedriedplants,theresearcherstookmeasurementattemperatures rangingfrom30degreesCelsiusto70degreesC. At 30 degrees C, they found, a gram of dried plant material released up to 3 nanograms of methane per hour. (One nanogram is a billionth of a gram.) With eve

44、ry 10-degree rise in temperature, the amount of methane released each hour roughly doubled. 研究人員測量干植物時溫度在30攝氏度到70攝氏度。30攝氏度時，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)一克干植物每小時釋放3微克沼氣。(1微克是1克的十億分之一)。溫度每上升10度，每小時釋放的沼氣量約會增加一倍。 Living plants growing at their normal temperatures released as much as 370 nanograms of methane per gram of plant

45、 tissue per hour. Methane emissions tripled when living and dead plant was exposed to sunlight. 對于正常溫度下生長的活植物，每一克植物組織每小時釋放出370微克的沼氣。當(dāng)活的或者死的植物暴露在陽光下時沼氣釋放量會增加兩倍。 Becausetherewas plenty of oxygen available, its unlikely that the types of bacteriathatnormallymakemethanewereinvolved.Experimentsonplants

46、that were grown in water rather than soil also resulted in methane emissions. Thats another strong sign that the gas came from the plants and not soil microbes. 由于有大量的氧氣，正常生產(chǎn)沼氣的細(xì)菌不可能加入。在對生長在水中而不是土壤中的植物進(jìn)行實驗時也發(fā)現(xiàn)有沼氣釋放。這也表明氣體產(chǎn)生于植物而不是土壤微生物。 The new finding is an “interesting observation,” says Jennifer

47、 Y．King, a biogeochemist at the University of Minnesota in St．Paul. Because some types of soilmicrobesconsumemethane,theymayprevent plant-produced methane from reaching the atmosphere. Field tests will be needed to assess the plants influence, she notes. 圣保羅明尼蘇達(dá)州大學(xué)生物地球化學(xué)家JenniferY．King說，這些新發(fā)現(xiàn)是一項“有趣

48、的觀察記錄”。因為一些土壤微生物消耗沼氣，它們會阻止植物產(chǎn)生的沼氣到達(dá)大氣中。Jennifer Y.King指出，需要對土地進(jìn)行測試以判定植物的影響。 6. Snowflakes 雪花 Youve probably heard that no two snowflakes are alike. Of course, nobody has ever confirmed that statement by examining every one of the estimated one septillion snowflakes that drift to Earth each year.

49、Still, Kenneth Libbrecht, a professor at the California Institute of Technology, is confident that the statement is true. 你可能聽說過沒有兩片雪花是完全相同的。當(dāng)然，沒有人曾經(jīng)檢查過每年飄落到地球上的數(shù)以萬億計的雪花來證實這一說法。然而，加州技術(shù)學(xué)院的Kenheth Libbrecht教授仍相信這一說法的真實性。 Snowflakes arent flaky, says Libbrecht. At their basic level, theyre crystallin

50、e. The lattice of every snowflake is six-sided in shape. The simplest snow crystals are six-sided flat plates and six-sided columns. Such crystals are common in places where the air is extremely cold and dry. Snow crystals acquire their special beauty when their simple six-sided symmetry blossoms. U

51、nder the right conditions, each of the six comers of a crystal sprouts what is called an arm. In a matter of minutes, the arms can become highly ornate and give the crystal a star like appearance. Libbrecht說，雪花并不是片狀的。它們在基礎(chǔ)階段是結(jié)晶狀的。每一片雪花的晶格都是六邊形的。最簡單的雪晶體是六邊的扁平碟狀和六邊的柱狀。這種晶體在極寒極干的地方十分普遍。當(dāng)這種簡單的六邊對稱形狀發(fā)生變

52、化時，雪晶體就擁有了它們獨特的美麗之處。在適當(dāng)?shù)臈l件下，結(jié)晶體的每個角都向外伸長，形成臂狀物。在大約幾分鐘的時間內(nèi)，這些臂狀物變得非常華美，結(jié)晶體也變得像星星般閃閃發(fā)亮。 Several factors in the environment affect the shape and growth rate of a snow crystal. One factor is humidity. Crystals grow faster and in more intricate shape as humidity increases. A second factor is air tempera

53、ture. A snowflake is born when several molecules of water vapor in a cloud land on a speck of dust and freeze to form a simple crystal. As the young crystal bops around in the cloud,it passes through air pockets of varying temperatures. If the crystal passes through a pocket of air that is, say, -15

54、 degrees Celsius, it will grow quickly and sprout six arms, says Libbrecht. If the crystal is then tossed into a warmer pocket, one about -10C, the arms tips will stop growing quickly and form six- sided plates. If the crystal then drifts into an even warmer pocket of about -5 C, its top and bottom

55、will grow more quickly than its sides and become morecolumn like in shape. 環(huán)境中的幾個因素影響了雪晶體的形狀及形成速度。其中之一是濕度。當(dāng)濕度增加時，晶體變化得更快并且形成更為復(fù)雜的形狀。另一個因素是氣溫。云里的水蒸氣分子集結(jié)在塵埃上，冷凝形成簡單的晶體，此時，雪花就誕生了。初形成的晶體在云里四處碰撞，穿過不同溫度的空氣團(tuán)。Libbrecht說，當(dāng)這些晶體遇到大約零下15度的空氣團(tuán)時，它們就會快速變化，伸長出六個臂狀物。這時，如果晶體遇到一個溫度更高的空氣團(tuán)(比如零下10度)，這些臂狀物的尖端就會很快停止伸長，形成碟

56、狀的六邊形。這時，如果遇到溫度更高的空氣團(tuán)(比如零下5 度)，它的頂部和底部會比兩邊更快地停止伸長，從而在形狀上更像一個柱形。 In the course of its life span, a snow-crystal might flutter through many warmer and colder pockets, acquiring a complicated and unique growth history. Such a history will give rise to a snowflake that is unlike any other. Each arm o

57、n the snowflake will look exactly like every other one, but the crystal itself will be one of a kind. 在雪花的一生中，雪晶體可能遇到許多溫度更高或更低的空氣團(tuán)，形成獨特而又復(fù)雜的生長史。這使得雪花不盡相同。雪花的每一個臂狀物看起來都十分相像，但晶體本身卻是各式各樣的。 Using his cooling tanks, Libbrecht has learned how to create snow crystals of different shapes -- plates, column

58、s, needles, etc. Libbrecht has even refined his techniques so that he can make crystals that look highly similar to one another. Still, he lacks the control to manufacture identical twin snowflakes. A slight difference in humidity and temperature can upset the growth profile of a crystal. 利用冷卻槽，Lib

59、brecht發(fā)現(xiàn)了如何制造各種形狀的雪晶體，碟狀、柱狀、針狀的等等。Libbrecht還改進(jìn)了他的技術(shù)，使得晶體之間更加相像。然而，他仍然無法制造兩片完全相同的雪花。濕度與溫度的細(xì)微差別就會改變晶體的形成過程。 7. PoweringaCity?ItsaBreeze 風(fēng)力發(fā)電? 輕而易舉 The graceful wooden windmills that have broken up the fiat Dutch landscape for centuries -- a national symbol like wooden shoes and tulips m yielded lon

60、g ago to ungainly metal-pole turbines. 與木鞋、郁金香一起被視為荷蘭象征的風(fēng)車，在荷蘭平原上優(yōu)雅地矗立了幾個世紀(jì)，可是，它的作用早已為笨拙的金屬渦輪所代替。 Now, windmills are breaking into a new frontier. Though still in itsteething stages, the "urban turbine" isa high-tech windmill designed to generate energy from the rooftops of busy cities. Lighter, q

61、uieter, and often more efficient than rural counterparts, they take advantage of theextreme turbulence and rapid shifts in direction that characterize urban wind patterns. 現(xiàn)在，風(fēng)車已經(jīng)進(jìn)人了一個新的疆域。雖然還處于萌芽階段，城鎮(zhèn)使用的渦輪機已經(jīng)是一種高科技的風(fēng)車，它們從大城市的平頂房上產(chǎn)生能量。它們利用了城市中的風(fēng)所特有的亂流和快速轉(zhuǎn)向，比起鄉(xiāng)村風(fēng)車來，更輕，更安靜，更有效率。 Prototypes have been

62、 successfully tested in several Dutch cities, and the city government in the Hague has recently agreed to begin a large-scale deployment in 2003. Current models cost US$8,000 to US$12,000 and can generate between 3,000 and 7,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. A typical Dutch household uses

63、3,500 kilowatt hours per year, while in the United States, this figure jumps to around 10,000 kilowatt hours. 這種風(fēng)車的樣品已經(jīng)成功地在荷蘭的幾個城市得到測試，海牙市政府最近已經(jīng)同意在2003 年開始大規(guī)模發(fā)展這種風(fēng)車。目前的風(fēng)車模型大約花費8 000到12 000美元，每年能夠產(chǎn)生3000到7 000千瓦時的電。一個典型的荷蘭家庭每年使用3500千瓦時的電，而在美國，這個數(shù)字則要上升到大約10 000千瓦時。 But so far, they are being designed

64、 more for public or commercial buildings than for private homes. The smallest of the current models weigh roughly 200 kilograms and can be installed on a roof in a few hours without using a crane. 但是到目前為止，這些風(fēng)車的設(shè)計更適合于公共或商務(wù)設(shè)施，而不是家庭。目前最小的風(fēng)車模型大約有200公斤重，而且不需要吊車就可以將它安裝在屋頂上。 Germany, Finland and Denmark

65、have also been experimenting with the technology, but the ever-practical Dutch are natural pioneers in urban wind power mainly because of the lack of space. The Netherlands, with 16 million people crowded into a country twice the size of Slovenia, is the most densely populated in Europe. 德國、芬蘭和丹麥都已

66、經(jīng)開始這項技術(shù)的實驗，但是，荷蘭的空間狹小使得它在城市風(fēng)力發(fā)電上始終是最實際的先驅(qū)。荷蘭擁有1 600萬的人口，是斯洛文尼亞的兩倍，是歐洲人口密度最高的國家。 Problems remain, however, for example, public safety concerns, and so strict standards should be applied to any potential manufacturers. Vibrations are the main problem in skyscraper-high turbine. People dont know what it would be like to work there, in an office next to one of the big turbines. It might be too hectic. 盡管如此，問題仍然存在，比如，公共安全問題，以及對潛在的制造商制定嚴(yán)格的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。高聳入云的渦輪機最主要的問題是振動。人們無法想