【课文】
First listen and then answer the following question.
听录音,然后回答以下问题。
What false impression does an ocean wave convey to the observer?
Waves are the children of the struggle between ocean and atmosphere, the ongoing signatures of infinity. Rays from the sun excite and energize the atmosphere of the earth, awakening it to flow, to movement, to rhythm, to life. The wind then speaks the message of the sun to the sea and the sea transmits it on through waves -- an ancient, exquisite, powerful message.
These ocean waves are among the earth's most complicated natural phenomena. The basic features include a crest (the highest point of the wave), a trough (the lowest point), a height (the vertical distance from the trough to the crest), a wave length (the horizontal distance between two wave crests), and a period (which is the time it takes a wave crest to travel one wave length).
Although an ocean wave gives the impression of a wall of water moving in your direction, in actuality waves move through the water leaving the water about where it was. If the water was moving with the wave, the ocean and everything on it would be racing in to the shore with obviously catastrophic results.
An ocean wave passing through deep water causes a particle on the surface to move in a roughly circular orbit, drawing the particle first towards the advancing wave, then up into the wave, then forward with it and then -- as the wave leaves the particles behind -- back to its starting point again.
From both maturity to death, a wave is subject to the same laws as any other 'living' thing. For a time it assumes a miraculous individuality that, in the end, is reabsorbed into the great ocean of life.
The undulating waves of the open sea are generated by three natural causes: wind, earth movements or tremors, and the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Once waves have been generated, gravity is the force that drives them in a continual attempt to restore the ocean surface to a flat plain.
from World Magazine (BBC Enterprises)
【New words and expressions 生词和短语】
signature n. 签名,标记
infinity n. 无穷
ray n. 光线
energize v. 给与...能量
rhythm n. 节奏
transmit v. 传送
exquisite adj. 高雅的
phenomena n. 现象
crest n. 浪峰
trough n. 波谷
vertical adj. 垂直的
horizontal adj. 水平的
actuality n. 现实
catastrophic adj. 大灾难的
particle n. 微粒
maturity n. 成熟
undulate v. 波动,形成波浪
tremor n. 震颤
gravitational adj. 地心吸力的
【课文注释】
1.transmit vt.
①传达
例句:Gypsies frequently transmit recipes orally within the family.
吉普赛人经常以口头形式把秘方世代相传。
②传送
例句:I will transmit the money by special messenger.
我将专门派人送这笔钱。
③传染
例句:The tension soon transmitted itself to all the members of the crowd.
这种紧张情绪很快感染了人群中所有的人。
④代代相传
例句:Parents transmit some of their characteristics to their children.
父母把某些特性遗传给子女。
【词义辨析】
点击查看大图send, deliver, dispatch, forward, ship, transmit这些动词均含“送出,发送,传送”之意。
send: 普通最常用词,含义广。指把人或物由一地送往另一地,而不涉及事物的内容或送的方式。
deliver: 指把信件、包裹等物寄发出去或交到某地,或直接交与某人,着重发送这一行为。
dispatch: 指为特殊目的而发送或派遣,强调紧急或快速。
forward: 指经过其他人或手段把东西转送给某人,(电子邮件)转发。
ship: 把通过水运、陆运或空运等方式运送东西。现常指商业上的运货,或将物品托运。
transmit: 指将文件、消息等的内容或类似的东西发至某地或传达给他人。
2.exquisite adj.
①精挑细选的
例句:The hostess had exquisite taste in clothes.
女主人对衣著十分讲究。
②精致的
例句:The girl came up with a set of exquisite stamps.
那姑娘拿出一套精美的邮票。
③细腻的
例句:She has an exquisite ear for music.
她对音乐有细腻的听觉。
④强烈的
例句:I couldn't sleep for exquisite pain.
我因剧痛而不能入睡。
3.vertical adj. 垂直的, 纵向的, 顶点的
例句:The northern face of the mountain is almost vertical.
这座山向北的一面几乎是垂直的。
【词义辨析】
点击查看大图vertical, perpendicular, upright, erect, plumb 这些形容词均有“垂直的、竖式的”之意。
vertical: 指与平面、水平线或基线成直角或几乎成直角向上延伸至顶点的物体。也可指呈直线上升或下降的。
perpendicular: 指与水平线形成90度的线或面,或朝垂直方面延伸的,尤指向下的急剧运动。
upright: 普通用词,指竖立、笔直而不是倾斜、倒塌的。
erect: 指笔直挺拔,而非倾斜、佝偻、弯曲或倒塌的。
plumb: 建筑上用词,凭锤球评判某物是否完全垂直。
4.the horizontal distance between two wave crests 两个波峰间的水平距离
5.which is the time it takes a wave crest to travel one wave length 波峰走过一个波长所需的时间
6.give the impression of 给人以......印象
例句:He gives the impression of not caring a damn.
他给人的印象是满不在乎。
7.in actuality 事实上
例句:This “big company” in actuality is only a small shop.
这家“大公司”实际上只是一个小店。
They talk about detente, but in actuality they are engaged in intense rivalry.
他们嘴里讲缓和,骨子里却进行激烈的争夺。
8.catastrophic adj. 灾难的, 灾难性的
例句:The contracting of a serious illness can be financially catastrophic.
患上严重疾病很可能会是一场经济灾难。
On this issue, the consequences of inaction could be catastrophic.
在这个问题上,不采取行动将会带来灾难性的后果。
9.back to its starting point again 又返回出发点
10.be subject to 受...支配,服从于,遭受
例句:The offer isn't subject to prior sale.
本报盘以货物未售出为条件。
Peasants used to be subject to the local landowner.
农民过去受地主的压迫。
11.undulate v.波动,形成波浪
例句:Fields of wheat are undulating in the breeze.
在微风中起伏着一片麦浪。
We soon see a field of wheat undulate in the breeze.
我们很快看到一片在微风中起伏的麦田。
12. generate vt. 产生,发生,引起
例句:We can't generate enough power for the entire city.
我们不能为整个城市产生足够的能量。
We need someone to generate new ideas.
我们需要有人出新主意。
This hatred was generated by racial prejudice.
这种仇恨是由种族偏见引起的。
Water power can be used to generate electricity.
水力可以用来发电。
【参考译文】
海浪是大海和空气相斗的产物,无限的一种不间断的标志。太阳光刺激了地球的大气层,并给予它能量;阳光使空气开始流动,产生节奏,获得生命。然后,风把太阳的信息带给了大海,海洋用波浪的形式传递这个信息 —— 一个源远流长、高雅而有力的信息。
这些海浪属于地球上最复杂的自然现象。它们的基本特征包括浪峰(波浪的点)、波谷(最低点)、浪高(从波谷到浪峰的垂直距离)、波长(两个浪峰间的水平距离)和周期(海峰走过一个波长所需的时间)。虽然,海浪给人的印象是一堵由水组成的墙向你压过来,而实际上,浪从水中移过,而水则留在原处。如果水和浪一起移动的话,那么大海和海里所有的东西就会向岸边疾涌过来,带来明显的灾难性后果。
穿过深水的海浪使水面上的一个微粒按照一种近乎圆形的轨道移动,先把微粒拉向前移动的海浪,然后推上波浪,随着波浪移动,然后 -- 当波浪把微粒留在身后时 -- 又回到出发点。
从成熟到消亡,波浪和其他任何“活动中”的东西一样,都受制于共同的法则。一度它获得非凡的个性,但最终又被重新融进生命的大洋。
公海上起伏的波浪是由3个自然因素构成的:风、地球的运动或震颤和月亮、太阳的引力。一旦波浪形成,地球引力是持续不断企图使海面复原为平面的力量。