Fireworks
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Introduction The celebration began on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.
导言 庆祝活动从太平洋上的一个小岛上开始.
Then, as the Earth turned, midnight arrived in Sydney, Australia.
随后,随着地球的转向,午夜来到了澳大利亚悉尼.
Rings of fire exploded over the city’s famous opera house.
这座城市著名的歌剧院被大火所包围。
Firecrackers popped in Hong Kong.
烟花爆出香港.
Skyrockets flew over Bombay, the Egyptian pyramids, and Moscow.
天火箭飞过孟买,埃及金字塔和莫斯科.
The Eiffel Tower shot bright sparks from its top like foam from a champagne bottle.
艾菲尔铁塔从顶部射出亮相的火花,就像从香槟瓶取出泡沫.
Mexico City and Chicago were lit red, gold, and green.
墨西哥城和芝加哥被点出红色,黄金和绿色.
All around the world, fireworks welcomed the year 2000.
世界各地的烟花都欢迎2000年。
Fireworks combine science and art to create some of the most beautiful displays ever seen.
烟花结合了科学和艺术,创造了出自所见最美的展出.
The making and launching of fireworks is called pyrotechnics (PIE-roe-TECK-nicks).
烟花的制造和发射被称为烟花(PIE-roe-TECK-nicks).
In most cases, this dangerous craft is still performed by hand.
在大多数情况下,这种危险的飞行器仍然是用手工操作的。
Families pass down secret fireworks-making skills and formulas from generation to generation.
家庭代代相传的秘密烟花制作技能和配方.
History of Fireworks No one is sure when fireworks first shot into the sky.
烟花历史 没有人可以确定,当烟花 第一次射入天空。
But we do know that it happened in China over 1,000 years ago.
但我们确实知道,它发生在一千多年前的中国。
Legend says that a Chinese cook accidentally created gunpowder by mixing ingredients in his kitchen.
传说有一位中国厨师在厨房中混合配料,意外地制造出火药.
The Chinese packed this explosive black powder into bamboo or paper tubes.
中国人把这爆炸性黑粉打入竹子或纸管.
The powder shot fire out of the tubes, much like Roman candles do today.
火药从管子上射出火花 就像罗马蜡烛今天一样
Someone discovered that if a wooden carving was placed on top of the gunpowder, the carving would shoot into the sky.
有人发现,如果把木雕放入火药上方,木雕会射入天空.
One carving of a dragon even had gunpowder in its mouth.
一只雕刻的龙嘴里甚至有火药
The dragon seemed to spray fire as it flew.
龙在飞行时似乎喷出火花.
The secret of gunpowder passed to Arabs and then on to Europe.
火药的秘密传给阿拉伯人,然后传到欧洲.
But it was mostly used in weapons to fire cannons and guns.
但多被用在了武器上来发射大炮和枪支.
Often, armies shot their cannons to celebrate a victory.
军队常常为庆祝胜利而射出大炮.
Different countries began mixing certain chemicals with the gunpowder to create brighter flashes, louder bangs, and color.
不同国家开始将某些化学物质与火药相混合,以产生更亮的闪光,更响亮的爆炸和颜色.
The Italians soon became famous for their colorful displays.
意大利人很快以多彩的展示而出名.
The Grucci family, now living in the United States, continues the Italian tradition of fireworks mastery.
现居于美国的格鲁奇家族延续了意大利的烟花掌握传统.
How Fireworks Are Made All fireworks start with gunpowder.
烟花是如何制造的 所有烟花从火药起.
To create colors, fireworks makers combine special chemicals with the gunpowder.
为了创造出颜色,烟花制造商将特殊化学品与火药相结合.
These chemicals burn with different-colored flames.
这些化学物质被不同颜色的火焰所燃烧.
Surprisingly, most of these chemicals are kinds of salt.
令人惊讶的是,这些化学品大多是盐类.
They may also mix flakes of metal with the gunpowder.
它们也可能将金属片同火药相混合。
When the powder explodes, these flakes become glowing hot, creating a shower of sparks.
当粉末爆炸时,这些片子会发光发热,产生出一阵花花花.
Different chemicals burn with different colors.
不同的化学物质以不同的颜色燃烧.
Copper, the metal in pennies, burns blue-green.
铜,一分钱的金属,烧出蓝绿色.
The same color change happens, only much more slowly, to pennies when they turn green.
同样的颜色变化发生,只有慢得多,当它们变成绿色时会变成一分钱.
This is why the Statue of Liberty, which is made of copper, looks green.
因此由青铜制成的自由女神像外观为绿色.
The chart below lists some other chemicals and the colors they produce.
下表列出了其他一些化学品及其所生产的颜色。
Fireworks Chemicals Fireworks cause sound because the intense heat expands the air around the firework.
化学品 烟花会产生声音,因为强烈的热能会扩大烟花周围的空气.
The air is pushed outward in a wave.
空气被波浪冲出
Your ear picks up this wave as a loud sound.
耳取出这波为出声.
Sometimes your chest and feet can also feel the wave vibrating.
有时你的胸部和脚也能感觉到波浪震动.
This is the same way that lightning creates thunder.
这和闪电产生雷电的方式一样.
The whistles come from the hot gasses combustion creates.
口哨来自燃烧产生的热气.
Fireworks makers put tiny paper whistles inside the shells.
烟花制造者把小纸哨放入炮弹内.
When the stars combust, the hot gasses “blow” the whistles, creating the sound.
当星星被点燃时,热气会"吹出"哨子来,产生出声音.
Fireworks makers roll the colored or sparkling gunpowder into small balls called stars.
烟花制造者将有色或发光的火药卷入被称作"恒星"的小球.
Some stars are a single color, while others are layered with different colors.
有些恒星是单色的,而另一些则用不同的颜色分层.
They pack the stars inside stiff paper shells.
他们把星星装入硬纸壳里
Hundreds of stars can fit in one shell.
上百颗恒星可以装在一个外壳里
If the fireworks maker packs the stars in a globe shape, the firework will explode in a globe of fire.
如果烟花制造者将恒星打包成一球形,烟花会从一球起火而起.
If he or she packs it in a star shape, it will explode into a star.
如果他(她)把它装入恒星形状,就会被炸成恒星.
If he or she packs it in a smiley-face shape, it will explode into a smiley face.
若被他(她)打包成笑脸形状,会被炸成笑脸.
Sometimes each star has its own paper tube.
有时每颗恒星都有自己的纸管.
The tubes force the stars to shoot away from the main firework in streaks of light.
这些管子迫使恒星在光线下远离主烟火.
And sometimes the shell is packed solid with powder that creates a single flash and a huge bang, called a salute.
有时贝壳被装上粉末,产生出单一的闪光和巨大的爆炸,被称作"敬礼".
At the center of every shape is a ball of gunpowder called a bursting charge.
每个形状的中心都有一个叫起爆弹的火药球.
The bursting charge explodes like a firecracker.
爆破的炸药会像爆竹一样爆炸.
It lights the stars and sends them out into the sky.
它照亮了星星 把它们送入天空
The last part of the shell is the lift charge.
外壳的最后一部分是起重荷.
This is a container of powder that will shoot the entire shell high into the sky.
这是一个能把整个炮弹高空射入天空的粉末容器.
Usually, the lift charge is ordinary gunpowder.
通常,起重荷为普通火药.
But sometimes it creates a streak of color as the firework rises.
但有时它会随着烟花的升起而产生一团颜色。
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
Each firework has a special series of fuses that control when the firework explodes.
每个烟花都有一个特殊的系列引信来控制烟花爆炸时的引信.
The first fuse, called a leader, lights the lift charge, sending the firework flying.
第一根引信,叫头,点起起起重机,放出烟花飞来.
The lift charge then lights a time fuse.
提取电荷会点出时间引信
The material of the time fuse burns at a steady rate.
时间引信的材料以稳定的速度燃烧。
The fireworks makers know just how long to cut the fuse so it burns until the shell is at the right height.
烟花制造者知道要剪断导火线多久 才能烧到炮弹的高度
The time fuse then sets off the bursting charge.
时间引信会引爆起爆装置。
Sometimes a shell will have smaller shells inside it.
有时外壳内会有更小的外壳.
In that case, the bursting charge lights more time fuses.
这样的话,爆破的电荷灯会增加时间引信.
These will set off the smaller shells once they’re the right distance away from the main shell.
这些炮弹一旦离主壳很近,
Creating the Show It can take up to two days to set up a twenty-minute fireworks show.
创建显示 设立20分钟烟花表演时间可长达两天.
First, everything must be designed on a diagram.
首先,所有东西都必须用图表来设计。
Each shell will be fired in a specific order, and everything must be set up so that each one goes in turn.
每发一发炮弹会按具体顺序发射,每发炮弹必须设置好,使每发炮弹依次发射.
Workers begin by building batteries, or wooden racks.
工人从建造电池开始,或用木制架.
If the show is near water, the batteries are put on a boat, safely away from the crowd.
如果表演接近水面,电池被放入一艘船上,安全地远离人群.
Some batteries sit on the sides of buildings, such as the Washington Monument or the Eiffel Tower.
一些电池坐落在建筑物的两侧,如华盛顿纪念碑或埃菲尔铁塔.
Each battery holds a group of metal tubes called mortars.
每个电池都装有一组叫迫击炮的金属管.
Each mortar holds one shell.
每枚迫击炮弹都有一枚炮弹。
It shoots the shell the way a cannon shoots a cannonball.
它像大炮一样射出炮弹
All the mortars are numbered according to the diagram.
所有迫击炮都按照图表编号。
The finished shells are also numbered.
成品壳也编号.
When they arrive on the site, they are carefully placed in the correct mortars.
当他们到达现场时,会小心地放在正确的迫击炮中。
Workers connect the shells’ leaders, or main fuses, to electrical matches.
工人将炮弹头部或主引信连接到电火柴上。
And each electric match is connected to the firing panel, which is the control panel for the whole show.
而每场电竞都与射击面板相接,这是整个节目的控制面板.
In the past, the fireworks maker had to push buttons on the panel to get each match to light.
过去,烟花制造者不得不在面板上按下按钮来取出每个相配的光.
He or she had to pay close attention in order to avoid mistakes.
他或她必须密切注意以避免出错。
Today, most firing panels are computerized.
今天,大多数发射面板都是计算机化的。
Everyone checks the fuse connections, the placement of the shells and mortars, and the firing order.
每个人都检查引信连接、炮弹和迫击炮的放置以及射击命令。
Then they check them again.
然后他们再次检查他们。
A mistake could set the fireworks off incorrectly, ruining the show and possibly even injuring people.
错误可能错误地引爆烟花,破坏节目,甚至可能伤害人.
On the night of the show, the crew puts on helmets, goggles, and fireproof clothing.
在节目的当晚,剧组穿上了头盔,护目镜和防火服.
This gear protects the workers from falling sparks, ash, and paper.
这种齿轮可以保护工人免受会掉落的火花,灰烬和纸张.
The workers stay close by to make sure nothing goes wrong.
工人们要靠在附近,以确保没有出事。
But once the switch is flipped, the computer takes over and begins lighting matches.
但一旦开关被翻开,电脑就接管并开始照明火柴.
The show explodes in a shower of color and sound.
节目在彩色和声音的淋浴中爆炸.
Computer firing panels have become so precise that fireworks can be set to music.
电脑发射面板变得非常精确,烟花可以被放入音乐.
A designer chooses a favorite piece of music.
设计师选择了最喜爱的一出音乐.
The designer listens to the music over and over, imagining where to put a purple fountain, a golden blast, or flashes and crashes.
设计者反复地聆听音乐,想象着将紫色喷泉放入何处,金色的爆出,或者闪出并坠入.
The firing panel is programmed to light the shells with the music, using the timer on the CD or computer file.
射击面板被编程为用音乐来点出弹壳,使用CD或计算机文件中的定时器.
Fireworks Safety Fireworks explode, and explosions can be deadly.
烟花安全烟花会爆炸,爆炸可能致命.
Fireworks injure about 10,000 people every year in the United States alone.
光在美国,烟花每年就造成一万人受伤。
Firecrackers can blow off a hand.
鞭炮能吹出一手来.
Sparklers can send a glowing-hot spark of metal into someone’s eye.
Sparklers会把一束发光的热火花放入别人的眼中。
And illegally stored fireworks can cause devastating fires.
而非法储存的烟花会引发毁灭性火灾.
In addition, fireworks cause smoke and noise, and they often terrify animals.
此外,烟花还引起烟雾和噪音,它们常常会吓人.
Many states have laws against using fireworks.
许多州都有禁止使用烟花的法规.
Those laws exist to protect people.
这些法律的存在是为了保护人民。
Using, storing, or selling illegal fireworks can lead to arrest, fines, or even jail.
使用、储存或销售非法烟花可导致逮捕、罚款甚至监禁。
It is best to leave fireworks to the trained professionals.
最好把烟花留给训练有素的专业人士。
If you do watch fireworks, be sure to follow these safety tips: • Always watch from a safe distance, and never approach the fireworks.
如果你确实看到烟花,请务必遵循这些安全提示: • 始终从安全距离看,永远不要接近烟花.
• Never pick up debris from fireworks.
• 支助 永远不要捡起烟花碎片。
It may still contain explosive gunpowder.
它可能仍然含有爆炸性火药.
• Bring ear protection.
• 带耳罩。
Long exposure to loud noises can damage your hearing.
长时间地暴露在噪音中会损害你的听力.
• Never, ever light fireworks yourself.
• 支助 永远不要自己点起烟花
If consumer fireworks are legal in your state, always have an adult light them.
如果消费烟花在你的国家是合法的, 总是有成人灯光。
• Have water handy to put out any fires or sparks.
• 支助 有水可以扑灭火花