Mysteries of Flight
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Take Off.
内容表取出.
4 The Brothers Are Wright.
四兄弟是莱特。
6 The Plane Facts.
6 《飞机实况》。
9 The Big Mystery.
9"大谜".
12 Into the Air.
12入空门.
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 Index.
16 指数。
16 Take Off Imagine you are walking down a narrow aisle.
16号起飞 想象你走在狭窄的过道上
A short row of seats lies on either side of you, with three seats on each side.
短排座位位于你两侧,每侧有三个座位.
Everyone around you is stuffing luggage into large compartments overhead, or they’re pushing things under seats.
你们周围的每个人都把行李塞入大隔间,
You do the same, and then you scoot into your seat and buckle your seatbelt.
你做同样的事情,然后你 滑入你的座位 并系好安全带。
You continue to look around.
你继续四处找
You notice that the walls curve up toward the ceiling.
你注意到墙壁向天花板倾斜
The small plastic window beside you has a thick shade that you can lift and lower.
旁边的小塑料窗有一个厚厚的遮荫,可以抬起并降低.
People continue to walk down the aisle with more and more luggage.
人们继续带着越来越多的行李走下过道.
And suddenly you wonder, “How is this big, heavy, metal tube, with all these people and all this stuff, ever going to get off the ground?”
突然间,你问道, “这个大而重的金属管, 和所有这些人和这些东西, 怎么会从地上下来呢? “
What you’re really asking is, “How does an airplane fly?”
你真正要问的是,“飞机是如何飞行的? “
The Wright Brothers Wilbur Wright (1867–1912) and Orville Wright (1871–1948) grew up in Ohio.
莱特兄弟威尔伯·赖特(1867–1912)和奥维尔·赖特(1871–1948)在俄亥俄州长大.
They owned a bicycle-repair shop in Dayton, Ohio.
他们在俄亥俄州代顿拥有一家自行车修理店.
They introduced their powered airplane to people in the United States and Europe.
他们向美国和欧洲的人们介绍他们的有动力飞机.
Throughout history, the question of how to fly, of how to soar through the sky like a bird, has intrigued and mystified people.
在整个历史中,如何飞行,如何像鸟一样从天空飞来的问题引起了人们的兴趣和迷惑。
After all, if birds can fly, why not humans?
毕竟,如果鸟儿能飞,为什么不是人类呢?
Some people even made wings that resembled those of a bird and attached them to their arms.
一些人甚至制造出与鸟类相仿的翅膀并附着在手臂上.
Flapping their arms wildly, they soon discovered that homemade wings were not the key to human flight.
他们很快发现自制翅膀不是人类飞行的关键.
Then, in 1783, someone found a way to fly.
后来在1783年,有人找到了一种飞行方式.
In that year, two brothers in France figured out that hot air was lighter than cooler air.
当年,法国有两位兄弟发现热空气比更凉快.
If they filled a giant balloon with hot air, the warmer air inside the balloon would rise above the cooler air surrounding it.
如果他们把一个巨大的气球充满了热空气,气球内部更温暖的空气会从周围更冷的空气上升起.
Ingenious!
聪明!
With this discovery, the brothers proceeded to create the first hot-air balloon—and the first successful attempt at flight.
随着这一发现,兄弟们着手制造出第一个热气球——以及第一个成功的飞行尝试.
Over the next few decades, people continued to experiment with various methods of aviation.
在接下来的几十年里,人们继续尝试各种航空方法.
Slowly, these flying machines began to resemble what would one day evolve into the modern airplane.
慢慢地,这些飞行器 开始像 有一天会演化成现代飞机。
The Brothers Are Wright Orville and Wilbur Wright were not scientists.
阿雷特·奥维尔兄弟和威尔伯·赖特不是科学家.
In fact, the contraption they knew the most about was the bicycle.
事实上,他们最了解的是自行车
But, like so many others before them, Orville and Wilbur also were intrigued with the prospect of being able to fly.
但是,和他们之前的许多其他人一样,奥维尔和威尔伯也对能够飞行的前景产生了兴趣.
The Wright brothers wanted to build a plane that could take off from the earth and keep itself flying through the air.
赖特兄弟想造出一架能从地上起飞并保持自己从空中飞行的飞机.
They believed that the newly invented gasoline engine would be a key component to their dream of a flying machine.
他们认为,新发明的汽油发动机将是他们梦想飞行机器的关键组成部分.
Wilbur watches as Orville makes the first flight.
威尔伯看着Orville第一次飞行
It was on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers pulled their newly created flying machine, called Flyer, onto a North Carolina field overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
当时是1903年12月17日,莱特兄弟将自己新造的飞行机"飞来"(Flyer)拉上俯瞰大西洋的北卡罗来纳地.
The strange-looking contraption had a long pair of wings toward the front and a pair of shorter wings near the rear.
外观奇特的机具有一对向前的长相机翼,一对更短的机翼靠近后方.
The plane also had two propellers that were driven by a single engine.
飞机还拥有由单引擎驱动的两台螺旋桨.
Orville Wright stretched out on his stomach upon the lower wing and fired up the engine.
Orville Wright把肚子伸到下翼上并点燃了发动机.
As the propellers turned and the plane moved forward on two small wheels, Wilbur ran alongside, holding a wing to steady the plane.
随着螺旋桨的转动和飞机在两个小轮子上前进,威尔伯并肩跑出,牵起一翼来稳定飞机.
Within moments, the machine was airborne.
瞬间,机器就升空了
To their delight, the invention was a success.
他们高兴的是 发明是成功的
They made three more successful flights that day, though none lasted more than a minute.
他们当天的飞行更成功三次,不过没有一次飞行持续了一分钟多.
The Wright brothers continued to modify and experiment with their flying machines.
莱特兄弟继续用他们的飞行机进行修改和实验.
Other people also worked with the Wright brothers’ incredible design, hoping to build bigger, quicker, and better flyers.
其他人也与莱特兄弟的不可思议的设计合作,希望建造出更大,更快,更好的传单.
Over the years that followed, airplanes became more complex and advanced.
之后的几年里,飞机变得更加复杂和先进.
Even so, all airplanes, no matter how different in size or form, had some of the same basic parts that were on the Wright brothers’ first plane—engines and wings.
即使如此,所有飞机,无论大小或形式如何不同,都有Wright兄弟第一架飞机上的一些基本部件——引擎和机翼。
In this 1911 glider flight, Orville Wright remained airborne for 9 minutes and 45 seconds, setting a record that lasted for over 10 years.
在此次1911年的滑翔机飞行中,奥维尔·赖特在空中停留了9分45秒,创下了持续了10多年的记录.
Early Pilots With the invention of the airplane, people began challenging themselves and their aircraft to see how far they could go.
早期飞行员 随着飞机的发明,人们开始挑战自己和他们的飞机,看看它们能走多远.
Two of the most well-known pilots of early aircraft were Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.
早期飞机最有名的两名飞行员是查尔斯·林德伯格和艾米莉亚·埃尔哈特.
In 1927, Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, taking off from New York and landing in Paris.
1927年,林德伯格成为了第一个独自驾驶飞机穿越大西洋的人,从纽约起飞并在巴黎降落.
Five years later, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
五年后,阿梅莉亚·埃尔哈特成为了第一个独飞横跨大西洋的女性.
The Plane Facts In order to fly, all self-powered planes must have an engine.
飞机的事实 为了飞行,所有自能飞机都必须有发动机.
Like the engine of a car, the engine of an airplane moves the airplane forward.
和汽车的发动机一样,飞机的发动机会把飞机向前移动.
All airplanes must also have wings, because the wings are the feature that actually lifts the plane into the air.
所有飞机也必须有机翼,因为机翼是实际将飞机升入空中的特征.
In addition, all airplanes must have parts on their wings that move.
此外,所有飞机的机翼上必须有能移动的部件.
These moving parts, called ailerons, help control the airplane.
这些移动的部件,叫做Ailerons,帮助控制了飞机.
Planes have other parts that enable them to fly and that help pilots control their movements.
飞机有其他部件可以飞行 并且可以帮助飞行员控制飞行
A plane has a tail section with a rudder that moves right and left, and elevators that move up and down.
飞机有尾翼部分,有左右向移动的舵,有升降电梯.
The pilot is able to determine the movement of these parts with controls inside the plane’s cockpit.
飞行员能够确定这些部件在飞机驾驶舱内有控制装置的移动.
Controlling an airplane is almost like controlling a car, except that the pilot has an extra dimension to deal with.
控制一架飞机几乎就像控制一辆车一样,只是飞行员有额外的维度处理.
When driving a car or riding a bike, the driver or rider can make the vehicle go forward, as well as right or left.
在驾驶汽车或骑自行车时,司机或骑手可以使车辆前进,以及左右.
You can think of these directions as two dimensions— what’s in front of you, and what’s on either side of you.
你可以把这些方向看作是两个维度, 摆在你面前的是什么, 以及你两边的东西。
An airplane, though, can move forward, right, left, as well as up and down.
但是,飞机可以向前,右,左,以及上下。
The pilot has the extra dimensions of the space below and above the plane in which to move.
飞行员具有平面下和平面上移动空间的额外尺寸.
Controls inside the cockpit help the pilot maneuver through the air in all these dimensions.
驾驶舱内的控制器帮助飞行员在所有这些维度上通过空气进行操纵.
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
The ways in which an airplane can move have specific terminology.
飞机移动的方式有具体术语。
Rolling is when an airplane tilts to either side.
当飞机倾斜到两边时 飞机就会翻滚
The cockpit contains several instruments that give important information to the pilot.
驾驶舱内有几种向飞行员提供重要信息的仪器.
The control column is similar to the steering wheel on a car.
控制柱与一辆车上方向盘类似.
Turning the column right or left moves the ailerons on the wings up or down, which causes the plane to roll from side to side.
将柱子左右向上或向下移动机翼上方的AIlerons,这导致平面从侧向上滚动.
The control column can also be pulled back and pushed forward, which will move the elevators on the tail up and down.
控制柱也可以被后拉并向前推出,这样会把机尾上的电梯上下移动.
When the elevators go down, the nose of the plane pitches down, and when the elevators go up, the nose of the plane pitches up.
电梯下行后,飞机的鼻子会投出,而电梯上行后,飞机的鼻子会投出.
The Big Mystery So now we know how a pilot controls the airplane, but the big question remains: How does an airplane fly?
大谜团 现在我们知道飞行员如何控制飞机了 但大问题仍然是: 飞机怎么飞?
If you compare the wings of different airplanes, you’ll notice that, no matter to which airplane the wing is attached, all the wings have the same shape.
如果你比较不同飞机的机翼,你会注意到,无论机翼附着在哪个飞机上,所有机翼的外形都是一样的.
This wing construction is the secret—and the science—behind what makes an airplane fly.
这种机翼的构造是使飞机飞起的秘密和科学。
The wings of an airplane are the key to flight.
飞机的翅膀是飞行的关键
A pilot monitoring his many instruments Most planes also have pedals that control the rudder.
一个飞行员 监测他的许多工具 大多数飞机还设有控制舵的踏板.
Pushing the right pedal moves the rudder to the right, which makes the nose of the plane yaw right.
推出右脚踏板将舵向右移动,使飞机的叫声右转.
Pushing the left pedal has the opposite effect, yawing the plane to the left.
推出左脚踏板有相反的效果,将飞机向左拉出.
The upper surface of an airplane’s wing is curved, and the bottom surface is flat.
飞机机翼上表面为曲线,下表面为平地.
This means that air flowing across the upper surface has a greater distance to travel than the air moving across the lower surface.
这意味着流过上地表的空气比流过下地表的空气有更大的行走距离.
In order to keep pace with the air flowing under the wing, the air flowing over the top of the wing must move faster.
为了跟上机翼下行走的空气,机翼上行走的空气必须更快地移动.
The faster the air moves, the less pressure it exerts.
空气移动越快,所施加的压力就越小.
The slow-moving air beneath the wing exerts greater pressure on the wing’s lower surface than the fast-moving air exerts on the wing’s upper surface.
机翼下方缓慢移动的空气对机翼下表面所施加的压力大于机翼上表面所施加的快动空气所施加的压力.
The greater pressure under the wing pushes the wing upward.
机翼下的压力越大,机翼就会向上推进.
This upward push of air, called lift, causes a plane to leave the ground and fly.
这种向上推进的空气,叫起重机,导致一架飞机从地上离开并飞出.
Because moving air causes these different air pressures, the airplane’s forward momentum is critical for it to fly.
因为移动的空气造成了这些不同的空气压力,所以飞机的前进动力对飞行至关重要.
The forward motion makes the air flow over the airplane’s wings and creates the differences in pressure—it creates the lift needed for the plane to overcome gravity.
前向运动使飞机机翼上的空气流出并造成压力的差异——它为飞机克服重力创造了必要的升力.
As long as the aircraft’s wings keep moving forward fast enough to generate lift, the airplane will remain airborne.
只要飞机的机翼能保持足够快地前进以产生起重机,飞机就会保持空降.
An airplane engine up close Air moving over the top of a wing moves farther and faster than air under the wing.
飞机引擎靠近 空气在机翼上方移动,比机翼下方的空气移动得更远更快.
Into the Air As you imagine yourself sitting inside an airplane and gazing out the window, don’t think about how heavy the airplane is, loaded down with people and cargo.
进入空中 想象自己坐在飞机内, 看着窗外, 别想飞机有多重, 装满了人员和货物。
Instead, notice the shape of the wings and consider the air flowing over them.
相反,注意翅膀的外形,考虑在翅膀上流动的空气.
The Wright brothers did!
莱特兄弟做到了!
And because of their speculation and experimentation with wing shape and engines, the airplanes of today are able to take us just about anyplace in the world.
由于他们的猜测和实验 机翼形状和引擎, 今天的飞机能够带我们到 世界上任何地方。
Where would you like to go?
你想去哪儿吗?
Glossary ailerons (n.)
词汇ailerons(n.)
hinged surfaces attached to the back edges of an airplane’s wings (p.
紧接在飞机机翼后缘的地表(p.
9) aviation (n.)
9) 航空 (n.
the flying of aircraft (p.
飞机飞行(p.
5) elevators (n.)
5)电梯 (n.
hinged flaps on the tail sections of airplanes (p.
机尾部分的相接襟翼(p.
9) lift (n.)
9) 起(n.
an upward aerodynamic force that goes against the force of gravity (p.
与重力相抗的上行气动力(p.
13) rudder (n.)
13) 舵手 (n.
a device near the back of a boat, ship, or airplane that controls steering (p.
控制航向的船只、船只或飞机后部附近的装置(p.
9) speculation (n.)
9) 推测 (n.
guesses based on ideas and theories that are not proven (p.
基于未被证明的思想和理论的猜测(p.
15) Index Airplanes line up before take-off.
15) Index Airplanes起降前排行.