The Round Earth
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents A Quest for Answers.
目录 A 答案查询表。
4 Earth and the Scientific Method.
4 地球和科学方法。
5 Evidence of the Ancients.
5古人之证.
6 Why Earth Is Round.
6 为什么地球是圆。
11 Practical Proof.
11"实用证明".
12 Science Practice.
12 科学实践。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 A Quest for Answers The three crew members of Apollo 8 were the first people ever to orbit the Moon.
16 A 查询答案 阿波罗8号的三名船员是有史以来第一个绕月球出轨的人.
As they came around the Moon for the fourth time on December 24, 1968, they observed Earth rising over the Moon’s horizon and hurried to take a picture.
他们于1968年12月24日第四次环绕月球时,观察到地球在月球地平线上升起并匆忙拍摄.
“Earthrise” remains one of the most striking photographs ever taken.
“地球升起”仍然是迄今拍摄的最引人注目的照片之一。
It shows Earth’s swirling white clouds and blue oceans above the Moon’s lifeless gray surface.
它显示地球在月球无生命的灰色地表上方所旋转的白云和蓝色海洋.
A curving shadow across the planet separates night from day.
整个星球的曲折阴影 将黑夜和白天隔开
The picture also clearly presents the planet’s spherical shape in a way that had never been shown before.
图片还清晰地呈现出这个星球的球形,其方式从未出现过.
Humans discovered that Earth is a sphere thousands of years ago, long before they rocketed into space.
人类发现地球是几千年前的球体 早在他们发射到太空之前
How people proved this—and how we can confirm it for ourselves—is an interesting opportunity to put our science skills to work.
人们如何证明这一点,以及我们如何为自己证实这一点,是使我们的科学技能发挥作用的有趣机会。
The “Earthrise” photo made history in 1968 and is still one of the most famous photographs ever taken.
" Earthrise " 照片于1968年成为历史,仍然是有史以来最出名的照片之一。
Earth and the Scientific Method Curiosity is a powerful human instinct that has led inquisitive thinkers to explore questions big and small about the world we live in.
地球和科学方法的好奇心是一种强大的人类本能,它引导了有疑问的思想家探索关于我们所生活的世界的大小问题.
Scientists may be the most curious people of all.
科学家也许是最好奇的人
Understanding the natural world is one of the main pursuits of science.
了解自然世界是科学的主要追求之一.
Our planet might be considered the first laboratory because as people explored the land and seas, they naturally wanted to learn more about the shape of where they lived.
我们的星球可能被认为是第一个实验室,因为当人们探索陆地和海洋时,他们自然想要更多地了解自己所生活的地方的形状.
From the surface, Earth may seem flat.
从表面看,地球可能显得平坦.
Long ago, though, observant individuals noted evidence that suggested otherwise.
不过,很久以前,观察者注意到有证据表明情况并非如此。
They began to wonder about the real shape of our planet and tested their ideas to see if they were true.
他们开始怀疑我们星球的真正形状,并测试他们的想法,看看它们是否真实.
If their investigation failed to produce the answer they expected, they adjusted their ideas and tried again.
如果他们的调查未能产生他们预期的答案,他们就调整了想法并再次尝试.
That is a basic description of the scientific method, which is the systematic process of posing questions, or hypotheses and then testing them to determine whether they are accurate.
这是对科学方法的基本描述,即提出问题或假设的系统过程,然后对其进行测试以确定它们是否准确。
The goal is to discover a result that remains true no matter how many times the experiment is repeated and no matter who does the experiment.
目标是发现一个结果,无论实验重复了多少次,也无论是谁做实验,它仍然是真实的.
The scientific method is a scientist’s greatest tool, and it helped prove Earth is round.
科学方法是科学家最伟大的工具,它帮助证明了地球是圆的.
Question Hypothesis Evidence of the Ancients Today, aircraft, weather balloons, and spacecraft can confirm Earth’s shape from high in the sky.
问题假设 今天古人的证据, 飞机,气象气球,和航天器可以证实地球的外形,
Before such technology, though, how did thinkers figure out that Earth is round?
然而在这种技术之前, 思想家们是如何发现地球是圆的呢?
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD Experiment Analysis Conclusion evise If the hypothesis was incorrect, repeat steps 2–5.
科学方法实验分析结论 如果假设不正确,请重复步骤2–5.
Was your hypothesis correct?
你的假设正确吗?
Record and study what happened during the experiment.
记录并研究实验期间发生的事情.
Design an experiment that can prove or disprove your hypothesis.
设计一个能够证明或反驳你的假设的实验.
Predict the answer to the question.
预取所答.
What do you want to learn?
你想学什么?
Sailors were quite possibly the first to wonder about Earth’s shape.
水手很可能是第一个对地球形状产生疑问的人。
Even people on the shore must have noticed that ships sailing away from them didn’t just get smaller.
就连岸上的人也注意到,
Instead, the ships seemed to disappear, from bottom to top, as if they were sinking.
相反,这些舰只似乎从下到上都消失了,仿佛在下沉.
The way ships disappeared was not a result of the limits of human vision— climbing a tall hill would make the whole ship visible again, even after it had disappeared over the horizon.
船舶的消失方式不是人类视野的极限造成的——爬上高高的山丘将使整艘船再次亮相,即使它在地平线上已经消失.
It was evidence of a round Earth: Earth’s curvature was gradually hiding the ship from the observer as it traveled over the horizon.
这是地球圆形的证据:地球的曲面在穿越地平线时逐渐将飞船从观察者那里隐藏出.
Knowing Earth’s shape was also vital to a sailor’s success—and survival.
了解地貌对水手的成功和生存也至关重要。
The stars used for navigating long distances follow patterns that can only be explained by Earth being a sphere.
用于导航长距离的恒星遵循的模式只能由地球是一个球体来解释.
Rejecting that reality was a recipe for getting lost.
拒绝这种现实是迷失的秘诀。
Ancient Greece was famed for its philosophers as well as the expertise of its sailors.
古希腊以其哲学家及其水手的专长而出名。
(At that time, philosopher was a term for someone who studied questions relating to science and other subjects.)
(当时哲学家是研究与科学和其他学科有关的问题的人的名词.
Some Greek philosophers were curious about Earth’s shape.
一些希腊哲学家对地球形状感到好奇.
Through careful observation, thought, and testing, they searched for clues to the answer.
通过仔细的观察,思考和测试,他们寻找答案的线索.
Aristotle was a genius among the ancient Greeks.
亚里士多德是古希腊人中的天才.
In about 350 bce, he observed that different constellations are visible as one travels south or north.
在大约350 bce中,他观察到不同的星座随着一个星座向南或向北行走而可见.
The Big Dipper is a set of seven stars that looks like a ladle.
大斗牛座是七颗恒星组成的一组,外观像一盏"一".
It is always visible at latitudes of 41 degrees north (41°N) or higher in the Northern Hemisphere.
在北半球北纬41度(北纬41度)或更高处始终可见.
However, if you travel below 25°S in the Southern Hemisphere, you won’t see it at all.
然而,如果你在南半球25°S以下旅行,你根本看不到。
These different views are logical if one is traveling along the surface of a sphere but don’t make sense if one is traveling on a flat plane.
这些不同的观点是合乎逻辑的,
Aristotle also pointed to lunar eclipses as evidence of Earth’s shape.
亚里士多德也指出月蚀是地球形状的证据.
During lunar eclipses, Earth’s shadow on the Moon’s face is always curved.
在月蚀期间,月球表面的地影总是被弯曲.
Earth’s shadow is round whether the eclipse is viewed high in the sky or close to the horizon.
地球的阴影是圆形的,无论日食在天空中被看成高,还是接近地平线.
Again, the logical conclusion is that Earth is spherical.
同样,逻辑结论是地球是球形的.
About one hundred years later, another Greek philosopher, Eratosthenes (air-uh-TOS- thuh-neez), used a different observation to test the round-Earth hypothesis.
大约一百年后,另一位希腊哲学家埃拉托西斯(Air-uh-TOS-thuh-neez)用不同的观察来测试圆地假说.
He used sunshine, shadows, some measurements, and geometry.
他利用了阳光,阴影, 一些测量,和几何。
People living in Syene (sy-EE-nee), a city in southern Egypt, had reported that at noon on June 20, the Sun was directly overhead.
居住在埃及南部城市Syene(sy-EE-nee)的民众报告说,6月20日中午,太阳会直接上浮.
They could tell that the Sun was precisely above the town because it was the only day the Sun shone straight down a specific deep well.
他们可以知道太阳正好在镇上 因为这是太阳唯一朝下 直下一口深井的日子
However, on the exact same date and time, Eratosthenes observed something different in Alexandria, Egypt, about 800 kilometers (500 mi.)
然而,在准确的同一天和同一时间,埃拉托西斯在埃及亚历山德里亚观察到了一些不同的事物,大约800公里(500米.
directly north of Syene.
直取赛恩以北.
There, a sunlit tower cast a shadow at a slight angle.
在那里,一个被太阳照亮的塔以微小的角度投出阴影.
In other words, when the Sun was shining straight down on Syene, it was not shining straight down on Alexandria.
换句话说,当太阳被直下闪耀于赛因时,它并没有被直下闪耀于亚历山大.
Eight hundred kilometers may seem like a long distance, but compared to the distance from Earth to the Sun, it is not far at all.
八百公里可能看起来很长的距离,但与从地球到太阳的距离相比,它根本不遥远.
If the world were flat, the Sun—because of the great distance— would have appeared to be directly above both cities.
如果世界是平地的,太阳——因为距离遥远——就会出现在两个城市的正上方。
Eratosthenes deduced that the shadows were different because Earth was a sphere.
Eratosthenes推断出,由于地球是一个球体,所以阴影是不同的.
Light shines directly down a deep stone well in Egypt.
光能直接照下埃及一深石井.
Shadows and Math Repeating Eratosthenes’ experiment requires two conditions in addition to a sunny day: first, the locations need to be due north or south of one another; second, they need to be at least 322 kilometers (200 mi.)
影子和数学重复 Eratosthenes 的实验除了一个阳光灿烂的日子外,还需要两个条件:第一,地点需要相互向北或向南;第二,它们需要至少322公里(200米).
apart.
分开
In each location, a straight marker must be placed perfectly perpendicular to Earth’s surface.
在每一地点,必须把一个直接的标记完全贴入地表。
Then observers in both places must measure the angles of the shadows cast by each at the same time.
然后两地的观察者必须同时测量各自所投出阴影的角度.
In Eratosthenes’ case, the angle of the shadow at location 2 was 0 degrees because the sunlight went straight down a deep well at noon.
在Eratosthenes的案例中,2号地点的阴影角为0度,因为日光在中午会直下深井.
The two lines formed by angle y must meet at Earth’s center.
由相角所形成的两条线必须在地球中心相会.
An observer measures the angle of the shadow cast by the marker (angle x) at noon.
一个观察者在中午测量由标记(angle x)所投出阴影的角度.
Once angle x is known, math can tell us what angle y is.
一旦发现X角,数学就能告诉我们你是什么角.
Eratosthenes took his investigation further.
Eratosthenes进一步调查了他。
Based on the angle of the Sun’s shadow and the distance between Syene and Alexandria, he used geometry to calculate the circumference of, or distance around, Earth.
根据太阳阴影的角度和赛因和亚历山大之间的距离,他用几何来计算地球的周长或周围的相距.
Experts think his calculation was fairly close to the real circumference—about 40,075 kilometers (24,900 mi.)
专家认为他的计算相当接近实际周长——大约40,075公里(24,900米).
Not bad for someone without high- tech tools living more than 2,300 years ago!
对2300多年前没有高科技工具的人来说还不错!
Once the size of one “slice” of Earth is known, math can tell us the circumference of the whole circle.
一旦知道地球一个“虱子”的大小,数学就可以告诉我们整个圆圈的周长。
Why Earth Is Round Curious minds, aided by the scientific method, proved Earth is round, but Earth is not the only object in space with this characteristic.
为什么地球是圆怪心 在科学方法的帮助下, 证明地球是圆的, 但地球并不是太空中唯一具有这种特征的物体。
Other planets, the Sun, the Moon, and most other large space objects are also round, which we can easily see through telescopes or even just with our eyes.
其他行星,太阳,月球,以及其他大多数大型空间物体也是圆形的,我们很容易通过望远镜,甚至只是用眼睛看得到.
Why is that?
为什么?
The answer is gravity.
答案是引力。
Every physical thing has mass, from a huge planet to a grain of sand.
每个物理物质都有质量, 从一个巨大的星球到一粒沙子。
Mass naturally attracts other mass by means of gravity, and the more mass an object has, the stronger the gravitational force it exerts.
质量通过重力方式自然地吸引出其他质量,一个物体的质量越高,其所施加的重力就越强.
This force is unnoticeable between small objects, but planets and suns have huge amounts of mass and therefore a great deal of gravity.
这种力在小物体之间是不可注意的,但行星和太阳的质量巨大,因此引力很大.
Their gravity pulls inward toward their center from every direction.
它们的引力从每个方向向内拉向中心
It is so strong that it crushes or compacts a planet or sun into a spherical shape, just as you might crush a snowball.
它是如此的强壮, 它将一个行星或太阳 压缩成球形, 就像你可能会压碎一个雪球一样。
Most large objects in space end up as spheres because each point on the surface of a sphere is as close to the center as it can get.
太空中大多数大型物体最终会变成球体,因为球体表面的每个点都尽可能接近中心.
Not all space objects have the necessary amount of mass to be forced into a spherical shape, though.
并非所有的空间物体都有必要的质量来被强迫成球形。
Asteroids, for example, are smaller than planets and moons.
例如,小行星比行星和月球小.
Only a few known asteroids have enough mass and gravity to be spheres.
只有少数已知的小行星质量和重力足以成为球体.
Practical Proof The gravity that keeps our feet on the ground is also a function of Earth’s mass.
实际证据 使我们的脚保持在地上的重力也是地球质量的一个函数。
If we drop a rock, it falls down.
如果我们掉下一块石头,它就会倒下。
Wherever we stand on Earth’s surface, the rock will be pulled toward the center of the planet.
无论我们站在地球表面何处,岩石都会被拉向地球的中心。
Gravitational force also holds the Moon in Earth’s orbit and keeps Earth and our entire solar system in orbit around the Sun.
引力还使月球处于地球轨道,使地球和整个太阳系处于太阳轨道。
Earth’s spherical shape is not just an interesting fact—it also affects how we live, build, and move.
地球的球形不仅仅是个有趣的事实——它也影响到我们如何生活、建设和移动。
Just making a phone call provides practical proof of Earth’s shape.
提供地球形状的实际证据。
Imagine it’s midday in London, the capital of England.
想象一下今天是英国首都伦敦的正午。
You call a friend in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
你给新西兰首都惠灵顿的朋友打电话
Your friend answers: “Do you know what time it is?
你的朋友回答说: “你知道现在几点了吗?
It’s the middle of the night!”
这是半夜!
Why the twelve-hour difference?
为什么是十二小时的差异?
London and Wellington are on opposite sides of the globe.
伦敦和惠灵顿位于地球的对面.
While the Sun shines on one half of our round planet, the other half is in shadow.
太阳照耀了我们地球的一半 另一半是阴暗的
Earth is divided into time zones to help humans in distant places manage time—and avoid disruptive phone calls.
地球被划分为时区,以帮助遥远地方的人类管理时间,并避免干扰性电话。
Gravity squeezes Earth from all directions, shaping it into a sphere.
重力挤压 地球从四面八方形成球体
Engineers of big projects also must take the Earth’s shape into account.
大项目的工程师也必须考虑到地球的形状。
Consider the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City, which was completed in 1964.
考虑1964年竣工的纽约市韦拉扎诺-纳罗斯大桥.
This bridge is suspended on two giant 211-meter (693 ft.)
这座桥被悬浮在两座巨大的211公尺(693英尺)上.
towers that are 1,298 meters (4,260 ft.)
塔高为1,298米(4,260英尺).
apart from each other.
分别相出.
The designers didn’t make the towers perfectly parallel, though.
设计者并没有使塔身完全平行。
The tops are actually 41.
顶部实际为41个.
3 millimeters (1 5/8 in.)
3毫米(1/5/8英寸).
farther apart than the bases.
比基地更远
Why?
为什么?
To make the bridge as stable as possible, the builders had to adjust for Earth's curvature.
为了让桥尽可能地稳定,建造者必须适应地心曲面.
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge stands firm thanks to knowledge of Earth’s shape.
Verrazzano-Narrows(维拉扎诺小区) 由于对地貌的了解,桥梁站稳了脚跟。
Every day, airline pilots must navigate a round Earth.
每天,航空飞行员必须环绕地球航行.
Look at a flat map of the world and find New York City and Madrid, Spain.
看看一幅平地的世界地图,找到纽约市和西班牙马德里.
The two cities are almost exactly east or west of each other.
两座城市几乎完全相互以东或以西.
Flying from New York, you might think the shortest distance to Madrid would be directly east across the Atlantic Ocean.
从纽约飞来,你可能认为去马德里最短的距离 会直接从东面穿过大西洋。
However, if you looked out your window during the flight, you might see ice on the Arctic Ocean below.
然而,如果你在飞行时从窗外看, 你可能会看到北冰洋下面的冰.
Why?
为什么?
The aircraft is following what is known as a “great circle route.”
飞机正在沿着所谓的“大圆道走。 “
A great circle route is a shorter path when traveling over the surface of the spherical Earth.
大圆形路线是在球状地表上行走时缩短的路线.
It saves time, fuel, and money compared with flying directly east or west.
它能节省时间,燃料和金钱,与直接向东或向西飞行相比.
On a flat map, a straight line is the shortest distance between two points.
在平地图上,直线是两个点之间最短的距离.
On the surface of a globe, we can use a piece of string to see for ourselves why a trip from North America to Europe might include an Arctic flyover.
在一个地球表面,我们可以用一串绳子来亲眼看看 为什么从北美到欧洲的旅程 可能包括北极上空的飞行。
In fact, all long-distance navigation is rooted in the fact that we live on a sphere.
事实上,所有的长途航行都源于我们生活在一个球体上的事实.
Sailors have used this concept to navigate the oceans for thousands of years.
航海家号使用这个概念航海了几千年.
For decades, airline pilots and astronauts have done the same in the air.
几十年来,航空飞行员和宇航员在空中也做了同样的事情.
Their livelihoods and lives have depended on Earth being round.
他们的生计和生活取决于地球的圆形。
Science Practice Accepting that Earth is a sphere helps us understand the world, from time zones to long- distance travel.
科学实践 承认地球是一个球体,帮助我们了解世界,从时区到长途旅行.
Recognizing and employing scientific proof allows us to seek new and deeper answers.
承认和使用科学证据使我们能够寻求新的更深入的答案。
At the same time, exploring a question ourselves helps us develop the scientific skills that allow us to go where our own scientific curiosity leads.
同时,我们自己探索一个问题,有助于我们发展科学技能,使我们能够去我们自己的科学好奇心所引领的地方。
It also helps us to better understand whether or not someone else’s ideas are sound and make sense.
这也帮助我们更好地理解别人的想法是否合理和合理。
Exercising thinking skills makes them sharper, just as practicing bass guitar or basketball makes us better musicians or athletes.
锻炼出思考技巧使他们更锋利,就像练习低音吉他或篮球让我们更好的音乐家或运动员一样.
The scientific method gives us the means to prove Earth is a sphere.
科学方法给了我们证明地球是一个球体的手段.
It also helps us develop good questions, explore, explain what we observe, and test our questions and observations to see if they hold up to analysis.
这也帮助我们提出好的问题,探索,解释我们所观察到的东西,并测试我们的问题和观察,看看它们是否值得分析.
If the answers we get don’t match our hypothesis, we can try again, asking new questions and testing them in different ways.
如果我们得到的答案与我们的假设不符, 我们可以再次尝试,
We can trust such proven practices to generate trustworthy answers and then use those answers to propel our curious minds even further.
我们可以相信这些经过验证的做法,以产生可信的答案,然后利用这些答案来推动我们的好奇心。