书城外语课外英语-自然知识小贴士(双语版)
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第11章 创造的灵感(2)

In 1883a small volcanic island blew up.It was Krakatoa,west of Java in Sunda Strait.Nothing was left alive except one kind of earthworm.Yet in time plants began to grow again.By 1928many kinds of animals lived on the island.

Where did the new life come from?The nearest land was almost twelve miles away.Only a few of the new animals could fly or swim so far.The bugs,flies,and spiders were probably carried by the wind.The lizards and rats may have floated there on pieces of driftwood.Snails could have come on the wind or on floating coconuts or driftwood.Tornadoes and hurricanes may also have picked up creatures and dropped them miles away.

These are some examples of “accidental migration”.Such trips have carried many plants and animals to new homes.

新的生命来自何方

1883年,一个小火山岛火山爆发了,这就是巽他海峡中的爪哇岛西部的喀拉喀托火山。除了一种蚯蚓外,一切都死亡了。然而,植物终于又开始生长。到1928年,许多种动物又生活在岛上了。

新的生命来自何方呢?离岛最近的陆地差不多也有12英里之遥。新来的动物中,只有几种能飞行或凫水游这么远的路。臭虫、苍蝇和蜘蛛也许是风刮去的。蜥蜴和老鼠可能是乘一块块浮木漂流到那里的。蜗牛则可能是靠风力,或漂浮在水上的椰子或木头来到岛上的。龙卷风和飓风或许也会卷起动物,并把它们抛到数里以外的地方去。

这些是“偶然迁徙”的几个实例。这样的迁移把许多植物和动物送到了新家。

The First English Window

The first English window was just a slit in the wall.It was cut long,so that it would let in as much light as possible,and narrow,to keep out the bad weather.However,the slit let in more wind than light.This is why it was called “the wind’s eye”.The word window itself comes from two Old Norse words for wind and eye.

Before windows were used,the ancient halls and castles of northern Europe and Britain were dark and smoky.Their great rooms were high,with only a hole in the roof to let out the smoke from torches and cooking fires.

As time went on,people wanted more light and air in their homes.They made the wind’s eyes wider so as to admit air and light.They stretched canvas or tapestry across them to keep out the weather.

英国的第一扇窗子

英国的第一扇窗子不过是墙上的一个狭长口子。口子开得很长,为的是让尽可能多的光照进屋内;口子又开得很窄,从而使屋内不受坏天气的影响。然而,从洞口刮进来的风却比照进来的光多。这就是它被称为“风眼”的缘故。“window”一字本身也是由古挪威语中的“风”和“眼”二字构成的。

在窗子问世以前,古代北欧和英国的大厅及城堡里漆黑一片而又烟雾弥漫。屋子虽然又大又高,可是只在屋顶上开了一个洞口,让火把和炊火的烟从那儿通到外面去。

随着时间的推移,人们想使家中获得更多的光和空气。他们把这些“风眼”加宽,让空气和光进屋;他们又把帆布和毯子张开挂到窗子上,用以阻止寒气入内。

An Old Legend About Cheese

No one knows who made the first cheese,but an old leqend says that it was an Arabian merchant.He put his milk in a pouch made from a sheep’s stomach and set off across the desert.The jouncing of his camel,the desert heat,and the chemicals in the pouch lining made the milk separate into curds and whey.The thick part,or curd,was the first cheese.

Ancient records show that cheese has been eaten for more than four thousand years.From earliest times it has been considered a very nourishing food.Americans eat less cheese than people in some countries do,yet they still consume eight to ten pounds a year per person.

Today cheese is made all over the world.Most cheese is made from cow’s milk,because the supply of this milk is greater throughout the world.Smaller quantities come from the milk of other animals—goats,sheep,camels,and even reindeer.

关于乳酪的一个古老传说

没有人知道谁制成了第一块乳酪,但是一则古老的传奇故事说,那是一位阿拉伯商人。他把牛奶放在用羊胃做成的旅袋里,动身穿过沙漠。骆驼的摇动,沙漠的灼热,以及旅袋里层中的化学物质使牛奶离析成凝乳和乳清。这稠的部分,或者说凝乳,便是第一块乳酪。

古老的记载表明,人们食用乳酪已有4000多年的历史了。从最远古的时代起,它就被看成是营养丰富的食品。美国人比某些国家的人吃乳酪要少些,然而,每人一年仍要消耗8到10磅。

今天,世界各地都制造乳酪了。大部分乳酪是用牛的奶做的,因为在全世界这种奶的供应量较大。少量乳酪来自其他动物的奶,如山羊、绵羊、骆驼,甚至驯鹿。