【英语时差8,16】致命的波浪

You've heard about them, and maybe seen them in movies as they smash apart ocean liners, or wash whole cities into the sea. What causes tidal waves, and how are they different from the ordinary waves that wash against our coastlines? Tidal waves actually have nothing to do with tides, and nothing to do with ordinary ocean waves. They're more properly called "tsunamis²," which is Japanese for "harbor waves." It's a good name because, although tidal waves lie relatively³ flat on the open ocean, they can pile up tremendously high when they hit the shallower water of a continental⁴ shelf or harbor. Ordinary ocean waves are caused by the action of wind, like ripples⁵ on a wind-blown pond. Even the impressive surf of the Pacific got its start as wind blowing across the open water. The height of such waves depends on how fast the wind is blowing, and how much open water the wind travels across. Tsunamis, however, have nothing to do with wind. They're caused by the sudden movement of the Earth's crust during an underwater earthquake or a volcanic⁶ eruption⁷. Imagine a child's plastic wading⁸ pool filled with water in the back yard. Ordinary waves are like the little surface ripples from the afternoon breeze. A tsunami¹ is what you'd get if you kicked the side of the pool. Tsunamis can travel thousands of miles, and still send water crashing a hundred feet high into a harbor or coastal⁹ town. A 1960 earthquake in Chile sent tsunamis across the Pacific at three hundred miles per hour, destroying harbors in Hawaii and Japan. On our next program, we'll learn what it's like to meet a tsunami on the open ocean.

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 tsunamis   

n.海啸( tsunami的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our oceans are alive with earthquakes, volcanoes, and more recently, tsunamis. 海中充满着地震、火山，包括最近发生的海啸。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• Please tell me something more about tsunamis! 请您给我讲讲海啸吧！ 来自辞典例句

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

5 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

6 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

7 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

8 wading   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。
• The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

9 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。