美国学生世界地理教材 第193期:温度计冻住的地方(1)

 Most thermometers have numbers down to forty degrees (40°) below zero. There the numbers stop,  大部分温度计向下标出的度数最低是零下40度，在零下40度这儿数字就停止了，

for when the mercury¹ gets down to that point it freezes up. 因为温度计里的水银降到这个温度就会冻住。

But there are few places in the World where it ever gets as cold as that. 但世界上很少有地方能冷成那样。

The coldest place in the World is not at the North Pole;  世界上最冷的地方不在北极。

the coldest place in the World, where the thermometer does go below 40°and freezes up, is in the country called Siberia. 世界上最冷的地方，是在一个叫“西伯利亚”的地方，那里温度计能降到零下40度以下并冻住。

Siberia is a huge country north of China. In the north of Siberia the sun never rises all winter long. 西伯利亚是在中国以北的一个巨大区域，在西伯利亚的北部，整个冬季，太阳都不会升起。

It is night, as it is in Norway and Sweden. 就像在挪威和瑞典一样，都是夜晚。

But there is no Gulf² Stream to warm the land, so it gets much colder than 40° below zero, 但那儿没有墨西哥湾流来温暖大地，因此那里的温度可以低到零下40度以下，

and they have to use a different kind of thermometer to measure how cold it is. 他们要用一种特别的温度计来测量温度。

In one place it goes to 90° below zero, which is the coldest place. 有一个地方温度低到了零下华氏90度，那是世界上最冷的地方。

People can't grow fur on their skins to keep themselves warm as animals can, 人类不能像动物那样让自己的皮肤长出皮毛来保暖，

so when they go outside they must cover themselves from top to toe with animal skins or they would freeze to death in a few moments. 所以，当地人外出时，只能从头到脚裹上动物的皮毛，否则一会儿就会被冻死。

But all of Siberia is not like this. There is a top, a middle, and a bottom part. 但并非整个西伯利亚都像这样寒冷，西伯利亚分上中下三部分。

Few people live in the northern part, however. 很少有人住在北部地区，

It is so cold that no trees grow there and the ground is frozen³ solid many feet down. 那里太冷，连树都不生长，地面以下好几英尺都冻得结结实实。

In the summer it gets very warm, and the thermometer sometimes goes just as high above zero as it goes below in the winter; that is, to 90°. 夏季天气变得非常暖和，炎热时温度计升到华氏90度，与冬季最冷的度数正相反。

The ground then thaws⁴ out on top and moss⁵ and a few other things grow for a short while, though the ground underneath⁶ still stays frozen. 土壤表层会解冻，苔藓和其他一些植物能短期生长。不过深层的土壤仍然冰冻着。

Siberia is larger than the United States. 西伯利亚的面积比美国大，

It belongs to Russia, but there are people from other countries living there too. 属于俄罗斯，但也有其他国家的人居住在这里。

The middle part of Siberia is not nearly so cold, and there great forests have grown, 西伯利亚的中部远没有那么寒冷，那里有大片的森林，

and in the forests live wild animals such as foxes, wolves, sable⁷, and ermine, which have beautiful thick coats of fur to keep themselves warm. 森林里有狐狸、狼、黑貂和白鼬那样的野生动物，这些野生动物都有美丽厚实的皮毛保暖。

1 mercury   

n.汞，水银，水银柱

参考例句：

• The liquid we can see in thermometers is mercury.我们看到的温度计里的液体是水银。
• Mercury has a much greater density than water.水银的密度比水大得多。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 frozen   

adj.冻结的，冰冻的

参考例句：

• He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上，他被冻死了。
• The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。

4 thaws   

n.（足以解冻的）暖和天气( thaw的名词复数 )；（敌对国家之间）关系缓和v.（气候）解冻( thaw的第三人称单数 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化

参考例句：

• The sun at noon thaws the ice on the road. 中午的阳光很快把路上的冰融化了。 来自辞典例句
• It thaws in March here. 在此地化雪的季节是三月。 来自辞典例句

5 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

6 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

7 sable   

n.黑貂；adj.黑色的

参考例句：

• Artists' brushes are sometimes made of sable.画家的画笔有的是用貂毛制的。
• Down the sable flood they glided.他们在黑黝黝的洪水中随波逐流。