万物简史 第373期:进入对流层(14)

 However, for reasons unknown he calibrated¹ the instrument in a way that put freezing at 32 degrees and boiling at 212 degrees. From the outset this numeric eccentricity² bothered some people, and in 1742 Anders Celsius³, a Swedish astronomer⁴, came up with a competing scale. In proof of the proposition that inventors seldom get matters entirely⁵ right, Celsius made boiling point zero and freezing point 100 on his scale, but that was soon reversed.

然而，由于未知的原因，他把温度计上的冰点设在32度，把沸点设在212度。这种古怪的数值从一开始就让有些人感到很不方便。1742年，瑞典天文学家安德斯·摄尔西乌斯提出了另一种温标。为了证明发明者很少能把事情彻底弄清楚的看法，摄尔西乌斯在自己的温际上把沸点设在0度，把冰点设在100度，但那个标法很快就被颠倒过来。

The person most frequently identified as the father of modern meteorology was an English pharmacist named Luke Howard, who came to prominence⁶ at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Howard is chiefly remembered now for giving cloud types their names in 1803. Although he was an active and respected member of the Linnaean Society and employed Linnaean principles in his new scheme, Howard chose the rather more obscure Askesian Society as the forum⁷ to announce his new system of classification. (The Askesian Society, you may just recall from an earlier chapter, was the body whose members were unusually devoted⁸ to the pleasures of nitrous oxide⁹, so we can only hope they treated Howard's presentation with the sober attention it deserved. It is a point on which Howard scholars are curiously¹⁰ silent.)

最经常被认为是现代气象学之父的，是英国药剂师卢克·霍华德。他在19世纪初成了名。霍华德的主要贡献在于1803年为云的类型起了名字。他是林奈学会的一名积极而受人尊敬的成员，在他的新方案中使用的是林奈原则，但他选了不大知名的阿斯克斯学会作为宣布他新的分类方案的论坛。（你也许还记得起来，前面有一章里提到过阿斯克斯学会，它的成员潜心于笑气带来的乐趣，因此我们只能希望，霍华德的陈述应该严肃对待，受到应有的重视。关于这一点，霍华德派的学者们古怪地保持沉默。）

Howard divided clouds into three groups: stratus for the layered clouds, cumulus for the fluffy¹¹ ones (the word means "heaped" in Latin), and cirrus (meaning "curled") for the high, thin feathery formations that generally presage¹² colder weather.

霍华德把云分成三类：一层一层的云被叫做层云；绒毛状的云被叫做积云（这个名字在拉丁语里是“堆积”的意思）；高处薄薄的羽毛状的结构被叫做卷云（意思是“卷曲”）。卷云一般出现在寒冷的天气到来之前。

1 calibrated   

v.校准( calibrate的过去式和过去分词 )；使标准化；使合标准；测量（枪的）口径

参考例句：

• Power pesticide dusters can be calibrated and used to apply pertilizer. 动力杀虫剂可以调整用来施肥。 来自辞典例句
• The flexible diaphragm is connected to a plat cantilever-calibrated spring. 柔韧的膜片一扁平的悬臂校正弹簧相连。 来自辞典例句

2 eccentricity   

n.古怪，反常，怪癖

参考例句：

• I can't understand the eccentricity of Henry's behavior.我不理解亨利的古怪举止。
• His eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.在他去世之前他的古怪脾气就早已闻名遐尔了。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

8 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

9 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

10 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

11 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

12 presage   

n.预感，不祥感；v.预示

参考例句：

• The change could presage serious problems.这变化可能预示着有严重问题将要发生。
• The lowering clouds presage a storm.暗云低沉是暴风雨的前兆。