万物简史 第384期:浩瀚的海洋(3)

 　　The hydrogen atoms cling fiercely to their oxygen host, but also make casual bonds with other water molecules². 氢原子死死地抓住其主子氧原子不放，而且与别的水分子的黏合也很随便。

　　The nature of a water molecule¹ means that it engages in a kind of dance with other water molecules, 因此，它仿佛在与别的水分子一起跳舞，

　　briefly³ pairing and then moving on, like the ever-changing partners in a quadrille, to use Robert Kunzig's nice phrase. 短时间里配成一对，接着又往前移动——用罗伯特·孔齐希的话来说，就像跳方阵舞那样不断地变换舞伴。

　　A glass of water may not appear terribly lively, but every molecule in it is changing partners billions of times a second. 一杯水也许看上去缺少生气，但里面的每个分子都在变换舞伴，每秒要变换几十亿次。

　　That's why water molecules stick together to form bodies like puddles⁴ and lakes, 这就是为什么水分子能教合在一起形成水坑和湖泊的原因，

　　but not so tightly that they can't be easily separated as when, for instance, you dive into a pool of them. 但又没有黏合到密不可分的程度。这一点你只要跳进一个水塘就会知道。

　　At any given moment only 15 percent of them are actually touching⁵. 在任何时候，实际上只有15%的水分子是互相接触的。

　　In one sense the bond is very strong, 在一定意义上，这种黏合是非常牢固的，

　　it is why water molecules can flow uphill when siphoned and why water droplets⁶ on a car hood⁷ show such a singular determination to bead⁸ with their partners. 所以，水分子可以通过吸管流往高处，汽车发动机罩上的小水滴会与伙伴们形成水珠。

　　It is also why water has surface tension. 这也是水有表面张力的原因。

　　The molecules at the surface are attracted more powerfully to the like molecules beneath and beside them than to the air molecules above. 表面的分子对于其下面和左右的分子的吸引力要比对于上面空气里的分子的吸引力强大。

　　This creates a sort of membrane⁹ strong enough to support insects and skipping stones. 于是，就产生了一层坚固的薄膜，昆虫可以停在上面，你也可以用石子玩打水漂。

　　It is what gives the sting to a belly¹⁰ flop¹¹. 它还对跳水起着支托作用。

　　I hardly need point out that we would be lost without it. 我几乎用不着指出，没有水，就没有我们。

　　Deprived of water, the human body rapidly falls apart. 没有了水，人体会迅速散架。

　　Within days, the lips vanish "as if amputated, the gums blacken, 有一篇报道说，不出几天，嘴唇会消失，“像是被割去了似的，齿龈会发黑，

　　the nose withers¹² to half its length, and the skin so contracts around the eyes as to prevent blinking." 鼻子会缩成原先的一半长，眼睛周围的皮肤会缩到无法眨眼睛的程度”

1 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

2 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 puddles   

n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。
• The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 droplets   

n.小滴( droplet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Droplets of sweat were welling up on his forehead. 他额头上冒出了滴滴汗珠。 来自辞典例句
• In constrast, exhaled smoke contains relatively large water droplets and appears white. 相反，从人嘴里呼出的烟则包含相当大的水滴，所以呈白色。 来自辞典例句

7 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

8 bead   

n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠

参考例句：

• She accidentally swallowed a glass bead.她不小心吞下了一颗玻璃珠。
• She has a beautiful glass bead and a bracelet in the box.盒子里有一颗美丽的玻璃珠和手镯。

9 membrane   

n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸

参考例句：

• A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
• A plastic membrane serves as selective diffusion barrier.一层塑料薄膜起着选择性渗透屏障的作用。

10 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

11 flop   

n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下

参考例句：

• The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
• The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败，产品卖不出去。

12 withers   

马肩隆

参考例句：

• The girl's pitiful history would wring one's withers. 这女孩子的经历令人心碎。
• "I will be there to show you," and so Mr. Withers withdrew. “我会等在那里，领你去看房间的，"威瑟斯先生这样说着，退了出去。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹