第83课 物质与感觉

　　All the things that make up the world on which we live are composed of some kind of stuff, or substance, or material. The name which is given to every kind of this stuff is matter , and we say that our world is a great ball of matter. The stones on which we walk are pieces of matter; the water of the ocean is another kind of matter; and the air or atmosphere which wraps round the whole world is yet another kind.

　　在我们生活的这个世界上, 所有物体全部都是由某种成分或物质或材料构成。这种东西就被称作物质, 我们的地球就是一个巨大的物质球体。我们脚下的石头就是一种物质；海洋中的海水又是另一种物质；包裹整个地球的大气还是一种物质。

　　Are there any pieces of matter in this room? Yes, there are many. The walls, the windows, the desks, the tables, the chairs, the maps, and the pictures, are all pieces of matter.

　　你所在的房间里有没有物质? 当然有, 而且很多。墙壁、窗户、桌子、椅子、地图、照片, 这些全部都是物质。

　　How do you know that these pieces of matter are in the room? It is because you possess the sense of sight. This sense is confined to two small parts of the surface of your body—your eyes—and by using your eyes you can find out a great deal about matter, such as its shape, its size, and its colour.

　　你怎么知道房间中存在这些物质? 这是因为你拥有视力。这种感知能力来自你身体表面的两个器官——眼睛。通过眼睛, 你可以了解物质的方方面面, 例如形状、大小与颜色。

　　But do not blind children know about matter ? Yes, indeed; for, though they cannot see, they have still the sense of touch. This sense is spread over all the surface of the body, but the tips of the fingers have the keenest sense of touch. Blind children can feel their way among the pieces of matter which surround them, and can tell a great deal about each piece of matter which they touch, although they cannot see it.

　　然而, 盲孩子能否对物质有所认识呢? 当然可以；因为, 虽然他们眼睛看不见, 但是触觉仍旧有用。这种感觉遍布我们的身体表面, 不过手指顶部的触觉最为敏锐。盲人儿童可以在周围的物质中摸索出一条道路。虽然看不见, 但是他们能够通过触觉了解碰到的物质的许多特性。

　　The other day I went into a room, and the moment I opened the door I knew that there had been an escape of gas from the pipe which leads to the gas-burner. I could not see the coal-gas, and I could not feel it, but I could smell it, and I knew by my sense of smell that there was some of the matter called coal-gas mixed with the air of the room. The sense of smell is confined to the inside of the nose. If you pinch your nose hard, you will find that you can smell nothing.

　　有一天, 我走进房间, 刚打开门, 就知道连接煤气炉的管道肯定出现了漏气的情况。我看不见煤气, 也摸不到它, 但可以闻到它的气味。通过嗅觉, 我能够判断, 房间的空气中混入了一些名叫煤气的物质。嗅觉来自鼻子。使劲捏住鼻子, 就会发现, 自己什么都闻不到了。