【英语时差8,16】雨滴的多种形状

Raindrops Of Many Sizes When it’s raining, it may seem that every raindrop is the same–same size, same basic shape, same wetness. But if you could compare and measure raindrops, you’d find that they’re not all the same size or shape. In fact, raindrops vary from one to six millimeters in diameter and come in all sorts of shapes. When they first fall from clouds, raindrops are surprisingly large–in rare cases, some are as wide across as a baseball. So what happens to break these monster drops into many smaller drops of different sizes? Scientists used to think it was the result of drops colliding and splintering as they fell. But one study has found that although individual large drops do indeed break up into smaller shards¹, it has nothing to do with mid² air collisions. Instead, drops shatter all on their own. French scientists observed the phenomenon when they used a high speed camera to capture drops falling from a nozzle to simulate rainfall. As it falls from the nozzle or cloud, the drop flattens³. Then it seems to inflate⁴ like a balloon. Finally, after a few milliseconds, the upward pressure of air causes the drop to explode into hundreds of watery⁵ bits. The researchers created mathematical models to demonstrate that the shattering of individual drops explains why raindrops come in different sizes. Now, math is always useful–but to really get a sense of how raindrops shatter, you have to see it up close.

1 shards   

n.（玻璃、金属或其他硬物的）尖利的碎片( shard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyewitnesses spoke of rocks and shards of glass flying in the air. 目击者称空中石块和玻璃碎片四溅。 来自辞典例句
• Ward, Josh Billings, and a host of others have survived only in scattered shards of humour. 沃德、比林斯和许多别的作家能够留传下来的只是些幽默的残章断简。 来自辞典例句

2 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

3 flattens   

变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的第三人称单数 )； 彻底打败某人，使丢脸； 停止增长（或上升）； （把身体或身体部位）紧贴…

参考例句：

• After Oxford the countryside flattens out. 过了牛津以远乡村逐渐平坦。
• The graph flattens out gradually after a steep fall. 图表上的曲线突降之后逐渐趋于平稳。

4 inflate   

vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价）

参考例句：

• The buyers bid against each other and often inflate the prices they pay.买主们竞相投标，往往人为地提高价钱。
• Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.斯图尔特跳到海里给救生艇充气。

5 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。