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* 本篇文章难度系数7.7,由《小仙英语伴读》人工智能难度分析系统提供评分。
【编者按】今天的主题是乘坐飞机有关的英语。
Why haven't airplane windows gotten larger or generally changed much in 50yrs?
【译】为什么飞机的窗户在50年里没有变得更大或者至少有较明显的改变?
【单词】airplane ['air-pleyn]['eəpleɪn] n. 飞机
【单词】windows 原型:window ['win-doh]['wɪndəʊ] n. 窗户;橱窗
I'm sure the advancement in materials and construction would allow for a larger window without sacrificing the integrity of the plane or adding that much weight.
【译】我确信在材料和结构上的进步可以在不牺牲飞机完整性或增加较多多重量的情况下,安上一个更大的窗户。
【单词】advancement [ad-'vans-muhnt, -'vahns-][əd'vɑːnsmənt] n. 前进;进步;晋升
【单词】construction [kuhn-'struhk-shuhn][kən'strʌkʃn] n. 建设;结构;建造
【单词】sacrificing 原型:sacrifice ['sak-ruh-fahys]['sækrɪfaɪs] vt. 牺牲;亏本出售;供奉
【单词】integrity [in-'teg-ri-tee][ɪn'teɡrəti] n. 完整;完善;正直;诚实
【单词】weight [weyt][weɪt] n. 重量;体重
They have, look at the 787 and A380, they are significantly bigger than previous planes.
【译】是有所改变的,看看(波音)787和A380,它们(的窗户)比以前的飞机大得多。
【单词】significantly [sig-'nif-i-kuhnt][sɪɡ'nɪfɪkəntli] adv. 意义深远地;重要地;较大地
【专有名词】A380 是空中客车公司的一种飞机型号
The reason it doesn't seem like it's true is those are the only really new planes released in the last 30-40 years or so.
【译】飞机窗户看起来没有变大的原因是,上面这些飞机是在过去30-40年里发布的仅有的新飞机。
【单词】released 原型:release [ri-'lees][rɪ'liːs] vt. 释放;让与;准予发表
The workhorse planes you mostly see on domestic trips in the US are probably the A320 and 737, released in 1987 and 1967 respectively.
【译】你在美国国内旅行中经常看到的主力飞机可能是分别于1987年和1967年发布的A320和737。
【单词】workhorse ['wurk-hawrs]['wɜːkhɔːs] n. 做粗工者;重负荷机器
【单词】mostly ['mohst-lee]['məʊstli] adv. 主要地;通常
【单词】domestic [duh-'mes-tik][də'mestɪk] adj. 家庭的;国内的
【单词】trips 原型:trip [trip][trɪp] n. 旅行
【单词】respectively [ri-'spek-tiv-lee][rɪ'spektɪvli] adv. 分别地;各自地
This, plus the physics of holes don't change with time.
【译】再加上空洞的物理性质不会随时间而改变。
【单词】plus [pluhs][plʌs] prep. 加;加上 conj. 并且
【单词】physics ['fiz-iks]['fɪzɪks] n. 物理学
【单词】holes 原型:hole [hohl][həʊl] n. 洞;孔;穴;漏洞
The skin of airplanes is highly stressed due to pressure.
【译】飞机的外壳承受很大的压力。
【短语】due to 多数表示“由于;因为”。如:This accident was due to his careless driving.同时,due 与to 单配,还可以表示“付给某人”,如:Respect is due to older people.
【单词】skin [skin][skɪn] n. 皮肤;外皮;皮囊
【单词】highly ['hahy-lee]['haɪli] adv. 高度地;很;非常
【单词】stressed 原型:stress [stres][stres] vt. 被压,压,强调
If you punch a hole in it (the window), the stress has to go around the hole and you get a stress concentration at the sides of the windows.
【译】如果你在它(窗户)上打一个洞,压力就会围绕着这个洞,你会在窗户的两侧产生一个应力集中。
【单词】punch [puhnch][pʌntʃ] vt. 开洞;钻孔
【单词】concentration [kon-suhn-'trey-shuhn][ˌkɒnsen'treɪʃən] n. 集中;专心;浓度
This has to happen, regardless of the material or technology of the window, so a windowless skin will always weigh less than a windowed one, and a small window will always weigh less than a large one.
【译】不管窗户的材质和制造技术如何,没有窗户的飞机外壳部分都会比有窗户的轻,窗户越小则这部分也比更大的窗户更轻。
【短语】regardless of 表示“不管……的;不顾……的”,后接名词、代词、从句。如:Regardless of whether it rains, there will be plenty we can do for fun.
【单词】happen ['hap-uhn]['hæpən] vi. 发生;碰巧;出现;偶遇
【单词】windowless ['win-doh]['wɪndəʊləs] adj. 无窗的
【单词】weigh [wey][weɪ] v. 衡量;称(重量);重达
And, since they physics of aircraft doesn't change either, heavier aircraft will always burn more fuel than light ones at equal levels of aerodynamics.
【译】而且,由于飞机的物理特性也没有改变,在相同的空气动力学水平下,重型飞机总是比轻型飞机燃烧更多的燃料。
【单词】aircraft ['air-kraft, -krahft]['eəkrɑːft] n. 飞机
【单词】heavier 原型:heavy 形容词比较级 ['hev-ee]['hevi] adj. 大(量)的;重的;沉重的;猛烈的
【单词】burn [burn][bɜːn] v. 燃烧;烧着
【单词】fuel ['fyoo-uhl]['fjuːəl] n. 燃料;刺激因素
【单词】equal ['ee-kwuhl]['iːkwəl] adj. 相等的;平等的 vt. 比得上;等于
【单词】aerodynamics [air-oh-dahy-'nam-iks][ˌeərəʊdaɪ'næmɪks] n. 空气动力学;气体力学
Materials aren't that much better.
【译】材料没有变得更怎么好。
Planes mostly have to be made out of aluminum, due to strength vs stiffness vs weight limitations, but it has some issues with fatigue, so that boxes you in a bit with what you can do, particularly around stress focus locations like windows.
【译】由于强度、硬度和重量的限制,飞机大多必须由铝制成,但它也有一些金属疲劳问题,所以限制了我们能够做的改进,特别是在像窗户这样的应力集中的地方。
【单词】aluminum [uh-'loo-muh-nuhm][ə'luːmɪnəm] n. 铝 =aluminium(英).
【单词】strength [strengkth, strength, strenth][streŋθ] n. 力气;强度;力量;长处
【单词】stiffness [stif][stɪfnəs] n. 僵硬;硬度
【单词】limitations 原型:limitation [lim-i-'tey-shuhn][ˌlɪmɪ'teɪʃn] n. 限制;限度;缺点
【单词】fatigue [fuh-'teeg][fə'tiːɡ] n. 疲劳;疲乏 adj. 疲劳的
【单词】boxes 原型:box [boks][bɒks] vt. 把…装箱;使局限于狭小空间;挡住
【单词】focus ['foh-kuhs]['fəʊkəs] n. 焦点;焦距;中心 v. (使)集中;聚集 focuser focuses focused / focussed focused / focussed focusing / focussing focuses /
【单词】locations 原型:location [loh-'key-shuh n][ləʊ'keɪʃn] n. 位置;外景拍摄地;定位;地点
Bear in mind - 50 years ago folks weren't living in caves, they were landing people on the moon.
【译】请记住,50年前人们并不是住在山洞里,而是曾让人登上月球的年代。
【单词】bear [bair][beə(r)] v. 忍受;负荷;结果;证实
【单词】folks 原型:folk [fohk][fəʊk] n. 人们;(某类或来自某个地方的)人
【单词】caves 原型:cave [keyv][keɪv] n. 洞穴;山洞
【单词】landing ['lan-ding]['lændɪŋ] n. 着陆;登陆
They had decent materials.
【译】他们有像样的材料。
【单词】decent ['dee-suhnt]['diːsnt] adj. 相当好的;体面的;适当的;正派的
Putting windows in a plane will always add cost and weight, and decrease the strength of the airplane.
【译】在飞机上安装窗户会增加成本和重量,降低飞机的强度。
【单词】decrease [dih-'krees][dɪ'kriːs] v. 减少;减小;降低
Even though we now have lighter and stronger materials, this is still true.
【译】即使我们现在有了更轻更坚固的材料,这仍然是事实。
【词法】even though是“尽管”的意思,为连词,引导让步状语从句用于引导让步状语从句。如:He went out even though it was raining. 尽管在下雨,他还是出去了
【单词】lighter ['lahy-ter]['laɪtə] light的形容词/副词比较级 更轻的
There is major pressure on the airlines to have low ticket costs, so the companies which buy airplanes are not looking to spend money on luxury if it reduces the cost efficiency of the airplane.
【译】航空公司面临着降低机票成本的巨大压力,因此,购买飞机的公司不会在奢侈品上花钱,因为这样会降低飞机的成本效率。
【短语】spend ... on ... 花费(时间、金钱、精力等)……在(某事物)上;例句:He didn't spend much time on his homework. 他没花多少时间就完成了作业。
【单词】airlines 原型:airline ['air-lahyn]['eəlaɪn] n. 航线;航空公司
【单词】ticket ['tik-it]['tɪkɪt] n. 票
【单词】spend [spend][spend] v. 花费;浪费
【单词】luxury ['luhk-shuh-ree]['lʌkʃəri] n. 奢侈品;奢侈;豪华
【单词】reduces 原型:reduce [ri-'doos, -'dyoos][rɪ'djuːs] v. 减少;缩小;简化
【单词】efficiency [ih-'fish-uhn-see][ɪ'fɪʃnsi] n. 效率;功率
That said, newer airplane designs do have larger windows than older designs.
【译】也就是说,新的飞机设计确实比旧的设计有更大的窗户。
【短语】that said 这就是说,(引导让步说法)即便如此,话虽如此;例句:That said, the technique remains unproved. 这也意味著,这项技术仍旧尚未得到证实。That said, "mental fitness" is still a squishy concept. 话虽如此,“精神健康”仍是模糊的概念。
If you are used to going on shorter flights, most of those are done on older airplanes like the 727 or 737, both designs are decades old.
【译】如果你习惯于短途飞行,大部分都是在727或737这样的老式飞机上完成的,这两种设计都有几十年的历史了。
【短语】most of ... 大部分,大多数的;绝大多数;例句:I think most of these obstacles can be surmounted. 我认为这些障碍大多数都是可以克服的。
【单词】flights 原型:flight [flahyt][flaɪt] n. 飞行;航班
【单词】decades 原型:decade ['dek-eyd]['dekeɪd] n. 十年
If you fly on a 787 or A380, you will notice the windows are a bit bigger.
【译】如果你乘坐787或A380飞机,你会发现窗户有点大。
【单词】notice ['noh-tis]['nəʊtɪs] vt. 注意;留心
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