評(píng)論
打印
Lightning Helps Fertilize The Soil
閃電有助于肥沃土壤
Our bodies need protein, and proteins contain nitrogen. The air we breathe has plenty of nitrogen to satisfy our needs.
人體需要蛋白質(zhì)，蛋白質(zhì)中含有氮元素。我們呼吸的空氣中有許多可以滿足我們需求的氮，
But—that nitrogen is not available to us directly from the air.
但我們無(wú)法直接從空氣中汲取氮，
The only way we can get nitrogen is from the plants we eat, or from the animals we eat that eat the plants.
我們獲得氮元素的唯一方法就是通過(guò)我們吃的植物或是以植物為食的動(dòng)物中獲得。
Here's The Problem:
問(wèn)題出現(xiàn)了：
A nitrogenmolecule in the air consists of two atoms which are held together very tightly.
空氣中的氮?dú)夥肿邮怯蓛蓚€(gè)連接緊密的氮原子組成，
In order for us to absorb nitrogen, the two atoms must be separated.
要吸收氮元素就必須將兩個(gè)原子拆開(kāi)，
But the two atoms are held together so tightly that our body chemistry does not have enough energy to process them.
但是人體內(nèi)產(chǎn)生的化學(xué)能并不足以打破如此緊密的連接。
This is where lightning comes in. Obviously we don't have to be struck by lighting in order to satisfy our need for nitrogen!
這時(shí)候，閃電就有用武之地了。很顯然的事，我們不需要為了滿足對(duì)氮元素的需求而去遭電擊。
However, in a thunderstorm there is enough electrical energy in lightning to separate the nitrogen atoms in the air.
但是，狂風(fēng)暴雨中的閃電釋放的能量足以拆散空氣中的氮原子，
Once the atoms are separated they can fall to earth with rain water,
被打散的氮原子隨著雨水落入泥土，
and combine with minerals in the soil to form nitrates, a type of fertilizer.
與泥土中的無(wú)機(jī)物相結(jié)合形成硝酸鹽（可作為肥料）。
The nitrogen-containing nitrates in the soil are absorbed by the plants,
泥土里含氮的硝酸鹽會(huì)被植物吸收，
and when we eat the plants or the animals which eat the plants, we get the nitrogen in a form which our bodies can use.
當(dāng)我們吃到這些植物，或者吃到以這些植物為食的動(dòng)物時(shí)，我們就能以身體可吸收的形式獲得氮元素了。
So, in addition to providing a spectacular light show, and scaring us to death, lightning also helps fertilize the soil.
所以，閃電除了能展現(xiàn)電閃雷鳴的壯觀景象和把我們嚇壞來(lái)之外，還能有助于肥沃土壤。
