評論
打印
Narrator:Listen to a conversation between a student and his geography professor.
獨白:請聽下面一段學生與他的地理教授之間的對話。
Student:Hi. Professor Brown.
學生:您好，布朗教授。
Professor:Hi. Paul. What can I do for you?
教授:你好，保羅。需要幫助嗎？
Student:I have a question about the final exam.
學生:我有個關于期末考試的問題。
I mean, will it cover everything we've done all term?
我是說，考試的內容包括我們這學期所有的知識嗎？
Or just what we've been doing since the mid-term exam.
還是期中考試以后我們學的知識？
Professor:Everything we've done all term.
教授:我們這個學期學的所有的知識。
Student:Oh, boy.
學生:哦，天啊。
You know, I am still not too clear about the hydrologic cycle, um, the transfer of water back and forth between the earth and the atmosphere.
有關水循環的問題我還不是很清楚，嗯，就是水在地球和大氣之間的循環。
I really blew the question about it on the mid-term exam. I want to do better on the final exam.
在期中考試的時候我這個問題就回答的一塌糊涂，我希望在期末考試中能答好這個問題。
But I am still having trouble with it.
但是我還是不太明白。
Professor:Well, uh, have you been to the tutoring center?
教授:這樣啊，你去過輔導中心嗎？
Student:No, not for geography anyway.
學生:沒有，沒去過地理課的輔導中心。
Isn't that just for when you need help with writing, like an essay or a research paper.
那里不是只有當你寫論文或研究報告的時候需要幫助的時候才能去嗎？
Professor:Oh, no. you can get tutoring in a lot of subjects.
教授:哦，不。很多問題你都可以得到輔導。
Some graduate students from this department tutor there.
有許多地理系的研究生會在那里給大家輔導。
Student:That's good to know.
學生:得到這個消息很高興。
But I hardly go there because I have a part-time job.
但是我很少去那里因為我要做兼職。
I never seem to be free when they are open.
那里開的時候我總沒有時間。
Professor:Well, they will be extending their hours when final exams begin. You might try then.
教授:哦，期末考試的時候他們會延長輔導的時間。
But um... Well, since you are here now, can I help you with something?
你可以去那里試試。但是，既然你已經來了，我可以幫你看一下，哪里不會？
Student:Well, the hydrologic cycle.
學生:太好了，是水循環。
I remember we went over a diagram in class.
我記得課堂上我們講過一個圖表。
And from what I remember, water changes back and forth from water in lakes and oceans to vapor, and then back to water again when it falls as rain or snow, as precipitation.
根據我的記憶，水是來回循環的，湖水和海水變成水蒸氣，然后水蒸氣又變成雨或雪落下，也就是降水。
It's constantly being recycled through evaporation and condensation.
他們不斷的通過蒸發和液化循環。
Professor:That's it. Basically.
教授:基本上就是這樣。
Um... so exactly what is it you don't understand?
嗯，那你到底哪里不明白呢？
Student:OK. I guess what I am really confused about is how the topography of the land, the mountains and valleys and stuff, affects precipitation.
學生:我想我感到困惑的是地形是如何影響降水的，比如說山脈和峽谷或者是其他的地形。
Professor:OK. Good question.
教授:嗯，問得好。
Precipitation is influenced by topography among other things.
降水受地表的其他事物影響。
Um, why don't we talk about lake-effect snow?
不如我們來講一下大湖效應？
It's a phenomenon that occurs anywhere you have a large lake that doesn't freeze and have cold air flowing over it, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere
這種現象發生在面積大的不結冰的湖區，湖區的上空有冷空氣，而這種現象多在北半球出現。
Student:Like the great lakes in the United States?
學生:就像美國的五大湖區？
Professor:Yeah. What happens is that the cold arctic air blows across the lake from the north in winter.
教授:是的。冬天北極地區的冷空氣會從北邊吹來。
And as the air crosses the lake, the lower layer is warmed by the lake water, which is much warmer than the arctic air.
當冷空氣穿過湖區時，低處的空氣層會因湖水的溫度而變暖，湖水比北極的冷空氣要熱的多。
And as this air is warmed and picks up moisture, it becomes lighter than the air above it.
由于空氣變暖濕度增加，與上層的空氣相比它會變輕。
Student:So it starts to rise, right?
學生:所以它就會上升，對嗎？
Professor:Yes. And clouds begin to form.
教授:是的。所以會形成云層。
When the air gets closer to the shore, it's slowed down by the land and starts to pile up.
當空氣到達湖的邊緣時，由于陸地的原因它的速度會減慢并不斷聚集。
So it rises even faster because it has nowhere else to go, that's where topography comes into the picture.
所以它上升的更快，又無法到別的地方去。這就是地形造成的。
Student:And then it snows because as the air rises, it cools off and loses its capacity to hold water vapor.
學生:所以接著就會下雪，因為隨著空氣的上升，溫度降低，從而失去了對水蒸氣的控制。
Professor:That's right.
教授:是這樣的。
Student:OK. Thanks. Any chance you'll have this question on the final?
學生:好的，謝謝您。考試的時候您會出這道題嗎？
Professor:I don't know yet. But you seem to have a handle on it.
教授:這我還不知道。但是就算出了你也沒有問題了。
