評論
打印
Variations in wood density affect vibrations, and therefore, sound.
密度差異性會影響振動，從而影響聲音。
When scientists first analyzed the wood of the vintage Cremonese violins in compared with the modern violin wood, they calculated the average density and found no difference.
最初科學家在分析對比古老的克雷莫納小提琴與現代琴的木材時，他們只算了平均密度，沒有找到不同之處。
Later, other researchers measured the density differential and found a significant difference.
隨后，別的研究人員測了密度差，發現了顯著差異。
Modern violins had a greater variation, a larger differential.
現代小提琴的（密度）差更大。
Student: So you mean the density of the wood in the Cremonese violins is, is more uniform?
你是說，克雷莫納小提琴木材密度更均一？
Professor: Correct.
對。
Student: But Northern Italy isn't in the tropics.
但意大利北部不在熱帶啊。
Professor: No. But climate matters.
不。但氣候很重要。
Turns out the Cremonese violins were made from trees that grew during a Little Ice Age, a period when temperatures across Europe were significantly lower than normal.
原來克雷莫納小提琴所用木材取材于從小冰河期生長的樹木，這期間歐洲的溫度比平時明顯得多。
So the trees grew more evenly throughout the year, making the density differential relatively small.
樹木在這一年長得更慢，密度差相對就更小。
Student: But you said someone replicated the Cremonese wood.
但你剛剛說有人復制出克雷莫納木材了。
Professor: The density differential was replicated.
（木材）密度差被復制出來了。
Student: What did they do? Try to simulate an Ice Age climate in their greenhouse and grow some trees in there?
他們做了什么？是在溫室里模擬小冰河期種了一些樹嗎？
Professor: No, what happened was a material scientist figured out a way to process wood to make it acoustically similar to the Cremonese wood.
不，其實是一位材料學家發現了一個處理木頭的方法，處理后其聲學性質與克雷莫納木材非常相似。
He basically exposed the wood to a species of fungus, uh, a mushroom.
他基本上就是讓木頭接觸一種真菌，呃，一種蘑菇。
In the forest, fungi are decomposers. They break down dead wood.
在森林里，真菌是分解者，它們能分解枯木。
But this particular fungus nibbles away only at certain layers in the wood, leaving other layers alone.
但這種特殊的真菌僅僅蠶食木頭中的某幾層，別的它不管。
As a result, the density differential of the fungi-treated wood approach that of the Cremonese wood.
結果，木頭經真菌處理后，其密度差與克雷莫納木材就很接近了。
