中英双语新闻:各种效应的英文怎么说
效应”的原义是“物理的或化学的作用所产生的效果”,也可泛指“某个人物的言行或某种事物的发生和发展在社会上所引起的反应或效果”。
英语的对应词是effect。
自然界和人间社会存有各式各样的效应。
其中“温室效应” (green-house effect)是我们最常见的一种大气保温效应,与地球变暖(global warming)相关。
例如:
1. The term “greenhouse effect” has two commonmeanings. There is a natural greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth’s climate warm and habitable.There is also a man-made greenhouse effect, which is the enhancement of Earth’s naturalgreenhouse effect by the addition of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels (mainlypetroleum, coal, and natural gas).
“温室效应”这个词有两个基本意思:一个是使地球气候保持温暖和适宜居住的自然温室效应;另一个是人为温室效应,即因为燃烧化石燃料(主要是石油、煤和天然气)造成温室气体增多而导致的地球自然温室效应增强。
2. Earth’s natural greenhouse effect is critical to supporting life. But human activities, primarilythe burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests, have intensified the natural greenhouse effect,causing global warming.
地球的自然温室效应对维持生命是至关紧要的,但是人类活动,主要是燃烧化石燃料和砍伐森林,已加剧了这种自然温室效应,引起世界变暖。
与我们生存环境密切相关的另一种自然效应是“城市热岛效
应”(urban heat island effect)。
例如:
3. Temperatures are often a few degrees higher in cities than they are in their surrounding ruralareas. This temperature discrepancy is the result of a bizarre phenomenon known as the urbanheat island effect. As the name implies,
the effect turns cities into islands of heat.
城市温度常常比周围农村高出几度。
这种温差是一种叫做“城市
热岛效应”的奇异现象造成的。
正如其名所示,这种效应使城市变成
热岛。
4. According to the latest statistics from the China Meteorological Administration, about one-fourth of the temperature rise caused by climate warming can be blamed on
the urban heat islandeffect. This effect is adding to our woes.
根据中国气象局的最新统计,在气候变暖引起的气温上升中,大
约有1/4是城市热岛效应造成的。
这种热岛效应正在给我们增添麻烦。
美国数学与气象学家爱德华·诺顿·罗伦兹(Edward Norton Lorenz)发现的“蝴蝶效应”(butterflyeffect)也与自然气象相关。
例如:
5. A few occasional flaps of the wings of a butterfly in
a South American tropical rain forest in theAmazon Basin may cause a tornado in Texas, the United States two weeks later. This is becausethe movement of the wings of the butterfly
will bring about changes in the air system around it,and also cause weak air flow, which will lead to relevant changes in
the air and other systemsaround it. This will cause a series
of chain reactions, and eventually lead to significant
changes inother systems.
亚马孙盆地的南美热带雨林中的一只蝴蝶,偶尔扇动了几下翅膀,两周后在美国得克萨斯州可能引起一场龙卷风。
这是因为蝴蝶翅膀的
运动会导致其身边的空气系统发生变化,并产生微弱气流,而微弱气
流又会引起它四周空气或其他系统产生相对应的变化,由此引起一系
列连锁反应,最终导致其他系统的极大变化。
“蝴蝶效应”作为一种自然现象,也出现在文艺作品中。
美国歌
手戴维·赫尔南德斯(DavidHernandez)的The Butterfly Effect 一诗开头有这样的诗句
If a butterfly flapping its wings in Beijing
could cause a hurricane off the coast of Florida,
so could a deck of cards shuffled at a picnic.
假如北京的一只蝴蝶扇动双翅
能让佛罗里达海岸外刮起一场飓风,
野餐时洗一副纸牌也能掀起飓风。
鲶鱼效应”(catfish effect)是以动物行为产生的效应,比喻社
会竞争现象。
例如:
6. In Norway, live sardines are several times more expensive than frozen ones, and are valued forbetter texture and flavor. It was said that only one ship could bring live sardine home, and theshipmaster kept his method a secret.
After he died, people found that there was one catfish in histank. The catfish keeps swimming, and the sardines try to avoid this predator. This increased levelof activity keeps
the sardines active instead of becoming sedentary.
在挪威,鲜活的沙丁鱼比冰冻的贵好几倍,而且因其更好的口感
和质地受人青睐。
据说,以前仅有一条船能把鲜活的沙丁鱼运回家来,。