If you drill a hole through the Earth and dropped a basketball down it, what would happen? 地球穿个洞，篮球丢下去会怎样？
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2003年6月03日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年5月29日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：287
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课文讲解
After Charlie had watched Austin Powers, he approaches his physics teacher Mrs. Hu with a problem: 查理看完电影「王牌大贱谍」，跑去问他的物理老师胡老师一个问题：
C: What if Dr. Evil drilled a hole through the Earth from pole to pole with his “laser” and then dropped a basketball into it?
如果邪恶博士用他的「雷射炮」将地球南北极射穿，然后丢一个篮球下去会怎么样？
H: Hold on, Mr. Powers. First, we need to establish some parameters: what is gravity? Next, we must make some assumptions.
等等，保威先生，首先我们得设定参项，例如地心引力的定义是什么，接下来我们必须设定情况。
C: Gravity is the relationship between the masses of two objects and their distance from each other. Right?
所谓地心引力，就是两个物体之间质量和距离的关系，对不对？
H: Basically. Now, if we assume there is no air resistance or heat effects or molten magma, your bizarre Dr. Evil question can be answered. What normally keeps a basketball at rest?
基本上没错。如果我们设定的情况，没有空气的阻力，温度的影响、或是熔化的岩浆，那么你那邪恶博士的怪问题就有解了。在平常的情况下，篮球为什么是静止的？
C: The gravitational pull of the Earth is greater than the basketball, so the ball rests… until we throw it in this hole.
因为地球的重力大于篮球的重力，所以篮球会停止运动……一直到我们把它丢到这个地洞里。
H: Then it would fall toward the Earth’s core. Would it shoot through to the other side of the planet?
所以球会往地心的方向掉下去，它会穿过地球掉出来吗？
C: Hmm. No, because the Earth’sgravitational pull would gradually slow the ball, then pull it back to the core.
嗯，不会，因为地球的重力会让球慢慢停下来，然后把球拉回地心。
H: Good. Like a gravitational spring. How long would the ball keep moving?
对，就像重力弹簧一样。篮球会持续运动多久呢？
C: Given our assumptions, it should spring back and forth forever.
在我们的假设情况下，球应该会一来一回，永远不会停下来。
H: Hey, it looks like you’ve got it.
嘿，看来你已经找到答案了。
C: Sure do. Groovy, baby!
一点也没错，太酷了，宝贝！
－by Jonathan P. Richards
Vocabulary
单词发音
parameter [pəˋræmətɚ] n. 参数; 起限定作用的因素
gravity [ˋgrævətɪ] n.【物】重力；引力；地心吸力
assumption [əˋsʌmpʃən] n. 假定，设想
magma [ˋmægmə] n.【地】岩浆
gravitational [ˋgrævəˋteʃən!] adj.（万有）引力的；重力的
back and forth 来来回回地
groovy [ˋgruvɪ] adj.【俚】绝妙的; 吸引人的；时髦的；刺激的
Sentence of the Day
I didn't appreciate the gravity of this situation!
我不知道事情的严重性！
appreciate [əˋpriʃɪ͵et] v. 体会，领会
gravity [ˋgrævətɪ] n. 严重性；危险性；重大