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Why Does a Curve Ball Curve? 每月一问：变化球的球路为什么会弯曲？

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Homer, a sales representative for a Taiwan-based computer company, is at a baseball game in Phoenix, Arizona with Edith, an engineer:  贺马是一家台湾计算机公司的业务代表，和工程师伊迪丝在亚历桑那州凤凰城的棒球场看球赛。

H: Great seats! Right behind home plate.

好棒的座位！正对着本垒板后面。

E: Hey, how does the pitcher make the ball drop just before it reaches the plate?

嘿，投手是怎么让球在刚要进本垒板时下坠的？

H: Tell you in sec … Got him! Strike three!

等一下告诉你…搞定他了！三好球！

E: How did he do that?

投手怎么做到的？

H: I played some ball in Taiwan growing up. Unlike when throwing a fastball, the pitcher “chokes” the ball between his thumb and forefinger, then snaps the ball down and right as he releases it.

我在台湾长大也打打棒球。这和投快速球不同，投手把球「掐」在大姆指和食指之间，在他投出球时向下向右急扣。

E: So that puts front spin on the ball?

所以球向前面会旋转？

H: Right. This spin creates a whirlpool of air around the ball that follows the ball to the plate. As the ball travels through the air, the whirlpool’s velocity is slowed down on top of the ball, and speeded up on the bottom.

是的。旋转会在球四周造成气旋，一直跟着球进到本垒板。球在行进之间，球上面气旋的速度减慢，而底部的速度加快。

E: And with increased air velocity comes a decrease in air pressure, which causes the ball to sink.

而气流速度加快的话，气压就降低，所以球就往下坠了。

H: Exactly. You really are an engineer!

正是。妳真不愧是工程师！

E: Sure am. Have another beer – it’s on the company.

当然。再喝罐啤酒吧──公司付钱。

H: This is great fun after that meeting from hell! What was that VP asking me?

开完那场要命的会议，这有趣多了！那位副总裁【注】究竟在问我什么？

E: His question threw me for a curve as well; I never understand him.

我也觉得他的问题语带玄机；我不了解他。

H: Hey, watch! Looks like he’s throwing a sinker.

嘿，注意看！看来他要投下坠球了。

【注】VP是副总裁，一般公司可能有好几位。

－by Grady Sales

Vocabulary

单词发音

choke [tʃok] v. 抑制，压住

forefinger [ˋfor͵fɪŋgɚ] n. 食指

snap [snæp] v. 急射

whirlpool [ˋhwɝl͵pul] n. 漩涡

velocity [vəˋlɑsətɪ] n. 速度；速率

(something) from hell 极端令人厌恶地

throw someone a curve 对(某人)耍花招；给(某人)造成困难 to confuse someone by doing something tricky or unexpected.

sinker [ˋsɪŋkɚ] n.【棒】下坠球

Sentence of the Day

Curve balls aren’t a snap to throw properly.

变化球不容易投好。

snap [snæp] n.【美】【口】轻松的工作