EZCNN 易英网

Google Earth Is Out of This World 从Google看地球

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Imagine your computer just grew wings, and could now take you wherever you want to go. No, it’s not a plot for a new movie. It’s Google Earth, and it’s amazing.

想象你的计算机长了一对翅膀，可以带领你遨游四方。不，这可不是某部新片的情节，而是神奇的Google地球软件！

The space around the Earth is full of satellites. Many of them have high-resolution cameras that have taken pictures of the planet’s surface. Google taps into this huge reservoir of photos and streams it to your computer. When you start up the program, you’ll see the planet surrounded by control options and information readout. Type in an address or landmark, or simply click on an area, and you can immediately zoom to that location. The process is extremely quick and seamless as you zoom in and out, or travel between locations. There are even controls to tilt the picture, giving a slight 3-D effect. Google Earth can also superimpose driving directions on the picture. Any information about restaurants, hotels, museums and parks can be displayed, based on your settings.

环绕地球外围的太空布满人造卫星，其中许多都装有拍摄地表照片的高解析相机。Google从这个超级相片库中抓取照片，将其输送到计算机里。启动程序时，你会看到一个地球影像，四周有控制选项及信息。当你键入某个地址或地标，或者只要在任一区域点一下鼠标，就会立即出现该地点的影像。你可以选择拉近、推远画面，或在不同地点间移动，整个过程十分迅速流畅。甚至还有使影像倾斜的操纵装置，让它看起来有些许三维效果。Google地球软件也可以把行车路线和相片重迭显示。它还能根据你的设定来显示餐厅、旅馆、博物馆、或是公园的信息。

The picture are not real-time, and you won’t see any movement within the picture itself. Some of the pictures may even be several years old. But for most cities and landmarks, the results are amazing, as is the level of detail. Navigating with Google Earth is so much like flying that it may be the first program that requires seat belt when in use!

这些卫星图像并非实时，相片本身也没有任何动态信息，有些相片甚至是好几年前拍的。但对于大部份的城市和地标，其显示结果及精细度令人叹为观止！使用Google地球宛如遨游天际，它可能是第一个让你想在使用时系上安全带的软件！

−by Howard Weston

Vocabulary

单词发音

zoom [zum] v.（用变焦距镜头）将画面推近（或拉远）

setting [ˋsɛtɪŋ] n. 设定

navigate [ˋnævə͵get] v. 导航

More Information

单词发音

plot [plɑt] n.（小说，戏剧等的）情节

resolution [͵rɛzəˋluʃən] n. 分辨率

tap into 接入; 利用

stream [strim] v. 流; 流动

option [ˋɑpʃən] n. 选择

readout [ˋrid͵aʊt] n. 资料解析

landmark [ˋlænd͵mɑrk] n.（显而易见的）地标，陆标

seamless [ˋsimlɪs] adj. 无缝的; 流畅的

tilt [tɪlt] v. 使倾斜

slight [slaɪt] adj. 轻微的

superimpose [͵supərɪmˋpoz] v. 把……放置在上面重迭

base on 基于

real-time adj. 实时的; 即时处理的

level [ˋlɛv!] n. 程度

program [ˋprogræm] n.【计算机】程序；程序设计

in use  在使用中