# 第四册 Lesson 40 Waves 波浪

## 一、课文原文

Waves are the children of the struggle between ocean and atmosphere, the ongoing signatures of infinity. Rays from the sun excite and energize the atmosphere of the earth, awakening it to flow, to movement, to rhythm, to life. The wind then speaks the message of the sun to the sea and the sea transmits it on through waves — an ancient, exquisite, powerful message.

These ocean waves are among the earth's most complicated natural phenomena. The basic features include a crest (the highest point of the wave), a trough (the lowest point), a height (the vertical distance from the trough to the crest), a wave length (the horizontal distance between two wave crests), and a period (which is the time it takes a wave crest to travel one wave length).

Although an ocean wave gives the impression of a wall of water moving in your direction, in actuality waves move through the water leaving the water about where it was. If the water was moving with the wave, the ocean and everything on it would be racing in to the shore with obviously catastrophic results.

An ocean wave passing through deep water causes a particle on the surface to move in a roughly circular orbit, drawing the particle first towards the advancing wave, then up into the wave, then forward with it and then — as the wave leaves the particles behind — back to its starting point again.

From both maturity to death, a wave is subject to the same laws as any other 'living' thing. For a time it assumes a miraculous individuality that, in the end, is reabsorbed into the great ocean of life.

The undulating waves of the open sea are generated by three natural causes: wind, earth movements or tremors, and the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Once waves have been generated, gravity is the force that drives them in a continual attempt to restore the ocean surface to a flat plain.

— from *World Magazine* (BBC Enterprises)

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| atmosphere | /ˈætməsfɪə/ | n. | 大气层，气氛 | struggle between ocean and atmosphere 海洋与大气层的斗争 |
| infinity | /ɪnˈfɪnəti/ | n. | 无限，无穷 | signatures of infinity 无限的标记 |
| energize | /ˈenədʒaɪz/ | v. | 赋予能量，激励 | excite and energize 激发和赋予能量 |
| rhythm | /ˈrɪðəm/ | n. | 节奏，韵律 | to movement, to rhythm, to life |
| exquisite | /ɪkˈskwɪzɪt/ | adj. | 精美的，精致的 | an exquisite message 精妙的信息 |
| crest | /krest/ | n. | 波峰 | the highest point of the wave |
| trough | /trɒf/ | n. | 波谷 | the lowest point |
| vertical | /ˈvɜːtɪkl/ | adj. | 垂直的 | vertical distance 垂直距离 |
| horizontal | /ˌhɒrɪˈzɒntl/ | adj. | 水平的 | horizontal distance 水平距离 |
| actuality | /ˌæktʃuˈæləti/ | n. | 实际，现实 | in actuality 实际上 |
| catastrophic | /ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk/ | adj. | 灾难性的 | catastrophic results 灾难性后果 |
| orbit | /ˈɔːbɪt/ | n. | 轨道 | circular orbit 圆形轨道 |
| undulating | /ˈʌndjuleɪtɪŋ/ | adj. | 起伏的，波浪状的 | undulating waves 起伏的波浪 |
| tremor | /ˈtremə/ | n. | 震动，颤动 | earth movements or tremors 地震或震动 |
| gravitational | /ˌɡrævɪˈteɪʃənl/ | adj. | 引力的 | gravitational pull 引力 |

**固定搭配：**
- **give the impression of**：给人……的印象
- **in actuality**：实际上
- **be subject to**：受……支配
- **restore...to**：使……恢复到

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 诗意化的拟人手法

> The wind then **speaks the message** of the sun to the sea and the sea **transmits it on** through waves

拟人手法：风"转达"太阳的信息，海"传递"信息。

### 2. 虚拟语气

> **If** the water **was moving** with the wave, the ocean and everything on it **would be racing** in to the shore

与现在事实相反的虚拟条件句，用于说明波浪并不携带水前进。

### 3. 现在分词作结果状语

> waves move through the water, **leaving** the water about where it was

leaving 表示自然结果：波浪穿过水面后，水基本留在原处。

### 4. then...then...then...and then... 排比

> drawing the particle **first** towards the advancing wave, **then** up into the wave, **then** forward with it and **then** — as the wave leaves the particles behind — back to its starting point again

四个 then 排比描述水质点的圆形运动轨迹。

## 四、重点句型分析

### 句型1：诗意开头

> Waves are the children of the struggle between ocean and atmosphere, the ongoing signatures of infinity

- "children of the struggle"——拟人+隐喻
- "signatures of infinity"——隐喻，波浪是无穷的印记
- 两个同位语并列

### 句型2：错觉与真相

> **Although** an ocean wave gives the impression of a wall of water moving in your direction, **in actuality** waves move through the water leaving the water about where it was

- Although 让步+ in actuality 转折
- 错觉：水墙向自己推进
- 真相：波浪穿过水面，水几乎不动

### 句型3：拟人化结语

> For a time it assumes a miraculous individuality that, in the end, **is reabsorbed into the great ocean of life**

- 波浪获得"个性"→最终被"生命的大海"重新吸收
- 暗喻生命的诞生与消亡

## 五、课文翻译

波浪是海洋与大气层斗争的产物，是无穷无尽的持续标记。太阳的光线激发和赋予地球大气层能量，唤醒它去流动、去运动、去律动、去生活。风然后向大海转达太阳的信息，大海再通过波浪将它传递下去——一条古老的、精妙的、有力的信息。

这些海浪是地球上最复杂的自然现象之一。基本特征包括：波峰（波浪的最高点）、波谷（最低点）、波高（从波谷到波峰的垂直距离）、波长（两个波峰之间的水平距离）和周期（波峰移动一个波长所需的时间）。

虽然海浪给人水墙向你移动的印象，但实际上波浪穿过水面后，水几乎留在原处。如果水随波浪一起移动，海洋和上面的一切都会冲向海岸，后果显然是灾难性的。

穿越深水的海浪使表面的水质点沿大致圆形的轨道运动，先将质点拉向前进的波浪，然后升入波浪，然后随之前进，然后——当波浪将质点留在后面——再回到起点。

从成熟到消亡，波浪受与任何其他"活"的东西相同的规律支配。有一段时间它呈现出奇迹般的个体性，最终又被重新吸收到生命的浩瀚海洋中。

公海起伏的波浪由三种自然原因产生：风、地震或震动、月亮和太阳的引力。波浪一旦产生，重力就是驱动它们的力量，不断试图使海洋表面恢复为平坦的平面。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：科学与诗意的结合

- 第一段：诗意描写（拟人、隐喻）
- 第二段：科学定义（术语、括号注释）
- 第三-四段：原理解释（错觉vs真相）
- 第五段：哲学升华（生命比喻）
- 第六段：科学总结

### 2. 逻辑结构

| 段落 | 主题 | 风格 |
|------|------|------|
| 第一段 | 波浪的本质 | 诗意 |
| 第二段 | 波浪的特征 | 科学 |
| 第三段 | 波浪的错觉 | 逻辑 |
| 第四段 | 水质点运动 | 科学 |
| 第五段 | 波浪与生命 | 哲学 |
| 第六段 | 波浪成因 | 科学 |

### 3. 文化背景

- BBC World Magazine：BBC 出版的科学杂志
- 波浪理论是海洋学的核心内容
- "signature of infinity"呼应了数学中波浪方程的周期性

### 4. 修辞分析

- "children of the struggle"——拟人，赋予自然以生命
- "speaks the message"——拟人，风和海有语言
- "great ocean of life"——双关：字面的海洋+比喻的生命
- 科学与诗意的交替使用——独特的美感

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **词汇练习**：掌握 crest、trough、vertical、horizontal、undulating、gravitational 等核心词
2. **语法练习**：虚拟条件句；现在分词作结果状语；排比结构
3. **翻译练习**：注意诗意语言的翻译；科学术语的准确表达
4. **写作练习**：模仿科学与诗意结合的写法，描述一种自然现象

## 八、本课小结

本课以科学与诗意结合的方式描写波浪。核心内容：**波浪是海洋与大气互动的产物，它看起来像水在移动，实际上只是能量在传递**。文章从诗意的拟人描写开始，转入科学定义，解释波浪的错觉与真相，最后以哲学隐喻升华——波浪如同生命，获得个体性后终被大海吸收。语法重点为虚拟条件句和排比结构。写作特色是科学与诗意的完美融合。