听力文摘：在海啸中航行

Tsunamis² are powerful waves caused by underwater earthquakes or eruptions³ that can crashover ten stories tall into a coastline.

海啸是由海底的地震或者火山喷发引起的足以把一个十层高楼淹没的强大海浪。

If you were sailing far from shore, how would you feel about a tremendous tsunami¹ heading your way?

如果你正远离海岸航行，这时遭遇了海啸，是什么样的感觉呢？

Actually, you wouldn't notice a tsunami at all.

事实上，你根本不会注意到海啸。

In deep water, a tsunami raises the ocean's surfaceonly about one or two feet—much less than ordinary ocean waves.

在深海中，海啸只会掀起一或两英尺的海浪-远远低于普通的海浪。

What's more, it takes up to an hour for a single tsunami to roll by.

更重要的是，一次海啸最多一个小时就过去了。

How can a wave be so deadly to a coastline, but so tame inthe open ocean?

为什么对于海岸如此致命的海浪在公海中如此温驯呢？

The energy of a wave has more to do with how deep the water churns than how tall the waverises.

海浪的力量与水层波动的深度而不是海浪的高度有关。

Ordinary waves can be rather tall, but they don't go very deep.

常波可能很高，但是它们水体波动的深度并不深。

What's more there's nevermuch distance between one ordinary wave's crest⁴ and the one following it.

更重要的是常波前后的波峰之间并没有太大的距离。

The distance betweenwaves is called “wavelength,” and it's another secret of a tsunami's strength.

波之间的距离被称为“波长”，这是海啸力量的另一个秘密。

While ordinary waves only tug⁵ at the surface water, tsunamischurn the water all the way to thedeepest ocean floor!

尽管常波只是在水表面生成，但是海啸可以在最深的海底引起水层波动使其产生。

They also have very long wavelengths—a hundred miles or more.

它们同样有很长的波长一百英里或更多。

Although tsunamis raise the surface only a foot or so in deep water, they carry a lot of energy.

虽然海啸通过深海中的水层波动只能提升水平面一英尺左右，但是它们带来了大量的能量。

When a tsunami approaches a coastline, the water gets shallower.

当海啸接近海岸线时，水的深度逐渐变浅。

This causes friction⁶ at the frontof the wave and slows it down.

导致波前摩擦，使其速度变慢。

The faster moving back of the wave piles into the slower front,squeezing the whole hundred mile tsunami like an accordion⁷.

快速前进的波浪与前面速度较慢的波浪重叠，像手风琴那样挤压这些整个百里长的海啸。

Just as a rug will crumple⁸ and rise if it's scrunched⁹ by an opening door, the tsunami gets taller.

正如由于门开时被压住而弄皱卷起的地毯，海浪就越来越高。

By the time it hits the beach, it canbe a hundred feet high!

当它到达海滩的时候，它可以达到一百英尺。

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 tsunamis   

n.海啸( tsunami的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our oceans are alive with earthquakes, volcanoes, and more recently, tsunamis. 海中充满着地震、火山，包括最近发生的海啸。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• Please tell me something more about tsunamis! 请您给我讲讲海啸吧！ 来自辞典例句

3 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

4 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

5 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。

6 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

7 accordion   

n.手风琴；adj.可折叠的

参考例句：

• The accordion music in the film isn't very beautiful.这部影片中的手风琴音乐不是很好。
• The accordion music reminds me of my boyhood.这手风琴的乐声让我回忆起了我的少年时代。

8 crumple   

v.把...弄皱，满是皱痕，压碎，崩溃

参考例句：

• Take care not to crumple your dress by packing it carelessly.当心不要因收放粗心压纵你的衣服。
• The wall was likely to crumple up at any time.墙随时可能坍掉。

9 scrunched   

v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的过去式和过去分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压

参考例句：

• The snow scrunched underfoot. 雪在脚下发出嘎吱嘎吱的声音。
• He scrunched up the piece of paper and threw it at me. 他把那张纸揉成一个小团，朝我扔过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》