VOA慢速英语2016 你是地理游戏高手么?

How Good Are You at Geography Games? 你是地理游戏高手么?

If you cannot travel the world, why not travel the Internet?

若不能环游世界，何不环游网络？

GeoGuessr is a new, online travel game.It teaches about geography, while visiting places far and wide.

GeoGuessr是一款最新的在线旅游游戏。通过到处参观景点，教授地理知识。

The game is easy to play, but nearly impossible to win.

这款游戏非常简单，但基本上赢不了。

Geoguessr uses images from Street View from the technology company, Google. After looking at an image, you guess where the photograph was taken.

Geoguessr利用了科技公司谷歌的街景图片。查看图片之后，猜测拍摄照片的地点。

No matter how much you have traveled, you have not been to as many places as Google Street View.Its cameras have been busy taking photographs around the world.

不管你去过多少地方，都没有谷歌街景中的地方多。谷歌街景的摄像机一直都在全球各地拍摄。

Images can be searched broadly or by continent, country or city.

图片可大致搜索，或者按大陆、国家或者城市搜索。

The program shows an image of a place and a map of the world.Some pictures are beautiful, while others look barren¹ without much plant life.But the mix of scenery is part of the fun and learning².

该程序展示出某地的图片和一张世界地图。有些图片非常漂亮，有的看起来却是荒芜贫瘠的，没有太多植物。但这种交错的风景也是一种乐趣一种学习。

You can zoom³ in or zoom out of images.Or turn it around in circles.Images move forward and backward, and up and down to identify locations.

图片可放大可缩小。可以旋转。亦可以前进或者后退，上下移动来确定位置。

When you think you know where the photo was taken, click on the Google map to place your marker.

如果你能看出图片的拍摄地，在谷歌地图上单击标记地点。

Click on the Make Guess button on the bottom of the map. A new image will appear, showing the distance between the area you chose and the actual location.Geoguessr will tell how many kilometers away you were and how many points you earned.

单击地图底部“开始猜测”（Make Guess）按钮。新出现的图片上会显示出所选地点与真正地点之间的距离。Geoguessr会告知你离目标地的距离以及所得分数。

You get five chances to guess a location.After the fifth, you see a map showing your guesses, the correct locations, and the number of points you earned.

你有5次机会对地点进行猜测。第五次猜完之后，会有地图显示猜测结果，正确的地点以及所获得分数。

Here are a few suggestions to help you identify what part of the planet⁴ you are seeing.

以下几点建议能够帮助你明确照片是在地球哪个地方拍摄的。

Look around and see if you can find any words on signs to show the local language.For example, if both French and English are on signs, Canada might be a good guess.

到处看看，观察是否有任何显示当地语言的标志。比如，如果标识语上既有法语又有英语，那么加拿大很可能就是正确答案。

Look closely⁵ at the plants to see what the latitude⁶ might be.Palm trees may mean a more tropical⁷ climate.

仔细观察植物，辨别所在纬度。棕榈树就意味着是热带气候。

Make a note of whether the cars drive on the right or the left side of the road.If vehicles are travelling on the left, that narrows your guesses.

注意汽车在路左边驾驶还是在路右边驾驶。如果车辆在左边驾驶，那么就可以缩小猜测范围了。

Look at road signs. If the road signs use international symbols, the location probably is not in the United States.Very few places in the U.S. use international road signs.

观看道路标志。如果道路标志采用了国际符号，那么该地点可能就不在美国。美国很少有地方的道路标志会采用国际符号。

GeoGuessr can be played on a computer or a mobile⁸ device⁹. You must be connected to the Internet.

GeoGuessr游戏可用电脑或者移动设备上进行。但必须联网。

The more you play the game, the better you will get at geography.Be careful, the game can get very addictive¹⁰.The good news is Geoguessr is free and you are unlikely¹¹ to run out of places to see!

这个游戏玩的越多，就越能了解一些地理知识。但要小心，这款游戏是很容易上瘾的。但好消息是这款游戏是免费的，并且你也不太可能看完所有地方。

Words in This Story

geography - n. an area of study that deals with the location of countries, cities, rivers, mountains, lakes, etc.

impossible - adj. unable to be done or to happen : not possible

guess - v. to form an opinion or give an answer about something when you do not know much or anything about it

barren - adj. not exciting or interesting

scenery - n. a view of natural features (such as mountains, hills, valleys, etc.) that is pleasing to look at

location - n. a place or position

marker - n. something (such as a sign or an object) that shows the location of something

addictive  - adj. very enjoyable in a way that makes you want to do or have something again

1 barren   

adj.贫瘠的，不（生）育的，没有结果的

参考例句：

• The place used to be a stretch of barren land.早先这里是一片不毛之地。
• The barren land could produce little food.那贫瘠的土地几乎不长庄稼。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

4 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

5 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

6 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

7 tropical   

adj.热带的，热带的，炎热的

参考例句：

• You must grow these tropical flowers in a glasshouse.你必须把这些热带花卉种在温室里。
• This disease is widespread in tropical areas.这种疾病在热带地区蔓延很广。

8 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

9 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

10 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

11 unlikely   

adj.未必的，多半不可能的；不大可能发生的

参考例句：

• It was very unlikely that he would do that.他不见得会做那种事。
• It is unlikely that she will come. 她不大可能来了。