天空观察Sky Watch
Today the wind and rain drove fiercely against my apartment window. It was the tail end of a typhoon. Every year, as the calendar indicates the approach of autumn, these destructive tropical storms account for both death and destruction along Asia’s coasts. On an average there may be fifteen such storms every year. Although many civilians adopt a casual attitude towards these events, awareness is advisable.
今天暴风雨不在击打着我的寓所窗户，不过台风就要结束了。每年当日历提示秋天来临时，这些破坏性极强的热带风暴就会给亚洲沿海地区，带来人员伤亡和财产损失。平均每年可能有15次这样的暴风雨。面对这些灾难，很多居民抱着漫不经心的态度，但提高防范意识才是明智的。
As the water dripped from my balcony and accumulated into free-flowing rivers on the road beneath, I was reminded of the extreme weather that affected the residents of North America. Hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, ice storms and electrical storms are all examples of extreme weather that may challenge an entire community. Each storm is unique in character, contributing its own particular fascination and fear.
雨水从阳台上滴落下来，在下面的道路上汇聚成肆意流淌的水流。这使我联想到侵扰北美居民的那些极端恶劣的气候。飓风、龙卷风、雪暴、冰暴和雷暴，都是可能威胁到整个社会的极端的气候现象。每次风暴都有其独特的特点，展现出特有的魔力和恐怖景象。
Every fall hurricanes slam the United States coast. They upset boats, fell mature trees, wash away sections of public beaches and often cause death. Fortunately with the advantage of modern prior warning systems authorities are able to keep the chaos to a minimum. Regardless, some sectors of the population still ignore the warnings. The burden of rescuing these irresponsible adults falls on the authorities. Mean while government budgets are strained. To assemble enough aid to assure assistance for all regions in a country stretches finances.
每年秋天，飓风都要猛烈攻击美国海岸。它们打翻船只，刮倒大树，冲毁成片的公共海滩，还常常造成人员伤亡。所幸的是，由于有了先进的预警系统，当局能够将这种混乱不堪的状况降到最低限度。但不管怎样，还是有一部分人忽视这些警告。营救这些不负责任的成年人的重任就落在了当局身上。这时，政府预算就显得很勉强。要调集足够的物资，保证为一个国家的所有地区提供帮助，使得财政吃紧。
Hurricanes seldom reach Ontario, Canada, but in 1954 Hurricane Hazel exposed the residents of Toronto to an awful night of flooding and terror. Responding to the disaster required the supreme effort of all the rescue departments.
飓风很少影响到加拿大的安大略省。但在1954年，黑兹尔飓风却使多伦多的居民遭遇了一个充满灌水和恐惧的可怕夜晚。为了应付那次灾难，所有救援机构都尽了最大的努力。
In Ontario where a brush winter extends from November until April, snowstorms are regular occurrence. People adjust their travel plans, sports activities and especially their mode of dress when the weather forecasters predict a severe snowstorm. Automobile drivers must be more cautious under these circumstances. Snow removal becomes a major expense for northern cities. Families adjust their weekend plans and stay together at home, sitting safely in front of a blazing fire, and viewing a video, the beauty of fluffy white snow can be appreciated when it blankets stately evergreens standing against a deep blue sky.
在安大略，严酷的冬天从十一月一直延续到四月，常常有暴风雪。当气象预报员预报说有恶劣的暴风雪时，人们就得调整他们的旅游和体育运动计划，特别是调整他们的衣着。汽车驾驶员在这样的环境里必须更加小心。除雪成了北方城市的主要开支之一。家庭调整了他们的周末休假计划，一起呆在家里，安全地坐在炽热的炉火前观看录像。当挺拔的常青树上挂满蓬松的白雪时，人们就可以欣赏在深蓝色天空衬托下的美丽雪景了。
In 1998, Ontario residents were crippled by a severe ice storm. People’s lives came to a grinding halt when power lines crumpled under the weight of the ice. People lived without electricity for weeks. Remote parts of the province resumed normal living conditions after several months. Rocks, trees and lakes abound in the Canadian Shield area of Ontario. Electrical storms provide spectacular entertainment for summer evenings. Zigzag bolts of lightening flash across the sky the clap of thunder echoes across the water. Each storm provides a remarkable drama, one without parallel in nature.
1998年，安大略的居民又遭受了一场残酷的冰暴的蹂躏。电力线路在冰冻的重压下瘫痪了，人们的生命受到严重威胁。好几个星期，人们的生活中没有电。该省的偏远地区几个月后生活才恢复正常。安大略的加拿大地盾区有大量的岩石、树木和湖泊。夏天夜晚，雷暴会上演蔚为壮观的好戏。锯齿形的道道闪电相继划破长空，声声雷鸣在水面上回响。每次暴风雨都是一次大自然的绝无仅有的精彩演出。
When individuals encounter the impressive forces of nature we are reminded that we are indeed weak and insignificant!
当遭遇到令人难忘的大自然的暴力时，人们就会想到人类的确是柔弱无力而又微不足道的。
管道胶带The Duet Tape
Among the contents of the toolboxes of most people in the western world you would expect to find a hammer and nails, a drill, screw drivers and some screws. But if you were to ask people from North America what the most useful item in their toolboxes was, the majority of people would undoubtedly tell you that it was duct tape. Indeed, it has become an indispensable addition to every person’s perception of what constitutes necessity.
星火贯通CET-4四级词汇?在西方，多数人的工具箱中，你可望找到一把锤子和一些钉子，一把钻子，几把螺丝刀和一些螺丝钉。不过，你要是问北美人什么是他们工具栏里最有用的东西，多数人会肯定地告诉你那是管道胶带。的确，在每个人认为必备的东西中，管道胶带已经是必不可少的物品了。
Maybe you have never heard of duct tape. It is the brand name of a tape. Not only is it a tape, but also it is a special kind of tape.
也许你还没有听说过管道胶带吧。它是一种带子的商标名称。它不仅是带子，而且是一种很特殊的带子。
The name of the tape comes from the fact that it was designed as an insulating tape that can be used in duct work (channels or conduits that are used for heat to travel through to get to different areas of a building). Incredible though it seems, someone actually put a picture of a duck on the packaging of the tape from one manufacturer perhaps just as a joke or maybe because the design artist did not understand the origin of the name. Neither the word duck nor duct was on the label. Presumably, it was assumed that everyone could identify the product.
这种带子原是用于管道工程(用于将热能传送到大楼各个部分的管道或导管)的一种绝缘密封带子，并由此而得名。尽管看来不可思议，但确实有人将一幅鸭子的照片放在了一家生产这种带子的产品包装上。这也许只是一个玩笑，抑或是包装设计师不懂这个名称的由来。标签上既没有鸭子也没有管道字样。大概每个人都是能认得这种产品。
You can recognize the genuine tape because of its silver grey color. The color was likely chosen because it closely resembles the color of the pipes the color of the pipes it would be used on. That was the primary intended use of the tape. It was unlikely that the inventor realized how many other uses could be found for this product.
你可以认出这种真正的带子，它是银灰色的。之所以选择这种颜色，很可能是因为它与管道的颜色相似。那才是为这种带子设计的主要用途。发明人未必想到人们可能会为它找到许多其他用途。
Ingenious people have found many alternative uses for this tape. The binder on the tape is of good quality and it will stick to most surfaces. The tape is of great strength. It is impossible to tear the tape. It must be cut. The durable nature of the tape is one of its main assets.
聪明的人们发现了这种带子的许多其他用途。这种带子上的粘合剂质量很好，能够粘着在大多数物体的表面。带子的强度很大，不可能被撕破，所以必须用刀切割。耐久性是这种带子的最可贵之处。
It comes in a variety of widths and the length of the tape on the roll will vary as well. The number of centimeters wide and the number of meters long will determine the price of the roll.
它被制成多种宽度，一卷带子的长度也可以变化。一卷带子有几厘米宽和几米长决定了它的价格。
The duct tape is acquiring fame as the number of its uses for it exceeds the thoughts possible. The number of uses for this tape will amaze you. One internet Website started out trying to identify 101 uses for the duct tape and the list has well over 200 uses on it now. Maybe there are an infinite number of uses. Some of the items it lists involve an imagination but others are quite genuine. Not even a kindergarten student requires instruction on how to use it. One idea seems to generate another, inspired by the unique way someone else has decided to make use of the tape. However, some of the uses are not feasible to execute. For instance, the use of the tape as a bandage is not recommended. It could cause injury when it is removed. You must evaluate the list with a sense of humor as some of the uses could embarrass a person. The commercial value of the tape is undoubtedly tremendous with huge profits resulting from the sales. The product practically promotes itself without much need for publicity.
管道胶带之所以有名，在于它的用途超出人们的想象，多得让人吃惊。一个互联网站最开始为这种带子列举了101种用途，而现在这个清单上已经超过200种了。可能有数不完的用途。在这个清单上有的用途可能只是一种想象，但其他一些用途确实是相当实在的。甚至幼儿园的学童不用教就可以学会怎样使用。别人以独特的方式使用带子的富有灵感的一个念头似乎会引发另外的想法。不过， 有些用途是不可行的。例如，将这种带子作为绷带就不值得推荐。去掉它时会造成伤害。你必须带着幽默感去评价这份清单，因为有些用途会给人带来麻烦。这咱带子的商业价值毫无疑问是巨大的，能带来丰厚的销售利润。实际上，这种产品不需要广泛宣传，本身就可以促销。
Sometimes you see people, usually male rather than female, wearing shirts that have a slogan written on them that says, “I can fix anything”——and then there is a picture of a duct tape below the saying. The implication presumably is that the duct tape replaces skill.
有时候你看到人们，通常是男性而非女性，穿的衬衫上写着：“我能维修一切”的字样，下面有张管道胶带的图片。其含义当然是这种管道胶带能取代技能。
Another good marketing strategy that people enjoy is the use of a calendar. There is one page on the calendar for every day of the year and each page shows and describes a new use of the duct tape.
另一个人们惯用的有效营销策略是利用日历。有种日历上一年中的每一天都有单独一页，每页上都展示和说明管道胶带的一种新用途。
One of the typical uses of the duct tape is to repair a leak in a faucet or water tap. If the hose of a vacuum cleaner has a hole in it, the duct tape will come to rescue. Almost every household in North America has at least one roll of duct tape. People keep it handy and use it to repair almost everything. No one would think it necessary to justify the purchase of extra rolls of tape, so the sales continue to increase.
管道胶带的一个典型的用途是修理水龙头。如果真空吸尘器上面的软管有个洞，管道胶带就派上用场了。几乎北美的每个家庭都至少有一卷管道胶带。人们身边有了它，可以修理几乎所有东西。人人都认为购买额外的带子是必要的，所以销量在继续攀升。
Many people like to boast about how often they use the tape. They say that the usage of duct tape has allowed them to simplify their life and to decrease the cost of repairs.
许多人喜欢夸耀他们是如何经常地使用这种带子。他们说使用管道胶带简化了他们的生活，并且减少了修理费用。
It can be used indoors in the interior of a house but there are abundant uses outside the house as well. If there is a chip out of a glass object, the duct tape can be used to protect the user from being injured.
它不仅可用于室内，在室外也有广泛的用途。比如玻璃制品破裂后产生碎片，管道胶带可用于保护使用者不受伤害。
Repairing or reinforcing a joint on an aluminum ladder that a person is using would be a valuable use of the tape.
修理或加固一个人正在使用的铝制梯子的接头时，可以利用这种带子。
The tape has proved to be bargain. Even if the manufacturers charged twice as much for the tape, it would still be a best seller in the western world. The retail price is very reasonable. In addition it is con
责任编辑：sealion1986
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