时差N小时 轮胎上为什么有胎纹?

If you've ever driven on a highway during a heavy rain, you know about the danger of skidding¹. This "waterskiing" on the road is technically² called hydroplaning, and it happens when water comes between the road and your tires, causing you to lose traction³ and go out of control. Your car is less likely to slide around when the road is dry because there is enough friction⁴ between your tires and the road to keep you steady, even at high speeds.

如果你曾大雨天开车在高速公路上行驶，你就会知道打滑的危险。在技术上，这种“路上滑水”称作“湿路打滑”，当路面和轮胎之间有水时，就会发生这种现象，致使车子失去牵引力从而失去控制。当地面干燥时，就不可能打滑，因为轮胎和道路之间有足够的摩擦力来使车子在高速行驶时保持稳定。

But when it rains, a layer of water builds up between your tires and the road. This water interferes⁵ with the friction that helps your tires grip the road surface. This is where the treads on your tires come in. If the road you are driving along is covered with water, the pressure of the tire against the road surface causes the water to be squeezed up into the tire treads. These treads help your tires pump water out from underneath⁶ the tire so that the rubber can be in contact with the road, thus creating the friction that will stabilize⁷ your car.

但是当遇到雨天时，路面和你的轮胎之间会积起一层雨水。水会减小摩擦，而摩擦力的作用正是帮助加强轮胎抓地力防止其失控。这时轮胎上的条纹就起作用了。如果你一路上驾驶的道路被水覆盖，轮胎对地表施加的压力把积水挤压到轮胎面上。这些纹路会帮忙把轮胎下的水抽出，这样橡胶就又能与地面接触，从而产生阻力使你的稳步前进。

The faster you go, the more water your tires have to remove. That's why your car may not hydroplane at thirty miles per hour, but might at sixty miles per hour. In fact, at highway speeds, during hard rains, each tire must pump away about a gallon of water every second. This is hard for tires to do if they are old and have treads that are worn down. When there isn't enough space in the tire's grooves⁸, water can't find a place to go and so it creates a layer of lubrication, causing you to do the equivalent to waterskiing on the highway.

你开得越快，轮胎需要排出的积水就更多。这就是为什么你的车时速30英里时不打滑，而时速60英里时却打滑。实际上，按照高速公路上的行驶速度算的话，在雨天每个轮胎每秒要排出一加仑的水。如果轮胎太旧或者已经严重磨损的话，排水就会很困难。当轮胎凹槽上的空间不够时，水无处可去，就充当了润滑层，造成车子打滑，就相当于在高速公路上做滑水运动。

1 skidding   

n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• All the wheels of the truck were tied up with iron chains to avoid skidding on the ice road. 大卡车的所有轮子上都捆上了铁链，以防止在结冰的路面上打滑。 来自《用法词典》
• I saw the motorcycle skidding and its rider spilling in dust. 我看到摩托车打滑，骑车人跌落在地。 来自互联网

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

4 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。

5 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

6 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

7 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

8 grooves   

n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏

参考例句：

• Wheels leave grooves in a dirt road. 车轮在泥路上留下了凹痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Sliding doors move in grooves. 滑动门在槽沟中移动。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》