时差N小时 怎样靠蟋蟀的鸣叫来推测时间?

Imagine you're camping deep in the woods on a summer night. The sun sinks below the horizon and the temperature begins to fall. You shiver, and as you pull your jacket around your shoulders, you wonder just how cold it really is. Here's a clever way for you to find out, and all you need is 1. Wrist watch 2. Your ears 3. A little of patience.

设想一下，你在夏夜的树林深处露营。太阳落到地平线以下，温度开始下降，你不禁打了一个寒颤。于是你在肩上披上夹克，你想知道到底有多冷。有一个聪明的办法能帮你找到答案，你只需要三样东西：1. 手表；2.耳朵；3. 耐心。

Start by listening for a chirping¹ cricket. Male crickets around the world make this characteristic sound by rubbing their wings together. The edge of a male cricket's right wing is covered with little ridges², like a file or a washboard. As he rubs his left wing cover across the uneven³ right wing, he produces an insect love song that female crickets find irresistible⁴.

首先，倾听鸣叫的蟋蟀。世界各地的雄性蟋蟀摩擦翅膀时都会发出一种独特的声音。雄性蟋蟀的右翼边缘上布满了小小的突起，就像文件和搓衣板一样。当它摩擦翅膀，左右翼交叉碰撞时就唱出了一种让雌性蟋蟀很难以抵抗的悦耳的情歌。

Female crickets use this amorous⁵ chirping to find their perfect mate, listening with a pair of special ears located below the knees. Now you can use these same serenades to calculate the temperature.

雌性蟋蟀凭这种多情的鸣叫来寻找完美的伴侣，它们可以用位于膝盖以下的特殊耳朵来聆听。现在你也能利用这些情歌来计算出温度。

Most insects tend to be more active when it's hot, and more sluggish⁶ in cooler weather. Crickets are no exception to this rule.

天热时，大多数昆虫往往很活跃，天冷时则行动迟缓。蟋蟀也不例外。

In cold weather, a cricket will do everything more slowly, and as the temperature drops, so does the tempo⁷ of his love song. By measuring how quickly he chirps⁸, you can find out approximately how cold it is.

天冷时，蟋蟀做所有的事情都更慢一点，因为温度下降，它们的情歌节奏也随之变慢。通过测量鸣叫的速度，你就能知道大概有多冷。

It's easy to do: Simply count the number of chirps a single cricket makes in a fifteen second period, then add thirty seven. Although individual species might be a little faster or slower, this should give a fair approximation of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit⁹.

方法很简单：只要数一只蟋蟀每15秒钟鸣叫的次数，然后加上37就行了。尽管有时候会因个体差异而忽快忽慢，但计算结果仍然很接近华氏摄氏度的温度。

Remember: fifteen seconds worth of chirps, plus thirty seven. Even if the chirping keeps you awake all night, at least you'll know the temperature.

记住：15秒内鸣叫的次数，加上37。尽管这种鸣叫会让你一夜难眠，但至少你能靠它计算出温度。

1 chirping   

鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。
• The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。

2 ridges   

n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊

参考例句：

• The path winds along mountain ridges. 峰回路转。
• Perhaps that was the deepest truth in Ridges's nature. 在里奇斯的思想上，这大概可以算是天经地义第一条了。

3 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

4 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

5 amorous   

adj.多情的；有关爱情的

参考例句：

• They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去，以目传情。
• She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。

6 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

7 tempo   

n.(音乐的)速度；节奏，行进速度

参考例句：

• The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。
• They waltz to the tempo of the music.他们跟着音乐的节奏跳华尔兹舞。

8 chirps   

鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的第三人称单数 )； 啾； 啾啾

参考例句：

• The linnet chirps her vernal song. 红雀吱喳鸣叫着她春天的歌。
• She heard nothing but the chirps and whirrs of insects. 除了虫的鸣叫声外，她什么也没听见。

9 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。