精讀新科學家：當你挖入微波雞蛋時，加熱的水會使它爆炸

Superheated water makes microwaved eggs explode when you dig in

IT』S enough to give you shell shock. A shell-less hard-boiled egg that is reheated in a microwave can explode when you bite into it or prick it with a fork, and this may happen up to a third of the time.

Word ＆ Expression

1. Dig in

• 挖
• Digging in wet sand should be slow and take lots of effort.

在濕砂中挖掘想必速度肯定會下降並且很費力。

2. Fork

• N.?A fork is a tool used for eating food which has a row of three or four long metal points at the end. 餐叉
• knives and forks. 刀和叉。
• N.?A fork in a road, path, or river is a point at which it divides into two parts and forms a "Y" shape. (道路、河流等的) 岔口
• We arrived at a fork in the road.

我們來到了該路的一個岔口。

• V.?If you fork food into your mouth or onto a plate, you put it there using a fork. 叉起
• He forked an egg onto a piece of bread and folded it into a sandwich.（fold v.摺疊）

他叉起一個雞蛋放到一片麵包上並將其折成了一個三明治。

• V If a road, path, or river forks, it forms a fork. (公路、路徑、河流等) 分岔
• Beyond the village the road forked.

過了那個村子公路就分岔了。

• 片語：knife and fork刀叉

tuning fork音叉

fork lift鏟車

參考翻譯

當你挖入微波雞蛋時，加熱的水會使它爆炸

這足以讓你大吃一驚。當你咬到或用叉子戳用微波爐加熱的無殼熟雞蛋時，它就會爆炸，這可能只需要三分之一的時間就會發生。

句子精講

this may happen up to a third of the time.

英語分數的表示法：

一、用「基數詞＋序數詞」表示

分數在英語中通常是藉助於基數詞和序數詞來共同表達的。其中基數詞表示分子，序數詞表示分母。

The centimeter is one-tenth of the decimeter or one-hundredth of the meter厘米是分米的十分之一，或者說是米的百分之一。

However，the number of boys will bea third or less than the girls in the class但是，班裡男生的人數將比女生少三分之一或更少。

從以上例子可以看出：分子除用one外，也可用a；如果分子大於1，分母要用複數形式。但是，1／2不能說a（one）second，而要說a（one）half。

The sum of one half，one third and one fourth of a certain number is 13.

某數的1／2，1／3和1／4的和是13。 1／4和3／4可以說a（one）fourth和three fourths，但常用a quarter和three quarters表示。應該注意的是，分數修飾名詞時，若該名詞是不可數名詞只能用單數；若是可數名詞，用單數或複數均可。但是，若它們在句子中作主語，則謂語動詞是用單數還是複數取決於名詞，即與分數所修飾的名詞保持一致。

Only one-fifth of air consists of oxygen．氧氣只佔空氣的1／5。

帶分數也是常見的英語數詞表達。所謂帶分數，實際上是「整數＋分數」，表達時分而述之，只是整數部分與分數部分要用連詞 and連接。當帶分數修飾名詞時，該名詞通常是複數，但若名詞置於整數one或a之後，則用單數。「帶分數＋名詞」作主語時，謂語動詞根據臨近原則要用複數。

You should finish the work within one and a fourth hours．

你應在1．25小時內完成工作。

---

Anthony Nash at consultancy Charles M. Salter Associates in San Francisco was an expert witness after a restaurant customer allegedly suffered hearing damage and burns when a hard-boiled egg exploded in his mouth. The case was settled out of court, but not before Nash and his colleague Lauren von Blohn reheated almost 100 eggs as the restaurant had done: microwaving them in a water bath for 3 minutes.

Word ＆ Expression

1. Expert

• N. An expert is a person who is very skilled at doing something or who knows a lot about a particular subject. 專家; 行家
• a yoga expert. 一位瑜伽專家。
• ADJ?Someone who is expert at doing something is very skilled at it. 在行的
• The Japanese are expert at lowering manufacturing costs.

日本人在降低生產成本方面很在行。

• ADV?在行地
• Shopkeepers expertly rolled spices up in bay leaves.

店主在行地把各種香料卷進了月桂葉中。

• ADJ?If you say that someone has expert hands or an expert eye, you mean that they are very skilful or experienced in using their hands or eyes for a particular purpose. 行家的
• Harvey cured the pain with his own expert hands.

哈維用他那行家之手治癒了那病痛。

• ADJ?Expert advice or help is given by someone who has studied a subject thoroughly or who is very skilled at a particular job. 專家的
• Well need an expert opinion.

我們將需要專家的意見。

• 片語：expert in熟於

expert at擅長

expert knowledge專家知識

expert group專家組

2. Alleged

• ADJ?An alleged fact has been stated but has not been proved to be true. 指稱的
• They have begun a hunger strike in protest at the alleged beating.

他們已經開始了絕食以抗議所指稱的打人事件。

• ADV?指稱地
• His van allegedly struck the two as they were crossing a street.

參考翻譯

據稱，他的貨車在這兩個人過馬路時撞上了他們

舊金山諮詢公司查爾斯·m·索爾特同事的安東尼?納什(Anthony Nash)是一名專家證人，他見證了在一家餐館的顧客據稱遭受了聽力損傷，並在一枚水煮雞蛋在他嘴裡爆炸時被灼傷。這個案子在納什和他的同事勞倫·馮·布洛恩(Lauren von Blohn)在餐廳里重新加熱了將近100個雞蛋之後:用微波爐在一個水浴中加熱3分鐘。已經庭外和解了。

句子精講

Salter Associates in San Francisco was an expert witness after a restaurant customer allegedly suffered hearing damage and burns when a hard-boiled egg exploded in his mouth.

一 . when 用作副詞。

1.用作疑問副詞，引導特殊疑問句。When are they going to visit the Great Wall?

他們打算什麼時候去遊覽長城？

2. 用作連接副詞，通常用來引導主語從句、表語從句、同位語從句、賓語從句及起名詞作用的「 when ＋動詞不定式」結構。

I have no idea when the game will begin. 我不知道比賽何時開始。

3. 用作關係副詞，引導限定性定語從句和非限定性定語從句。It happened ten years ago, when I was a child. 事情發生在十年前，當時我還是個小孩子。

二 . when 用作連詞。

1. 用作從屬連詞，意為「當……的時候」，引導時間狀語從句。

It was snowing when he arrived at the station.

他到達車站時，天正下著雪。

注意：如果 when 引導的從句中的主語和主句中的主語一致，且從句中的謂語動詞是「 be ＋分詞」或從句主語是 it ，則 be 動詞及其主語常可省略。

When （ he was ） asked why he was late, he made no answer. 當被問到他為什麼遲到時，他避而不答。

2. 用作從屬連詞，意為「一……就……」，引導時間狀語從句。 Fire the rockets when I give the signal.

我一發信號，你就點燃火箭。

3. 用作從屬連詞，意為「還沒 / 剛剛……就」，引導時間狀語從句。I had hardly opened the door when he came in.

我剛一開門，他就進來了。

4. 用作從屬連詞，意為「倘若，如果」，表示條件。 Turn off the switch when anything goes wrong with the machine.

如果機器發生故障，就把電

5. 用作從屬連詞，意為「既然，儘管」，表示讓步。 They kept trying when they knew it was hopeless.

儘管他們知道那件事沒有希望

6. 用作並列連詞，意為「在那時，屆時」，表示時間。這時主句中可以用過去進行時，過去完成時或「 was/were about to do sth. 」結構I was cooking in the kitchen when someone knocked at the door.

我正在廚房做飯，這時有人敲門。

7. 用作並列連詞，意為「雖然、然而、可是」，表示轉折。

He usually walks to work when he might take a bus.

雖然他可以坐公共汽車上班，但他卻常常步行上班。

8. 用作並列連詞，意為「而、卻」，表示對比。How can he say that everything is fine when its obvious that it is not?

他怎能說一切都好呢？情況顯然不是那樣。

三 . when 用作代詞。

when 作為代詞常常位於介詞之後，意為「那時，什麼時候」。

We came back on Tuesday, since when we have been working in the repair shop.

我們星期二回來，從那時起就一直在修配車間工作。

另外， when 還可用作名詞，前面常常用定冠詞 the 。 the when 表示事件發生的時間，常常與 the where, the how 並列使用。

He told the police the when and the how of the accident.

他告訴警察事故發生的時間及發生的原委。

---

Some ruptured or exploded. The eggs that survived heating were taken out and pricked, and 28 of these exploded. 「It』s like playing Russian roulette with an egg – egg roulette,」 says Nash.

Word ＆ Expression

1. Rupture

• N.A rupture is a severe injury in which an internal part of your body tears or bursts open, especially the part between the bowels and the abdomen. (體內組織) 破裂
• He died of an abdominal infection caused by a rupture of his stomach.（infection n.感染）

他死於由一次胃穿孔引發的腹部感染。

• V. If a person or animal ruptures a part of their body or if it ruptures, it tears or bursts open. 使 (體內組織) 破裂; (體內組織) 破裂
• His stomach might rupture from all the acid.

他的胃可能會因為所有這些酸而穿孔。

• V.?If you rupture yourself, you rupture a part of your body, usually because you have lifted something heavy. 使患疝氣
• He ruptured himself playing football.

他因踢足球而發了疝氣。

• V.?If an object ruptures or if something ruptures it, it bursts open. 使爆裂; 爆裂
• Certain petrol tanks in trucks can rupture and burn in a collision.（collision n. 碰撞）

卡車內的某些油箱會在一次碰撞中爆裂起火。

• N.?If there is a rupture between people, relations between them get much worse or end completely. (關係) 破裂; 決裂
• The incidents have not yet caused a major rupture in the political ties between countries.

這些事件尚未造成各國間政治聯繫的嚴重破裂。

• V.?If someone or something ruptures relations between people,they damagethem,causing them to become worse or to end. 使 (關係) 破裂; 使決裂
• Brutal clashes between squatters and police yesterday ruptured the citys governing coalition.

昨天私自佔地者與警察的野蠻衝突使這座城市的執政聯盟破裂。

• 片語：rupture strength抗裂強度

2. Prick

• V?If you prick something or prick holes in it, you make small holes in it with a sharp object such as a pin. 扎 (某物); 戳 (洞)
• Prick the potatoes and rub the skins with salt.

在這些土豆扎些洞，然後用鹽擦它們的皮。

• V.?If something sharp pricks you or if you prick yourself with something sharp, it sticks into you or presses your skin and causes you pain. 扎 (人)
• She had just pricked her finger with the needle.

她剛用針扎了她的手指。

• N.?A prick is a small, sharp pain that you get when something pricks you. 刺痛
• At the same time she felt a prick on her neck.

同時她感到脖子上一陣刺痛。

• 片語：prick up oneself打扮自己

prick up粗塗

prick onv. 驅使

3. Roulette

• N.?Roulette is a gambling game in which a ball is dropped onto a wheel with numbered holes in it while the wheel is spinning around. The players bet on which hole the ball will be in when the wheel stops spinning. 輪盤賭
• I had been playing roulette at the casino.

參考翻譯

我過去一直在那家賭場玩輪盤賭

一些破裂了或爆炸了。在加熱過程中倖存的雞蛋被取出並刺破，其中28枚爆炸。「這就像玩俄羅斯輪盤賭和雞蛋輪盤賭，」納什說。

---

Foods with a skin, such as potatoes, can also explode when microwaved because steam pressure builds up inside. But the shells of these boiled eggs had been removed. Nash and von Blohn speculate that tiny pockets of water within the yolk become superheated and then start boiling, violently releasing steam, when punctured by a fork – or your teeth.

Word ＆ Expression

1. Speculate

• V. If you speculate about something, you make guesses about its nature or identity, or about what might happen. 猜測
• Critics of the project speculate about how many hospitals could be built instead.

該項目的批評者們則猜想這相當於可以建多少家醫院。

• N?猜測
• The president has gone out of his way to dismiss speculation over the future of the economy.

總統努力消除對未來經濟的悲觀估測。

• V. If someone speculates financially, they buy property, stocks, or shares, in the hope of being able to sell them again at a higher price and make a profit. 做投機買賣
• The banks made too many risky loans which now cant be repaid, and they speculated in property whose value has now dropped.

銀行貸出了太多現在無法償還的風險貸款，而且他們在房地產業做了投機買賣，其價值目前也已經下跌。

• 片語：speculate onv. 推測

2. Yolk

• N.The yolk of an egg is the yellow part in the middle. 蛋黃
• Only the yolk contains cholesterol.（cholesterol n.膽固醇）

只有蛋黃含膽固醇。

3. Puncture

• N.?A puncture is a small hole in a car tyre or bicycle tyre that has been made by a sharp object. (車胎上的) 刺孔
• Somebody helped me to mend the puncture.（mend v.修補）

有人幫我補了車胎上的洞。

• N.?A puncture is a small hole in someones skin that has been made by or with a sharp object. (皮膚上的) 扎孔
• An instrument called a trocar makes a puncture in the abdominal wall.

一種叫作套管針的器械會在腹壁上扎一個小孔。

• V.If a sharp object punctures something,it makes a hole in it.刺破
• The bullet punctured the skull.

子彈射穿了頭骨。

• V. If a car tyre or bicycle tyre punctures or if something punctures it, a hole is made in the tyre. 扎破
• His bikes rear tyre punctured.

他的自行車的後胎被扎破了。

• 片語：puncture needle穿刺針

puncture wound刺傷

參考翻譯

有皮膚的食物，如土豆，也會在微波時爆炸，因為蒸汽壓在裡面。但是這些煮雞蛋的殼已經被除去了。納什和馮·布洛恩推測，在蛋黃中微小的水分會變得過熱，然後開始沸騰，當被一個叉子或你的牙齒刺穿時就會劇烈地釋放蒸汽。

---

These 「eggsplosions」 make a sound that can reach 133 decibels from 30 centimetres away – louder than a chainsaw running 1 metre from you. One exposure to this level of noise would be unlikely to damage your hearing, but the effects may be different if you bite into the egg and it explodes in your mouth, says Nash. The heat of the explosion could certainly hurt your face, too.

Word ＆ Expression

1. Decibel

• N.A decibel is a unit of measurement which is used to indicate how loud a sound is. 分貝
• Continuous exposure to sound above 80 decibels could be harmful.

參考翻譯

持續曝露於超過80分貝的聲音可能有害

這些「蛋液」發出的聲音可以從30厘米遠的地方達到133分貝——比離你1米的電鋸發出的聲音還要大。納什說:「在這種程度的噪音下，你的聽力不會受到傷害，但如果你咬進了雞蛋，它的影響可能會有所不同。」爆炸的熱量當然也會傷到你的臉。

句子精講

The heat of the explosion could certainly hurt your face, too.

can / could的用法

（1）can表示推測「可能性」時，往往用於否定句或疑問句。Can`t「一定不」，語氣很肯定。can在疑問句中意思是「會、可能」。

He can`t be at home. = It is impossible that he is at home. 他一定不在家。

（2）can /can`t後可接進行時/完成時，表示對現在發生的動作或過去發生的動作進行推測。

They can`t be reading in the library. 他們一定不在圖書館讀書。 He can`t have gone to Shanghai for I saw him a minute ago. 他不可能去了上海，我剛才還看見他。

It`s so late. Where can she have gone? 天晚了，她可能去哪兒了呢？

（3）在反意疑問句中，當陳述部分含有表示推測意義的can`t時，疑問部分的助動詞應與can`t後面的動詞在非推測情況下的用法保持一致.

He can`t be a teacher, is he?

他不是教師，是嗎？

She can`t have finished her homework, has she?

她一定沒有完成家庭作業，是不是？

（4）could可用於表示某事有可能發生或可能是事實。

Don`t eat it. It could be poisonous.

不要吃它，可能有毒。

The plane could be delayed by fog. 飛機可能會因為霧晚點。

（5）could還可以用於表示客氣、委婉、禮貌的請求語氣。

Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the bus station?

（6）couldn`t表示否定推測，表示某事不可能真實，或由於特定事實或環境某事肯定不會發生。

It couldn`t possibly be poison.

這不可能是毒藥。

註：有時與形容詞的比較級連用強調某人或某物不可能再更多地具有某種屬性。

You couldn`t be more wrong.

你真是大錯特錯。

I couldn`t be happier.

我簡直是幸福極了。

---

The pair shared their results at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America that took last week in New Orleans, Louisiana. 「Don』t put any eggs in the microwave,」 Nash says. 「They』re to be respected, those machines.」

Word ＆ Expression

1. Acoustical

• adj. [聲] 聲學的
• The ancient Greeks were aware of other acoustical principles, at least empirically.

參考翻譯

至少在實踐上，古希臘人也知道其他的聲學原理。

這兩人在上周在路易斯安那州新奧爾良舉行的美國聲學協會會議上分享了他們的成果。「不要把雞蛋放進微波爐里，」納什說。「那些機器是值得尊敬的。」

句子精講

They』re to be respected, those machines.

be +動詞不定式（即be + to do sth.）的用法如下：

1.表示按計劃或安排要做的事。

She is to be married next month.她將於下個月結婚。

The Queen is to visit Japan in a week』s time.女王將於一周后訪問日本。

這種結構也可用於過去。was / were to do sth. 表示曾經計劃要做的事，但不表明計劃是否被執行，或表示「命運（即命中注定要發生的事）」，而非計劃；was / were to have done sth.表示未曾實現的計劃。

I felt nervous because I was soon to leave home for the first time.

我感到很緊張，因為我很快就要首次離開家了。

They said goodbye, little knowing that they were never to meet again.

他們告了別，不知道以後再也不會見面了。

We were to have told you, but you were not in.

我們本來想告訴你的，但是你不在家。

2.表示「應該」，相當於should, ought to。

You are to report to the police.

你應該報警。

3.表示「必須」，相當於must, have to。

The letter is to be handed to him in person.

這封信必須親手交給他。

You are to do your homework before you watch TV.

看電視之前你得先做完作業。

4.表示「想，打算」，相當於intend, want。

If we are to be there before ten, we』ll have to go now.

如果我們要在十點前到，我們現在就得走。

5.用於否定句，表示「禁止」，相當於mustn』t。

The books in this room are not to be taken outside.

這個室內的書籍不得帶出室外。

You are not to smoke in the reading-room.

你不可以在閱覽室里吸煙。

7.表示「可以，可能」，相當於may, can。

The news is to be found in the evening paper.

這條消息可以在晚報上見到。

Such people are to be found everywhere.

這種人到處都有。

She is nowhere to be found.

在哪裡也找不著她。

8.were to do sth.用於if或even if / even though從句中，表示對未來的假設。

Even if the sun were to rise in the west, I would never do such a thing.

即使太陽從西邊出來，我也決不做這種事。

9.be to blame(該受責備，對某壞事應負責任)與be to let(待出租)兩種結構中，用不定式的主動形式表示被動含義。

This house is to let.

這房子要出租。

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