Sentence 54

英文原文：

If the artificial Sun remained stationary, the birds would shift their direction with respect to it at a rate of about 15 degrees per hour, the Sun's rate of movement across the sky.

TPO-11(2006.12.8):Orientation and Navigation

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参考翻译：

如果人工太阳保持静止，这些鸟会以每小时偏离人工太阳15°的速度去改变它们的方向，而这个速度正是太阳在天空中运动的速度。

知识点小结：

1．词组“with respect to”的意思是“concerning”（关于，就……而言）。例如：

The two groups were similar with respect to income and status.

这两组在收入和地位方面是相似的。

2．词组“at a rate of ”相当于“at the speed of ”，意思是“以……的速度”。

3. “the Sun's rate of movement across the sky”是前句话中“rate”的同位语，强调鸟改变方向的速度与太阳在天空中运动的速度是相同的。

与本次句子翻译相关的阅读题目：

In experimenting with artificial suns, Kramer made another interesting discovery. If the artificial Sun remained stationary, the birds would shift their direction with respect to it at a rate of about 15 degrees per hour, the Sun's rate of movement across the sky. Apparently, the birds were assuming that the “Sun” they saw was moving at that rate. When the real Sun was visible, however, the birds maintained a constant direction as it moved across the sky. In other words, they were able to compensate for the Sun's movement. This meant that some sort of biological clock was operating—and a very precise clock at that.

1. According to this paragraph, how did the birds fly when the real Sun was visible?

A. They kept the direction of their flight constant.

B. They changed the direction of their flight at a rate of 15 degrees per hour.

C. They kept flying toward the Sun.

D. They flew in the same direction as the birds that were seeing the artificial Sun.

2. The experiment described in this paragraph caused Kramer to conclude that birds possess a biological clock because____.

A. when birds navigate they are able to compensate for the changing position of the Sun in the sky

B. birds innate bearings keep them oriented in a direction that is within 15 degrees of the Sun's direction

C. birds' migration is triggered by natural environmental cues, such as the position of the Sun

D. birds shift their direction at a rate of 15 degrees per hour whether the Sun is visible or not

汉英翻译练习：

能源，尤其是不可再生能源，正在以前所未有的速度被消耗。这一速度足以使一些有限的能源在不久的将来被耗尽。因此，节约能源已经成为一个亟待解决的问题。

参考翻译：

Energy, especially nonrenewable energy, is being consumed at such an unprecedented rate that some limited resources may be depleted in the near future. Therefore, conserving energy has become an issue that needs to be urgently solved.

请将以上句子扩充而成的中文段落翻译成英文：

① 能源，尤其是不可再生能源，正在以前所未有的速度被消耗。② 这一速度足以使一些有限的能源在不久的将来被耗尽。③ 因此，节约能源已经成为一个亟待解决的问题。④ 我认为，想要促使人们节约能源，方式有很多，提高能源价格是很有效的方式，但并不是唯一的方式。

大家想一想，该翻译练习是不是可以用到下面的托福写作中呢？

写作题目：

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

The only effective way to encourage energy conservation is by increasing prices of gasoline and electricity.

——2007.8.11

勇哥批改学生翻译练习：

潇尘

Just believe

小麦田