* 用英语自身来理解和学习英语是最好的方式，《英读廊》是《满庭说英语》中的拓展阅读系列，这一系列的文章力求帮助大家在英语阅读能力上有所提升，并树立英语思维；* 推荐的阅读的方法是：先原文，适当看解析阅读，还有疑惑再看双语对照。* 解析中英语单词的音标使用Dictcom和IPA双音标标注，如果需要了解Dictcom音标，请参看我们的《dictionary.com所用的音标体系》一文。* 本篇文章难度系数6.5，由《小仙英语伴读》人工智能难度分析系统提供评分。
#英语思维#
#下雨#
Why does rain come down as "drops" instead of as a larger mass of water?【译】为什么雨水会以“水滴”的形式而不是以更大的一团水的形式下来？【短语】instead of 代替（……的是）；而不是…；例句：Instead of pressing forward, they drew back. 他们不仅没有前进，反而后退了。Oops! I put in sugar instead of salt. 啊！我错把糖当盐放了。【单词】rain [reyn][reɪn] n. 雨；雨水【单词】mass [mas][mæs] n. 大量；块
Water has a tendency to want to stick to itself, this leads to surface tension (where something light like a bug can walk on water) and it is the reason it forms into roughly spherical drops.【译】水有一种想聚合在自己身上的倾向，这会导致表面张力（例如，像虫子这样的轻物体可以在水上行走就是因为水面张力），这也是它总是形成大致是球形水滴的原因。【单词】tendency ['ten-duhn-see]['tendənsi] n. 趋势；倾向；秉性【单词】stick [stik][stɪk] vi. 钉住；粘贴【单词】surface ['sur-fis]['sɜːfɪs] n. 表面；外表【单词】tension ['ten-shuhn]['tenʃn] n. 拉力；张力；紧张状态【单词】bug [buhg][bʌɡ] n. 臭虫，虫【单词】roughly ['rʌfli] adv. 粗略地；大约【单词】spherical ['sfer-i-kuhl, 'sfeer-]['sferɪkl] adj. 球的；球面的；球状的
The cloud is a bunch of mist/fog (ie lots of water floating around in very very small drops).【译】云是一团雾（许多水以非常小的水滴形式漂浮在周围）。【单词】cloud [kloud][klaʊd] n. 云【单词】bunch [buhnch][bʌntʃ] n. 串；束；一群；捆【单词】floating 原型：float [floht][fləʊt] v. 漂浮；浮现；飘动
When conditions are right these very small drops will start sticking together, get heavier, and when they get heavy enough, fall as a raindrop.【译】当条件合适时，这些非常小的水滴会开始粘在一起，变得更重，当它们变得足够重时，就会像雨滴一样落下。【单词】condition [kuh n-'dish-uh n][kən'dɪʃn] n. 条件；情况【单词】heavier 原型：heavy 形容词比较级：更重的【单词】heavy ['hev-ee]['hevi] adj. 大(量)的；重的；沉重的；猛烈的【单词】raindrop ['reyn-drop]['reɪndrɒp] n. 雨点；雨滴
A limiting factor is air resistance while the drop falls.【译】一个限制因素是下降时的空气阻力。【单词】limiting 原型：limit ['lim-it]['lɪmɪt] vt. 限制；限定【单词】factor ['fak-ter]['fæktə] n. 因素；因数；因子【单词】resistance [ri-'zis-tuhns][rɪ'zɪstəns] n. 抵抗；反对；阻力
Water likes to stick together, but air resistance is trying to tear it apart.【译】水喜欢粘在一起，但空气阻力正试图把它撕开。【单词】tear [teer][teə] vt. 撕掉；扯下；扰乱【单词】apart [uh-'pahrt][ə'pɑːt] adv. 相距；分开地；分别地
So a massive basketball sized "drop" can't happen because the friction/resistance is too strong.【译】所以一个巨大的篮球大小的“水滴”不可能出现，因为摩擦/阻力太强。【单词】massive ['mas-iv]['mæsɪv] adj. 巨大的；大量的；大规模的；大范围的【单词】basketball ['bas-kit-bawl, 'bah-skit-]['bɑːskɪtbɔːl] n. 篮球【单词】happen ['hap-uhn]['hæpən] vi. 发生；碰巧；出现
The size of the drop is kind of a balance between to air forces acting on the outside of the drop trying to tear it apart, and the intermolecular forces in the water trying to hold itself together.【译】水滴的大小是一种平衡，即作用在水滴外部的空气的力量试图将其撕裂，而水中的分子间力试图将其结合在一起。【单词】balance ['bal-uhns]['bæləns] n. 平衡，制衡【单词】intermolecular [in-ter-muh-'lek-yuh-ler][ɪntə(ː)mə'lekjʊlə] adj. 分子间的
You can see this effect with very high waterfalls.【译】对于非常高的瀑布，你可以看到同样的这种效果。【单词】waterfall ['waw-ter-fawl, 'wot-er-]['wɔːtəfɔːl] n. 瀑布
The water sometimes does not reach the ground, but disperses as mist...【译】水有时到不了地面，就像雾一样散开。。。【单词】disperses [dih-'spurs][dɪ'spɜːs] v. 分散；散开【单词】mist [mist][mɪst] n. 雾；迷蒙；朦胧不清
It's interesting that waterfalls disperse to mist instead of larger droplets like rain.【译】有趣的是，瀑布会分散成雾状，而不是像雨那样的大水滴。【单词】disperse [dih-'spurs][dɪ'spɜːs] v. 分散；散开【单词】droplets 原型：droplet ['drop-lit]['drɒplət] n. 小滴；微滴
The more speed difference between air and water, the smaller the droplets.【译】空气和水的速度差越大，水滴越小。【固定用法】the more..., the more ..., 越...，就越...；注意这里的more可以是形容词或副词的比较级；例句：The more he eats, the fatter he gets. 他吃得越多，人越发胖。The more of the masses we unite with, the better. 我们联合起来的群众越多，就越有利。【单词】speed [speed][spiːd] n. 速度；迅速
Lateral windvertical terminal velocity = mist.【译】侧风 垂直方向的最终速度=雾。【单词】lateral ['lat-er-uhl]['lætərəl] adj. 侧面的；横向的；旁边的
【单词】vertical ['vur-ti-kuhl]['vɜːtɪkl] adj. 垂直的；纵向的【单词】terminal ['tur-muh-nl]['tɜːmɪnl] adj. 末端的；终点的；晚期的【单词】velocity [vuh-'los-i-tee][və'lɒsəti] n. 速度；迅速；速率
No windterminal velocity = rain drops.【译】无风 最终速度=水滴。
