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科学美国人60秒 SSS Shoelace Study Untangles a Knotty Problem

时间:2017-04-25 03:06:40

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(单词翻译)

Shoelace Study Untangles a Knotty1 Problem 鞋带易结也易解

You’re strolling down the street or maybe hauling that load of laundry down a flight of stairs when all of a sudden. [sound fx] Your laces come undone2. If you’ve ever pondered what precipitates3 this pedestrian wardrobe malfunction4, you might want to tie your shoes and beat a path to the Proceedings5 of the Royal Society A.

你在街上散步,也或许是在搬一大堆的衣服,突然……!!你的鞋带松了!如果你从未想过这种行人衣柜出的故障,或许你会绑好鞋带,开辟一条路去《英国皇家学会学报》。

In that journal, researchers have trotted6 out data that show that a combination of whipping and stomping7 forces is what causes laces to unravel8 without warning.

在这本杂志上,研究人员已经分析了数据,这些数据显示,甩来甩去以及跺脚这些结合的因素会导致鞋带毫无警告的松动。

The investigators9 noted10 that shoelace knots frequently fail when people are walking. But not when they are, say, sitting on the edge of a table and swinging their legs. Laces also stay tight when marching in place with no forward motion.

调查人员注意到,当人们在行走的时候,鞋带结经常松动。但是当他们坐在桌子的边缘,左右摆动双腿的时候却不会呢!当没有向前运动的时候,鞋带是不会松动的。

That led the gumshoes to suspect that stepping and swinging somehow work together to foil footwear security. But how? To untangle this knotty problem, the researchers made a slo-mo video of a student running on a treadmill11, thus recording12 the literal steps that lead to catastrophic knot failure.

这导致行业们怀疑,踏步以及摇摆会阻止鞋子的安全性。但是是怎样的呢?为了解开这个棘手的问题,研究人员做了一个慢动作的视频,视频是关于学生在跑步机上跑步,因为这就记录了导致打结失败的一步步。

Here’s what they slowly saw: When the foot strikes the ground, the force of that impact causes the knot at the center of the lace to deform13 and stretch. And when the foot swings forward, the ends of the shoelace fly forward. That whipping motion pulls the knot open a bit more, which allows the free end of the lace to slip through a tiny bit. With each cycle of impact and whip, the free end slides a little more, until enough of it has come through that the knot finally unravels14.

这是他们所慢慢看到的:当脚着地的时候,这种冲击力会使得鞋带结中心的变形、拉伸。当脚步向前的时候,鞋带也会向前飞。这就甩动的动作会导致鞋带结被再打开一点,进而导致鞋自由的一端在滑耸动一点。伴随一次次的冲击以及甩动,自由的一端变得一点点松动,最终从打的结中滑落出来。

The researchers confirmed that some knots are stronger than others. The granny knot that most of us use on our shoes is fairly weak and prone15 to failure, perhaps because the knot winds up twisted when pulled tight. A square knot, on the other hand, held up well in the treadmill test. To get that knot to buckle16, the researchers had to attach weights to the free end to aid in the tugging17 of those whipping tips.

研究人员证实,有些结比较坚固。我们大多数人在鞋子上打的松8字结相当薄弱,容易滑落。也许是因为当我们拉紧的时候,这个结变形。而另一方面,方结,在跑步机上的测试则结果良好。为了得到这个结扣,研究人员必须在鞋带自由端增加一定的质量。

The researchers did not determine whether different types of laces are more likely to produce ties that bind18. So though this initial study has made great strides in our understanding of shoelace mechanics, we still have a long way to go before this research is all tied up.

研究人员不能决定是否不同类型的鞋带会造成这种捆绑的。尽管最初的研究,让我们在理解鞋带的机理上取得了巨大的进展,但是,在研究全部结束之前,我们还有很长的路要走。


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1 knotty u2Sxi     
adj.有结的,多节的,多瘤的,棘手的
参考例句:
  • Under his leadership,many knotty problems were smoothly solved.在他的领导下,许多伤脑筋的问题都迎刃而解。
  • She met with a lot of knotty problems.她碰上了许多棘手的问题。
2 undone JfJz6l     
a.未做完的,未完成的
参考例句:
  • He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。
3 precipitates e830548bc11fe12d5fa66bfa716886b7     
v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的第三人称单数 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀
参考例句:
  • Water precipitates camphor from its alcoholic solution. 水能把樟脑从其酒精溶液中淀析出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Precipitates are usually collected by centrifugation at intervals. 常常是用离心法分段收集沉淀的。 来自辞典例句
4 malfunction 1ASxT     
vi.发生功能故障,发生故障,显示机能失常
参考例句:
  • There must have been a computer malfunction.一定是出了电脑故障。
  • Results have been delayed owing to a malfunction in the computer.由于电脑发生故障,计算结果推迟了。
5 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
6 trotted 6df8e0ef20c10ef975433b4a0456e6e1     
小跑,急走( trot的过去分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走
参考例句:
  • She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
  • Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。
7 stomping fb759903bc37cbba50a25a838f64b0b4     
v.跺脚,践踏,重踏( stomp的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He looked funny stomping round the dance floor. 他在舞池里跺着舞步,样子很可笑。 来自辞典例句
  • Chelsea substitution Wright-Phillips for Robben. Wrighty back on his old stomping to a mixed reception. 77分–切尔西换人:赖特.菲利普斯入替罗本。小赖特在主场球迷混杂的欢迎下,重返他的老地方。 来自互联网
8 unravel Ajzwo     
v.弄清楚(秘密);拆开,解开,松开
参考例句:
  • He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧,其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线,他都能解开。
  • This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。
9 investigators e970f9140785518a87fc81641b7c89f7     
n.调查者,审查者( investigator的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
  • The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
11 treadmill 1pOyz     
n.踏车;单调的工作
参考例句:
  • The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
  • Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。
12 recording UktzJj     
n.录音,记录
参考例句:
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间?
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
13 deform L9Byo     
vt.损坏…的形状;使变形,使变丑;vi.变形
参考例句:
  • Shoes that are too tight deform the feet.(穿)太紧的鞋子会使脚变形。
  • Ice crystals begin to deform measurably.冰晶就产生某种程度的变形了。
14 unravels de32940e66abf8b3c146052524dba673     
解开,拆散,散开( unravel的第三人称单数 ); 阐明; 澄清; 弄清楚
参考例句:
  • Khrushchev's Cold War unravels the tangled contradictions in his leadership of the Communist Party. 赫鲁晓夫的冷战》这本书揭示出赫鲁晓夫作为共产党的领袖,面临着一些棘手的问题。
15 prone 50bzu     
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的
参考例句:
  • Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
  • He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。
16 buckle zsRzg     
n.扣子,带扣;v.把...扣住,由于压力而弯曲
参考例句:
  • The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
  • She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。
17 tugging 1b03c4e07db34ec7462f2931af418753     
n.牵引感v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. 汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉,样子显得很害羞。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
  • She kicked him, tugging his thick hair. 她一边踢他,一边扯着他那浓密的头发。 来自辞典例句
18 bind Vt8zi     
vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬
参考例句:
  • I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
  • He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

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