Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and his geography professor.

旁白：请听一段学生与他的地理教授之间的对话。

Student: Hi. Professor Brown.

学生：您好，布朗教授。

Professor: Hi. Paul. What can I do for you?

教授：你好，保罗。你需要我的帮助吗？

Student: I have a question about the final exam.

学生：我有个关于期末考试的问题。

I mean, will it cover everything we've done all term?

我是说，考试的内容包括我们这学期所有的知识吗？

Or just what we've been doing since the mid-term exam.

还是期中考试以后我们学的知识？

Professor: Everything we've done all term.

教授：我们这个学期学的所有的知识。

Student: Oh, boy.

学生：哦，天啊。

You know, I am still not too clear about the hydrologic cycle, um, the transfer of water back and forth between the earth and the atmosphere.

有关水循环的问题我还不是很清楚，嗯，就是水在地球和大气之间的循环。

I really blew the question about it on the mid-term exam.

在期中考试的时候我这个问题就回答的一塌糊涂，

I want to do better on the final exam.

我希望在期末考试中能答好这个问题。

But I am still having trouble with it.

但是我还是不太明白。

Professor: Well, uh, have you been to the tutoring center?

教授：这样啊，你去过辅导中心吗？

Student: No, not for geography anyway.

学生：没有，没去过地理课的辅导中心。

Isn't that just for when you need help with writing, like an essay or a research paper?

那里不是只有当你写论文或研究报告的时候需要帮助的时候才能去吗？

Professor: Oh, no.

教授：哦，不。

you can get tutoring in a lot of subjects.

很多问题你都可以得到辅导。

Some graduate students from this department tutor there.

有许多地理系的研究生会在那里给大家辅导。

Student: That's good to know.

学生：得到这个消息很高兴。

But I hardly go there because I have a part-time job.

但是我很少去那里因为我要做兼职。

I never seem to be free when they are open.

那里开的时候我总没有时间。

Professor: Well, they will be extending their hours when final exams begin.

教授：哦，期末考试的时候他们会延长辅导的时间。

You might try then.

你可以去那里试试。

But um... Well, since you are here now, can I help you with something?

但是，嗯……既然你已经来了，我可以帮你看一下，哪里不会？

Student: Well, the hydrologic cycle.

学生：太好了，是水循环。

I remember we went over a diagram in class.

我记得课堂上我们讲过一个图表。

And from what I remember, water changes back and forth from water in lakes and oceans to vapor, and then back to water again when it falls as rain or snow, as precipitation.

根据我的记忆，水是来回循环的，湖水和海水变成水蒸气，然后水蒸气又变成雨或雪落下，也就是降水。

It's constantly being recycled through evaporation and condensation.

它们不断的通过蒸发和液化循环。

Professor: That's it. Basically.

教授：基本上就是这样。

Um... so exactly what is it you don't understand?

嗯……那你到底那里不明白呢。

Student: OK. I guess what I am really confused about is how the topography of the land, the mountains and valleys and stuff, affects precipitation.

学生：我想我感到困惑的是地形是如何影响降水的，比如说山脉和峡谷或者是其它的地形。

Professor: OK. Good question.

教授：嗯，问得好。

Precipitation is influenced by topography among other things.

降水受地表的其它事物影响。

Um, why don't we talk about lake-effect snow?

不如我们来讲一下大湖效应？

It's a phenomenon that occurs anywhere you have a large lake that doesn't freeze and have cold air flowing over it, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere.

这种现象发生在面积大的不结冰的湖区，湖区的上空有冷空气，而这种现象多在北半球出现。

Student: Like the great lakes in the United States?

学生：就像美国的五大湖区？

Professor: Yes. What happens is that the cold arctic air blows across the lake from the north in winter.

教授：是的。冬天北极地区的冷空气会从北边吹来。

And as the air crosses the lake, the lower layer is warmed by the lake water, which is much warmer than the arctic air.

当冷空气穿过湖区时，低处的空气层会因湖水的温度而变暖，湖水比北极的冷空气要热的多。

And as this layer is warmed and picks up moisture, it becomes lighter than the air above it.

由于空气变暖湿度增加，与上层的空气相比它会变轻。

Student: So it starts to rise, right?

学生：所以它就会上升，对吗？

Professor: Yes. And clouds begin to form.

教授：是的。所以会形成云层。

When the air gets close to the shore, it's slowed down by the land and starts to pile up.

当空气到达湖的边缘时，由于陆地的原因它的速度会减慢并不断聚集。

So it rises even faster because it has nowhere else to go, that's where topography comes into the picture.

所以它上升的更快，又无法到别的地方去，这就是地形造成的。

Student: And then it snows because as the air rises, it cools off and loses its capacity to hold water vapor.

学生：所以接着就会下雪，因为随着空气的上升，温度降低，从而失去了对水蒸气的控制。

Professor: That's right.

教授：是这样的。

Student: OK. Thanks. Any chance you'll have this question on the final?

学生：好的，谢谢您。考试的时候您会出这道题吗？

Professor: I don't know yet.

教授：这我还不知道。

But you seem to have a handle on it.

但是就算出了你也没有问题了。