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新概念第四冊Lesson40課文翻譯及學習筆記
【課文】
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What false impression does an ocean wave convey to the observer?
Waves are the children of the struggle between ocean and atmosphere, the ongoing signatures of infinity. Rays from the sun excite and energize the atmosphere of the earth, awakening it to flow, to movement, to rhythm, to life. The wind then speaks the message of the sun to the sea and the sea transmits it on through waves -- an ancient, exquisite, powerful message.
These ocean waves are among the earth's most complicated natural phenomena. The basic features include a crest (the highest point of the wave), a trough (the lowest point), a height (the vertical distance from the trough to the crest), a wave length (the horizontal distance between two wave crests), and a period (which is the time it takes a wave crest to travel one wave length).
Although an ocean wave gives the impression of a wall of water moving in your direction, in actuality waves move through the water leaving the water about where it was. If the water was moving with the wave, the ocean and everything on it would be racing in to the shore with obviously catastrophic results.
An ocean wave passing through deep water causes a particle on the surface to move in a roughly circular orbit, drawing the particle first towards the advancing wave, then up into the wave, then forward with it and then -- as the wave leaves the particles behind -- back to its starting point again.
From both maturity to death, a wave is subject to the same laws as any other 'living' thing. For a time it assumes a miraculous individuality that, in the end, is reabsorbed into the great ocean of life.
The undulating waves of the open sea are generated by three natural causes: wind, earth movements or tremors, and the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Once waves have been generated, gravity is the force that drives them in a continual attempt to restore the ocean surface to a flat plain.
from World Magazine (BBC Enterprises)
【New words and expressions 生詞和短語】
signature n. 簽名，標記
infinity n. 無窮
ray n. 光線
energize v. 給與...能量
rhythm n. 節(jié)奏
transmit v. 傳送
exquisite adj. 高雅的
phenomena n. 現(xiàn)象
crest n. 浪峰
trough n. 波谷
vertical adj. 垂直的
horizontal adj. 水平的
actuality n. 現(xiàn)實
catastrophic adj. 大災難的
particle n. 微粒
maturity n. 成熟
undulate v. 波動，形成波浪
tremor n. 震顫
gravitational adj. 地心吸力的
【課文注釋】
1.transmit vt.
①傳達
例句：Gypsies frequently transmit recipes orally within the family.
吉普賽人經常以口頭形式把秘方世代相傳。
②傳送
例句：I will transmit the money by special messenger.
我將專門派人送這筆錢。
③傳染
例句：The tension soon transmitted itself to all the members of the crowd.
這種緊張情緒很快感染了人群中所有的人。
④代代相傳
例句：Parents transmit some of their characteristics to their children.
父母把某些特性遺傳給子女。
【詞義辨析】
點擊查看大圖send, deliver, dispatch, forward, ship, transmit這些動詞均含“送出，發(fā)送，傳送”之意。
send: 普通常用詞，含義廣。指把人或物由一地送往另一地，而不涉及事物的內容或送的方式。
deliver: 指把信件、包裹等物寄發(fā)出去或交到某地，或直接交與某人，著重發(fā)送這一行為。
dispatch: 指為特殊目的而發(fā)送或派遣，強調緊急或快速。
forward: 指經過其他人或手段把東西轉送給某人，(電子郵件)轉發(fā)。
ship: 把通過水運、陸運或空運等方式運送東西�，F(xiàn)常指商業(yè)上的運貨，或將物品托運。
transmit: 指將文件、消息等的內容或類似的東西發(fā)至某地或傳達給他人。
2.exquisite adj.
①精挑細選的
例句：The hostess had exquisite taste in clothes.
女主人對衣著十分講究。
�、诰碌�
例句：The girl came up with a set of exquisite stamps.
那姑娘拿出一套精美的郵票。
�、奂毮伒�
例句：She has an exquisite ear for music.
她對音樂有細膩的聽覺。
④強烈的
例句：I couldn't sleep for exquisite pain.
我因劇痛而不能入睡。
3.vertical adj. 垂直的, 縱向的, 頂點的
例句：The northern face of the mountain is almost vertical.
這座山向北的一面幾乎是垂直的。
【詞義辨析】
點擊查看大圖vertical, perpendicular, upright, erect, plumb 這些形容詞均有“垂直的、豎式的”之意。
vertical: 指與平面、水平線或基線成直角或幾乎成直角向上延伸至頂點的物體。也可指呈直線上升或下降的。
perpendicular: 指與水平線形成90度的線或面，或朝垂直方面延伸的，尤指向下的急劇運動。
upright: 普通用詞，指豎立、筆直而不是傾斜、倒塌的。
erect: 指筆直挺拔，而非傾斜、佝僂、彎曲或倒塌的。
plumb: 建筑上用詞，憑錘球評判某物是否完全垂直。
4.the horizontal distance between two wave crests 兩個波峰間的水平距離
5.which is the time it takes a wave crest to travel one wave length 波峰走過一個波長所需的時間
6.give the impression of 給人以......印象
例句：He gives the impression of not caring a damn.
他給人的印象是滿不在乎。
7.in actuality 事實上
例句：This “big company” in actuality is only a small shop.
這家“大公司”實際上只是一個小店。
They talk about detente, but in actuality they are engaged in intense rivalry.
他們嘴里講緩和，骨子里卻進行激烈的爭奪。
8.catastrophic adj. 災難的, 災難性的
例句：The contracting of a serious illness can be financially catastrophic.
患上嚴重疾病很可能會是一場經濟災難。
On this issue, the consequences of inaction could be catastrophic.
在這個問題上，不采取行動將會帶來災難性的后果。
9.back to its starting point again 又返回出發(fā)點
10.be subject to 受...支配，服從于，遭受
例句：The offer isn't subject to prior sale.
本報盤以貨物未售出為條件。
Peasants used to be subject to the local landowner.
農民過去受地主的壓迫。
11.undulate v.波動，形成波浪
例句：Fields of wheat are undulating in the breeze.
在微風中起伏著一片麥浪。
We soon see a field of wheat undulate in the breeze.
我們很快看到一片在微風中起伏的麥田。
12. generate vt. 產生，發(fā)生，引起
例句：We can't generate enough power for the entire city.
我們不能為整個城市產生足夠的能量。
We need someone to generate new ideas.
我們需要有人出新主意。
This hatred was generated by racial prejudice.
這種仇恨是由種族偏見引起的。
Water power can be used to generate electricity.
水力可以用來發(fā)電。
【參考譯文】
海浪是大海和空氣相斗的產物，無限的一種不間斷的標志。太陽光刺激了地球的大氣層，并給予它能量;陽光使空氣開始流動，產生節(jié)奏，獲得生命。然后，風把太陽的信息帶給了大海，海洋用波浪的形式傳遞這個信息 —— 一個源遠流長、高雅而有力的信息。
這些海浪屬于地球上復雜的自然現(xiàn)象。它們的基本特征包括浪峰(波浪的高點)、波谷(低點)、浪高(從波谷到浪峰的垂直距離)、波長(兩個浪峰間的水平距離)和周期(海峰走過一個波長所需的時間)。雖然，海浪給人的印象是一堵由水組成的墻向你壓過來，而實際上，浪從水中移過，而水則留在原處。如果水和浪一起移動的話，那么大海和海里所有的東西就會向岸邊疾涌過來，帶來明顯的災難性后果。
穿過深水的海浪使水面上的一個微粒按照一種近乎圓形的軌道移動，先把微粒拉向前移動的海浪，然后推上波浪，隨著波浪移動，然后 -- 當波浪把微粒留在身后時 -- 又回到出發(fā)點。
從成熟到消亡，波浪和其他任何“活動中”的東西一樣，都受制于共同的法則。一度它獲得非凡的個性，但終又被重新融進生命的大洋。
公海上起伏的波浪是由3個自然因素構成的：風、地球的運動或震顫和月亮、太陽的引力。一旦波浪形成，地球引力是持續(xù)不斷企圖使海面復原為平面的力量。
新概念第四冊Lesson41課文翻譯及學習筆記
【課文】
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
At what point does the training of a captive wild elephant begin?
Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may call respectively the tough and the gentle. The former method simply consists of setting an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him. Apart from any moral considerations this is a stupid method of training, for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn man-killer. The gentle method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces a cheerful, good-tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal service.
The first essential in elephant training is to assign to the animal a single mahout who will be entirely responsible for the job. Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are capable of a considerable degree of personal affection. There are even stories of half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to death when by some unavoidable circumstance they have been deprived of their own trainer. Such extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of salt, but they do underline the general principle that the relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training.
The most economical age to capture an elephant for training is between fifteen and twenty years, for it is then almost ready to undertake heavy work and can begin to earn its keep straight away. But animals of this age do not easily become subservient to man, and a very firm hand must be employed in the early stages. The captive elephant, still roped to a tree, plunges and screams every time a man approaches, and for several days will probably refuse all food through anger and fear. Sometimes a tame elephant is tethered nearby to give the wild one confidence, and in most cases the captive gradually quietens down and begins to accept its food. The next stage is to get the elephant to the training establishment, a ticklish business which is achieved with the aid of two tame elephants roped to the captive on either side.
When several elephants are being trained at one time, it is customary for the new arrival to be placed between the stalls of two captives whose training is already well advanced. It is then left completely undisturbed with plenty of food and water so that it can absorb the atmosphere of its new home and see that nothing particularly alarming is happening to its companions. When it is eating normally, its own training begins. The trainer stands in front of the elephant holding a long stick with a sharp metal point. Two assistants, mounted on tame elephants, control the captive from either side, while others rub their hands over his skin to the accompaniment of a monotonous and soothing chant. This is supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant, and its effects are reinforced by the use of endearing epithets. such as'ho! my son', or 'ho! my father', or 'my mother', according to the age and sex of the captive. The elephant is not immediately susceptible to such blandishments, however, and usually lashes fiercely with its trunk in all directions. These movements are controlled by the trainer with the metal-pointed stick, and the trunk eventually becomes so sore that the elephant curls it up and seldom afterwards uses it for offensive purposes.
RICHARD CARRINGTON Elephants
【New words and expressions 生詞和短語】
technique n. 技術
tough adj. 強硬的
resentful adj. 忿恨不滿的
assign v. 分配，指派
mahout n. 馴象人
calf n. 幼仔
pine v. 消瘦
underline v. 著重說明，強調
keep n. 生計
subservient adj. 屈從的
plunge v. 向前沖
tame adj. 養(yǎng)馴服了的
tether v. (用繩)拴
ticklish adj. 難對付的，棘手的
alarming adj. 引起驚恐的
accompaniment n. 伴奏
soothe v. 鎮(zhèn)定
chant n. 單調的歌
reinforce v. 加強
endearing adj.惹人喜愛的
epithet n. 稱呼
susceptible adj. 易受感動的
blandishment n. 奉承
lash v. 猛烈地甩
curl v. 使卷曲
【課文注釋】
1.the tough 強硬法
the gentle 溫柔法
2.resentful adj.憤懣不滿的
例句：Some Americans are resentful, so they must find an opportunity to vent their anger.
一些美國人心中不滿，就要找個機會來發(fā)泄。
3.pine to death 消瘦至死
pine v.
①消瘦，憔悴
例句：He pined away after his daughter died.
他的女兒死后，他逐漸變得憔悴了。
�、诳释�
例句：Alone,a lonely stranger in a foreign land,I pine for kinsfolk doubly on a holiday.
獨在異鄉(xiāng)為異客每逢佳節(jié)倍思親
n.松樹
4.by some unavoidable circumstance 由于某些不可避免的情況
5.deprive of 剝奪， 使失去 … (權利)
例句：If you don't drive carefully, I shall be obliged to deprive you of your license.
如果您不謹慎駕駛，我將不得不沒收您的執(zhí)照。
Too many trees round a house deprive it of light and air.
房屋四周樹木太多會使室內光線和空氣都感不足。
6.with a grain of salt 有保留地
7.underline v.著重說明，強調
例句：Strikes by prison officers underline the need for reform in our gaols.
監(jiān)獄工作人員罷工一事，突出地表明我們的監(jiān)獄制度需要改革。
Those words are underlined in the English book.
那本英語書中有些單詞下畫著線進行強調。
8.subservient adj.屈從的
例句：People shall not be regarded as subservient to the economic system.
不應把人的因素看成是經濟體制的附庸。
9.a very firm hand 一個強有力的人
10.quiet down
例句：He was very angry, but he has quieted down now.
他剛才很生氣，但現(xiàn)在已經平靜下來了。
11.ticklish adj. 難對付的， 易怒的， 怕癢的
例句：A ticklish matter.
一件棘手的事
12.with the aid of 在……幫助下
13.customary adj. 習慣的， 慣例的
例句：That's his customary shortcoming.
那是他一個習慣的毛病。
It's customary to give people gifts on their birthdays.
給人送生日禮物是慣常的事。
For once, she lost/dropped her customary reserve and became quite lively.
這次，她一反平素的沉默寡言，表現(xiàn)得很活躍。
【詞義辨析】
usual, customary, habitual, conventional, regular 這些形容詞均有“通常的，慣常的”之意。
usual: 普通用詞，概念廣泛。指經常發(fā)生或意料中的事，既可指自然發(fā)生的現(xiàn)象，也可指按個人習慣或慣例而做的事。
[b]customary: 指特定的個人或群體的平常習慣，或習俗性的行為。
habitual: 指按個人習慣反復發(fā)生的事情。側重經常性、習慣性。
conventional: 語氣強，指遵守已成習慣的事情，強調符合慣例，由人們普遍認可。
regular: 著重遵守約定俗成的規(guī)則。
14.This is supposed to 據說……
例句：This is supposed to be an off season for vegetables but you seem to have enough here.
按說現(xiàn)在是蔬菜的淡季， 可是你們這里供應還不錯。
15.susceptible adj.易受感動的
例句：Children are more susceptible than adults.
孩子比成人易受外界的影響。
He's so susceptible that she easily gained his affection.
他易受感情影響，所以她很輕易就得到了他的愛。
【參考譯文】
馴象有兩種主要的方法，我們分別稱之為強硬法和溫柔法。強硬法就是驅使象去干活，把它打順從為止。且不說道義問題，這本身就是一種愚蠢的訓練方法，因為這種方法訓練會使動物反感，在以后某個時期可能會變成傷人的動物。溫柔法要求在初階段保持較大的耐心，但這種方法可以訓練出性情愉快、脾氣溫順，能忠實為人服務多年的大象。
馴象中至關重要的是指派一名專門的馴象員，全面負責這項工作。大象和狗一樣，喜歡有一個專一的主人，而且會對主人產生相當深厚的私人感情。甚至有這樣的故事：訓練了一半的小象，由于不可避免的情況與他們的主人分離后，竟拒絕吃食，消瘦至死。這種極端的事例雖不可全信，但強調了一項基本原則，象和馴象員之間的關系是馴象成功與否的關健。
捕捉15至20歲之間年齡的大象進行馴象為經濟。 這個年齡的象差不多已能干重活，可以很快掙回飼養(yǎng)它的開支。但這個年齡的象不易馴服，因此開始階段需要有一位強有力的老手。捕來拴在樹上的大象，每當有人走近它時，就會向前猛沖并發(fā)出尖叫，甚至一連幾天都由于憤怒和恐懼而拒絕進食。有時，把一頭已馴服的象拴在旁邊能給野象以信心。在大多數(shù)情況下，剛縛來的象會慢慢靜下來，接著開始吃食。下一步就是把象帶到訓練場所，這是一件棘手的事，需要在它兩側拴上兩頭馴服的大象才能完成。
幾只象同時訓練時，通常是把新到的安置在兩頭訓練得很好的大象的象廄中間，然后給它以充足的食物和水，一定不要驚擾它，以便讓他能適應新居的氣氛，并且看到自己的同伴身上沒有發(fā)生讓自己擔驚受怕的事。當它進食正常了，訓練就開始。馴練員手持一根有鋒利金屬尖頭的長棒，站在象前。兩位助手騎在馴服的象的背上，從兩側控制新捕的象，其他人唱著單調的歌聲用手撫摸象的皮膚。據說這是為了使象產生愉快的感覺，為了加強這種效果，人們還按象的年齡性別，給以親切的外號，如“嗬!我的孩子”、“嗬!我的爸爸”、“嗬!我的媽媽”。然而大象不會立刻被這些討好的話感動，而往往是用鼻子朝各個方向猛烈地甩動。訓練員要用有鋒利金屬尖的長棒控制它的這種舉動，象鼻子后疼得卷了起來，以后它就很少用鼻子去進攻了。
新概念第四冊Lesson42課文翻譯及學習筆記
【課文】
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What does a pen have to do to record on paper the vibrations generated by an earthquake?
An earthquake comes like a thief in the night, without warning. It was necessary, therefore, to invent instruments that neither slumbered nor slept. Some devices were quite simple. One, for instance, consisted of rods of various lengths and thicknesses which would stand up on end like ninepins. When a shock came, it shook the rigid table upon which these stood. If it were gentle, only the more unstable rods fell. If it were severe, they all fell. Thus the rods, by falling, and by the direction in which they fell, recorded for the slumbering scientist the strength of a shock that was too weak to waken him, and the direction from which it came.
But instruments far more deliecate than that were needed if any really serious advance was to be made. The ideal to be aimed at was to devise an instrument that could record with a pen on paper, the movements of the ground or of the table as the quake passed by. While I write my pen moves, but the paper keeps still. With practice, no doubt, I could in time learn to write by holding the pen still while the paper moved. That sounds a silly suggestion, but that was precisely the idea adopted in some of the early instruments (seismometers) for recording earthquake waves. But when table, penholder and paper are all moving, how is it possible to write legibly? The key to a solution of that problem lay in an everyday observation. Why does a person standing in a bus or train tend to fall when a sudden start is made? It is because his feet move on , but his head stays still. A simple experiment will help us a little further. Tie a heavy weight at the end of a long piece of string. With the hand held high in the air, hold the string so that the weight nearly touches the ground. Now move the hand to and fro and around but not up and down. It will be found that the weight moves but slightly or not at all. Imagine a pen attached to the weight in such a way that its point rests upon a piece of paper on the floor. Imagine an earthquake shock shaking the floor, the paper, you and your hand. In the midst of all this movement, the weight and the pen would be still. But as the paper moved from side to side under the pen point, its movement would be recorded in ink upon its surface. It was upon this principle that the first instruments were made, but the paper was wrapped round a drum which rotated slowly. As long as all was still, the pen drew a straight line, but while the drum was being shaken, the line that the pen was drawing wriggled from side to side. The apparatus thus described, however, records only the horizontal component of the wave movement, which is, in fact, much more complicated. If we could actually see the path described by a particle, such as a sand grain in the rock, it would be more like that of a bluebottle path described by a particle, such as a sand grain in the rock, it would be more like that of a bluebottle buzzing round the room; it would be up and down, to and fro and from side to side. Instruments have been devised and can be so placed that all three elements can be recorded in different graphs.
When the instrument is situated at more than 700 miles from the earthquake centre, the graphic record shows three waves arriving one after the other at short intervals. The first records the arrival of longitudinal vibrations. The second marks the arrival of transverse vibrations which travel more slowly and arrive several minutes after the first. These two have travelled through the earth. It was from the study of these that so much was learnt about the interior of the earth. The third, or main wave, is the slowest and has travelled round the earth through the surface rocks.
H.H,SWINNERTON The Earth beneath Us
【New words and expressions 生詞和短語】
earthquake n. 地震
slumber v. 睡眠
ninepin n. 九柱戲中的木柱
rigid adj. 堅硬的
delicate adj. 靈感的
seismometer n. 地震儀
penholder n. 筆桿
legibly adv. 字跡清楚地
drum n. 鼓狀物
wriggle v. 扭動
bluebottle n. 綠頭蒼蠅
graph n. 圖表
graphic adj. 圖示的
longitudinal adj. 縱向的
transverse adj. 橫向的
【課文注釋】
1.slumber v.睡眠
例句：She fell into restful slumber.
她進入寧靜的安眠之中。
Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
不要容你的眼睛睡覺，不要容你的眼皮打盹。
【詞義辨析】
sleep, doze, nap, slumber 這些動詞均含“睡”之意。
sleep : 普通用詞，指一般的睡眠�？捎米饕曛搁L眠或靜止不動。
doze : 多用于口語中，指輕微的小睡或處于半睡狀態(tài)。
nap : 指白天的小睡。
slumber : 多指人安詳?shù)鼗蜷L時間地睡。
2. stand up on end 豎立著
3.rigid adj.堅硬的;刻板的
例句：The tent has a rigid support.
帳篷有一個堅硬的支柱。
He's very rigid in his ideas.
他的想法非常固執(zhí)。
【詞義辨析】
rigid, strict, rigorous這些形容詞均含“刻板的，嚴格的”之意。
rigid: 指沒有靈活性、機動性。
strict: 指在行為規(guī)則上要求嚴格。
rigorous: 側重指嚴格到毫不寬容的地步。
4.The ideal to be aimed at 理想的目標
5.devise vt. 設計， 發(fā)明， 遺贈
例句：This time we'll devise a better solution.
這次我們將設計一種新的解決方案。
He devised a new type of transistor.
他發(fā)明了一種新的晶體管。
【詞義辨析】
devise, conceive, formulate 這些動詞的均含“設計、設想”之意。
devise: 側重設計的臨時性和權宜性，并隱含有更多的設想可用。
conceive: 強調在制定計劃之前的先有設想構思。
formulate: 與conceive相反，指在devise之后的具體設計活動。
6.I could in time 我終能夠……
7.legibly adv.字跡清楚地
例句：He can write as neatly and legibly as the next person if he takes his time over it.
若他不匆匆忙忙寫的話，他能寫得和別人一樣整潔、清楚。
8.help us a little further 幫助我們進一步搞清這個問題
9.With the hand held high in the air, hold the string 這是一個祈使句，謂語動詞是hold, with the hand held high in the air是介詞短語作方式狀語。
10.to and fro 往復，來來回回
11.rotate v. 輪流，(使)旋轉
例句：He rotates the handle gently.
他輕輕地轉動手柄。
The post of chairman rotates among members of the committee.
主席一職由委員會的成員輪流擔任。
【詞義辨析】
rotate, revolve, roll, spin, turn, whirl, circle 這些動詞均有“轉動、旋轉”之意。
rotate: 側重指物體圍繞自己的軸或中心旋轉，即自轉。
revolve: 強調指物體圍繞本身以外的中心旋轉，即公轉。
roll: 指某物在平面上滾動或翻滾。
spin: 指沿內軸迅速而連續(xù)旋轉，或沿外部一個點作快速圓周運轉。
turn: 普通用詞，中性，含義廣泛，根據搭配，可指作一個圓周運動或連續(xù)地作圓周運動，也可指僅是沿圓的弧形轉動。
whirl: 指旋轉或作圓周運動，側重急速或力量。
circle: 指作圓周運動。
12.wriggle v.扭動
例句：I can't brush your hair if you keep wriggling all the time.
你要是一直扭來扭去，我就沒法給你梳頭了。
He had to wriggle his way out.
他得扭著身子才鉆了出來。
13.vibration n.顫動;振動;搖動
例句：Even at full speed the ship's engines cause very little vibration.
這條船即使全速前進，發(fā)動機的震動也很小。
【參考譯文】
地震就像夜間的小偷，不打招呼就來了。因此，有必要發(fā)明一種儀器，既不打盹兒，也不睡覺。有些裝置非常簡單。例如，有一種裝置是由一些長短、粗細不同的木棒組成，就像九柱戲的木棒一樣堅立著，一旦有地震，就會震動豎立在堅硬的桌上的木棒。如果地震輕微，只有不穩(wěn)定的木棒倒下;如果地震劇烈，所有的木棒都會例下。由于地震太弱而未驚醒科學家時，木棒倒下的多少和倒下的方向就為科學家記錄下了地震的強度和地震方向。
但是，如果要取得真正重大的進展，需要有比這種裝置精細得多的儀器。理想的目標是設計出這樣一種儀器：當?shù)卣鸢l(fā)生時，它能用筆在紙上記錄下大地和桌子運動情況。我寫字時，筆是移動的，紙是靜止的。毫無疑問，經過練習，我終能夠學會筆不動而紙動來寫字。這聽起來似乎是一種愚蠢的想法，但是早期記錄地震波的儀器(地震儀)正是采用了這種思路。可是，當桌子、夾筆裝置、紙都在移動時，怎么能書寫得清楚呢?可以從我們的日常生活觀察中找到這個問題的答案。一個站在公共汽車或火車上，當車突然開動時，他為什么會傾倒呢?這是因為他的腳動了，而他的頭保持著靜止。再做一個簡單的實驗可以幫助我們進一步理解這個問題。把一個生物拴在一根長繩子的一端，把手高高舉在空中握住繩子，讓重物幾乎接觸地面。然后把手前后左右以及旋轉擺動，但不要上下擺動。結果會發(fā)現(xiàn)，重物是動了，但動得很小，甚至沒動。假定把一支筆拴在重物上，筆尖落在地板上的一張紙上，假定地震發(fā)生了，地板、紙、你和你的手都會動，重物和筆卻不動。由于紙在筆下來回運動，紙的表面就會用墨水記錄下地板運動的情況。根據這一原理，制造出了初的地震儀器，但是紙是卷在慢慢放置的圓筒上的。只要一切都是靜止的，筆就會劃出一條直線;但是，圓筒受到震動，筆所畫出的線就會就會左右擺動。然而，這里所說的儀器記錄下來的只是地震波運動中的水平部份，地震波的運動實際比這要復雜得多。假如我們真能看到諸如巖石中一個沙粒子的運動軌跡，那就像一只嗡嗡叫的綠頭蒼蠅在屋內飛行的軌跡，呈現(xiàn)出上上下下、來來回回、左左右右3種性質的運動。已經設計出了一些儀器，它按照一定的安放方式就可測繪出這三種運動的曲線圖。
如果把這種儀器安裝在距震中700多英里遠的地方，曲線記錄就能顯示出前后相同的這3種地震波。首先記錄下的是縱向波的到達;然后記錄下的是橫向波的到達，橫向波比縱向波傳播得慢，在縱向波到過幾分鐘后能到達。這兩種波都是穿過地球而來的。正是從這兩種波中的研究中，我們可以了解到地球內部的許多情況。第三種波，即主波，是慢的，是圍繞地球通過表面巖石傳來的。
