气压计的历史（以及它的工作原理） - Asaf Bar-Yosef：英语精读讲义

Aristotle famously said nature fears of empty space when he claimed that a true vacuum, 習語

亚里士多德有一句名言：自然界害怕真空。他断言，真正的真空，

a space devoid of matter, 用詞

即完全没有物质的空间，

could not exist because the surrounding matter would immediately fill it.

是不可能存在的，因为周围的物质会立刻将其填满。

Fortunately,

幸运的是，

he turned out to be wrong. 短語動詞

事实证明他错了。

A vacuum is a key component of the barometer, 短語搭配

真空是气压计的关键部件，

an instrument for measuring air pressure. 語法

气压计是测量气压的仪器。

And because air pressure correlates to temperature

由于气压与温度有关，

and rapid shifts in it can contribute to hurricanes, 短語搭配

气压的快速变化可能引发飓风、

tornadoes, and other extreme weather events,

龙卷风和其他极端天气事件，

a barometer is one of the most essential tools

因此气压计是最重要的工具之一，

for weather forecasters and scientists alike. 短語搭配

对天气预报员和科学家来说同样必不可少。

How does a barometer work and how was it invented? 表達脈絡

气压计是如何工作的？它又是如何被发明出来的？

Well, it took a while. 表達脈絡

这个过程经历了一段漫长的时间。

Because the theory of Aristotle and other ancient philosophers

因为亚里士多德和其他古代哲学家

regarding the impossibility of a vacuum

关于真空不可能存在的理论

seemed to hold true in everyday life, 短語搭配

在日常生活中似乎是正确的，

few seriously thought to question it 語法

很少有人认真地想去质疑它，

for nearly 2,000 years

这种状态持续了将近两千年，

until necessity raised the issue. 習語

直到实际需求提出了这个问题。

In the early 17th century,

在17世纪初，

Italian miners faced a serious problem

意大利矿工遇到了一个严重的问题，

when they found that their pumps

他们发现自己的水泵

could not raise water more than 10.3 m high. 用詞

无法将水抽到10.3米以上的高度。

Some scientists of the time,

当时的一些科学家，

including one Galileo Galilei,

包括伽利略·伽利莱，

proposed that sucking air out of the pipe 短語動詞

提出把管子里的空气抽出来

was what made water rise 語法

正是为了让水上升

to replace the void,

去填补那个空隙，

but that its force was limited

但这种力量是有限的，

and could lift no more than 10.3 m of water. 語法

最多只能抽起10.3米高的水。

However,

然而，

the idea of a vacuum existing at all 短語搭配

真空是否存在的想法

was still considered controversial.

在当时仍然备受争议。

And the excitement over Galileo's unorthodox theory

由于人们对伽利略非正统理论的热烈反响，

led Gasparo Berti to conduct a simple but brilliant experiment 語法

促使加斯帕罗·贝尔蒂进行了一项简单却绝妙的实验，

to demonstrate that it was possible.

以此证明真空的存在是可能的。

A long tube was filled with water 語法

一根装满水的长管

and placed standing in a shallow pool

被竖立放置在一个浅水池中，

with both ends plugged. 語法

管子的两端都被堵住。

The bottom end of the tube

管子的底端

was then opened

随后被打开，

and water poured out into the basin 短語動詞

水流进水盆中，

until the level of the water

直到水面高度

remaining in the tube was 10.3 m.

留在管内为10.3米。

With a gap remaining at the top 語法

此时管子的顶部留出了空隙，

and no air having entered the tube,

且没有空气进入管内，

Berti had succeeded 短語搭配

贝尔蒂成功地

in directly creating a stable vacuum.

直接创造出了一个稳定的真空。

But even though the possibility of a vacuum 語法

尽管存在真空的可能性

had been demonstrated,

已被证实，

not everyone was satisfied with Galileo's idea 短語搭配

但并非所有人都认同伽利略的观点，

that this empty void was exerting 用詞

即认为这个虚无的空隙对水施加了

some mysterious yet finite force on the water.

某种神秘却又有限的吸力。

Evangelista Torricelli,

埃万杰利斯塔·托里拆利，

Galileo's young pupil and friend,

这位伽利略年轻的学生兼朋友，

decided to look at the problem 習語

决定重新审视这个问题

from a different angle.

换个角度来看。

Instead of focusing on the empty space 語法

他没有把焦点放在管内

inside the tube,

留下的空隙上，

he asked himself,

而是问自己，

what else could be influencing the water?

还有什么可能在影响着水？

Because the only thing in contact 短語搭配

因为与水接触的唯一事物

with the water was the air

就是池子周围的

surrounding the pool,

空气，

he believed the pressure

他认为这种空气

from this air could be the only thing

产生的压力可能是阻止管内

preventing the water level 語法

水面进一步

in the tube from dropping further.

下降的唯一原因。

He realized that the experiment

他意识到这个实验

was not only a tool 語法

不仅仅是一个

to create a vacuum,

制造真空的工具，

but operated as a balance

而且是一个平衡装置，

between the atmospheric pressure 用詞

在管外水面受到的

on the water outside the tube

大气压强

and the pressure from the water column

和管内

inside the tube.

水柱的压强之间取得了平衡。

The water level in the tube

管内的水位

decreases until the two pressures are equal, 語法

不断下降，直到这两个压力相等，

which just happens to be

而这正好发生在

when the water is at 10.3 m.

水高为10.3米的时候。

This idea was not easily accepted, 表達脈絡

这个想法很难被人们接受，

as Galileo and others had traditionally thought

因为伽利略和其他人历来认为

that atmospheric air has no weight 用詞

大气中的空气没有重量，

and exerts no pressure.

也不产生压力。

Torricelli decided to repeat Berti's experiment

托里拆利决定重复贝尔蒂的实验，

with mercury instead of water. 短語搭配

用水银代替水。

Because mercury was denser, 用詞

由于水银的密度更大，

it fell farther than the water

它的下降幅度比水更大，

and the mercury column

最后水银柱

stood only about 76 cm tall. 用詞

停留在只有约76厘米高的地方。

Not only did this allow Torricelli 語法

这不仅让托里拆利能够

to make the instrument much more compact,

使仪器变得小巧得多，

it supported his idea

也支持了他的观点，

that weight was the deciding factor. 短語搭配

即重量才是决定性因素。

A variation on the experiment

实验的另一种变体

used two tubes with one having a large bubble

使用了两根管子，其中一根的顶部

at the top.

有一个大大的气泡。

If Galileo's interpretation had been correct, 語法

如果伽利略的解释是正确的，

the bigger vacuum in the second tube

那么第二根管子中更大的真空区

should have exerted more suction

应该会产生更大的吸力，

and lifted the mercury higher.

从而将水银吸得更高。

But the level in both tubes was the same. 表達脈絡

但两根管子中的液面高度是一样的。

The ultimate support for Torricelli's theory

对托里拆利理论的最终支持

came via Blaise Pascal,

来自布莱兹·帕斯卡，

who had such a mercury tube 語法

他把这样一根水银管

taken up a mountain

带到了一座山上，

and showed that the mercury level

并证明了水银液面高度

dropped as the atmospheric pressure decreased with altitude. 語法

随着大气压强随海拔升高而降低，也跟着下降了。

Mercury barometers based on Torricelli's original model

基于托里拆利最初模型制作的水银气压计，

remained one of the most common ways 短語搭配

一直是测量大气压强

to measure atmospheric pressure until 2007,

最常用的方法之一，直到2007年，

when restrictions on the use of mercury 用詞

由于水银的毒性

due to its toxicity

导致其使用受到限制，

led to them no longer being produced in Europe. 語法

从而使得欧洲不再生产水银气压计。

Nevertheless,

尽管如此，

Torricelli's invention,

托里拆利的发明，

born of the willingness to question 短語搭配

源于他勇于质疑

long-accepted dogmas about vacuums

人们长期接受的关于真空

and the weight of air,

和空气重量的教条，

is an outstanding example

这是一个突出的例子，

of how thinking outside of the box, 習語

说明了“跳出盒子”，

or the tube,

或者说“跳出管子”思考，

can have a heavy impact. 習語

能产生多么重大的影响。