1.We talk about energy all the time-"Zilch,the energy food," "energy crisis," and so on.If asked to define it,however,we'd probably respond with something like "Well,it's-uh-well,you know-electricity."
1、我們時時刻刻討論著能：“能量食物”，“能源危機”，等等。如果要我們去給能下個定義，答案很可能是一些模棱兩可的話：“哦，能量是，嗯，你知道，電。”
2.True;electricity is one kind of energy.However,energy comes in many forms.You cannot see or smell or taste energy,but it's always there,and one of the most fascinating things about it is its ability to change from one form to another-like magic.This principle of change is what keeps everything-and everyone-going in this world of ours.
2、確實，電是能量中的一種。但是，能量可以來自多種形式。你看不見、聞不到、也品嘗不了能，但是，它始終存在著，關于能量，最吸引人的就是，它具有從一種形式轉換成另外一種形式的能力，簡直如同魔術。這些轉化的原理是維持我們這個世界每一樣事物、每一個人的運動。
Heat Energy
熱能
3.When a fuel unites with oxygen,we say the fuel burns; what is really happening is that chemical energy（fuel and oxygen） is changing to heat energy.When the fuel（food） we eat unites with the oxygen we breathe,we then have heat energy to run our bodies.
3、當燃料與氧氣結合，我們就說燃料開始燃燒了，實際發(fā)生的是化學能（燃料與氧氣）轉化成熱能。當燃料（我們吃的食物）與我們呼吸的氧氣結合，我們獲得我們身體運動所需的熱能。
4.When you pop a frozen waffle into the toaster,electrical energy turns into heat energy.
4、當你取出一塊冷凍餅放進烤面包器時，電能轉化成了熱能。
5.In the internal-combustion engine of a car,an electric spark explodes gasses in the cylinder;the heat energy moves the pistons,becoming mechanical energy to move the car.
5、在汽車的內燃機引擎里，電火花引爆氣缸里的燃料氣體，然后熱能推動活塞，成為機械能推動汽車行駛。
6.In a steam engine,the chemical energy of fuel is changed to heat energy;the heated water,now steam,forces the pistons to move.In a steam turbine,the steam pushes against blades.In both cases,mechanical energy results.
6、在蒸汽機里，燃料里的化學能轉化成熱能，加熱水，成為水蒸汽，推動活塞運動。在燃氣輪機里，水蒸汽推動的是葉片。在這兩種情況中，都是機械能起的作用。
7.This changing from one form of energy to another can continue almost indefinitely.If,for instance,the steam engine or turbine is connected to a generator,the mechanical energy can become electrical energy,which can become heat energy（for the electric stove）,mechanical energy（for the washer）,etc.
7、能量從一種形式轉化為另一種形式的變化幾乎能夠平穩(wěn)連續(xù)進行。比如說，如果蒸汽機或者蒸汽輪機和一個發(fā)電機聯接起來，那么機械能就可以轉化成電能，然后轉化成熱能（比如電爐）、機械能（如洗衣機）等等。
8.Thus,energy readily changes back and forth from one form to another.What starts out as one form of energy may be a totally different form when it reaches its final use.
8、因此，能量可以輕易地從一種形式到另一種形式來回轉換。從最初的能量形式到最后的使用形式，能的形態(tài)可能已經完全改變了。
Radiant Energy
輻射能
9.Radiant energy is also called light energy.Our most important source of radiant energy is ,of course,the sun.Without it there would be no life,for plant life depends upon radiant energy-and we depend upon plant life.
9、輻射能也稱作光能。當然，我們人類最重要的光能的來源就是太陽。沒有太陽，就沒有生命，植物的生命依賴輻射能，而我們依賴植物的生命。
10.Other forms of radiant energy familiar to us are radio waves,infrared rays,ultra-violet rays,X rays,and gamma rays.
10、我們熟悉的另外一些形式的輻射能是電磁波，紅外線、紫外線、X射線和伽瑪射線。
Mechanical Energy
機械能
11.In simplest terms,this is the energy of a moving object.Your heartbeat,the pushing of a lawn mower,a baseball speeding through the air,water falling onto a waterwheel,the prying up of a rock with a crowbar-all are mechanical energy,which,of course,was another form of energy earlier.
11、用最簡單的術語來描述，機械能就是移動著的物體擁有的能量。你的心臟跳動、推進割草機、棒球在空中高速飛過、水落入水輪機、用撬杠撬開石頭等等，所有這些都是機械能，當然，在轉化之前它是另一種能量形式。
Electrical Energy
電能
12.Electrical energy usually has to be changed to another form before it actually does what we want it to do.In the toaster,it changes to heat;in a tiny wrist watch or a subway train or a 75,000 horse-power industrial motor,it changes to mechanical energy.In an industrial process called electrolysis,it changes to chemical energy.
12、通常情況下，電能必須先轉化為另一種形式的能，才能為我們所用。對烤面包機來說，電能轉化成熱能，在一個小小的手表里或者地鐵列車里或者一臺75000馬力的工業(yè)電動機里，電能轉化成機械能。在所謂的電解工業(yè)的過程中，它轉化成化學能。
Chemical Energy
化學能
13.Various fuels such as coal,gas,oil and food are common examples of chemical energy.These fuels give off heat when they burn.The process is called combustion or oxidation,and the heat itself is a form of energy.Man uses the energy from some kind of fuel for everything from flying to the moon to thinking about it.
13、最常見的化學能包括煤、天然氣、石油、和食物等各種各樣的燃料。當這些燃料燃燒時釋放出熱能。這個過程我們稱之為燃燒或者氧化反應，同時熱本身也是能量的一種形式。人們從不同燃料中得到的能量，并用這些能量做任何事情，大到飛上月球，小到頭腦的思考。
14.A special kind of chemical energy is nuclear energy,sometimes called atomic energy.These names come from the fact that the source of energy the nucleus,or core,of the atom,Nuclear fuels much as plutonium and uranium give off heat energy when fission（the splitting of atoms in these fuels） occurs.Already we have seen tremendous advances in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,and many people see nuclear energy as the future answer to almost all of our energy need.
14、核能是一種特殊的化學能，有時候我們稱之為原子能。這個名稱來自于原子能來源于核、或者原子核這樣的事實。當核燃料，例如釙（應該為钚）和鈾，發(fā)生核裂變時釋放出熱能（這些燃料中原子發(fā)生分裂）。我們已經看到和平利用核能所帶來的巨大好處，并且很多人認為核能可以看作解決未來人類能源需求問題的答案。
15.Energy-the kind of magic we can't live without.
15、能，是與人類生存息息相關的一種魔力。
