离岸流有多可怕？

据维基百科，离岸流（Rip current），又称裂流，是一种向外海方向缓缓移动的微弱海流。

离岸流对海边的人员有潜在的危险，因为这种海流可能会将人快速带离海岸边，往外海飘流。离岸流常发生于固定沙洲之间，持续时间从几分钟到几星期都有可能，且发生前征兆通常不明。离岸流最强的时候是退潮时。在遇到沿岸流时，应沿著平行于海岸的方向朝一侧游出，然后借波浪游回岸边；如果有风，最好顺著风的方向游。

🤔️小作业：

1. According to the article, why are rip currents referred to as "rip tides" by many people?

a) Rip currents and rip tides are the same thing.

b) Rip currents and rip tides have similar characteristics.

c) Rip tides are more dangerous than rip currents.

d) Rip tides occur in rivers and harbors, while rip currents occur in the ocean.

a) Rip currents are the leading cause of drowning worldwide.

b) Panicking and swimming to the shore increases the risk of drowning.

c) Drowning in rip currents is primarily caused by a lack of swimming skills.

d) Rip currents often pull swimmers out to sea.

无注释原文：

A rip current at the beach can be deadly, but experts say you can escape by doing this

From: USA TODAY

Summer begins and that means more people will start spending time at the beach. 

But if you've ever soaked up the sun and sand, you've probably seen a scary sign telling you to watch out for rip currents. Rip currents are a real danger for beachgoers: The U.S. Lifesaving Association estimates more than 100 people are killed by rip currents every year, and lifeguards rescue at least 30,000 swimmers a year from rip currents. 

But what are rip currents? Why are they so dangerous? Why should you avoid your gut instinct if you get caught in one?

What are rip currents?

You might have heard of rip currents by the common misnomer "rip tides." They are actually two different things, according to the National Ocean Service.

A rip tide is a specific type of current associated with the swift movement of tidal water through inlets and the mouths of rivers and harbors.

Rip currents occur in bodies of water with breaking waves; they are channels of water that flow at a faster pace than the surrounding area. Swimmers who are caught in rip currents can get sucked away at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, far too fast for many swimmers to make it safely back to shore.

What should I do if I get caught in one?

First, don't panic – there is a way out. 

Remain calm and swim parallel to the shoreline, which is perpendicular to the current. Or just go with the flow and ride out the rip current, saving your energy for the swim back to shore.

Don't become a victim by trying to save someone. If you see someone caught in a rip current, get help from a lifeguard, if available. Call 911 for further assistance.  

Falk Feddersen, professor of physical oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, told USA TODAY that when people are not strong swimmers, they tend to panic and try to swim against the current, which results in exhaustion and drowning.

He recommended simply bobbing with the water until you make it back to shore or you are away from the active parts of the rip current.

"Once you're away from the active current, you can swim back to shore," he said.

Why are rip currents so dangerous?

To get an idea of how dangerous a rip current can be, you only need to look at the many deaths or near-deaths over the years.

A California high school football player drowned in a rip current while boogie boarding at Half Moon Bay in April. In July 2017, at least 30 people formed a human chain to rescue nine people from a rip current in Lake Michigan. A tourist died after saving a Michigan mayor caught in a rip current in the Caribbean in March 2015.

A 2014 study by the University of New South Wales says that the rapid expelling of energy – which can be caused by panicking or swimming to the shore – often leads to drowning.

"Energy should be conserved wherever possible," wrote Rob Brander, author of the study. 

Feddersen explained that it's unlikely that a rip current will pull you out to sea. 

He added that once you have knowledge of rip currents and how to deal with them, they can be a "beautiful, cool and fun" feature to a beach vacation.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

A rip current at the beach can be deadly, but experts say you can escape by doing this

From: USA TODAY

June 19, 2019

Summer begins and that means more people will start spending time at the beach.

夏天开始了，就意味着越来越多的人会在海滩上消磨时光。

But if you've ever soaked up the sun and sand, you've probably seen a scary sign telling you to watch out for rip currents. Rip currents are a real danger for beachgoers: The U.S. Lifesaving Association estimates more than 100 people are killed by rip currents every year, and lifeguards rescue at least 30,000 swimmers a year from rip currents.

但是，如果你曾经享受过阳光和沙滩，你可能见过一个令人害怕的标志，告诉你要小心离岸流。离岸流对于海滩游客来说是真正的危险：美国救生协会估计每年有100多人死于离岸流，救生员每年至少从离岸流中救出3万名游泳者。

soak /səʊk/ 表示“尽情享受，充分体验”，英文解释为“to enjoy the effects or experience of something as much as possible”举个🌰：I love to lie on the beach and soak up the sun. 我喜欢躺在海滩上尽情享受阳光。

rip current 表示“离岸流，退潮流”，英文解释为“a fast-flowing area of water that can pull people or objects away from the land”举个🌰：Swimmers should be aware of the sometimes deadly coastal phenomenon of rip currents. 游泳者应注意沿海地区有时会出现致命的离岸流现象。

-goer，这个用法很常见，表示“常去...的人；...迷”，如：cinema-goer 或者movie-goer可以表示影迷，电影观众。还有诸如gym-goer, shopping-goer, ...

But what are rip currents? Why are they so dangerous? Why should you avoid your gut instinct if you get caught in one?

那么，什么是离岸流？为什么这么危险？如果你被卷入其中，为什么你应该避免凭直觉行事？

gut /ɡʌt/ 作动词，表示“（尤指在烹调前）取出…的内脏”，英文解释为“to remove the inner organs of an animal, especially in preparation for eating it”举个🌰：She gutted the fish and cut off their heads. 她取出鱼的内脏并把鱼头切掉。

作名词，表示“消化道；肠道，肠”，英文解释为“the long tube in the body of a person or animal, through which food moves during the process of digesting food”举个🌰：Meat stays in the gut longer than vegetable matter. 和蔬菜相比，肉类在消化道中停留的时间更长。

sb's gut 表示“凭直觉，凭感情（决定或判断）”，英文解释为“a way of deciding what should be done or what is right, that is based on how someone feels rather than thinking about reasons”举个🌰：My head said that I should go but my gut said I should stay. 理智上我该走，但是感觉告诉我该留。

gut feeling/reaction 表示“直觉，本能，内心感觉”，英文解释为“a strong belief about someone or something that cannot completely be explained and does not have to be decided by reasoning”举个🌰：I have a gut feeling that the relationship won't last. 我有种直觉，这段关系不会太长久。

instinct /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/ 表示“本能，直觉”，英文解释为“the way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think or learn about it”举个🌰：All his instincts told him to stay near the car and wait for help. 他的直觉告诉他要呆在车旁、等待救援。

"Gut instinct" refers to an individual's intuitive or instinctive feeling or response to a situation. It is a term used to describe a strong and immediate reaction that comes from within, often without conscious reasoning.

What are rip currents? 什么是离岸流？

You might have heard of rip currents by the common misnomer "rip tides." They are actually two different things, according to the National Ocean Service.

你可能听说过离岸流（rip currents），通常被错误地称为“激流”（rip tides）。根据美国国家海洋局的说法，它们实际上是两种不同的东西。

misnomer /ˌmɪsˈnəʊ.mər/ 表示“使用不当的名字（或名称）;名字（或名称）的误用;取名（或用词）不当”，英文解释为“a name that does not suit what it refers to, or the use of such a name”举个🌰：It was the scruffiest place I've ever stayed in, so "Grand Hotel" was a complete misnomer. 那是我住过的最不整洁的地方，叫它“尊贵酒店”有点取名不当。

rip tide = riptide 表示“激流”，英文解释为“a dangerous area of strongly moving water in the sea, where two or more currents (= water moving in a particular direction) meet”举个🌰：The riptide was pulling a surfer under. 激流把一个冲浪的人拖到水下。

A rip tide is a specific type of current associated with the swift movement of tidal water through inlets and the mouths of rivers and harbors.

激流是一种特殊类型的水流，与潮水通过入海口、河口和港口时的快速运动有关。

current作名词，熟词僻义，表示“水流；气流；电流”，英文解释为“a movement of water, air, or electricity in a particular direction”如：to swim against/with the current 逆流/顺流而游。

表示“迅速的，敏捷的，快的”，英文解释为“A swift event or process happens very quickly or without delay.”举个🌰：Our task is to challenge the U.N. to make a swift decision. 我们的任务是敦促联合国做出迅速的决定。

inlet /ˈɪn.let/ 表示“水湾，小港（海、湖延伸入陆地或岛屿间的狭长水域）”，英文解释为“a narrow strip of water that goes from a sea or lake into the land or between islands”

Rip currents occur in bodies of water with breaking waves; they are channels of water that flow at a faster pace than the surrounding area. Swimmers who are caught in rip currents can get sucked away at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, far too fast for many swimmers to make it safely back to shore.

离岸流出现在有破浪的水体中；它们是比周围区域流速更快的水道。被困在离岸流中的游泳者会以最高达每秒8英尺的速度被冲走，这对许多游泳者来说太快了，无法安全回到岸边。

suck /sʌk/ 1）表示“吸；吮吸；咂，啜”，英文解释为“to pull in liquid or air through your mouth without using your teeth, or to move the tongue and muscles of the mouth around something inside your mouth, often in order to dissolve it”举个🌰：I tried sucking (on) a mint to stop myself coughing. 我试着咂一块薄荷糖来止咳。

2）表示“吸，抽吸；使卷入”，英文解释为“Something that sucks a liquid or an object in a particular direction pulls it with great force.”举个🌰：The waves came crashing over my head and I could feel myself being sucked under by the currents. 海浪袭来，打在我的头顶上，我能感觉到自己被水流吞噬了。

What should I do if I get caught in one? 如果被卷入离岸流，我该怎么办？

First, don't panic – there is a way out.

首先，不要恐慌——有办法脱困。

Remain calm and swim parallel to the shoreline, which is perpendicular to the current. Or just go with the flow and ride out the rip current, saving your energy for the swim back to shore.

保持冷静，与海岸线平行游动，也就是垂直于水流。或者顺着水流漂流，避开离岸流，为游回岸边节省体力。

perpendicular /ˌpɜː.pənˈdɪk.jə.lər/ 表示“垂直的，成直角的”，英文解释为“at an angle of 90° to a horizontal line or surface”举个🌰：We scrambled up the nearly perpendicular side of the mountain. 我们沿几乎垂直的山坡吃力地向上爬。

1）表示“安然渡过（难关）”，英文解释为“to continue to exist during a difficult situation and until it ends, without serious harm”举个🌰：Many companies did not manage to ride out the recession. 经济衰退时期，许多公司没能渡过难关。

2）表示“（船）平安度过（暴风雨）”，英文解释为“If a ship rides out a period of bad weather, it continues to float during it, without serious damage.”举个🌰：The ship managed to ride out the storm. 这艘轮船平安度过了风暴。

Don't become a victim by trying to save someone. If you see someone caught in a rip current, get help from a lifeguard, if available. Call 911 for further assistance.

不要因为试图救人而成为罹难者。如果你看到有人被离岸流困住，如果有救生员在场，寻求他们的帮助。拨打911请求进一步援助。

Falk Feddersen, professor of physical oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, told USA TODAY that when people are not strong swimmers, they tend to panic and try to swim against the current, which results in exhaustion and drowning.

美国圣地亚哥斯克里普斯海洋研究所物理海洋学教授福克·费德森（Falk Feddersen）告诉《今日美国》（USA TODAY），当人们不是很擅长游泳时，往往会恐慌并试图逆流而上，结果是精疲力竭，甚至溺亡。

oceanography /ˌəʊ.ʃəˈnɒɡ.rə.fi/ 表示“海洋学”，英文解释为“the scientific study of the sea”

drowning /ˈdraʊn.ɪŋ/ 表示“溺死，淹死”，英文解释为“death caused by being underwater and not being able to breathe, or a case when this happens”如：death by drowning 溺亡。

He recommended simply bobbing with the water until you make it back to shore or you are away from the active parts of the rip current.

他建议只需随着水流漂浮，直至回到岸边或远离离岸流活跃区域。

表示“推荐，介绍；建议”，英文解释为“to suggest that someone or something would be good or suitable for a particular job or purpose, or to suggest that a particular action should be done”举个🌰：I can recommend the chicken in mushroom sauce - it's delicious. 我可以向您推荐蘑菇汁鸡肉——这道菜非常可口。

📍单词“recommend”由词根“-mend”（来自拉丁语“mendare”，表示“赞扬”）和前缀“reco-”（表示强调）组成。想象你正在强烈推荐一道美味的鸡肉沙拉，这就是“recommend”。

bob /bɒb/ 表示“（尤指在水面上）轻轻地快速上下晃动；（朝特定方向）快速移动”，英文解释为“to move up and down quickly and gently, especially on the surface of water”举个🌰：In the harbour, the boats bobbed gently up and down on the water. 港口里的船只在水面上轻轻地上下晃动。

"Once you're away from the active current, you can swim back to shore," he said.

“一旦你离开活跃的水流，你就可以游回岸边，”他说。

Why are rip currents so dangerous? 为什么离岸流如此危险？

To get an idea of how dangerous a rip current can be, you only need to look at the many deaths or near-deaths over the years.

要知道离岸流有多危险，只需看看这些年来死亡或濒死人数。

A California high school football player drowned in a rip current while boogie boarding at Half Moon Bay in April. In July 2017, at least 30 people formed a human chain to rescue nine people from a rip current in Lake Michigan. A tourist died after saving a Michigan mayor caught in a rip current in the Caribbean in March 2015.

2019年4月，一名加州高中橄榄球运动员在半月湾（Half Moon Bay）冲浪时因离岸流而溺亡。2017年7月，至少30人组成人链，从密歇根湖的离岸流中救出9人。2015年3月，加勒比海一名游客在救出被卷入离岸流中的密歇根市长后不幸身亡。

boogie boarding /ˈbuː.ɡi ˌbɔː.dɪŋ/ 表示“俯卧式冲浪”，英文解释为“the activity of riding on waves using a short, light board called a Boogie Board (= a trademark for a bodyboard)”举个🌰：I've just taken up boogie boarding. 我刚开始玩俯卧式冲浪。

A 2014 study by the University of New South Wales says that the rapid expelling of energy – which can be caused by panicking or swimming to the shore – often leads to drowning.

新南威尔士大学2014年的一项研究指出，迅速耗尽体力（可能是由于恐慌或向岸边游动）往往导致溺水。

expel /ɪkˈspel/ 1）表示“排出；喷出”，英文解释为“to force air or liquid out of something”举个🌰：She took a deep breath, then expelled the air in short blasts. 她深吸一口气，然后一下子把空气呼出来。

2）表示“驱逐；除名；开除”，英文解释为“to force someone to leave a school, organization, or country”举个🌰：He was expelled from school for bad behaviour. 他因为行为不端被学校开除了。

"Energy should be conserved wherever possible," wrote Rob Brander, author of the study.

该研究的作者罗布·布兰德（Rob Brander）写道：“应尽可能保存体力。”

conserve /kənˈsɜːv/ 表示“保护；保藏；保存；保留；节约”，英文解释为“to keep and protect something from damage, change, or waste”举个🌰：To conserve electricity, we are cutting down on our heating. 为了省电，我们在减少中央供热。

Feddersen explained that it's unlikely that a rip current will pull you out to sea.

费德森解释说，离岸流不太可能把你拉到海里。

He added that once you have knowledge of rip currents and how to deal with them, they can be a "beautiful, cool and fun" feature to a beach vacation.

他补充说，一旦你了解了离岸流以及如何应对时，它们就会成为海滩度假的“美丽、凉爽和有趣”的特色。

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