* 以英语的视角来深入理解和学习英语是最为有效的途径，《英读廊》作为《满庭说英语》的重要组成部分，特别推出了一系列拓展阅读内容，旨在帮助读者在提升英语阅读能力的同时，逐步培养起英语的思维方式；* 我们建议采用的阅读策略是：首先通读原文，遇到难点时参考解析，若仍有疑问，再查阅双语对照版本。* 在解析环节中，英语单词的发音标注同时采用了Dictcom和IPA两种音标体系，若需深入了解Dictcom音标的规范，可参阅我们专门撰写的《dictionary.com所使用的音标体系》一文。* 本篇文章的难度评估为6.5分，该评分由《小仙英语伴读》人工智能难度分析系统精确测定。
Why does rain manifest as “drops” rather than a continuous stream of water?【译】为什么雨水会呈现为“水滴”形态，而不是以连续的水流形式降落？【短语】instead of 代替（……的是）；而不是…；例句：Instead of pressing forward, they drew back. 他们不仅没有前进，反而后退了。Oops! I put in sugar instead of salt. 啊！我错把糖当盐放了。【单词】rain [reyn][reɪn] n. 雨；雨水【单词】mass [mas][mæs] n. 大量；块
Water inherently possesses a tendency to adhere to itself, which results in surface tension (allowing lightweight entities like insects to traverse water surfaces) and explains why it typically forms into roughly spherical droplets.【译】水本身就具有向自身聚集的特性，这导致了表面张力的产生（使得像昆虫这样轻盈的生物能够在水面上行走，正是因为水面张力的作用），这也是它通常形成近似球形水滴的原因。【单词】tendency [‘ten-duhn-see][‘tendənsi] n. 趋势；倾向；秉性【单词】stick [stik][stɪk] vi. 钉住；粘贴【单词】surface [‘sur-fis][‘sɜːfɪs] n. 表面；外表【单词】tension [‘ten-shuhn][‘tenʃn] n. 拉力；张力；紧张状态【单词】bug [buhg][bʌɡ] n. 臭虫，虫【单词】roughly [‘rʌfli] adv. 粗略地；大约【单词】spherical [‘sfer-i-kuhl, ‘sfeer-][‘sferɪkl] adj. 球的；球面的；球状的
A cloud essentially consists of a collection of mist/fog (i.e., a substantial amount of water suspended in extremely fine droplets).【译】云本质上是由一簇雾（即大量水以极其微小的水滴形式悬浮在空中）组成的。【单词】cloud [kloud][klaʊd] n. 云【单词】bunch [buhnch][bʌntʃ] n. 串；束；一群；捆【单词】floating 原型：float [floht][fləʊt] v. 漂浮；浮现；飘动
Under appropriate conditions, these minuscule droplets begin to coalesce, gain in mass, and when they accumulate sufficient weight, they descend as raindrops.【译】在适宜的条件下，这些微小的水滴开始合并，质量增加，当它们积聚到足够的重量时，就会以雨滴的形式落下。【单词】condition [kuh n-‘dish-uh n][kən’dɪʃn] n. 条件；情况【单词】heavier 原型：heavy 形容词比较级：更重的【单词】heavy [‘hev-ee][‘hevi] adj. 大(量)的；重的；沉重的；猛烈的【单词】raindrop [‘reyn-drop][‘reɪndrɒp] n. 雨点；雨滴
A limiting factor during the descent of the drop is air resistance.【译】一个限制因素是雨滴下降过程中的空气阻力。【单词】limiting 原型：limit [‘lim-it][‘lɪmɪt] vt. 限制；限定【单词】factor [‘fak-ter][‘fæktə] n. 因素；因数；因子【单词】resistance [ri-‘zis-tuhns][rɪ’zɪstəns] n. 抵抗；反对；阻力
Water has a natural inclination to adhere to itself, yet air resistance endeavors to disintegrate it.【译】水天生喜欢粘在一起，但空气阻力正努力将其撕裂。【单词】tear [teer][teə] vt. 撕掉；扯下；扰乱【单词】apart [uh-‘pahrt][ə’pɑːt] adv. 相距；分开地；分别地
Consequently, a colossal “drop” resembling a basketball cannot materialize because the friction/resistance is excessively robust.【译】因此，一个如同篮球般巨大的“水滴”不可能形成，因为摩擦/阻力过于强大。【单词】massive [‘mas-iv][‘mæsɪv] adj. 巨大的；大量的；大规模的；大范围的【单词】basketball [‘bas-kit-bawl, ‘bah-skit-][‘bɑːskɪtbɔːl] n. 篮球【单词】happen [‘hap-uhn][‘hæpən] vi. 发生；碰巧；出现
The size of the drop represents a delicate equilibrium between the external air forces striving to dismantle it and the intermolecular forces within water striving to maintain its cohesion.【译】水滴的大小体现了一种精妙的平衡，即外部空气力量试图将其瓦解，而水内部的分子间力则试图将其维系在一起。【单词】balance [‘bal-uhns][‘bæləns] n. 平衡，制衡【单词】intermolecular [in-ter-muh-‘lek-yuh-ler][ɪntə(ː)mə’lekjʊlə] adj. 分子间的
This phenomenon can be observed in the mist generated by extremely high waterfalls.【译】对于极高的瀑布，你可以看到同样的现象产生，形成雾气。【单词】waterfall [‘waw-ter-fawl, ‘wot-er-][‘wɔːtəfɔːl] n. 瀑布
At times, the water fails to reach the ground and instead dissipates into mist…【译】有时，水并不会触及地面，而是像雾一样消散。。。【单词】disperses [dih-‘spurs][dɪ’spɜːs] v. 分散；散开【单词】mist [mist][mɪst] n. 雾；迷蒙；朦胧不清
It is noteworthy that waterfalls transition into mist rather than larger rain droplets.【译】有趣的是，瀑布会转化为雾状，而不是像雨那样的大水滴。【单词】disperse [dih-‘spurs][dɪ’spɜːs] v. 分散；散开【单词】droplets 原型：droplet [‘drop-lit][‘drɒplət] n. 小滴；微滴
The greater the disparity in speed between air and water, the smaller the droplets formed.【译】空气与水的速度差异越大，形成的水滴就越小。【固定用法】the more…, the more …, 越…，就越…；注意这里的more可以是形容词或副词的比较级；例句：The more he eats, the fatter he gets. 他吃得越多，人越发胖。The more of the masses we unite with, the better. 我们联合起来的群众越多，就越有利。【单词】speed [speed][spiːd] n. 速度；迅速
Lateral wind combined with vertical terminal velocity results in mist.【译】侧风加上垂直方向的最终速度会产生雾。【单词】lateral [‘lat-er-uhl][‘lætərəl] adj. 侧面的；横向的；旁边的
【单词】vertical [‘vur-ti-kuhl][‘vɜːtɪkl] adj. 垂直的；纵向的【单词】terminal [‘tur-muh-nl][‘tɜːmɪnl] adj. 末端的；终点的；晚期的【单词】velocity [vuh-‘los-i-tee][və’lɒsəti] n. 速度；迅速；速率
When there is no wind, terminal velocity alone produces raindrops.【译】无风时，仅最终速度就能形成水滴。