6 Maps and Charts

Maps and Charts written by Julie Ellis

朱莉·埃利斯(Julie Ellis)撰写的地图和图表

Maps are drawings of places, seen from above as if you were a bird. This is called a bird's-eye view. Many maps have a compass symbol to show north, south, east and west. Some maps have symbols to show things like rivers, airports, and parks. They have a key to tell you what the symbols mean. The symbols make the map easy to follow, so you won't get lost.

地图是地方的图画，从上面看就好像你是一只鸟。 这被称为鸟瞰图。 许多地图上都有指南针符号来表示北、南、东、西。 有些地图用符号来表示河流、机场和公园等。 他们有一把钥匙可以告诉你这些符号的含义。 这些符号使地图容易看懂，所以你不会迷路。

There are many different kinds of maps. Transit maps show us where trains or buses go. Because they are drawn in straight lines, they are easy to read. People can find out the best way to ride from one place to another. We can follow a road map when we travel a long way. Road maps show us the best roads to follow to get to another place. Street maps help us find our way from one part of a town or city to another. They show all the streets and schools and parks.

有许多不同种类的地图。 交通地图告诉我们火车或公共汽车去哪里。 因为它们是用直线画的，所以很容易读懂。 人们可以找到从一个地方骑到另一个地方的最佳方式。 当我们长途旅行时，我们可以按照路线图。 路线图告诉我们到达另一个地方的最佳路线。 街道地图帮助我们找到从城镇的一个地方到另一个地方的路。 他们展示了所有的街道、学校和公园。

Maps of the ocean are called charts. They show where there are rocks, reefs, and lighthouses. There are numbers to show how deep the water is. The ship's captain uses charts to find a safe way for the ship to go without hitting any rocks. Charts are used for air travel, too. Pilots use charts to make safe flight plans. Air charts show cities and forests. They have numbers to show how high the mountains are. Pilots also look at weather maps to plan when to fly.

海洋的地图叫做海图。 它们标明哪里有岩石、礁石和灯塔。 有数据显示水有多深。 船长用海图找到一条不触礁的安全航道。 海图也用于航空旅行。 飞行员使用航海图来制定安全的飞行计划。 航海图显示城市和森林。 他们用数字来显示山有多高。 飞行员还会查看天气图来计划何时飞行。

Weather maps show us which way the weather is going. They are made by people called meteorologists, who know a lot about different kinds of weather. New weather maps have to be made every day, because the weather keeps changing. Maps can show people when bad weather is coming, so that they can stay safe from storms and floods.

天气图告诉我们天气的走向。 它们是由气象学家制作的，他们对不同种类的天气了解很多。 由于天气不断变化，每天都要制作新的天气图。 地图可以告诉人们什么时候坏天气来了，这样他们就可以远离风暴和洪水。

Early explorers used the stars to find their way. Later they wrote down the star patterns. These maps are called star charts. People who live in the Northern Hemisphere see different stars than people who live in the Southern Hemisphere do. That is why they use different star charts. On a star chart you can find the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper in the Northern Hemisphere, and the four bright stars of the Southern Cross in the Southern Hemisphere. Another name for a star chart is a sky map.

早期的探险家利用星星来寻路。 后来他们写下了星星的图案。 这些地图被称为星图。 住在北半球的人看到的星星和住在南半球的人看到的星星不一样。 这就是为什么他们使用不同的星图。 在星图上，你可以在北半球找到七颗明亮的北斗七星，在南半球找到四颗明亮的南十字星。 星图的另一个名字是天空图。