Earth's Water

Earth's Water. Written by Katherine Scraper. Focus question. Why is water important?

地球上的水。作者：凯瑟琳·斯克雷珀。核心问题：水为什么很重要？

Water everywhere. Water fills oceans, lakes, and ponds, and it flows in rivers, streams, and underground. It is even in the air. Frozen water is found on some parts of Earth as snow and ice.

水无处不在。 水填满了海洋、湖泊和池塘，也流淌在河流、小溪和地下。 它甚至存在于空气当中。 在地球的部分地区，冰冻的水以雪和冰的形式存在。

Water covers over two -thirds of Earth's surface. Salt water in the oceans makes up most of Earth's water. Earth has much less freshwater. Many plants and animals need fresh water to survive.

水覆盖了地球超过三分之二的表面。 海洋里的咸水占了地球上水资源的大部分。 地球上的淡水要少得多。 许多动植物都需要淡水才能生存。

Some of this fresh water is above ground, while other fresh water is groundwater, underneath Earth's surface. What are some ways you use Earth's water?

这些淡水有一部分在地表之上，另一些则是地下水，藏在 地表的下方。 你使用地球上的水的方式都有哪些呢？

Different forms of water. Liquid water is the most common state of water on Earth. When you pour liquid water into a container, it takes the shape of that container. Liquid water is always moving, even if you can't see it move. Water moves in rivers and streams due to currents, the constant flow of moving water. Lakes and ponds are standing bodies of water. The liquid water in them moves slowly. Surface and underwater currents cause ocean water to move with waves forming and crashing. Winds, the moon, and the sun affect the strength of ocean currents.

水的不同形态。 液态水是地球上最常见的水的形态。 你把液态水倒进容器里的时候，它就会变成容器的形状。 液态水一直在流动，哪怕你看不见它在动。 水在河流和小溪里流动是因为水流，也就是持续移动的水体。 湖泊和池塘是静止的水体。 它们里面的液态水流动得很慢。 表层洋流和海底洋流带动海水流动，形成海浪并拍击岸边。 风、月球和太阳都会影响洋流的强度。

Not all water is liquid. When liquid water gets very cold, it freezes and forms ice. Ice is another state of water, solid water. Ice can float on liquid water. People form ice into different shapes. You've probably made ice cubes to cool down a drink. Artists even carve ice sculptures.

不是所有的水都是液态的。液态水变得非常冷的时候，就会冻结变成冰。 冰是水的另一种形态，也就是固态水。冰可以浮在液态水上面。 人们会把冰做成不同的形状。你说不定也做过冰块给饮料降温呢。 艺术家甚至会雕刻冰雕。