八年级英语上册课文（翻译）
Unit 1 Look it up! 查阅
这里是两篇来自百科全书的文章。
Here are two articles['ɑ?t?k(?)l]文章 from an encyclopaedia [?n,sa?kl?'pid??]百科全书.
达芬奇·莱昂纳多
Da Vinci, Leanardo
达芬奇·莱昂纳多（1452-1519）是意大利画家、发明家、音乐家、工程师和科学家。Leanardo da Vinci (1452—1519) was an Italian painter['pe?nt?]画家, inventor[?n'vent?]发明家, musician [mju?'z??(?)n]音乐家, engineer [end??'n??] 工程师and scientist.
达芬奇出生在农村。从很小的时候，他就表现出极大的智慧和艺术能力。随着年龄的增长，他学会了做很多不同的事情。他的画是非常有名的，其中一副，《蒙娜丽莎》，也许是世界上最有名的画作。他还有许多发明。例如，他的笔记本里有一些关于飞行器的有趣的图纸。
Da Vinci was born in出生于 the countryside['k?ntr?sa?d]农村. From an early age从早期开始, he showed great intelligence[?n'tel?d?(?)ns] 智慧and artistic ability[ɑ?'t?st?k] [?'b?l?ti]艺术才能. As当；随着 he grew older, he learnt to do many different things. His paintings['pe?nt??]画作 are very famous, and one, the Mona Lisa, is perhaps the most famous painting in the world. He also had many inventions[?n'ven?(?)n]发明. For example, his notebooks['n??tb?k]笔记本include[?n'klu?d]包括 some interesting drawings['dr??(r)??]绘画 of flying machines [m?'?i?n]飞行器.
Dinosaurs['da?n?s??]恐龙
恐龙比人类早 6000万年就生活在地球上。他们遍布在地球上的每一个地方。
有些恐龙如鸡那么小，有些则有十头大象那么大，有些甚至会飞。
Dinosaurs lived on Earth more than 60 million['m?lj?n]百万years before human beings人类. They lived everywhere on Earth. Some dinosaurs were as small as chickens. Others were as big as ten elephants. Some could even['i?v(?)n]甚至 fly.
许多恐龙是吃植物的，但有些恐龙又喜欢吃肉。恐龙在地球上的生活超过了 1.5亿年。但是，突然之间，他们灭绝了。没有人知道为什么。不过，我们可以从它们的化石去了解他们。
Many dinosaurs ate plants[plɑ?nt]植物. However, some dinosaurs liked to eat meat.
Dinosaurs lived on Earth for more than 150 million years. Then, suddenly, they all died out灭绝. Nobody knows why. However, we can learn about them from their fossils['f?s(?)l].化石
澳大利亚的大景点
Australia’s big attractions[?'tr?k?(?)n]
澳大利亚是一个很大的国家。它也有许多大景点。
Australia is a very big country. It also has many big attractions.
大香蕉
The Big Banana
大香蕉（雕塑）在科夫斯港。它是由 John Landy 于 1964 年制作的。
Landy 想要某个东西能招揽人们来到他的水果店，于是他建造了“大香蕉”。
这个好主意起到了作用，很多人来参观他的水果店，并和“大香蕉”合影留念。
不久后，全澳大利亚的人们开始热衷于做大事情。
The big banana is in Coffs Harbour['hɑ?b?]港口. It was made in 1964 by John Landy. Landy wanted something to make people come to his fruit shop, so he built the Big Banana. The idea worked起作用. Many people visited his fruit shop and took pictures of拍照 the Big Banana. Soon people all over Australia 整个澳大利亚began making big things.
大梅里诺
The Big Merino
大梅里诺（雕塑）在古尔本城。梅里诺是羊一个种类。它们能在干燥的气候里生活。在澳大利亚的一些地方很干燥，所以这些羊对那里的农民很重要。大梅里诺雕塑里面，有一个关于澳大利亚羊毛史的一个小型博物馆。游客还可以爬到大梅里诺雕塑的头上，透过它的眼睛往外观望。
The Big Merino[m?'ri?n??]美利奴样 is in the city of Goulburn. Merinos are a type of 一种sheep. They can live in dry weather ['wee?]天气. Some places in Australia are very dry[dra?]干燥的, so these sheep are very important to the farmers there. Inside the Big Merino, there is a small museum [mju?'z??m] 博物馆about the history of wool[w?l] in Australia. Visitors can also
climb up爬上去 to the Big Merino’s head and look at the view [vju?]风景 through [θru?]通过
its eyes.
《大英百科全书》
Encyclopaedia Britannica
《大英百科全书》是举世闻名的一本百科全书。它是历史最悠久的英文百科全书。第一版出版于 1768 年，从那时起，已经修订过 15 个版本。第 15 版共有 32 卷。它们共约 40 万字，包含五十万个主题。今天，《大英百科全书》有一个 DVD 版本。你也可以在网上找到它。你知道哪本中国的知名的百科全书吗？关于它你都知道些什么？
The Encyclopaedia Britannica is a world-famous encyclopaedia. It is the oldest English-language encyclopaedia. The first edition was published in 1768, and since then there have been 15 editions. The 15th edition is made up of 32 volumes.
Together they contain about 40 million words on half a million topics. Today there is a DVD edition of the Britannica. You can also find it online.
Do you know about any famous Chinese encyclopaedias? What do you know about them?
Unit 2
国王和米
The king [k??] and the rice[ra?s]
很久以前，印度有一个国王。国王最喜欢的游戏是国际象棋。
A long time ago很久以前, there was有 a king in India['?nd??]印度. The king’s favourite['fev?r?t]最喜欢的 game游戏 was chess[t?es]象棋.
一天，一个聪明的老人来到王宫，国王向他挑战了一场比赛。国王向老人承诺：“如果你赢了这场比赛，你可以获得任何奖金。”
One day一天, a wise[wa?z] 聪明的old man 老人came to来到 the palace ['p?l?s]宫殿 and the king challenged['t??l?n(d)?]挑战 him to a game. The king promised['pr?m?s] 答应the old man老人, “You can have 有any任何 prize[pra?z]奖品 if 如果you win the game赢得比赛.”
老人说：“如果我赢了这场比赛，我想要棋盘上的第一格一粒米，第二格两粒米，第三格四粒米，余下的每个格都要加倍的数量。”
The old man said说, “If I win the game, I’d like想要 one grain [gre?n] 粒of rice米 for the first 第一个square[skwe?] 方格of the chessboard ['t?esb??d]棋盘, two for the second第二个, four for the third第三个, and then double ['d?b(?)l] 翻倍the amount[?'ma?nt] 数量for each 每一个of...的 the rest of 剩下的the squares方格.”
“就这些吗？”国王问“你不喜欢金或银吗？“
“是的，只要米，”老人回答说。
“Is that all全部?” asked the king. “Wouldn’t you like gold[g??ld] 金子or或者 silver['s?lv?] 银子instead[?n'sted]相反?”
“No, just仅仅，只 rice米,” replied [ri'plaid] 回答the old man.
国王和老人用了很长的时间玩了一局。最后，老人赢了。于是国王命令他的人去取来一袋米。他在（棋盘上的）第一格放了一粒米，在第二格上放了两粒……国王很快意识到一个问题——即使动用全国所有的大米，他也无法填满（整副棋盘上）所有的方格！
The king国王 and the old man played the game for a long time很长时间. Finally['fa?n?l?]最后, the old man won[w?n]获胜. So 所以the king ordered['??d?]命令 his men to collect[k?'lekt]收集a bag of rice一袋米. He put放 one grain[gre?n]粒 on the first square, two on the second, and so on等等. The king quickly realized['ri??la?z] 意识到the problem问题—even甚至 with 用all the rice所有的米 in the country国家, he would将 still仍然 not have 有enough足够的 rice to put 放on all the squares[skwe?]方格!
数字（发明）前的计数
Counting[ka?nt]数数 before在...之前 numbers数字
在数字发明之前，人们采用不同的方式来数东西。
Before the invention [?n'ven?(?)n]发明 of written numbers['r?tn]书写数字, people人们 used用many 很多different 不同的ways方法 to count [ka?nt]数 things东西.
一开始，人们用他们的手指，连同自己的脚趾。然而，他们也只能指望这样来计算小的数字。
At first首先, people人们 used用 their他们的 fingers['f??g?]手指, and even甚至 their toes[t??]脚趾. However然而, they could能够 only仅仅 count数 small小的 numbers数字 in this way 用这种方法.
后来，他们开始用棍棒和骨头制作一些小物件。这能帮助他们计算更大的数字。他们依此来计算如每个月天数、他们拥有的食物和动物数量（那样的数字）。
After that在那之后, they 他们began to 开始make 制作small 小的marks[mɑ?k] 符号；标记on sticks[st?k] 棍子and bones[b??n]骨头. This helped帮助 them他们 count数 bigger更大的numbers数字. They used用them to count things like像是the days 天of the month月, the amount [?'ma?nt]数量 of food食物 and the number of ...的数量animals动物 they had有.
再后来人们开始使用由粘土或小石块做成小物件。这可以用来计算更大的数字。他们通常会它们穿成串儿，以方便他们携带。这就发展成了如算盘的工具。
Then然后 people人们 began to 开始use 用tokens['t??k(?)n]符号 made from用...做 clay[kle?] 泥土or small stones[b??n]石头. This helped them count数 even甚至 bigger更大的 numbers数字. They often经常 put the tokens 符号on pieces[pi?s] 根of string[str??]绳子 so that 所以they could能够carry携带them around四处easily容易地. This developed into[d?'vel?p] 发展成tools [tu?l]工具 like像 the abacus['?b?k?s]算盘.
最后，人们开始发展书写符号系统，用来显示不同的数字，于是产生了印度 - 阿拉伯数字（0-9）。直到今天，我们仍然在使用这套（数字）系统。
Finally['fa?n?l?]最后, people人们 began to 开始develop[d?'vel?p]发展 systems['s?st?m]系统 of written['r?tn] 书写的marks [mɑ?k]符号to show 展示；表明different 不同的numbers数字, and this led to[led]导致 the Hindu-Arabic['hindu:-?'reibik] system['s?st?m] 系统(0—9). We are still 仍然using使用 this system today.
世界各地的数
Numbers around the world
世界各地的人们书写数字的方式不同。下图显示了不同文化背景的人如何写从一到五。
People around the world write numbers in different ways. The following shows how people from different cultures write one to five.
汉语：一，二，三，四，五
Chinese: 一、二、三、四、五
罗马：Ⅰ，Ⅱ，Ⅲ，Ⅳ，Ⅴ
Romans: Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ
英语：one, two, three, four, five
English: one, two, three, four, five
但是，今日世界上绝大多数人都在使用阿拉伯数字（1，2，3，4，5，等等）。However, most people around the world use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) today.
Unit 3 电脑的事实 Computer facts[f?kt]
更小而更好 Smaller and better
在 20 世纪 40 年代，第一台电脑比汽车还要大。现在的电脑变得越来越小，而且越来越好了。有些电脑是微型的。你可能意识不到它们。可能在你的电视机或洗衣机内部就有一个。你比你所意识到的更加依赖电脑。
In the 1940s, the first computers were bigger than cars. Now computers are becoming smaller and better. Some computers are tiny['ta?n?]微小的. You may be unaware of没注意到[?n?'we?] them. There is probably 或许one inside your TV or washing machine洗衣机. You depend on [d?'pend] 依赖computers more than you realize['ri??la?z]意识到.
我们可以用电脑做什么？
What can we do with computers?
我们可以用电脑来计算。它们可以以比我们更快的速度计算而且几乎从来不会给你错误的答案。我们还可以用它们来打字或绘画。此外，电脑还可以担负重要的工作，像是操作铁路、飞飞机和太空飞船。
We can use computers to calculate['k?lkj?le?t]计算. They can calculate at a faster speed[spi?d] 以一个更快的速度than we can and almost 几乎never从不 give wrong answers. We can also type [ta?p]打字 and draw画 things with them. In addition[?'d??(?)n]另外, computers can do important jobs[d??b]工作 like operating ['?p?re?t]操作；运行 railways ['re?lwe?]铁路 and flying planes飞机 and spaceships['spe?s??p]太空飞船.
一台电脑会比我更聪明？
Is a computer cleverer than me?
答案是“否”。你的大脑能产生新的想法，但电脑不能。不过，或许有一天电脑能比人类干得更好。例如：他们可能比医生更能从事医生的工作。
The answer is “No”. Your brain[bre?n]大脑 can produce[pr?'dju?s]产生 new ideas but computers cannot. However然而, one day computers may be able to能够 do a better job than human beings 人类. For example, they may be better than doctors at doing their job.
如果电脑可以做我们所有的工作时将会发生什么？我们什么都不用做？电脑可能会改变我们的生活，但它们会让生活变得更美好吗？
What will happen to发生us if computers can do all our jobs? Will we have nothing to do? Computers may change[t?e?n(d)?]改变 our lives生活, but will they make them better?
电脑游戏的问题
Computer game problems问题
家长们和教师们，下午好。感谢您出席本次会议。上周末，我们的一个学生进了医院。这名学生在上周六一整天都在电脑上玩在线游戏，没有停下来喝口水、吃饭或睡觉。到最后，他（身体）就变得很虚弱了。
Good afternoon, parents 父母and teacher. Thank you for attending[?'tend]参加 this meeting.
Last weekend上周末, one of our students went to hospital. The student played computer games on the Internet['?nt?net] 网上all day Saturday without没有 stopping to drink, eat or sleep. Finally 最后, he became very ill生重病.
一些学生玩电脑游戏的时间过长，这是一个严重的问题。以前，学生们更多的是经常在户外玩，但现在他们花更多的时间在电脑前。这对他们的健康不利。
Some students play computer games for too long. This is a serious['s??r??s]严重的 problem. In the past在过去, students used to过去常常 play outside外面 more often, but now they spend 花费more time in front of 在..前面computers. This is bad for their health[helθ]健康.
明天我们将会有些专家到这跟学生聊聊关于玩电脑游戏的坏的影响。他们也将给出一些关于如何用电脑学习的建议。
Tomorrow we’ll have some experts ['eksp??t]专家 here to talk to the students about the bad effects
[?'fekt]影响 of playing computer games. They’ll also give some advice[?d'va?s] 建议on 关于how to use computers for studying.
我希望我们能一起努力，防止学生花太多时间玩电脑游戏。感谢大家抽空过来！
I hope we can all work together一起 to stop students from阻止 spending花费 too much 太多time playing computer games. Thank you for your time.
The abacus
算盘
算盘或许算是（世上）第一款计算机了。人们早在 4000 年前就开始使用它来做算术了。它在古代中国，罗马，埃及和希腊都有被使用。今天，还有些人在使用算盘。
The abacus was perhaps the first type of computer. People started using it over 4,000 years ago to do maths. It was used in ancient China, Rome, Egypt and Greece.
Today some people still use the abacus.
Unit 4