英漢閱讀：改變世界發展進程的是哪九大武器？

英漢閱讀：改變世界發展進程的是哪九大武器？

新概念英語的教與學

2017-04-30

Warfare has shaped the course of human history for thousands of years. As technologies improved, so did the effectiveness of killing, weapon after weapon reaping more carnage than the last.

幾千年以來，戰爭塑造了人類歷史的發展進程。隨著技術的不斷進步，殺戮的武器得以不斷更新迭代，這些武器給人類帶來越來越大的破壞性。

We take a look at 9 weapons that changed the nature of war and in doing so changed the nature of the world.

下面我們就來看看以下九種武器，它們改變了戰爭的性質，也因此改變了整個世界的本源。

1. The Spear（矛）

Dating back over 400,000 years, the humble spear is one of the earliest and most important tools developed by human beings. The simple sharpening of the end of a straight stick provided man with a weapon capable of bringing down big game for food. The spear would become the main weapon of choice for many great armies that followed.

矛的發明可以追溯到40多萬年前，它是人類發明的最早也是最重要的工具之一。最早的矛，只是在一根筆直的木棍的末端，捆綁上了尖銳的石頭，但這件武器卻使得人類能夠捕殺大型的獵物為食。在之後的發展歷程中，矛成了很多偉大的軍隊的主要武器選擇。

2. The Sword（劍）

It was during the Bronze Age that the creation of one of histories most common weapons occurred. The sword would feature in wars, conflicts and battles for thousands of years to come shaping the world with every slash, thrust and stab. The Roman Empire would not have existed if it weren t for the legendary gladius sword that each foot soldier was armed with.

劍作為人類歷史上最為常見的武器發明，最早出現在青銅器時代。幾千年以來，劍成了戰爭、衝突和戰役的象徵。當年的羅馬帝國，如果不是因為它軍隊的步兵所配備的傳奇般的短劍，恐怕都不會存在。

3. Bow and Arrow（弓箭）

Dating back over 10,000 years, the bow and arrow was an important weapon for both war and hunting before the invention of firearms. The effective use of archers helped to shape a number of societies from the ancient to the medieval. The development of the longbow with its ability to pierce armour, increased the effectiveness of long distance combat which began to take precedence over hand-to hand warfare.

弓箭最早出現在1萬多年前，在發明槍炮之前，它既是戰爭中的重要武器，也是生活中狩獵的主要工具。弓箭手的誕生，對於古代直至中世紀時期的社會來說，起著決定性的作用。長弓的發明尤其如此，它能夠穿透盔甲，大大提升了遠距離作戰的效率，從而成為了白刃戰時代的主導武器。

4. Gunpowder（火藥）

It was during the 9th century AD that Chinese alchemists accidentally discovered gunpowder whilst searching for an elixir of immortality. Out of the ashes of that discovery came the development of canons, grenades and guns, weapons that would immeasurably shape the course of human events. The world would be a very different place if the musket, howitzer or Colt revolver had never been invented.

火藥的發明最早可追溯到公元9世紀時期的中國，當時的煉丹術士在尋找長生不老葯的過程中，無意中發現了火藥。而隨著火藥的發明，人類發明的武器就進入了火器時代，加農炮、手榴彈、槍支等，這些武器徹底改變了世界的格局。如果沒有滑膛槍，沒有榴彈炮，沒有柯爾特式左輪手槍，整個世界將會大不同。

5. The Gatling & Maxim Guns（加特林和馬克西姆式機槍）

Developed between the mid to later stages of the 19th century, these two rapid-repeating guns were the forerunners of the modern assault rifle and machine guns. Described as the 『guns that changed everything』, the invention of continuous rapid-fire on the battlefield was devastating to say the least. These guns paved the way for the M2 Browning, the AK47, the Minigun and the M60 to name but a few; weapons that would heavily feature in almost any conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries.

十九世紀中葉到晚期，加特林和馬克西姆式機槍誕生了，它們是現代攻擊性的步槍和機槍的先驅武器，被稱為是「改變一切的槍炮」。這種連續快速發射彈藥的武器，在戰場上的殺傷力極強，它們為後來的布朗寧M2機槍、AK47自動步槍、M60通用機槍等槍支的發明鋪平了道路，而這些武器成了二十世紀和二十一世紀戰爭衝突中的主要武器。

6. Combat aircraft（戰鬥機）

It wasn t long after man learned to fly that they learned to militarise aircraft. The skies were no longer the fleeting domain of the cannon shell or mortar but were now the permanent home of the combat aircraft. War had been brought to the skies and dominance over that arena meant dominance over the battlefield. Ever since the Fokker E.I took to the skies during WWI, planes have taken on a variety of roles and helped shape the course of modern warfare.

當人類發明了飛機之後，很快就把它用到了軍事上。天空不再是加農炮彈或是迫擊炮彈的唯一領空，戰鬥機把它變成了自己永遠的家園。戰爭被帶上了天空，而且掌握了制空權就等於贏得了戰爭。自從第一架戰鬥機the Fokker E.I在一戰期間飛上天空以來，飛機就扮演了各種各樣的重要角色，並且塑造了現代戰爭的發展進程。

7. The Tank（坦克）

Initially designed as a weapon to break the stalemate of trench warfare during WWI, the tank came into its own during WWII. Trench warfare became a thing of the past as movement had been restored to the battlefield. The thick armour of the tank shielded the soldiers inside from enemy fire allowing it to charge through barbed wire and across the most challenging of terrains. The modern tank continues to play a significant role in almost every army, shaping the course of history with every turn of its turret.

在一戰期間，為了打破當時塹壕戰的僵局，一種新型的武器——坦克——應運而生。到了二戰期間，坦克成了戰場上的主角，塹壕戰從此成為歷史。坦克厚重的裝甲保護士兵免於敵人炮火的襲擊，能夠穿越鐵絲網等各種障礙壁壘。現代坦克繼續在幾乎所有軍隊中起著舉足輕重的作用，繼續塑造著人類歷史的進程。

8. The Atomic Bomb（原子彈）

As soon as American forces dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII, the global political landscape was changed forever. An estimated 240,000 people were killed either through the initial blasts or through nuclear radiation poisoning. With their ability to wipe out human existence, the sheer destructive power of nuclear weapons continues to shape international relations.

當二戰期間美國人把原子彈投到日本的長崎和廣島之後，整個世界的政治格局從此被永久改變。這次襲擊，導致了大約24萬人喪生，這些人要麼死於當時的衝擊破，要麼死於後來的核輻射。憑藉它們對人類生存的毀滅性打擊能力，核武器的徹底破壞力從此一直影響著世界各國間的國際關係。

9. Drones（無人機）

They are the ultimate in impersonal conflict. With the ability to fly thousands of miles, drones can carry out surveillance or bombing missions whilst being controlled from safety. They represent the dehumanisation of warfare and the gradual shift towards machines on the battlefield.

無人機是所有非人力武器中的極品。它能夠飛越幾千英里，肩負著警戒或是轟炸的任務，但卻可以在安全範圍內對它進行人工操控。它代表了無人直接參与的新型戰爭時代的到來，使得戰爭逐步走向以機器參與為主的時代。

如果覺得好，歡迎繼續關注廖懷寶的原創微信訂閱號「新概念英語的教與學」！

需要入群，可直接掃碼（下圖）申請：

喜歡這篇文章嗎？立刻分享出去讓更多人知道吧！