The Four Seasons四季

地球離太陽最近的時候是一月——北半球的冬天。所以季節跟距離無關，答案是傾斜。

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The Seasons Room四季教室

12 個可以點的單字 · 可以隨時暫停、轉動場景

逐字稿（15 段）
  1. 1Welcome to the seasons room. Many people think summer comes when the Earth is closer to the sun. That is not true.歡迎來到四季教室。很多人以為夏天是因為地球離太陽比較近。這是錯的。
  2. 2The Earth spins on an axis. Look at the long yellow line going through it.地球繞著一根軸自轉。看這根穿過地球的黃色長軸。
  3. 3The axis is not straight up. Its tilt is about 23.5 degrees.這根軸不是直立的，它傾斜了大約 23.5 度。
  4. 4Tilt is the real reason for the seasons. The Earth leans the same way all year.傾斜才是四季真正的原因。地球一整年都朝著同一個方向傾斜。
  5. 5Around June, the northern half leans towards the sun. That is summer in Taiwan.六月前後，北半球傾向太陽。這時台灣是夏天。
  6. 6The two hemispheres are opposite. When it is summer in Taiwan, it is winter in Australia.兩個半球的季節相反。台灣是夏天的時候，澳洲是冬天。
  7. 7When the sun is high overhead, its beam hits a small patch of ground straight on.太陽高掛頭頂時，光束直直打在一小塊地面上。
  8. 8When the sun is low, the same beam is spread over a much wider patch, so the ground gets less heat.太陽低斜時，同一束光被攤在大得多的面積上，所以地面得到的熱就少。
  9. 9The half that leans towards the sun also gets more hours of daylight.傾向太陽的那一半，白天的日照時數也比較長。
  10. 10Around 21 June is the summer solstice, the longest day. Around 21 December is the shortest day.六月 21 日前後是夏至，白天最長；十二月 21 日前後，白天最短。
  11. 11Around 20 March and 23 September are the equinoxes. Day and night are almost equal everywhere.三月 20 日和九月 23 日前後是分日。全球各地晝夜幾乎等長。
  12. 12The red line is the Tropic of Cancer. It crosses Taiwan. South of it is tropical.這條紅線是北回歸線，它穿過台灣。線以南是熱帶。
  13. 13On the summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead on this line. A pole casts almost no shadow.夏至那天，太陽直射這條線的正上方，柱子幾乎沒有影子。
  14. 14Here the sun is low, so the same kind of pole casts a long shadow.這裡的太陽低低的，同樣的柱子就拖出一條長長的影子。
  15. 15Now it's your turn. Turn the room around and click on anything you see.現在換你了。轉動教室，點點看你看到的每一樣東西。

It Is Not About Distance跟距離沒有關係

Many people think summer happens because the Earth is closer to the sun. That is not true.很多人以為夏天是因為地球離太陽比較近。這是錯的。

The Earth is actually closest to the sun in early January — the middle of winter in Taiwan, Japan and Europe.地球其實在一月初離太陽最近——那正是台灣、日本和歐洲的隆冬。

The real reason is tilt. The Earth spins on an axis that leans over by about 23.5 degrees, and it keeps leaning the same way all year.真正的原因是傾斜。地球自轉的軸線傾斜大約 23.5 度，而且一整年都朝著同一個方向傾斜。

So for half the year your half of the world leans towards the sun, and for the other half it leans away. That is summer and winter.所以有半年你所在的半球是朝向太陽傾斜，另外半年是背離太陽。這就是夏天和冬天。

Why Tilt Makes Heat傾斜為什麼會造成冷熱

Steeper light is stronger light光越直射越強
When the sun is high overhead, its light hits a small patch of ground straight on. When the sun is low, the same beam is spread over a much wider patch, so each square metre gets less heat.太陽高掛頭頂時，陽光垂直打在一小塊地面上。太陽低斜時，同一束光被攤在大得多的面積上，所以每平方公尺得到的熱量就少。
Longer days, more heating白天越長，加熱越久
The tilted half also gets more hours of daylight. More hours of sun plus stronger sun together make summer.傾向太陽的那一半白天也比較長。日照時間更久加上陽光更強，兩者一起造就夏天。
The solstices至日
Around 21 June the northern half leans most towards the sun — the longest day. Around 21 December it leans most away — the shortest day.六月 21 日前後，北半球傾向太陽最多——白天最長。十二月 21 日前後傾離最多——白天最短。
The equinoxes分日
Around 20 March and 23 September neither half leans towards the sun, so day and night are almost equal everywhere.三月 20 日和九月 23 日前後，兩個半球都沒有特別傾向太陽，所以全球各地晝夜幾乎等長。
The two halves are opposite兩個半球相反
When it is summer in Taiwan it is winter in Australia. Christmas in Sydney happens on the beach.台灣是夏天的時候，澳洲是冬天。雪梨的聖誕節是在海灘上過的。

The Year in Four Turns一年的四個轉折

Event 節點Date (approx.) 約略日期Northern hemisphere 北半球
Spring equinox 春分20 March 三月 20 日Day equals night 晝夜等長
Summer solstice 夏至21 June 六月 21 日Longest day 白天最長
Autumn equinox 秋分23 September 九月 23 日Day equals night 晝夜等長
Winter solstice 冬至21 December 十二月 21 日Shortest day 白天最短

資料查證至 2025 年底

日期每年會差一兩天，因為一年不是剛好 365 天——這也正是我們需要閏年的原因。

Did You Know?你知道嗎？

  • The Tropic of Cancer crosses Taiwan through Chiayi and Hualien. South of that line is tropical, north of it is subtropical.北回歸線穿過台灣的嘉義和花蓮。線以南是熱帶，以北是亞熱帶。
  • On the summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead on the Tropic of Cancer — so at noon a pole there casts almost no shadow.夏至那天，太陽直射北回歸線——所以正午時那裡的柱子幾乎不會有影子。
  • Near the equator the tilt hardly matters, so those places have a wet season and a dry season instead of four seasons.接近赤道的地方傾斜幾乎沒有影響，所以那裡分的是雨季和乾季，不是四季。
  • Mars is tilted by about 25 degrees, very close to Earth, so Mars has seasons too — they just last about twice as long.火星的傾角大約 25 度，跟地球很接近，所以火星也有四季——只是每一季大約長兩倍。

Key Words單字表

  • tilt/tɪlt/n. / v.

    傾斜

    The Earth's tilt causes the seasons.地球的傾斜造成四季。

  • axis/ˈæk.sɪs/n.

    軸

    The Earth spins on a tilted axis.地球繞著傾斜的軸自轉。

  • lean/liːn/v.

    傾向

    The north leans towards the sun in June.北半球在六月傾向太陽。

  • beam/biːm/n.

    光束

    The beam spreads over a wider patch.光束攤在更大的面積上。

  • spread/spred/v.

    散開、攤開

    The light is spread thinly.光被攤得很薄。

  • daylight/ˈdeɪ.laɪt/n.

    日照、白晝

    Summer has more hours of daylight.夏天的日照時數比較多。

  • solstice/ˈsɑːl.stɪs/n.

    至日

    The summer solstice is the longest day.夏至是白天最長的一天。

  • equinox/ˈiː.kwə.nɑːks/n.

    分日

    At the equinox, day equals night.分日時晝夜等長。

  • hemisphere/ˈhem.ə.sfɪr/n.

    半球

    The two hemispheres have opposite seasons.兩個半球的季節相反。

  • tropical/ˈtrɑː.pɪ.kəl/adj.

    熱帶的

    Southern Taiwan is tropical.台灣南部是熱帶。

  • shadow/ˈʃæd.oʊ/n.

    影子

    The pole cast almost no shadow.柱子幾乎沒有影子。

  • overhead/ˌoʊ.vɚˈhed/adv. / adj.

    在頭頂上

    The sun is directly overhead at noon.正午時太陽直射頭頂。

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