Knowledge of the natural world (including clouds) should be part of everyone’s general understanding. Clouds should be viewed as an easy introduction to a vast range of fascinating phenomena.

自然世界的知識(包括云)應該作為大眾常識的一部分。云可以被視為有趣自然現(xiàn)象中一個簡單的介紹。

So here is a list of those ten clouds, arranged conventionally in three height levels with the highest first in the list. It is, however, easiest to learn them from the bottom up. (Start with cumulus, the ‘cotton-wool’ fluffy, ‘fair-weather’ clouds.)

因此這里列出了十種云，按云層的高度從高到低排列。然而，從下往上地學習這些詞匯可能是最簡單的方法。（由cumulus堆積云開始--一種蓬松的、在好天氣才可以見到的云彩）

Ten clouds?十種云朵~

cirrus: thin wisps of ice-crystal cloud at high altitudes

卷云：高海拔地區(qū)的薄層的冰晶云。

cirrostratus: a high-altitude, thin layer of ice-crystal cloud, formed from the spreading out of cirrus. Often shows some fibrous structure.

卷層云：高空、薄層的水晶云，由卷云的擴散形成。通常展示出了一些纖維結(jié)構(gòu)。

cirrocumulus: a high-altitude layer of tiny heaps of ice-crystal cloud with no shading and clear gaps between the cloudlets.

卷積云：高空的小堆的冰晶云，云朵之間沒有陰影和明顯的縫隙。

altostratus: a middle-altitude layer of essentially featureless, white or grey cloud.

高層云：中層本質(zhì)上毫無特色，是白色或灰色的云。

altocumulus: a middle altitude layer of moderate-sized heaps of cloud, with distinct shading and clear gaps between the cloudlets.

高積云：中層云，中等程度堆狀云，云朵之間有明顯的陰影和縫隙。

nimbostratus: a dense layer of cloud at middle levels, often extending down close to the surface. Often with a ragged base, and always producing prolonged rain.

雨層云：密集的中層云，密度均勻。云底較亂，通常呈現(xiàn)不規(guī)則形，通常產(chǎn)生長時間的降雨。

stratocumulus: a widespread layer of heaps or rolls of cloud at a low level, with distinct gaps and heavy shading.

層積云：堆狀或卷狀的低層云，有明顯的縫隙和較重的陰影。

stratus: an essentially featureless, grey layer of cloud at low level. At ground level, it is mist or fog.

層云：這種云本質(zhì)上毫無特色，灰色的低層云。在地平面時，它是薄霧或濃霧狀。

cumulus: the most familiar cloud. Rounded heaps of white cloud at low levels, generally an indication of currently fine weather.

積云：最常見的云。白色的圓堆狀低層云，一般是好天氣的預兆。

cumulonimbus: the giant among clouds, that may tower through all three levels, sometimes with a flattened top . The shower cloud with dark, ragged base and heavy, localized rain, hail, or other severe weather.

積雨云：云體龐大，呈塔狀，云體有時可以跨越三個云層，頂部也可呈扁平狀。這種陣雨云的底部陰暗不規(guī)則，常帶來大型降雨，局部降雨，冰雹或者其他惡劣的天氣狀況。

聲明：本雙語文章的中文翻譯系滬江英語原創(chuàng)內(nèi)容，轉(zhuǎn)載請注明出處。中文翻譯僅代表譯者個人觀點，僅供參考。如有不妥之處，歡迎指正。