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The Earth spins once per day, which means that if you live at the Equator, the surface of the Earth with you on it,
地球每天自转一周，这意味着如果你住在赤道，那么相对地球中心而言
is moving around a thousand miles per hour to the East, relative to the centre of the Earth.
你所在的地球表面会以大概每小时一千英里的速度自西向东地转着。
Even at 45 latitude, the Earth's surface is moving 700 miles per hour to the East.
即使在北纬45度，地球表面也是以每小时七百英里的速度往东方移动。
So it kinda seems like it should be faster for airplanes to fly west.
因此似乎往西飞的飞机会比较快。
I mean, their destination is literally spinning towards them.
我的意思是，它们的目的地理论上会向它旋转。
At the same time however, they are spinning away from their destination.
但同时，它们也从目的地往后旋转。
When we say the earth is going 1000 mph to the east, that means that the ground, and airplanes on the ground,
当我们说地球以每小时一千英里的速度向西往东转时，我们指的是地面以及地面上的飞机
and even the air above the ground are all also moving 1000 mph to the east.
甚至连周围的空气都也随着以同样速度往东转。
For an airplane to get anywhere, it has to start moving relative to the ground and through the air at something like 100 or so mph.
飞机无论要去任何地方，都必须从地面开始移动，并利用空气以每小时一百英里左右的速度飞行。
So when it flies east, it's actually moving 1000 plus 100 mph to the east,
所以当它往东飞时，其实是以每小时一千加一百英里每小时的速度往东飞，
and when it flies west, it's actually moving 1000 minus 100 mph, to the east.
当它向西飞时，其实是以每小时一千减一百英里每小时的速度往东飞。
Yes, to go west you go east, just slower than the Earth is going east.
没错，要去西边，你就得往东飞，只是往东的速度比地球慢。
Unless you're within ten or so miles of the poles, in which case a brisk westward walk will take you legitimately west.
除非你离两极只有十英里左右。在这种情况下，快步走向西将能带你到西部。
That said, planes do often take different amounts of time to fly the same route in different directions,
也就是说飞机朝着不同方向以同样的航线飞行时，通常所需时间会不同，
because of winds in the upper atmosphere like the jetstream that they either have at their tail, or have to fly into.
因为大气层顶端的风，比如喷射气流会令飞机在顺风或逆风状态下飞行
The prevailing direction of these winds is largely caused by the Coriolis effect,
这些气流的方向很大程度上是由科里奥利效应造成的，
which is caused by the fact that different parts of the Earth are moving east at different speeds,
而该效应是由于地球不同地方正在以不同的速度朝东移动，
which happens because the Earth is round and spinning.
这是因为地球是圆的且在旋转。
So, airplane travel times are influenced by the rotation of the Earth, just not in a straightforward way.
所以，受地球自转影响，飞机的飞行时间不能直接计算。
