TED演讲:可能存在生命的三颗卫星和一颗行星(4)

 A few months ago the fairy tale came true.  几个月前，童话故事成真了！

We announced to the world that we know what these streaks¹ are. It's liquid water. 我们向世界宣布，我们已经知道这些条纹是什么了。是液态水。

These craters² are weeping during the summer.  这些陨石坑在夏天浸出水分。

Liquid water is flowing down these craters.  这些液态水顺着陨石坑向下流。

So what are we going to do now -- now that we see the water? 我们接下来要做什么--在发现了液态水之后？

Well, it tells us that Mars has all the ingredients necessary for life.  这说明火星拥有生命的所有必需成分。

In its past it had perhaps two-thirds of its northern hemisphere -- there was an ocean. 在过去，可能它的北半球有三分之二都曾是海洋。

It has weeping water right now. Liquid water on its surface. 现在它有冒出的水流。星球表面有液态水。

It has organics. It has all the right conditions. 它有有机物。它有一切合适（孕育生命）的条件。

So what are we going to do next?  那么我们接下来要做什么呢？

We're going to launch a series of missions to begin that search for life on Mars. 我们将开展一系列任务，开始寻找火星上的生命。

And now it's more appealing than ever before.  现在行动要比以往任何时候都更有吸引力。

As we move out into the solar system, here's the tiny moon Enceladus. 在离地球更远的太阳系里，有一个小小的土卫二。

This is not in what we call the traditional habitable zone, this area around the sun. 它不在我们以往公认的宜居区域内，也就是靠近太阳的区域。

This is much further out. This object should be ice over a silicate³ core. But what did we find? 这里离太阳很远。这个星球应该像个被冰层覆盖的硅酸盐核心。但我们找到了什么？

Cassini was there since 2006,  自2006年起，卡西尼太空船就在那里，

and after a couple years looked back after it flew by Enceladus and surprised us all. 在飞过土卫二的几年后，再回过头看，我们都大吃一惊。

Enceladus is blasting sheets of water out into the solar system and sloshing back down onto the moon. 土卫二在向太阳系喷出一片片的水，再回落到它的表面。

What a fabulous⁴ environment.  多么美妙的环境啊。

1 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 craters   

n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等

参考例句：

• Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The battlefield was full of craters made by exploding shells. 战场上布满弹坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 silicate   

n.硅酸盐

参考例句：

• There are large amounts of aluminum silicate in the area.这个地区有大量的硅酸铝。
• Silicate minerals are characteristically refractory and difficult to break down.硅酸盐矿物的特点是耐熔和难以分离。

4 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。