【英语时差8,16】海底扩张理论

Support for Alfred Wegener's ideas did not come until the early nineteen-fifties. American scientists Harry¹ Hess and Robert Dietz said the continents moved as new sea floor was created under the Atlantic Ocean. They said a t hin valley in the Atlantic Ocean was a place where the ocean floor splits³.The floor of the Atlantic Ocean is moving away from each side of the split². The movement is very slow -- a few centimeters a year.The moving ocean floor is blocked when it comes up against the edge⁴ of a continent. Then it is forced down under the continent, deep into the Earth, where it is melted⁵ again. Harry Hess and Robert Dietz said this spreading does not make the Earth bigger. As new ocean floor is created, an equal amount is destroyed. The two scientists also said Alfred Wegener was correct. The continents move as new material from the center of the Earth rises, hardens⁶ and pushes older pieces of the Earth away from each other. The continents are moving all the time, although we cannot feel it. They called their theory "sea floor spreading." The theory explains that as the sea floor spreads, the tectonic plates are pushed and pulled in different directions.

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

3 splits   

劈叉； 划分( split的名词复数 )； 分歧； 裂缝； 劈叉

参考例句：

• The river splits into three smaller streams at this point. 这条河在此处分成三条小河。
• Usually only a trained dancer can do the splits. 通常只有训练有素的舞蹈演员才会劈叉。

4 edge   

n.边(缘)；刃；优势；v.侧着移动，徐徐移动

参考例句：

• Sight along the edge to see if it's straight.顺着边目测，看看直不直。
• She lived on the extreme edge of the forest.她住在森林的最边缘。

5 melted   

v.（使）融[溶，熔]化( melt的过去式和过去分词 )；溶解；（使）消散，消失；（使）软化，变得温柔

参考例句：

• Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle. 熔化了的蜡一滴滴从蜡烛边上流下。
• The crowd quickly melted away when the storm broke. 暴风雨袭来时人群很快地四散了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 hardens   

v.（使）变硬( harden的第三人称单数 )；（使）坚固；（使）硬化；（使）变得坚强

参考例句：

• Mould the mixture into shape while hot, before it hardens. 在混合物还没有变硬之前，趁热将它塑成形。 来自辞典例句
• Clay hardens when it becomes dry. 粘土干了的时候就变硬了。 来自辞典例句