时差N小时 地幔的奥秘(上)

For some time now, scientists have understood that the earth's crust is divided into plates that move about at the rate of a few inches a year.

现在科学家们已经搞清楚地壳分为各个板块，而且板块间以每年几英寸的速度移动着。

But over time, form mountain ranges and volcanoes.

但随着时间的推移山脉和火山得以形成。

They have also known that the earth's mantle¹, the layer between the earth's crust and core, was the major player in the movement of the plates.

他们也已经搞清楚地球的地幔，就是地壳和核心之间的那层是板块运动的主要参与者。

Scientists talk about the mantle as a kind of weather system.

科学家认为地幔是一种天气系统。

There are cooler and warmer sections of the mantle that are in constant flux² with one another, much like gathering³ storm clouds.

地幔部分持续的流动有冷却器和温暖,就像风暴云聚集一样。

These subterranean⁴ storms miles below the earth's surface, though very slow in development, can eventually exert powerful force on the earth's crust.

这些地下风暴低于地球表面,虽然发展非常缓慢,最终会对地壳产生强大的力量。

1 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

2 flux   

n.流动；不断的改变

参考例句：

• The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
• In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。