万物简史 第306期:地下的烈火(14)

 　　Because we can't see into the Earth, we have to use other techniques, which mostly involve reading waves as they travel through the interior. 我们无法看到地球的深处，因此不得不使用别的方法，主要包括观察波在地球内部的传播形式，从而推断那里的情况。

　　We also know a little bit about the mantle¹ from what are known as kimberlite pipes, where diamonds are formed. 我们从所谓的金伯利岩筒（即形成钻石的地方）得知一点地幔的情况。

　　What happens is that deep in the Earth there is an explosion that fires, in effect, a cannonball of magma to the surface at supersonic speeds. 那里的情况是，地球深处存在一种爆炸，能把岩浆炮弹以超声速发射到地面。

　　It is a totally random² event. 这完全是一种没有规律的现象。

　　A kimberlite pipe could explode in your backyard as you read this. 你在阅读本书的时候，一个金伯利岩筒有可能在你家的后花园爆炸。

　　Because they come up from such depths—up to 120 miles down—kimberlite pipes bring up all kinds of things not normally found on or near the surface: 由于它通到下面很深的地方——深达200公里——金伯利岩筒带上来各种地面上或地面附近通常找不到的东西：

　　a rock called peridotite, crystals of olivine, and—just occasionally, in about one pipe in a hundred—diamonds. 如橄榄岩、橄榄石晶体以及钻石。带上来钻石是很偶然的，100个岩筒中大约只有1个会办这等好事。

　　Lots of carbon comes up with kimberlite ejecta, but most is vaporized or turns to graphite. 金伯利岩筒的喷出物带上来大量的碳，但大部分都化成蒸气，或变成石墨。

　　Only occasionally does a hunk of it shoot up at just the right speed and cool down with the necessary swiftness to become a diamond. 只是在偶尔的情况下，一团碳以恰到好处的速度喷上来，并以必要的速度快速冷却，终于变成了钻石。

　　It was such a pipe that made Johannesburg the most productive diamond mining city in the world, 正是由于这类岩筒，南非成了世界上出产钻石最多的国家，

　　but there may be others even bigger that we don't know about. 但很可能别的国家蕴藏量还要丰富，我们现在还不知道。

　　Geologists³ know that somewhere in the vicinity of northeastern Indiana there is evidence of a pipe or group of pipes that may be truly colossal⁴. 地质学家们知道，印第安纳州东北部附近有个地方，有迹象表明存在着巨大的岩筒或岩筒群。

　　Diamonds up to twenty carats or more have been found at scattered⁵ sites throughout the region. 20克拉或更大克拉数的钻石在整个地区的不同地点已有发现。

　　But no one has ever found the source. 但是，没有人找到源头。

　　As John McPhee notes, it may be buried under glacially deposited soil, like the Manson crater⁶ in Iowa, or under the Great Lakes. 约翰·麦克菲指出，它也许埋在冰河沉积土底下，就像艾奥瓦州的曼森大坑，或者在五大湖下面。

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 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

3 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

4 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

5 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

6 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。