万物简史 第324期:美丽而危险(7)

 　　All this was hypothetically interesting until 1973, when an odd occurrence made it suddenly momentous¹: 这一切都很有意思，但都是假设的。直到1973年，一件怪事发生了，突然之间那个假设变得很有意义：

　　water in Yellowstone Lake, in the heart of the park, began to run over the banks at the lake's southern end, flooding a meadow, 黄石公园中央的黄石湖水开始溢出该湖南端的堤岸，淹没了一处草地；

　　while at the opposite end of the lake the water mysteriously flowed away. 与此同时，该湖另一端的湖水神秘地流失了。

　　Geologists² did a hasty survey and discovered that a large area of the park had developed an ominous³ bulge⁴. 地质学家们马上进行考察，发现情况不妙，公园的一大片地区鼓了起来。

　　This was lifting up one end of the lake and causing the water to run out at the other, 这种把湖的一头抬起，让水从另一头流出的情景，

　　as would happen if you lifted one side of a child's wading⁵ pool. 如同你抬起孩童的嬉水池的一边会发生的情景。

　　By 1984, the whole central region of the park—several dozen square miles, 到1984年，公园的整个中心地区——100多平方公里，

　　was more than three feet higher than it had been in 1924, when the park was last formally surveyed. 比在1924年对公园作最后一次正式勘测时高了1米多。

　　Then in 1985, the whole of the central part of the park subsided⁶ by eight inches. 接着，1985年，公园的中心地区下陷了20厘米。

　　It now seems to be swelling⁷ again. 现在，这个地区似乎又在鼓起来。

　　The geologists realized that only one thing could cause this—a restless magma chamber⁸. 地质学家们认为，出现这种情况只有一个原因——一个活跃的岩浆房。

　　Yellowstone wasn't the site of an ancient supervolcano; it was the site of an active one. 黄石这地方古代没有超级火山，只有一座活火山。

　　It was also at about this time that they were able to work out  也是大约在这个时候，他们推算出来，

　　that the cycle of Yellowstone's eruptions⁹ averaged one massive blow every 600,000 years. 黄石火山平均每60万年大规模喷发一次。

　　The last one, interestingly enough, was 630,000 years ago. 最近一次喷发是在63万年以前。

　　Yellowstone, it appears, is due. 黄石火山似乎到了该喷发的时候了。

1 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

2 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。

3 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

4 bulge   

n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀

参考例句：

• The apple made a bulge in his pocket.苹果把他口袋塞得鼓了起来。
• What's that awkward bulge in your pocket?你口袋里那块鼓鼓囊囊的东西是什么？

5 wading   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。
• The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

6 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

8 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

9 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句