英语听力：自然百科 金星和水星旅行指南(5)

Many aspects, like its geological past, are a mystery. But some things we do know, this lonely planet has strange science of keeping time. Once you arrive, you have to reset¹ your watch for a time zone like no other. It has such unusual orbit and rotation² period. The days and nights are, are very strange. A mercurial³ year is just 88 earth days long, thanks to its quick sprint⁴ around the sun. But it rotates so slowly a single day takes much longer.

许多方面,就像它的过去地质,是一个谜。但是有些事情我们知道,这个孤独星球有着奇怪的科学时间。一旦你到达时,你不像其他地方因为一个时区而重置你的表。它有着非比寻常的轨道和旋转的时期。日日夜夜非常奇怪。水星的一年只相当于地球的88天,这都是由于其快速围绕着太阳转所致。但它转动得如此之慢,所以一天需要更长时间。

The day on mercury is more than half a year, eh, earth terms. Although known to us since ancient times for thousands of years, we had little idea what the planet really looked like. Then in 1974, NASA's Mariner⁵ 10 sent us back the first ever glimpses of its surface. Pictures can be transmit to tracking stations and onto Jeffery Portion Laboratory in California. Due to mercury's slower rotation and its ellipse orbit on the sun, when it flew by three times, it saw the same half of the planet. So we've really only seen something like 45% of the planet relatively⁶ low resolution.

在水星的一天相当于半年多时间,呃,这是按照地球的术语。虽然我们知道自古以来,几千年来,我们根本不知道这个星球的实际样子。接着在1974年,美国宇航局的水手10号给我们带回有史以来第一次它的表面掠影。照片被传送到追踪站之后到达加州杰弗瑞·波顿实验室。由于水星慢轨道旋转和它在太阳上的椭圆轨道,它以3倍速度旋转。它看到了同样的一半的星球。所以我们真的只看到类似的45%的相对低分辨率的这个星球。

Hidden in these fuzzy black and white postcards for over 30 years are clues that point to one of mercury's biggest puzzles. It's been shrinking. Mercury doesn't have plate tectonics like here does. So we know that mercury's crust is under a lot of compressure. Mere⁷ way can really do that is if the planet shrank. You can take as this incredible, shrinking planet. As Mariner 10 flies past, the mystery deepens. This spacecraft detects a vast iron core hidden inside.

隐藏在这些模糊黑白明信片后30多年来的是一个指向水星最大的困惑的线索。它正在缩小。水星没有板块构造。所以我们知道水星的地壳承受很大的压力。如果这个星球缩小，我们无能为力。你可以当这难以置信,萎缩的星球。作为水手10号已经探秘过的星球，这加深了神秘。太空船侦测到其中隐藏着一个巨大的铁核心。

1 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

2 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

3 mercurial   

adj.善变的，活泼的

参考例句：

• He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable.他是个反复无常的人，因此对他的行为无法预言。
• Our desires and aversions are mercurial rulers.我们的欲望与嫌恶是变化无常的统治者。

4 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

5 mariner   

n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者

参考例句：

• A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。
• A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星，还要注意暗礁和险滩。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。