英语听力：自然百科:行星旅行指南 火星(3)

Could life have been forged in the same way on both planets?

生命在两个行星能以同一方式形成吗?

When we sent the first probes to investigate in the 1960s, almost anything was possible.

当我们在20世纪60年代发射第一个探测器进行调查时,几乎认为任何事都是可能的。

Originally in the popular imagination we thought that the Mars might be inhabited by whole civilizations building canals and so on.

原来的想象力让我们认为火星上可能有整个文明，有人居住并且建立运河等等。

And then the Mariner¹ fly- by missions really painted a very grey, black and white, deal of Mars is being barren.

然后火星探测任务真的描绘了一幅只有灰色、黑和白色的照片,这表明火星只是不毛之地。

Still, NASA was eager to look for signs of life. In 1976,

但是NASA在1976年仍然急于寻找生命的迹象。

The Viking spacecraft arrives from earth for our first close encounter.

来自地球的维京太空船为我们带来了一次亲密接触。

And there're still hopes of welcoming committee.

虽然委员会仍然对此表示充满希望。

But both Viking spacecrafts send back photos of nothing but rocks and sand.

但维京航天器除了石头和沙子的照片外没有带回任何东西。

We had a camera so obviously if there was a yarke plane ,

如果是一架飞机的话,我们显然会用配备的相机进行拍摄，

I was hoping there'll be a free way in the descents,

我希望会有一种自由的方式,

but what the main trust of Viking was actually was some chemical laboratories, and they look for the chemical signs of life.

但维京的主要信念是一些化学实验室,他们寻找生命的化学迹象。

Even the dirt seems devoid² of life.

即使是看起来缺乏生命迹象的污垢。

There was always a chance that when they were so busy looking for microbes,

他们这样忙于寻找微生物,总会有一次把握住机会,

there could be a larger organism looking over their shoulder that they completely miss it.

可能会有个庞然大物曾和他们擦肩而过，而他们则完全不知。

1 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。

2 devoid   

adj.全无的，缺乏的

参考例句：

• He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
• The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。