The Motion of Mars

63 火星的神秘运动

DATE=6-27-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT - The Motion of Mars
BYLINE=Mario Ritter

(Start at 59")This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Science Report.
Last week, we explained that the planet Mars has passed "(1) opposition¹." It passed a point opposite the Sun.  This week, we tell about the planet's surprising (2) motion among the stars.
Our English word "planet"comes from the Greek word meaning "traveler."For thousands of years, people have recognized that planets travel among the stars. The planets generally follow the path taken by the Sun through the sky. The Sun's path is called the (3) ecliptic. The groups of stars, or (4) constellations², along the ecliptic are called the (5) Zodiac.
The motion of the planets can be (6) confusing at times. Everyone knows the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But this is caused by the turning motion of the Earth. Planets generally move from west to east. 
However, Mars will appear to move backwards³ for about two months this year.  This happens because the Earth is (7) overtaking Mars on its way around the Sun.  Mars began its backward, or westward⁴, motion on May eleventh. It will start moving eastward⁵ again on July nineteenth.
Mars' (8) apparent motion has been a mystery to (9) astronomers⁶ for hundreds of years. Most early theories of the solar system argued that the Sun and planets turned, or (10) revolved⁷, around the Earth. But the sudden westward motion of Mars presented a problem. Why would Mars move west for two months when it nears opposition?
In Fifteen-Forty-Three, a (11) Polish church worker named Nicolas Copernicus published a different theory.  His theory said the Earth and planets moved around the Sun in perfectly⁸ (12) circular (13) orbits. Copernicus' theory was simpler. But his Sun-centered system still did not explain the observed motion of Mars very well. 
Finally, a German (14) mathematician⁹ named Johannes Kepler published a complete theory of the motion of the planets in Sixteen-Nineteen. He had carefully studied the motion of Mars for many years. 
Johannes Kepler discovered that the planets do not move in circular orbits around the sun. Instead, they travel in (15) flattened¹⁰ orbits called (16) ellipses¹¹. Mars' (17) elliptical orbit is the cause of its unusual brightening this year and its apparent large size.
During the next several weeks, you can see for yourself why the mysterious motion of Mars has caused so many people to wonder.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Mario Ritter. And This is Bill White.

(1) opposition [ CpE5ziFEn ] n.反对, 敌对, 相反, 反对派, [天]冲
(2) motion [ 5mEuFEn ] n.运动, 动作v.运动
(3) ecliptic [ i5kliptik ] n.[天]黄道 adj.黄道的, 日(或月)食的, 蚀的
(4) constellation [ kCnstE5leiFEn ] n.[天]星群, 星座, 灿烂的一群
(5) zodiac [ 5zEudiAk ] n.[天] 十二宫图, 黄道带
(6) confuse [ kEn5fju:z ] vt.搞乱, 使糊涂
(7) overtake [ 5EuvE5teik ] vt.赶上, 追上, (暴风雨、麻烦等)突然来袭, 压倒
(8) apparent [ E5pArEnt ] adj.显然的, 外观上的
(9) astronomer [E5strRnEmE(r)] n.天文学家
(10) revolve [ ri5vClv ] v.(使)旋转, 考虑, 循环出现
(11) Polish [ 5pEuliF ] adj.波兰(Poland)的
(12) circular [ 5sE:kjulE ] adj.圆形的, 循环的 n.函件 通知
(13) orbit [ 5C:bit ] n.轨道, 势力范围, 生活常规, 眼眶 vt.绕...轨道而行
(14) mathematician [ 7mAWimE5tiFEn ] n.数学家
(15) flatten [ 5flAtn ] vi.变平, 变单调 vt.使平, 变平, 打倒, 使失去光泽
(16) ellipse [ i5lips ] n.[数]椭圆, 椭圆形
(17) elliptical [ i5liptikEl ] adj.椭圆的, 省略的

 

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 constellations   

n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人）

参考例句：

• The map of the heavens showed all the northern constellations. 这份天体图标明了北半部所有的星座。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His time was coming, he would move in the constellations of power. 他时来运转，要进入权力中心了。 来自教父部分

3 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

4 westward   

n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西

参考例句：

• We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
• Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。

5 eastward   

adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部

参考例句：

• The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。
• The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。

6 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 revolved   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The fan revolved slowly. 电扇缓慢地转动着。
• The wheel revolved on its centre. 轮子绕中心转动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

9 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。

10 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

11 ellipses   

n.椭园，省略号；椭圆( ellipse的名词复数 )；（语法结构上的）省略( ellipsis的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The planets move around the sun in ellipses. 各行星围绕太阳按椭圆形运转。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Summations are almost invariably indicated ellipses instead of the more prevalent sigma notation. 在表示“连加”的式子中，几乎一成不变地使用省略号来代替更为流行的“∑”符号。 来自辞典例句