【英语时差8,16】危险的月球尘埃

Don: Hey Ya?l, I was wondering–why don't we hear much about the moon anymore?

Ya?l: Whadya mean, Don?

D: It's just that back in the 1960s and '70s, sending astronauts to the moon was a big      deal, but nobody talks much about it anymore.

Y: Well, actually NASA is planning to send astronauts back to the moon.

D: Really?

Y: Yep. And this time there's talk of building a lunar base where astronauts can stay for      weeks and months at a time to conduct experiments in low gravity.

D: Cool.

Y: But there are a few kinks to work out–like what to do about moon dust.

D: Wait. Why is moon dust a problem?

Y: Well, for one thing, it has chemical properties that resemble fresh fractured¹ quartz²,      which is pretty toxic³. And moon dust is clingy; it gets all over spacesuits and inside      space capsules. Astronauts from the '60s and '70s used to complain that there was      so much dust inside the capsule that they could smell it.

D: So is the dust actually dangerous? What happens if it gets in the lungs?

Y: That's what scientists are studying now. One issue is that the moon's weak gravity      could allow dust particles to float around in an astronaut's airway⁴, which could let      moon dust penetrate⁵ deeper into the lungs.

D: Which increases the health risks. So what can astronauts do to breath in less dust?      High-tech feather dusters?

Y: Funny. But it's a good question–one that scientists are busy looking into before      sending astronauts up there to set up house on our very dusty moon.  

1 fractured   

adj. 断裂的 动词fracture的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He died in the car collision with his skull fractured. 他在那次撞车事件中因头骨碎裂而死去。
• He fell from a tree and his leg fractured in three places. 他从树上掉下来，腿三处骨折。

2 quartz   

n.石英

参考例句：

• There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。
• The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。

3 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

4 airway   

n.空中航线，通风口

参考例句：

• Lay them on their side and ensure the airway is unobstructed.让他们侧躺着，并确保呼吸道畅通。
• There is a purple airway in London Airport.伦敦机场里有一条皇家专用飞机跑道。

5 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。