2023年经济学人 高山生长的极限(2)

 

    So he visited the site the following year, becoming only the second geologist¹ known to have done so, and took some samples.

    因此，他在第二年访问了该地点，成为了唯二这样做的地质学家，并采集了一些样本。

    Examining the surrounding cliffs for signs of a collapse², he noticed that a peak known as Annapurna IV offered a relatively³ smooth, steep face which seemed to fit.

    在检查周围的悬崖是否有崩塌的迹象时，他注意到一个被称为安纳普尔纳四峰的山峰有一个相对光滑、陡峭的表面，适合采样。

    Back home, he sent samples from the rubble⁴ field, the rock core and others from the path the landslide⁵ might have taken for dating.

    回到家后，他把从碎石场、岩心和滑坡可能经过的路径上采集的样本送去进行年代测定。

    Should their ages roughly correspond, that would suggest they were linked to the same event.

    如果它们的年代大概一致，那就表明他们与同一事件有关。

    By measuring the abundance of chlorine-36 (a radioactive isotope⁶ which accumulates in surface rocks and decays once they are buried), and carbon-14 (another which accumulates in living matter and decays after death), his colleagues dated the samples to the late 12th century, and to within a couple of decades of each other.

    通过测量氯-36(一种放射性同位素，在地表岩石中积累，一旦被掩埋就会衰变)和碳-14(另一种放射性同位素，在生物物质中积累，在生物死后会衰变)的丰度，他的同事们将这些样本的年代定在了12世纪晚期，彼此相差不到几十年。

    That is within the accuracy limits of the dating techniques themselves.

    这在年代测定技术本身的精度范围内。

    Besides shedding light on a previously⁷ unknown cataclysm⁸, Dr Lave’s work could plug a gap in the dominant⁹ explanation for why mountains stop growing, which is known as the “glacial buzzsaw” hypothesis.

    除了揭示之前未知的大灾难之外，拉维博士的工作还可以填补关于山脉停止生长的解释空白处，即众所周知的“冰川电锯”假说。

    Under this model, it is glaciers¹⁰, which are extremely effective at carving¹¹ scoops¹² out of mountains, that are mostly responsible for curbing¹³ their growth.

    在这个模型下，冰川是抑制山脉生长的主要原因，因为冰川能极其有效地在山脉上锯出铲状的空隙。

    The problem with that theory, says Dr Rowan, is that there are some peaks that manage to escape the erosive effect of glaciers, and then grow so steeply that glaciers can no longer stick to their sides.

    罗文博士说，这一理论的问题在于，有些山峰能够逃脱冰川的侵蚀作用，然后变得非常陡峭，以至于冰川再也不能粘在它们的两侧。

    “The question is,” she asks, “what stops these mountains getting bigger?”

    “问题是，”她问道，“是什么阻止了这些山脉变得更大?”

    Landslides¹⁴ could well be one answer.

    山体滑坡很可能是一个答案。

    While the exact trigger for the Annapurna landslide is unknown, Dr Lave’s idea is that, with nothing to shave rock off their tips, very high mountains simply keep growing until their weight is too much for their lower slopes—which do still experience erosion—to support.

    虽然引发安纳普尔纳山崩的确切原因尚不清楚，但拉维博士的想法是，由于没有任何东西可以刮掉山尖上的岩石，非常高的山脉只会继续生长，直到它们的重量超过了它们的较低的斜坡——它们仍然会受到侵蚀——无法支撑。

    Working out exactly how and when the tipping point is reached will require examining other such rockslides.

    要想确切地知道如何以及何时达到临界点的话，还需要研究其他类似的岩崩。

    Unfortunately, due to the actions of both glaciers and swollen¹⁵ rivers during the monsoon¹⁶ season, the rubble from the Annapurna landslip is vanishing fast.

    不幸的是，由于季风季节冰川和河流暴涨的作用，安纳普尔纳山崩的碎石正在迅速消失。

    Dr Lave reckons that only about 10% of the dislodged material now remains¹⁷ in place.

    拉维博士估计，现在只有被移走物质大约10%的碎石还留在原地。

    Older rockslides, assuming there were any, may already be impossible to reconstruct.

    更早的滑坡，假设存在过的话，可能已经无法重建了。

1 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

2 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

3 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。

4 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

5 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

6 isotope   

n.同位素

参考例句：

• The isotope ratio is directly used for comparing oils or gases.同位素比率直接用于比较各种石油或天然气。
• How to apply a radio isotope?如何运用放射性同位素？

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 cataclysm   

n.洪水，剧变，大灾难

参考例句：

• The extinct volcano's eruption would mean a cataclysm for the city.死火山又重新喷发，对这座城市来说意味着大难临头。
• The cataclysm flooded the entire valley.洪水淹没了整个山谷。

9 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

10 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

11 carving   

n.雕刻品，雕花

参考例句：

• All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
• He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。

12 scoops   

n.小铲( scoop的名词复数 )；小勺；一勺[铲]之量；（抢先刊载、播出的）独家新闻v.抢先报道( scoop的第三人称单数 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• I used three scoops of flour and one(scoop)of sugar. 我用了三杓面粉和一杓糖。 来自辞典例句

13 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

14 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

15 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

16 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

17 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。