时差N小时 平流层细菌

Don: Nice telescope, Yael, what are you looking at?

唐：不错的望远镜，雅艾尔，你在看什么？

Yale: Bacteria.

雅艾尔：细菌。

Don: In space?

唐：在太空吗？

Yale: Not that far out, Don. Scientists recently collected three brand new species of bacteria from the Stratosphere. When I heard about it, I couldn't believe it. Researchers have been using balloon lifted cryosamplers to collect bacteria and fungi¹ from the stratosphere for years.

雅艾尔：没那么远，唐。最近科学家们从平流层收集到三种新的细菌品种。当我听说时，我不太相信。多年来，研究人员一直在利用气球举起低温采样器来收集大气中的细菌和真菌。

Don: I didn't think that anything can live that high in the amosphere.

唐：我不认为在那么高的大气中会有生命存在。

Yale: Neither did I. The stratosphere extends from ten to thirty miles above the surface. That's above the clouds where temperatures can get as cold as minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit², and there's lots of ultra violet radiation.

雅艾尔：我以前也是。平流层位于距地表10英里至30英里的高度。那里在云端之上，温度可低至零下76摄氏度，并且有大量的紫外线辐射。

Don: So How do they think bacteria got up there?

唐：那他们认为细菌是如何到达那里的？

Yale: Some scientists think they ride up on particles ejected from volcanoes. Others think bacteria might be sucked through updrafts caused by a special kind of lightning that travels upwards³ from cloud tops. Forest fires can also cause thunderstorms that toss immense plumes⁴ of smoke into the stratosphere. Bacteria could ride on the soot⁵.

雅艾尔：有些科学家认为细菌是由火山喷射出的粒子带上去的。还有人则认为，细菌也许是卷入了一种自云层顶端向上运行的特殊闪电造成的上升气流。森林火灾会引起雷暴，将大量浓烟掷入平流层。细菌可能会驾尘而上。

Don: And they are the same kind Of bacteria that live here on the surface?

唐：那么它们与生活在地表的细菌是同一种类吗？

Yale: Some are known species. They have found rod-shaped Bacillus that are very common here as well as Staphylococcus species related to disease causing bacteria. Others are completely new, including two new Bacillus species. There's also a third group of bacteria found in clumps⁶ that can't be cultured in normal bacterial⁷ nutrients⁸. So far, they are a puzzle.

雅艾尔：有些种类是一样的。已经找到的有非常普遍的杆状杆菌，还有致病细菌——葡萄球菌。 其他的则是完全未知的，包括两个新的杆菌品种。还有第三种细菌，它们成群生长，不能在平常的细菌培养液中培养。到目前为止它仍是个谜。

Don: That's really out of this world, Yael. But you really are trying to see bacteria with your telescope, are you?

唐：那真是不可思议，雅艾尔。但你真的在用望眼镜观察细菌，是吗？

Yale: No, Don. They are away too small. I'm just out enjoying the stars.

雅艾尔：不，唐。它们太远，并且太小。我只是在观赏星星。

1 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

2 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。

3 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

4 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。

5 soot   

n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟

参考例句：

• Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
• The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。

6 clumps   

n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• These plants quickly form dense clumps. 这些植物很快形成了浓密的树丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bulbs were over. All that remained of them were clumps of brown leaves. 这些鳞茎死了，剩下的只是一丛丛的黃叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

8 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》