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万物简史 第496期:多灾多难的生命进程(16)

时间：2018-12-25 00:42:17

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 Even after stripping out the more crackpot notions there are still more theories for what caused the extinction1 events than there have been events. 即使去掉了不大切合实际的观点以后，解释灭绝事件原因的理论依然多子事件本身。

At least two dozen potential culprits have been identified as causes or prime contributors: 至少有20来只可能的黑手被认为是原因或者主要帮手，
global warming, global cooling, changing sea levels, oxygen depletion2 of the seas (a condition known as anoxia), epidemics3, 包括全球变暖、全球变冷、海平面变化、海洋氧气大幅度减少（所谓的缺氧）、传染病、
giant leaks of methane4 gas from the seafloor, meteor and comet impacts, runaway5 hurricanes of a type known as hypercanes, huge volcanic6 upwellings, catastrophic solar flares8. 海床大量甲烷泄漏、陨石和彗星撞击、一种所谓“超强风”的猛烈飓风、强烈的火山喷发，以及灾难性的太阳耀斑。
This last is a particularly intriguing9 possibility. 太阳耀斑是一种尤其令人感兴趣的可能性。
Nobody knows how big solar flares can get because we have only been watching them since the beginning of the space age, 谁也不知道太阳耀斑会变得多大，因为我们只是从空间时代才开始观测太阳耀斑。
but the Sun is a mighty10 engine and its storms are commensurately enormous. 但是，太阳是一台大马达，它兴起的风暴是极其巨大的。
A typical solar flare7 — something we wouldn't even notice on Earth, 一次普通的太阳耀斑——我们在地球上甚至还注意不到，
will release the energy equivalent of a billion hydrogen bombs and fling into space a hundred billion tons or so of murderous high-energy particles. 释放出相当于10亿颗氢弹的能量，向空间抛出l000亿吨危险的高能粒子。
The magnetosphere and atmosphere between them normally swat these back into space or steer11 them safely toward the poles (where they produce the Earth's comely12 auroras), 磁层和大气通常一块儿把这些掷回空间，或者把它们安全地引向两极（它们在那里产生地球美丽的极光）。
but it is thought that an unusually big blast, say a hundred times the typical flare, could overwhelm our ethereal defenses. 据认为，一次极大的爆发，比如100倍于普通耀斑的耀斑，可以毁坏我们稀薄的防御层。
The light show would be a glorious one, but it would almost certainly kill a very high proportion of all that basked13 in its glow. 那道光华是很壮丽的，但几乎肯定会使暴露在光里的很大部分生物丧命。
Moreover, and rather chillingly, according to Bruce Tsurutani of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "it would leave no trace in history." 而且，令人寒心的是。据美国国家航空和航天局喷气推进实验室的布鲁斯·楚鲁塔尼说：“它在历史上不会留下痕迹。”
 

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1 extinction sPwzP     
n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种
参考例句：
  • The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
  • The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。
2 depletion qmcz2     
n.耗尽，枯竭
参考例句：
  • Increased consumption of water has led to rapid depletion of groundwater reserves.用水量的增加导致了地下水贮备迅速枯竭。
  • Farmers should rotate crops every season to prevent depletion of the soil.农夫每季应该要轮耕，以免耗尽土壤。
3 epidemics 4taziV     
n．流行病
参考例句：
  • Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
  • The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。
4 methane t1Eyx     
n.甲烷，沼气
参考例句：
  • The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
  • Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。
5 runaway jD4y5     
n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的
参考例句：
  • The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
  • He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。
6 volcanic BLgzQ     
adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的
参考例句：
  • There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
  • Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。
7 flare LgQz9     
v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发
参考例句：
  • The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
  • You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。
8 flares 2c4a86d21d1a57023e2985339a79f9e2     
n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开
参考例句：
  • The side of a ship flares from the keel to the deck. 船舷从龙骨向甲板外倾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation. 他是火爆性子，一点就着。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 intriguing vqyzM1     
adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心
参考例句：
  • These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
  • It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
11 steer 5u5w3     
vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶
参考例句：
  • If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
  • It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。
12 comely GWeyX     
adj.漂亮的，合宜的
参考例句：
  • His wife is a comely young woman.他的妻子是一个美丽的少妇。
  • A nervous,comely-dressed little girl stepped out.一个紧张不安、衣着漂亮的小姑娘站了出来。
13 basked f7a91e8e956a5a2d987831bf21255386     
v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽
参考例句：
  • She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她尽情地享受她女儿的成功带给她的荣耀。
  • She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她享受着女儿的成功所带给她的荣耀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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