TED演讲:可能存在生命的三颗卫星和一颗行星(5)

 Cassini just a few months ago also flew through the plume¹, and it measured silicate² particles. 卡西尼太空船几个月前又从这些飞溅的水流中穿过，它检测到了硅酸盐颗粒。

Where does the silica come from?  这些硅从哪来的？

It must come from the ocean floor.  它肯定是从海底来的。

The tidal energy is generated by Saturn³, pulling and squeezing this moon 土星产生的潮汐动能拉扯，挤压着这个星球

is melting that ice, creating an ocean. 正融化那里的冰，形成着海洋。

But it's also doing that to the core.  这潮汐能同样拉扯挤压着硅酸盐核心。

Now, the only thing that we can think of  我们唯一能想到

that does that here on Earth as an analogy are hydrothermal vents⁴. 地球上类似的现象是深海热泉。

Hydrothermal vents deep in our ocean were discovered in 1977.  深海热泉在1977年的时候在海洋深处被发现。

Oceanographers were completely surprised.  海洋学家们对此非常惊讶。

And now there are thousands of these below the ocean. What do we find? 如今在海洋之下，有成千上万这样的深海热泉。我们找到了什么？

The oceanographers, when they go and look at these hydrothermal vents, they're teeming⁵ with life, 当海洋学家们研究这些深海热泉时发现，那里有富饶的生命，

regardless of whether the water is acidic or alkaline -- doesn't matter. 不管水是酸性的还是碱性的--这不重要。

So hydrothermal vents are a fabulous⁶ abode⁷ for life here on Earth. So what about Enceladus? 地球上的深海热泉是生命的绝佳住所。那么土卫二呢？

Well, we believe because it has water and has had it for a significant period of time, 我们相信因为它有水，并且在相当长的一段时间里拥有水，

and we believe it has hydrothermal vents with perhaps the right organic material, 加上我们认为它有深海热泉以及适合的有机物质，

it is a place where life could exist.  那是一个生命可能存在的地方。

And not just microbial -- maybe more complex because it's had time to evolve. 并且不仅仅是微生物--可能存在更复杂的生命，因为它有足够的时间去进化。

1 plume   

n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰

参考例句：

• Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
• He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。

2 silicate   

n.硅酸盐

参考例句：

• There are large amounts of aluminum silicate in the area.这个地区有大量的硅酸铝。
• Silicate minerals are characteristically refractory and difficult to break down.硅酸盐矿物的特点是耐熔和难以分离。

3 Saturn   

n.农神，土星

参考例句：

• 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。
• These comparisons suggested that Saturn is made of lighter materials.这些比较告诉我们，土星由较轻的物质构成。

4 vents   

（气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩

参考例句：

• He always vents his anger on the dog. 他总是拿狗出气。
• The Dandelion Patch is the least developed of the four active vents. “蒲公英区”在这四个活裂口中是发育最差的一个。

5 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

6 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

7 abode   

n.住处，住所

参考例句：

• It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫，才好不容易打听到他的住处。
• Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍！