万物简史 第260期:大地在移动(14)

　　It was equally dismissive of convection and seafloor spreading. And in Basin and Range, published in 1980, John McPhee noted¹ that even then one American geologist² in eight still didn't believe in plate tectonics.

　　它同样不承认对流理论和海床扩展理论。在1980年出版的《海洋与山脉》一书中，约翰·麦克菲指出，即使到了那个时候，每8名美国地质学家中仍有1名不相信板块构造学说。

　　Today we know that Earth's surface is made up of eight to twelve big plates (depending on how you define big) and twenty or so smaller ones, and they all move in different directions and at different speeds. Some plates are large and comparatively inactive, others small but energetic. They bear only an incidental relationship to the landmasses that sit upon them.

　　今天，我们知道，地球表面是由8─12个大的板块（取决于你怎么界定大小）组成的；它们都在以不同的速度朝不同的方向移动。有的板块很大，不大活跃；有的很小，但能量很大。它们与所在陆块只有一种附带关系。

　　古地球

　　The North American plate, for instance, is much larger than the continent with which it is associated. It roughly traces the outline of the continent's western coast (which is why that area is so seismically³ active, because of the bump and crush of the plate boundary), but ignores the eastern seaboard altogether and instead extends halfway⁴ across the Atlantic to the mid-ocean ridge⁵. Iceland is split down the middle, which makes it tectonically half American and half European. New Zealand, meanwhile, is part of the immense Indian Ocean plate even though it is nowhere near the Indian Ocean. And so it goes for most plates.

　　比如，北美板块比跟它有关的大陆要大得多。它大致沿着该大陆的西海岸伸展（由于板块边界上的磕磕碰碰，因此那个地区经常发生地震），但与东海岸完全没有关系，而是越过大西洋的一半路程，抵达大西洋中部的山脊。冰岛从中间一分为二，在板块上一半属于美洲，一半属于欧洲。与此同时，新西兰是巨大的印度洋板块的组成部分，虽然这个国家远离印度洋。大多数板块都是这种情况。

　　The connections between modern landmasses and those of the past were found to be infinitely⁶ more complex than anyone had imagined. Kazakhstan, it turns out, was once attached to Norway and New England. One corner of Staten Island, but only a corner, is European. So is part of Newfoundland.

　　人们发现，现代陆块和古代陆块之间的关系，比想像的要复杂得多。哈萨克斯坦原来一度与挪威和新英格兰相连。斯塔腾岛的一角，仅仅是一角，属于欧洲。部分纽芬兰也是。

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 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。

3 seismically   

地震

参考例句：

• The crust and mantle are separated by a seismically determined boundary known as the Moho-discontinuity. 改译为：地壳与地幔的交接处系根据地波走失而确定的一个界面，通称为莫霍界面。 来自互联网
• China's code is now on par with similar codes in seismically active areas of the world. 中国现在施行的标准与世界其他地震活跃地区施行的标准基本一致。 来自互联网

4 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

5 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

6 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。