万物简史 第280期:砰!(15)

 　　Walter was a geologist¹ specializing in paleomagnetism, Luis was a physicist² and I was a nuclear chemist. 沃尔特是地质学家，他的专长是古磁学；路易斯是物理学家；我是核化学家。

　　And now here we were telling paleontologists that we had solved a problem that had eluded³ them for over a century. 现在我们却在这里对古生物学家说，我们已经解决那个困扰了他们一个多世纪的难题。

　　It's not terribly surprising that they didn't embrace it immediately." 他们没有马上接受我们的看法，这是不足为奇的。”

　　As Luis Alvarez joked: "We were caught practicing geology without a license⁴." 路易斯·阿尔瓦雷斯开玩笑说：“我们没有执照就在搞地质学，结果当场被人捉住了。”

　　But there was also something much deeper and more fundamentally abhorrent⁵ in the impact theory. 但是，人们憎恨撞击理论有着更深层次的原因。

　　The belief that terrestrial processes were gradual had been elemental in natural history since the time of Lyell. 自莱尔时代以来，大家一直认为，地球上的过程是渐进的，这是自然史的一个基本要素。

　　By the 1980s, catastrophism had been out of fashion for so long that it had become literally⁶ unthinkable. 到20世纪80年代，灾变说早已过时，实际上成了一种不可思议的理论。

　　For most geologists⁷ the idea of a devastating⁸ impact was, as Eugene Shoemaker noted⁹, "against their scientific religion." 对大多数地质学家来说，关于破坏性极大的撞击的见解，正如尤金·苏梅克指出的，“违反了他们的科学教义”。

　　Nor did it help that Luis Alvarez was openly contemptuous of paleontologists and their contributions to scientific knowledge. 路易斯·阿尔瓦雷斯公开蔑视古生物学家和他们对科学知识的贡献，这也无济于事。

　　"They're really not very good scientists. “他们根本就不是个好科学家，

　　Opponents of the Alvarez theory produced any number of alternative explanations for the iridium deposits, 阿尔瓦雷斯理论的反对者对铱的沉积提出了许多不同的解释，

　　for instance, that they were generated by prolonged volcanic¹⁰ eruptions¹¹ in India called the Deccan Traps 比如，他们认为这是由印度源源不断的火山喷出物产生的，即所谓的“德干暗色岩”(是瑞典文，指一种熔岩)，

　　and above all insisted that there was no proof that the dinosaurs¹² disappeared abruptly¹³ from the fossil record at the iridium boundary. 他们尤其坚持认为，根据铱界的化石记录，没有证据表明恐龙是突然消失的。

　　One of the most vigorous opponents was Charles Officer of Dartmouth College. 达特茅斯学院的查尔斯·奥菲瑟是态度最坚决的反对者之一。

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 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

3 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

5 abhorrent   

adj.可恶的，可恨的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• He is so abhorrent,saying such bullshit to confuse people.他这样乱说，妖言惑众，真是太可恶了。
• The idea of killing animals for food is abhorrent to many people.许多人想到杀生取食就感到憎恶。

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

8 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

9 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。

10 volcanic   

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。

11 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

12 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。