万物简史 第281期:砰!(16)

 　　He insisted that the iridium had been deposited by volcanic¹ action, 他坚持认为，铱是由火山活动沉积的，

　　even while conceding in a newspaper interview that he had no actual evidence of it. 即使他在一次记者采访中承认，他拿不出真凭实据。

　　As late as 1988 more than half of all American paleontologists contacted in a survey 直到1988年，在接受一次调查的美国古生物学家当中，

　　continued to believe that the extinction² of the dinosaurs³ was in no way related to an asteroid⁴ or cometary impact. 半数以上依然认为恐龙的灭绝跟小行星或彗星撞击毫无关系。

　　The one thing that would most obviously support the Alvarezes' theory was the one thing they didn't have—an impact site. 有一样最明显地可以支持阿尔瓦雷斯父子理论的东西，正是反对者们缺少的一样东西──一个撞击现场。

　　Enter Eugene Shoemaker. 尤金·苏梅克出场了。

　　Shoemaker had an Iowa connection—his daughter-in-law taught at the University of Iowa, 苏梅克在艾奥瓦有个关系──他的儿媳在艾奥瓦大学任教，

　　and he was familiar with the Manson crater⁵ from his own studies. 他通过自己的研究很熟悉曼森大坑。

　　Thanks to him, all eyes now turned to Iowa. 多亏了他，大家的目光现在转向艾奥瓦。

　　Geology is a profession that varies from place to place. 地质学这个职业各地不一样。

　　In Iowa, a state that is flat and stratigraphically uneventful, it tends to be comparatively serene⁶. 艾奥瓦是个地势平坦、地层毫无特色的州。因此，相对而言，艾奥瓦的地质工作往往风平浪静。

　　There are no Alpine⁷ peaks or grinding glaciers⁸, no great deposits of oil or precious metals, not a hint of a pyroclastic flow. 这里没有高耸的山峰或滑动的冰河，没有石油或贵重金属的大量储备，没有岩浆奔流的迹象。

　　If you are a geologist⁹ employed by the state of Iowa, 如果你是艾奥瓦州聘用的一名地质学家，

　　a big part of the work you do is to evaluate Manure¹⁰ Management Plans, which all the state's "animal confinement¹¹ operators", 你的大部分工作是评估全州的“幽禁动物工作者”，

　　hog¹² farmers to the rest of us—are required to file periodically. 即猪场主──被要求定期提供的“肥料管理计划”。

　　There are fifteen million hogs¹³ in Iowa, so a lot of manure to manage.  艾奥瓦州养了1500万头猪，因此有大量的肥料需要管理。

1 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。

2 extinction   

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。

3 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》

4 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

5 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

6 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

7 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

8 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

9 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。

10 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

11 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

12 hog   

n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占

参考例句：

• He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
• Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。

13 hogs   

n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人

参考例句：

• 'sounds like -- like hogs grunting. “像——像是猪发出的声音。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• I hate the way he hogs down his food. 我讨厌他那副狼吞虎咽的吃相。 来自辞典例句