万物简史 第327期:美丽而危险(10)

 　　Probably you would have swarms¹ of earthquakes and some surface uplift and 很可能是一系列地震，有的地面会隆起，

　　possibly some changes in the patterns of behavior of the geysers and steam vents², but nobody really knows." 间歇泉和喷气孔的活动方式可能有变化，但确实谁也说不清楚。”

　　So it could just blow without warning? “那么，它可能会在没有任何警报的情况下爆发？”

　　He nodded thoughtfully. 他若有所思地点了点头。

　　The trouble, he explained, is that nearly all the things that would constitute warning signs already exist in some measure at Yellowstone. 他解释说，问题在于，在某种程度上，能成为警报信号的差不多一切现象在黄石公园里都已存在。

　　"Earthquakes are generally a precursor³ of volcanic⁴ eruptions⁵, but the park already has lots of earthquakes— 1,260 of them last year. “一般来说，地震是火山爆发的先兆，但公园里已经发生了很多次地震——去年发生了1260次。

　　Most of them are too small to be felt, but they are earthquakes nonetheless." 其中大多数很弱，因此感觉不到，但毕竟还是地震。”

　　A change in the pattern of geyser eruptions might also be taken as a clue, he said, but these too vary unpredictably. 他说，间歇泉活动方式的变化，也可以被看成是个迹象，但间歇泉变化多端，同样无法预言。

　　Once the most famous geyser in the park was Excelsior Geyser. 木丝泉一度是公园里最著名的间歇泉。

　　It used to erupt regularly and spectacularly to heights of three hundred feet, but in 1888 it just stopped. 它过去一直喷射得很有规律，非常壮观，达到100米的高度，但在1888年突然停喷了。

　　Then in 1985 it erupted again, though only to a height of eighty feet. 然后，它在1985年又恢复喷射，但高度只有25米。

　　Steamboat Geyser is the biggest geyser in the world when it blows, shooting water four hundred feet into the air, 汽船泉是世界上最大的间歇泉，喷射的时候可达120米高，

　　but the intervals⁶ between its eruptions have ranged from as little as four days to almost fifty years. 但喷射的间隔时间可以少到4天，多达50年。

　　"If it blew today and again next week, “要是它今天喷射了下个星期又喷射，

　　that wouldn't tell us anything at all about what it might do the following week or the week after or twenty years from now," Doss says. 丝毫不说明它下下个星期或下下下个星期或20年之后会怎么样，”多斯说，

　　"The whole park is so volatile⁷ that it's essentially⁸ impossible to draw conclusions from almost anything that happens." “整个公园都变化无常，你实际上不可能根据任何动静来下个结论。”

1 swarms   

蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They came to town in swarms. 他们蜂拥来到城里。
• On June the first there were swarms of children playing in the park. 6月1日那一天，这个公园里有一群群的孩子玩耍。

2 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。

3 precursor   

n.先驱者；前辈；前任；预兆；先兆

参考例句：

• Error is often the precursor of what is correct.错误常常是正确的先导。
• He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.他说该笔交易不应该被看作是合并的前兆。

4 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。

5 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

6 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。