太阳科普 第8期

 Now the speed of light is a very,very big number.  光速是个很大的数字

So if we just take a small amount of mass,  所以只要一点点质量

you get a huge amount of energy.  就含有大量能量

And that's the energy which actually powers our sun.  驱动太阳的就是这个能量

Every second 5 million tonnes of the sun is converted to pure energy.  太阳每秒钟有五百万噸，被转换为纯粹的能量

And although it has been burning for 5 billion years  虽然太阳已燃烧了50亿年

it is only half way through its supplies of hydrogen.  其氢气存量还剩下一半

The light produced in the core must travel  来自核心的光线得行进50多万公里

over half a million kilometres to the surface.  才能抵达太阳表面

And it does so very slowly.  而且行进速度相当缓慢

The heart of the sun is so dense¹ that  太阳核心的密度很高

the speed of light is less than 1 mm a second.  所以这里的光速每秒不到一毫米

It can take two hundred thousand years  光线从太阳核心到表面

for the light to travel from the core to the surface.  要花20万年

It takes just another 8 minutes to get to the Earth.  之后只花8分钟就能抵达地球

This is what the power of nuclear fusion² looks like  从一亿五千万公里远的地方眺望核融合的威力

from 150 million kilometres away.  就是这副景象

This is what it looks like close up.  近观则是这样

The H bomb was man's first attempt  氢弹是人类首度试图在地球

at recreating the sun on Earth.  重现太阳威力的举动

A balloon full of hydrogen squeezed  即将一团氢气压缩

until it released its energy.  至它释放能量为止

In contrast to its destructive power it's long been realised  除了毁天灭地的威力之外

that controlled nuclear fusion  受到控制的核融合

could solve the world's energy problems.  可以解决世界的能源问题

It has been one of the holy grails of science for half a century.  这曾在超过半世纪内，都是科学界的圣杯之一

This kind of power, the H-bomb,  威力惊人的氢弹

is a man-made version of this,the sun.  可说是人造太阳

In 1958 Britain announced that  1958年，英国宣称

she could produce this power in the laboratory,  可以在实验室中利用一具叫做“奇塔”的机器

in a machine called Zeta.  产生这种力量

There is a real prospect³ of unlimited⁴ energy  未来我们可能透过受到控制的热核融合反应

from controlled thermo-nuclear fusion.  得到取之不尽的能量

Unfortunately it wasn't that easy.  可惜事情没那么简单

But now,nearly fifty years later,  但在将近50年后的今天

in the same laboratories in Oxfordshire scientists  同样也是在位于牛津郡的实验室里

are finally managing to create their own star on Earth.  科学家终于成功地在地球上创造出自己的恒星

...ready when you are.  准备好就说一声

Okay, ready.  我们准备好了

...shot,one four six five eight...  开始发射 14658

shot eighty five seconds.  倒数5秒

It might not seem like much  看起来也许没什么了不起

but slowed down by 300 times the pictures reveal  但放慢三百倍观察

how the gas plasma⁵ is being squeezed and heated to create  就能看到气体电浆，如何被压缩、加热

the most extreme conditions in the solar system.  以创造太阳系内最极端的环境

 

1 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

2 fusion   

n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

5 plasma   

n.血浆，细胞质，乳清

参考例句：

• Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
• The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。