英语PK台 第661期:150年一遇的超级蓝血月就在今晚

 Dialogue 1

Jingjing and Mark are having lunch together.

京晶和马克在一起吃午餐

Jingjing: Mark, how are things in your corner?

京晶：马克，最近怎么样啊？

Mark: Well, most of my work is finished, and I'm just about ready for the holiday to begin. What about you?

马克：我的大部分工作已经完成了，已经准备好过等待假期来临了。你呢？

Jingjing: I wish I could say the same, but I'm still pretty busy for these next two or three weeks.

京晶：我也希望如此呢，但是我接下来两三周还是会挺忙的。

Mark: Well, if you have the chance to get outside this evening, you'll see something really special.

马克：那，如果你今晚能有机会到户外去的话，你会看见非常特别的东西。

Jingjing: Oh yeah? What's that?

京晶：是吗？是什么呢？

Mark: There's a super blue blood moon tonight.

马克：今晚有超级大月亮蓝色血月。

Jingjing: That's a mouthful¹! I know a blue moon is when we get a second full moon in one month.

京晶：真长真绕口啊！我知道蓝月是一个月中出现的第二次满月。

Mark: Yeah, those are pretty rare². That's why we say 'once in a blue moon' to talk about something that very seldom happens.

马克：是的，非常罕见了。这就是为什么我们有个说法叫做“'once in a blue moon'”就是形容罕有发生之事。

Jingjing: I know. A blue moon happens once every 2.72 years. Isn't a super moon when the moon is closer to Earth and looks a lot larger?

京晶：可不是吗。每2.72年就会出现一次蓝月，当月亮离地球更近，看上去更大了不就是一个超级大月亮吗？

Mark: That's exactly right. Last year, we had a big one, and previously³ in 1948. The next one won't be until 2034.

马克：非常正确。去年，我们就经历了一次大月亮，上一次是1948年，下一次就是2034年了。

Jingjing: But tonight the moon will be close enough to be called a super moon, right?

京晶：但是今晚，这月亮会足够近得被称为超级月亮吧？

Mark: That's what I read on the NASA website. What about a blood moon? Do you know that one?

马克：我在NASA的网站上看到是这么说的。什么是血月呢？这个你知道吗？

Jingjing: It's when the moon looks red in the sky. Could you remind me what causes it?

京晶：当月亮在空中看着是像是红色的时候。你能告诉我一下我是什么造成的吗？

Mark: Earth's shadow changes the light on the moon, making it look red.

马克：地球的影子改变了月亮上的光线，让它看上去像红色。

Jingjing: Oh, like an eclipse⁴, right?

京晶：噢，就像月食吗？

Mark: Yeah, only it might not be seen to go totally dark.

马克：是的，只是不完全变黑。

New words: 习语短语

I wish I could say the same. （羡慕地说）好希望我也可以如此这般……

My situation is different from yours, not as good. I'm envious⁵.

a blue moon 蓝月

when the moon is full a second time in one month

once in a blue moon 罕有地发生

something happens very seldom

super moon 超级月亮

when the moon's orbit⁶ brings it closer to Earth, so that it looks big in the sky

a blood moon 血月

when Earth's shadow makes the moon appear red in the sky

an eclipse 日，月食

when the light from the sun or the moon is momentarily blocked from reaching the Earth (solar eclipse, lunar eclipse)

Dialogue 2

Jingjing: Hey, I've been too busy to look up anything about the super blue blood moon. When can we see it?

京晶：嗨，我一直太忙了没时间去找超级蓝血月的资料。我们什么时候能看呢？

Mark: Well, we're really lucky. The best time is at 6:30 this evening. The sun sets at 5:30; so, it should already be dark.

马克：我们非常幸运。最佳时间是今晚六点半. 日落是五点半，所以，那会儿应该足够黑了。

Jingjing: That's fortunate.

京晶：也是幸运哦。

Mark: Not only that. The best visibility is right where we are. People farther⁷ east or west aren't going to get such a direct⁸ view.

马克：不仅如此，我们在之处有最好的能见度. 住在更东部或者更西部地方的人们都无法拥有如此之好的视野。

Jingjing: Hmm. I'll try to get out of doors after six this evening. Hopefully I can find a spot that doesn't have so much of our city lights getting in the way.

京晶：嗯，我争取今晚六点以后能到外面去。希望我能找到一个不要有太多城市灯光干扰的地方。

Mark: Yeah, that could be a challenge⁹ around rush hour. Anyway, I hope you can see it. Can you guess how often we get a super blue blood moon?

马克：在下班高峰时段这可是个挑战。对了，希望你能顺利看到。你能猜到我们多久才能看到一次超级蓝血月呢？

Jingjing: You're the one who read about it. Just tell me.

京晶：你可是查过资料的人，告诉我吧。

Mark: It happens once every 150 years.

马克：每隔150年才会发生一次。

Jingjing: Ah, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

京晶：所以，这就是一生一次的机会了。

Mark: Yeah, the article I read called it a lunar trifecta.

马克：是的。我读的这篇文章把它叫做月亮三连胜。

Jingjing: Well, I'll have to pop outside, even if I'm still working. Where are you planning to go see it?

京晶：那，我必须去出去看了，即使上班也得去. 你打算去哪儿看呢？

Mark: I might shoot out to the suburbs¹⁰. Just like we were talking two weeks ago, Beijing's subways can take me there in a jiffy.

马克：我可能会去郊区吧。就像两周前我们说过的那样，北京地铁分分钟把我送到那儿。

Jingjing: OK. Take some pictures, will you?

京晶：好，照点照片，好吗？

Mark: Sure thing. I brought my camera.

马克：那肯定的。我都带上相机了。

New words: 习语短语

visibility 能见度

how well something can be seen, the conditions for seeing something

get out of doors 出去，到户外

go outside, when someone usually spends time indoors

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 一生一次的机会

a chance to do something that is very uncommon

trifecta 极其罕见的三件事同时发生

three things happening at once, extremely rare

pop outside 在户外短暂停留

go outside for a short time

shoot out to 迅速去一个距离遥远的地方并作短暂停留

go to a somewhat distant place quickly and for a short time

1 mouthful   

n.满口，一口，少量

参考例句：

• He wants to eat it up at a mouthful.他要一口把它吃掉。
• He scooped up some water with his hands and took a big mouthful.他捧起水来喝了一大口。

2 rare   

adj.稀罕的，罕有的，珍贵的，稀薄的，半熟的，非常的；adv.非常

参考例句：

• It is rare to see a man over 160 years old.很少见到一个人能活到160岁。
• The zoo has a lot of rare animals in it.这个动物园有许多珍奇的动物。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 eclipse   

v.使黯然失色，使相形见绌，日食，月食

参考例句：

• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
• There will be an eclipse of the moon next month.下个月有月食。

5 envious   

adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的

参考例句：

• I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
• She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。

6 orbit   

n.轨道；vt.使沿轨道运行；使进入轨道运行；vi.沿轨道运行，环行

参考例句：

• The space rocket was launched and went into orbit.宇宙火箭发射后进入轨道。
• We can draw the earth's orbit round the sun.我们可以画出地球绕太阳运行的轨迹。

7 farther   

adj.更远的，进一步的；adv.更远的，此外；far的比较级

参考例句：

• I can throw the ball farther than you can.这个球我能比你扔得远。
• The farther hill is five kilometres away.那座更远的小山在五公里以外。

8 direct   

adj.直接的；直达的；v.指挥；知道；监督；管理

参考例句：

• This train is direct,you do not have to change.这辆火车是直达的，你不必换车。
• The army is under the king's direct command.军队由国王直接统帅。

9 challenge   

n.挑战；v.向...挑战

参考例句：

• The job doesn't really challenge him.这项工作不能真正地考验他。
• She looked at me with challenge.她带着挑战的目光看着我。

10 suburbs   

n.郊区，城郊( suburb的名词复数 )；四乡；隧；四郊

参考例句：

• The poor suburbs traditionally formed the bedrock of the party's support. 贫穷的郊区在传统上构成了支持该党的牢固基础。
• The new college will be located in the suburbs. 这所新建的学院将设在郊区。 来自《简明英汉词典》