英语听力：自然百科 行星旅行指南：木星 Jupiter—14

 I would like to visit Jupiter one day，I think it would be a good place to take a vacation, but not on July of 1994. That would have been a terrible time.

 

In July, 1994, the fragmented comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 that David helped / discover began its fateful final approach to Jupiter.

 

Instead of being one comet/, it was 20 comets or more, all running down through space, almost like linebackers down a football field. 后卫球员

 

Each comet collided with Jupiter at the speed of above 140,000 miles an hour.

 

Telescopes around the world saw radiant plumes¹ thrown high into space, leaving dark bruises² the size of the Earth. Then, in 2009, it happened again.

 

Australian amateur astronomer³ Anthony Wesley spotted⁴ the gigantic impact. 

 

And this black spot, that is about the size of the Pacific Ocean.

 

Once again Jupiter’s dual-gravitational role as solar system traffic cop and cosmic Hoover was on display.

 

Jupiter is the solar system’s vacuum cleaner. Without Jupiter, the Earth will be walloped by a comet, maybe once every 50 years or so. Life would not be possible on the Earth if it were not for Jupiter. We need Jupiter.

 

For thousands of years, Jupiter has been standing⁵ guardian⁶ to life on Earth. And now we think it possibly might have nurtured⁷ some of its own.

 

It used to be thought that the chance of meeting alien life on the planets beyond Mars dropped close to absolute zero, much like the temperature. But that was before we knew where to look.

 

1 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。

2 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

4 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

7 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。