Lesson 55
astronomy
天文学
Recent developments in astronomy
天文学的最新发展使我们
may have made it possible to detects in our own Milky Way and in other galaxies.
能够在银河系和其他星系发现行星。
The objective of astronomy is the exploration of all phenomena outside the earth.
天文学探索地球以外的一切天体现象。
I took a course in astronomy at college.
我在大学里选了一门天文学的课程。
relative
相对的
This is a major achievement because,in relative terms,
这是一个重要的成就，因为相对来说，
planets are very small and do not emit light.
行星体积小，而且不会发光。
What they have achieved is but relative success.
他们获得的不过是相对意义上的成功。
This atmosphere of relative tranquility irated rather eased us.
这种相对的宁静让我们感到紧张而不是放松。
infinitely
无限地，无穷地
Finding planets is proving hard enough,
发同行星已经相当艰难了，
but finding life on them will prove infinitely more difficult.
要在行星上发现生命简直是难上加难。
I have finally managed to find someone who is lazier,infinitely lazier than myself.
我终于找到了一个比我还懒——不知懒多少倍的人。
solar
太阳的
In our own solar system,for example,
举例来说，在我们的太阳系里，
Venus is far too hot and Mars is far too cold to support life.
金星的温度太高，火星的温度又太低，生命无法生存。
Solar radiation is the least in the northern hemisphere in January.
北半球一月份太阳辐射最小。
Venus
金星
Mars
火星
orbit
运行轨道
Alternatively,if the star were small,
反之，如果恒星很小，
the life-supporting planet would have to have a close orbit round it
维持生命的行星就要在离恒星很远的轨道上运行，
and also provide the perfect conditions for life forms to develop.
而且还要以生命形态提供极好的条件。
The earth moves in an approximately cirular orbit around the sun.
地球在一个近似正圆的轨道上绕着太阳运行。
The planets occupy regular orbits in the space.
行星运行的轨道空间位置是有一定规则的。
astronomical
天文学的，天文的
The development of such a telescope
开发这样的望远镜将是21世纪
will be one of the great astronomical projects of the twenty-first century.
天文学一个重要的研究课题。
Two standard astronmical techniques have been used in the search.
探索工作中使用了两种标准的天文学技术。
The annual drug bill of the Health Services is mounting to astronomical figures.
卫生部门的年度药费用快要达到了天文数字了。
generate
产生
Our own warm atmosphere and the heat generated by the telescope
地球周围温暖的大气层和望远镜散发出来的热量
would make it impossible to detect objects as small as planets.
使得我们根本不可能找到比行星更小的物体。
The people attending the congress
参加会议的人还能为旅馆的餐厅
also generate more business in the hotel's restaurants,bars,and shops.
酒吧带来更多的生意。
The pubications of the book generated voluminous research in social psychology.
这本书的出版导致社会心理学方面的研究的大力开展。
particle
微粒，粒子
Even a telescope in orbit round the earth,
即使是把望远镜放置在围绕地球的轨道上——
like the very successful Hubble telescope,
如非常成功的哈勃望远镜——也不行。
would not be suitable because of the dust particles in our solar system.
因为太阳系中有尘埃微粒。
This photo records the amazing beauty of dust particles floating in the sunlight.
这张照片记录了在阳光中漂浮的尘埃微粒的惊人的美。
Virus particles differ in shape.
病毒微粒形状不同。
Jupiter
A telescope would have to be as far away as the planet Jupiter
望远镜要放置在像木星那样遥远的行星上才有可能在外太空搜索生命，
to look for life in outer space,because the dust becomes thinner
因为我们越是接近太阳系的边缘，
the further we travel towards the outer edges of our own solar system.
尘埃越稀薄。
blot
遮（暗）
Once we detected a planet,
一旦找到这样的一颗行星，
we would have to find a way of blotting out the light from its star,
我们就要设法将它的恒星射出的光线遮暗，
so that we would be able to'see' the planet properly and analyse its atmosphere.
这样才能彻底‘看见’这颗行星并对它的大气层进行分析。
The dawn of peace is being blotted out.
和平的曙光被遮住了。
The cloud blotted out the sun but not for long.
云彩遮住了太阳，不过时间不长。
analyse
分析
Everything has been analysed and investigated.
每件事情都作了分析和调查。
Who shall analyse those tears,and say whether they are sweet or bitter?
谁能断定这些眼泪到底是苦还是甜呢？
bacteria
细菌
The life forms most likely to develop on a planet would be bacteria.
在行星上最可能存在的生命形式是细菌。
Some bacteria are known to be beneficial to humans,while many others are harmful.
有些细菌对人类是有益的，但更多的是有害的。
On average,bacterias are about 1 micrometre long.
细菌的平均长度大约1微米。
oxygen
氧气
It is bacteria that have generated the oxygen we breathe on earth.
我们在地球上呼吸的氧气是细菌产生的。
Atom number eight is called oxygen.
原子序数为8的物质叫作氧。
Oxygen is a colorless,taseteless,odourless,gaseous chemical element.
氧气是一种无色，无味、无臭的气体状的化学元素。
realm
领域
But this hope is always in the realm of science fiction.
但是，这种希望总是局限在科幻小说的范畴里。
The hypothesis no longer belongs to the realm of myths.
这种设想已经不再是神话了。
Such a thing is not within the realm of possibility.
这种事属于不可能的范围。
endeavour
努力
No human endeavour or thought would be unchanged by it.
任何人类的努力和想法都会因此改变。
They could not do it,despite their best endeavours.
他们尽了最大的努力，但还是做不成功。
Sue has made every endeavour to help us.I hardly know how we can thank her enough.
苏总是尽力竭力地帮助我们，我真不知道该怎么谢她才好。
Lesson 56
Lesson 56
boundary
界线，边界
The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm
我们农场东边的界河
has always played an important part in our lives.
一直是我们生活中很重要的一部分。
The boundary line between two provinces is shown by a silver line on the map.
这两个省的省界在地图上由银线标出。
pump
用泵抽
There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house,
泉水只够生活用水，
so we have to pump from the river for farm use.
因此农场里用的水都是从河里抽。
Air can be pumped from one side of a room to the other side.
空气可以从房间的一边抽到另一边。
It's no use pumping a dry well.
涸进汲水，无济于事
overtake
突然降临
We know instinctively,just as beekeepers with their bees,
我们和河的关系正像养蜂人和蜜蜂的关系一样，
that misfortune might overtake us
我们本能地知道，
if the important events of lives were not related to it.
要是有什么大事瞒着它，就会有祸事临头。
The couple was overtaken by misfortune.
不幸突然降临到那对夫妇身上。
The ship was overtaken by a storm.
那条船被暴雨突袭。
backwater
回水洒汊（喻）死气沉沉的状态或地方
Sometimes we go upstreams to a favourite backwater,
有时候我们溯流而上去大家最喜欢的回河汊办晚会，
sometimes we have our party at the boathouse,
有时候去船坞。船坞是农场
which a predecessor of ours at the farm
的一位前辈在一块草地上盖的。
built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving.
紧挨着一个专供游泳、潜水的水池。
Some were playing water-polo in the backwater.
有些人在回水河汊玩水球。
They look down upon those who live in intellectual backwater.
他们瞧不起智力处于停滞状态的人。
predecessor
前任，前辈
The farmers of the future
未来的农民
will be infinitely more sophisticated than their predecessors.
会比他们的前辈更富于经验。
Ronard's appointment followed the abrupt departure of his predecessor.
罗纳德是在他的前任突然离职后被任用的。
meadow
草地，草场
My childhood appears to me like a sunny meadow,as it does to many people.
我的童年和许多人一样，是一片阳光灿烂的绿地。
Ten men went to mow a meadow.
十个人去割一片草地。
crown
加冕，加冠
We welcome the seasons by the riverside,
我们在河边迎接四季降临。
crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring,
春天在河边为最年轻的姑娘戴上花冠，
holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve,
夏天在河喧欢庆‘仲夏夜’
giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn,
秋天在河边为丰收举得感恩仪式，
and throwing a holly wreath into the current in the water.
冬天在河里抛一个冬青花环。
Napoleon I crowned himself.
拿破仑一世自己给自己加冕。
Their efforts were crowned with honors.
他们的努力获得了荣誉。
holly
一种冬青植物
The holly is an evergreen shrub with dark-green sharp-pointed leaves
冬青是一种常绿灌木，叶深绿狭长，
and,in winter,red berries.
冬天结红色浆果。
The leaves of an American holly can be used to make a popular caffeine-rich tea.
有一种美国冬青的叶子可以制成一种大家喜爱的富含有咖啡因的茶叶。
wreath
花环
Both her veil and wreath are white.
她的面纱和花环都是白色的。
Many western families hang wreaths of pine branches on their doors at Christmas.
许多西方家庭在圣诞节期间在门上挂松枝花环。
occurrence
事件
This is rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.
在我们这里，这种事情很少见，因为气候很少发生异常。
Such incident is an everyday occurrence.
这种事是家常便饭。
This is an unfortunate occurrence,but it can't be helped.
出了这事很不幸，可是也没办法。
proportion
比率，比例
We are lucky in that only the lower fields,which make up a very small proportion of our farm,
幸运的是，只有低洼地会受到影响，
are affected by flooding,but other farms are less favourably sited,
而低洼地在我们农场的比例很小，别的农场地势欠佳
and flooding can sometimes speall disaster for their owners.
有时候洪水来了，会给那些农场主带来灾难。
The proportion of the white people in LA has been going down in the past few years.
洛杉矶白人的比率在过去的几年里一直在下降。
site
使位于
The company is trying to decide where to site its new store.
公司在设法确定新店的选址。
The house is beautifully sited to give a splendid view over the valley.
房子的位置很好，山谷的景色一览无余。
spell
招致，带来
This development could spell disaster for the textile industry.
这一发展可能会给纺织业带来灾难。
On the frontiers they met fierce resistance and defeat that spelled eventual disaster.
在边界地区他受到了猛烈的抵抗，失败了，这一失败引起了灾难性后果。
stall
牲口棚
All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little.
所有的牲口已提前转移到畜圈里，没有造成什么损失。
Domestic animals run out of their stalls.
家畜从圈里奔出。
In the quiet,Kane could hear a horse stirring in his stall.
寂静中凯恩听见一匹马在马圈里躁动。
attic
阁楼，顶楼
From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river
从顶楼窗口看去，我们农场与他们农场交界处的那段河流一览无余
where their land joined ours,
在最紧要关头，
and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point.
我们轮流监视险情。
Pigeons peeped in from the window of the attic.
鸽子从顶楼窗户里往外瞧。
Joe often tells me how he cherishes the afternoons and evenings
乔常常跟我讲他特别怀恋从前在顶楼上度过的那些个下午和黄昏，
he has spent in the attic,where he keeps his treasured books and toys.
那时候他把自己最心爱的书和玩具都放在那儿。
sweeping
范围广大的，包含一切的
The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.
公民投票支持全面改革。
critical
危急的
The case was very critical.
病情十分危险，
The fever,if not brought down,might and would kill the young fellow.
要是不及时退烧，年轻人就没命了。
The premier faced a critical situation in September of that year.
在那年9月总理面临着严重的局势。
juncture
时刻，关头
It was precisely at this juncture that the boss found himself in A dilemma.
恰恰在这个时候老板发现了自己处在进退两难的境地。
Quincy returned at this very juncture.
正在这个节骨眼上，昆西回来了。
raft
木筏
Suddenly a raft appeared,looking rather like Noah's ark,
突然，出现了一只筏子，看起来很像诺亚方舟，
carry the whole family,a few hens,the dogs,a cat,and a bird in a cage.
上面载着他们一家老小，还有几只母鸡、几条狗、一只猫和一只鸟，关在笼里。
Huck lay on the raft in the sun until he was dry.
哈克在阳光下躺在木筏上，一直躺到全身都干了。
After further adventures alone on a raft he eventually reached the island.
他独自乘着木筏，经历了很多艰险，终于到了岛上。
unduly
过度地
We realized that they must have become unduly fightened by the rising flood,
我们知道他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了，
for their house,which and sound fundations,
其实他们的房子地基牢固，
would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged.
即使被洪水浸没了也不会蹋。
A disunited nation has to incur unduly high costs of government.
一个分裂的国家必须担负过度高昂的政府费用。
foundations
地基
Leakage in a clam foundations
坝基漏水的现象
may sometimes be overcome by digging deep into it as to build a cutoff wall.
有时可以用深挖地基建造堵截水墙的办法来解决。
stoutly
牢固地，坚定地
Stoutly the box stood.
箱子稳稳地立在那儿
'No' said Derby,stoutly.
“不”德比斩钉截铁地说。
submerge
浸没
A ship is only half submerged.
船身只有一半浸在水里。
At the first sign of danger the submarine would submerge.
一有危险迹象，潜艇就会潜入水中。
grapple
抓住
The men of our family waded down,through our flooded meadows with boathooks,
我家的男人们手拿船篙趟过被水淹没的草场
in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft
希望能够钩住筏子一角，
and pull it out of the current towards our bank.
将它拉出激流，拖回岸边。
The fisherman tried to grapple the urn which was floating down the river,but failed.
渔夫想抓住顺流漂下的罐子，可是没抓住。
He is too tired to try to grapple the fact.
他太累了，根本不想去考虑事实到底是怎么样了。 |