60秒科学:火星漫游者勇气号出现故障,但仍有希望

The Mars Rover Spirit has long surpassed its planned three-month mission, and appears to be virtually powerless. Researchers still hope that once the Martian days lengthen¹, the rover's batteries may charge up to the point where communication again becomes possible

As many of us broil² in August heat, the Mars Rover Spirit is hunkered down to survive a far more brutal³ season—a Martian winter. Spirit’s been on Mars since January 2004 and already survived previous winters, which run from May through November. With sunlight reaching Spirit at a weak angle, the rover hibernates⁴ and uses the scant⁵ solar power to recharge batteries and heat itself to –40 degrees

At least, that’s what’s happened in previous winters. This winter, the game little unit just doesn’t have enough juice to keep its heaters on, so temperatures inside the rover will plunge⁶ to a frigid⁷ –67 degrees Fahrenheit⁸.

When NASA scientists began signaling Spirit on July 26, they hoped to receive a communications beep back—but so far there’s only silence.

The researchers say that in about two months sunlight will start to increase again through March 2011. If we haven’t heard from Spirit by that point, then the likelihood is that we never will. The rover was designed to work on Mars for three months, but was mobile for more than five years. Now mission scientists wait through the Martian winter to see if this ET will phone home
 

1 lengthen   

vt.使伸长，延长

参考例句：

• He asked the tailor to lengthen his coat.他请裁缝把他的外衣放长些。
• The teacher told her to lengthen her paper out.老师让她把论文加长。

2 broil   

v.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂；n.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂

参考例句：

• Bake,broil,grill or roast foods rather than fry them.烧烤或烘烤而不要油炸食物。
• He is in a broil of indignation.此刻他正怒气冲冲。

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 hibernates   

（某些动物）冬眠，蛰伏( hibernate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The turtle hibernates in a shallow burrow for six months of the year. 海龟一年在一个浅洞中冬眠六个月。
• PC hibernates and wakes up from hibernation properly. PC休眠和唤醒都正常了。

5 scant   

adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略

参考例句：

• Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
• Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

6 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

7 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

8 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。