CNN 美国有线新闻 2014-10-12

 More is known about the surface of the moon and the Mars than the bottom of the Earth's ocean. That's adding to the challenge of finding a missing passenger plane. 

 

First up, this Wednesday on CNN Student News, the search for Malaysia airlines Flight 370. It's entering a new phase. The jet and its 239 passengers and crew member disappeared in early March. Officials believed it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. The primary search area is about the size of west Virginia. No trace of the jet has been found. Part of the reason, we know so little about the ocean flow. Just 5% of it has been mapped and one experts said we've only seen 1%. Why? For one thing, pressure. Engineers have trouble constructing machines that can stand the weight of the water above them; but new data can help explore the ocean floor.    

 

All through the thundering waves of Winter, the ship has pressed on across the Indian Ocean pausing out sonar signals and this is what they have to show for it.  The most detailed¹ map ever of the sea bed in this area. 16,000 square miles covered crumbling² underwater volcanoes, winding³ valleys, plunging⁴ canyon⁵ and just maybe the solution to a mystery.  The new map is not find enough to show wreckage⁶ but it's a well of information to guide underwater search vessels⁷. 

 

"Tom, they makes a great deal of difference because they'll be able to hold a tighter path right above the ocean floor knowing what's coming ahead of times, so they can go a little bit faster and get a lot more done in the last time."

 

Before the search broke off earlier this year, much hope was painted on the Bluefin underwater search robot. It came up empty but now with a new map, a much border search with toll⁸ sonar erase⁹ is beginning. Australian authorities remain convinced this arch is the right place to look, saying recently refinement¹⁰ to analysis of satellite data about the plane's flight path has given greater certainly about when the aircraft turned south into the Indian Ocean. And that gives a better sense of where it ran out fuel. Most likely south of this submerged mountains called the broken ridge¹¹ but ...

 

"We have been very cautious about over predicting or over confidence in those preditions that you make or you'll end up exactly where you thought you would but it may not be the right place. "

 

Don't look for people scanning the surface for debris¹². Those days are over.  Now, it's all about looking in some places nearly 4 miles beneath the wave and once again, hoping for a break. The search is scheduled to last for about a year and if they find the plane during that time; of course, it would be a huge step but a big mystery still remains¹³ whatever cause this plane to go down. Tom Formans, CNN, Washington.

1 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

2 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

3 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

4 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

6 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

7 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

9 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

10 refinement   

n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼

参考例句：

• Sally is a woman of great refinement and beauty. 莎莉是个温文尔雅又很漂亮的女士。
• Good manners and correct speech are marks of refinement.彬彬有礼和谈吐得体是文雅的标志。

11 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

12 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。