纪录片《地球劫难日》 第29期 碳-12激增的原因

To explain the amount of carbon 12 that we see in the geologic¹ record

对于地质记录中发现大量碳-12的解释是，

we need to warm up the bottom water by somewhere in the order of about 5℃

海底某处的水温可能升高了大约5℃。

He published his results in 1999. He couldn't have anticipated their effect.

他于1999年发表了这一研究结果，其反响出乎他的意料。

5,000 miles away in England, however, Paul Wignall read Dickens's findings with growing interest.

在5000英里之外的英国，Paul Wignall以极大的兴趣拜读了Dickens的发现。

Suddenly realized that in fact a lot of his ideas as to how to explain carbon 12 increases

我突然意识到他的很多观点正好能解释碳-12激增的原因，

may actually apply to the story we're getting from Greenland.

补全了我们从格陵兰带回来的那个故事。

It's a kind of a missing link in the story for the Permian extinction².

它正是二叠纪生物大灭绝故事中漏掉的一环。

Wignall now began to speculate.

此时Wignall开始思考。

What would be the effect on the world's climate of so much methane³?

这么多甲烷会对全球气候造成何种影响呢？

It's one of the most potent⁴ greenhouse gases known to man.

它是人类已知最强的温室气体。

Wignall constructed a rough climate model, using the carbon 12 as a guide to the quantities of methane.

Wignall建了一个简单的气候模型，用碳-12作为甲烷数量的标记。

It's not that straightforward⁵ to work out just how significant the impact of this methane release would be,

它并不能直接研究出这些甲烷释放后的影响有多大，

but it's possible to work out the volumes emitted using the evidence from the carbon 12 increase,

但是能通过碳-12的增量计算出甲烷释放的热量，

and these certainly suggest that there may have been sufficient methane going into the atmosphere to perhaps increase global temperatures by 4/5℃.

结果表明只要有足够的甲烷进入大气就能使全球气温上升4-5℃。

1 geologic   

adj.地质的

参考例句：

• The Red Sea is a geologic continuation of the valley.红海就是一个峡谷在地质上的继续发展。
• Delineation of channels is the first step of geologic evaluation.勾划河道的轮廓是地质解译的第一步。

2 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

3 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

4 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

5 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。