Mars Rover Digs Trench to Search for Evidence of Water
时间：2019-01-31 作者：英语课 分类：VOA2004（上）--各类新闻
Mars Rover Digs Trench 1 to Search for Evidence of Water
David McAlary
One of the U.S. Mars rovers has spun 2 a wheel to dig a shallow trench in the sand in the continuing search for evidence that water once flowed on the red planet. The second rover is in the midst a long trek 3 to a nearby crater 4 that will take several days.
The Opportunity rover hugged the slope of the crater it landed in three weeks ago, as mission controllers in California commanded it to rotate its right front wheel back and forth 5. The result is a 50 centimeter long trench about nine centimeters deep.
"We took a patient, gentle approach to digging," US space agency engineer Jeffrey Biesiadecki. "No single maneuver 6 we did actually moves all that much material. Rather, it's a gradual process that digs deeper and deeper the longer we let it run."
The rover is digging in an area rich in the mineral hematite, which can form in water. Mission scientists want to see how deep the hematite goes and are analyzing 7 it with rover geology instruments to determine whether it actually formed in water. Evidence of the liquid would suggest Mars was once hospitable 8 to life.
One of the researchers, Rob Sullivan of Cornell University, says the science team is intrigued 10 by patches of sand at the bottom of the trench that are brighter than that on the surrounding surface.
"It could be in fact that we've discovered something that is intrinsically different down on the floor of this trench than what we've seen so far on the surface. It's also possible that there may be some increased fine particles down where the trench floor is and they have been very carefully molded under the weight of the wheels. So there could be a reflection effect."
On the other side of Mars, the twin rover Spirit is studying soil and rocks as it gradually makes it way over several days to a crater nicknamed Bonneville, about 240 meters away.
The six-wheeled vehicle has traveled 108 meters since it arrived 45 days ago, a Mars distance record. It has exceeded the amount of territory covered by the Sojourner 11 rover mission in 1997 by about six meters.
注释：
spun [spin] v. 旋转
trench [trentF] n. 沟渠
in the midst 在……之中，在……中途
trek [trek] n. 艰苦跋涉
crater [5kreItE(r)] n. 火山口
Opportunity rover 机遇号火星探测车
rotate [rEu5teit] v. 旋转
maneuver [mE5nu:vE] n. 操作
hematite [5hemEtait] n. 赤铁矿
intrigue 9 [in5tri:^] vt. 激起……的兴趣
intrinsically [in5trinsikEli] adv. 本质地，固有地
mold [mEuld] vt. 塑造
nickname [5nIkneIm] vt. 给……取绰号
- The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
- The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。
- His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
- Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
- We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
- It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。
- With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
- They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。
- The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
- He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
- All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
- I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。
- Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
- He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句
- The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
- The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。
- Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。
- The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。
- You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
- He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。