大学英语自学教程下UNIT2

00:03.04]黑洞
[00:06.09]What is a black hole?
[00:07.11]  什么是黑洞呢?
[00:08.12]Well,it's difficult to answer this question,since the terms we would normally use to describe a scientific phenomenon are inadequate 1 here.
[00:14.11]喔,这个问题很难回答,因为我们通常用来描述一种科学现象的术语用在这里不合适.
[00:20.09]Astronomers 2 and scientists think that a black hole
[00:22.73]天文学家和科学家认为黑洞
[00:25.36]is a region of space (not a thing )
[00:27.94]是一个空间区域(不是一个物体),
[00:30.51]into which matter has fallen and from which nothing can escape not even light.
[00:34.90]物质会陷入其中,而没有物体可以从中逃逸出来.
[00:39.29]So we can't see a black hole.
[00:41.51]--即使是光也不行,所以我们看不到黑洞.
[00:43.73]A black hole exerts a strong gravitational pull and yet it has no matter.
[00:48.42]黑洞产生很强的引力,而它却没有物质.
[00:53.11]It is only space--or so we think.
[00:55.59]它只是空间--或者我们认为是这们.
[00:58.07]How this happen?
[00:59.79]这是怎么发生的呢?
[01:01.52]The theory is that some stars explode when their density 3 increases to a particular point;
[01:05.74]原理是一些星球的密度增长到特定的一个值时就会爆炸.
[01:09.96]they collapse 4 and sometimes a supernova occurs.
[01:13.27]它们崩溃时会产生超新星.
[01:16.59]From earth,a supernova looks like a very bright light in the sky
[01:20.21]在地球上看上去,超新星就像天空中非常耀眼的灯,
[01:23.83]which shines even in the daytime.
[01:26.15]即使在白天也能看到其闪光.
[01:28.48]Supernova were reported by astronomers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
[01:32.45]在17,18世纪,天文学家就有了关于超新星的记录,
[01:36.42]Some people think that the Star of Bethlehem could have been a supernova.
[01:40.24]有人认为圣诞星可能是一种超新星.
[01:44.07]The collapse of a star may produce a White Dwarf 5 or a neutron 6 star
[01:48.60]一颗星球崩溃可能产生一颗白矮星或一颗中子星
[01:53.14]a star, whose matter is so dense 7
[01:58.60]that it continually shrinks by the force of its own gravity.
[02:02.07]--一种物质如此致密以致于它在自身引力下不断地收缩的星体.
[02:05.54]But if the star is very large (much bigger than our sun)
[02:08.67]但如果星球很大(比我们的太阳大得多),
[02:11.79]this process of shrinking may be so intense that a black hole results.
[02:15.97]其收缩过程可能很剧烈,以至于产生了黑洞.
[02:20.15]Imagine the earth reduced to the size of a marble,
[02:23.53]假想一下地球收缩到弹球那么大,
[02:26.91]but still having the same mass and a stronger gravitational pull,
[02:30.84]但仍具有同样的质量和更大强的吸引力,
[02:34.78]and you have some idea of the force of a black hole.
[02:38.20]你就会对黑洞的力量有某种概念.
[02:41.62]Any matter near the black hole is sucked in.
[02:45.16]黑洞附近任何物质都会被吸进去,
[02:48.70]It is impossible to say what happens inside a black hole.
[02:51.68]根本不可能说出黑洞里面发生了什么.
[02:54.65]Scientists have called the boundary area around the hole the event horizon.
[02:59.33]科学家们把这个洞的边缘区域称为"事界".
[03:04.01]We know nothing about events which happen once objects pass this boundary.
[03:07.83]一旦物体超过这个这个边界,我们对所发生的事便一无所知.
[03:11.66]But in theory,matter must behave very differently inside the hole.
[03:15.63]但在理论上,在黑洞里物质的运动肯定与洞外有很大区别.
[03:19.60] For example,if a man fell into a black hole,
[03:22.98]例如:如果一个人掉进黑洞,
[03:26.37]he would think that he reached the center of it very quickly.
[03:29.70]他会认为自己很快就到达了其核心,
[03:33.03]However an observer
[03:37.00]at the event horizon would think that the man never reached the center at all.
[03:40.68]但在"事界"的观察者则认为这个人根本不会到达黑洞的核心.
[03:44.37]Our space and time laws don't seem to apply
[03:50.61]to objects in the area of a black hole.
[03:53.04]我们的时空规律看起来不适用于黑洞里的物体.
[03:55.47]Einstein's relativity theory is the only one which can explain such phenomena
[03:59.44]爱因斯坦的相对论是惟一可以解释这种现象的理论.
[04:03.41]Einstein claimed that matter and energy are interchangeable, [04:07.20]爱因斯坦声称物质和能量是可以互相转化的,
[04:10.98]so that there is no "absolute" time and space.
[04:14.01]因此就没有绝对的时间和空间,
[04:17.04]There'are no constants at all,
[04:19.12]根本不存在永恒,
[04:21.20]and measurements of time and space depend on the position of the observer
[04:24.67]时间和窨的徇取决于观测者所在的位置,
[04:28.15]They are relative.
[04:29.62]它们是相对的.
[04:31.10]We do not yet fully 8 understand the implications of the relativity theory
[04:34.82]我们还没有完全理解相对论的含义,
[04:38.54]but it is interesting that Einstein's theory provided a basis
[04:45.41]for the idea of black holes
[04:47.69]但有意思的是,在天文学家着手发现黑洞的存在证据之前,
[04:49.96]before astronomers started to find some evidence for their existence[04:53.68]爱因斯坦就提供了黑洞这种想法的基础.
[04:57.40]It is only recently
[05:01.04]that astronomers have begun specific research into black holes.
[05:04.21]只是近来科学家才开始了对黑洞的具体的研究.
[05:07.38]In August 1977,a satellite was launched to gatter data
[05:11.46]1977年8月,发射了一颗卫星
[05:15.53]about the l0 million black holes which are thought to be in the Milky 9 Way.
[05:19.36]去搜集关于被认为是在银河系的1000万个黑洞的数据.
[05:23.19]And astronomers are planning a new observatory 10 to study
[05:26.16]天文学家正在计划一个新的天文台
[05:29.14]the individual exploding stars believed to be black holes.
[05:32.83]用以研究个别的存在爆炸的被相信要变为黑洞的星球.
[05:36.51]The most convincing evidence of black holes
[05:42.07]comes from research into binary 11 star systems.
[05:45.01]黑洞最有说服力的证据恶臭对双星系的研究.
[05:47.95]Binary stars,as their name suggests
[05:50.33]双星,正如它们的名字所表明的,
[05:52.71]are twin stars whose position in space affects each other.
[05:56.39]是两颗在窨位置上互相影响的星球.
[06:00.07]In some binary systems,
[06:02.45]在一些双星系里,
[06:04.83]astronomers have shown that there is an invisible companion star,
[06:08.55]天文学家已经表示这里有一颗看不到的伴星,
[06:12.27]a "partner" to the one which we can see in the sky.
[06:15.21]即我们可以在天空中看到的一颗星的伙伴.
[06:18.15]Matter from the one which we can see is being pulled towards the companion star.
[06:22.72]来自我们所看到的星的物质正被吸引到伴星去.
[06:27.29]Could this invisible star,which exerts such a great force,be a black hole?
[06:31.77]这颗产生如此巨大力量的看不见的星会是黑洞吗?
[06:36.25]Astronomers have evidence of a few other stars too which
[06:39.12]天文学家还有其他一些星球的证据,
[06:42.00] might have black holes as companions.
[06:44.38]这些星可能与黑洞相伴.
[06:46.75]The story of black holes is just beginning.
[06:49.43]对黑洞的研究刚刚开始,
[06:52.11]Speculations 12 about them ate endless.
[06:54.75]各种推测会层出不穷.
[06:57.38]There might be a massive black hole
[07:02.24]at the center of our galaxys wallowing up stars at a very rapid rate.
[07:05.82]在我们银河系的中心很可能存在着一个巨大的黑洞正以极快的速度吞食着星球.
[07:09.40]Mankind may one day meet this fate.
[07:12.07]人类有一天也会面临被事在人为的命运.
[07:14.73]On the other hand,scientists have suggested that very advanced technology
[07:19.12]而科学家也提出,
[07:23.51]could one day make use of the energy of black holes for-mankind.
[07:27.09]有一天高科技会利用黑洞的能量为人类服务.
[07:30.66]These speculations sound like science fiction.
[07:33.49]这些设想听起来像科幻小说,
[07:36.31]But the theory-of black holes in space
[07:38.95]但空间中黑洞的理论
[07:41.58]is accepted by many serious scientists and astronomers.
[07:44.71]被许多严谨的科学家和天文学家接受.
[07:47.83]They show us a world which operates in a totally different way from our own
[07:52.15]他们展示给我们一个完全不同于我们自己的世界运行方式的世界,
[07:56.47]and they question our most basic experience of space and time.
[08:00.25]并对我们的最基本的时空经验提出了疑问.
[08:04.02]text B   Worlds within Worlds
[08:06.80]世界中的世界
[08:09.59]First of all let us consider the earth (that is to say, the world)
[08:12.83]首先让我们把地球(也就是说,世界)
[08:16.07]as a planet revolving 13 round the sun.
[08:18.04]看做围绕太阳运行的一颗行星. [08:20.01]The earth is one of nine planets which move in orbit round the sun.
[08:23.20]地球是沿轨道围绕太阳运行的九大行星之一.
[08:26.38]These nine planets,together with the sun,
[08:28.76]这九大行星和太阳一起
[08:31.14]make up what is called our solar system.
[08:33.32]组成了所谓的我们的太阳系.
[08:35.50]How this wonderful system started?
[08:37.42]这个奇妙的星系是怎样开始的?
[08:39.34]and what kept it working with such wonderful accuracy is largely a mystery
[08:42.28]什么使它保持极精确的运行?从相当程度上讲这是个谜.
[08:45.22]but astronomers tell us
[08:46.84]但天文学家告诉我们
[08:48.46]that it is only one of millions of similar systemsin space,and one of the smallest.
[08:52.04]太阳系只是太空里几百个相似的星系之一,并且是最小的星系之一.
[08:55.61]The stars which we see glittering in the sky on a dark and cloudless night
[08:58.79]在漆黑无云的夜晚,我们看到的在空中闪烁的星星
[09:01.96]are almost certainly the suns of other solar systems more or less like our own,
[09:05.14]几乎都是其他多少与我们的星系中的恒星.
[09:08.31]but they are so far away in space
[09:10.28]但它们在太空中距离我们如此遥远
[09:12.25]that it is unlikely that we shall ever get to know very much about them.
[09:15.18]以至于我们不可能对其了解太多.
[09:18.11]About our own solar system,however,we are learning more every day.
[09:21.08]然而对于我们的太阳系,每天我们都会了解到更多的东西[09:24.06]Before the American and Russian astronauts
[09:28.22]made their thrilling journeys into outer space
[09:30.59]在美国和俄罗斯宇航员进行激动人心的太空旅行之前,
[09:32.97]it was difficult for us to realise
[09:36.91]what our earth looked like from hundreds of thousands of miles' away,
[09:39.64]我们很难认识到从数十万英里以外的地方看地球会是什么样子.
[09:42.37]but the photographs which the astronauts were able to take
[09:47.23]show us the earth in space
[09:48.97]但宇航员们能够拍到的照片为我们太空中地球
[09:50.71]looking not very different from what the moon looks like when we look at it from the eart.
[09:53.63]看上和我们在地球上看到的月亮没有什么大的不同.
[09:56.56]The earth is,however,very different from the moon,
[09:58.88]然而,地球与月亮确有很大不同,
[10:01.21]which the American astronauts have found1 to be without life or,vegetation,
[10:04.15]美国宇航员发现月球上没有生命和植物生长.
[10:07.09]whereas our earth is very much alive in every respect.
[10:09.57]而我们的地球在各方面都生气勃勃.
[10:12.05]The moon,by the way,is called a satellite
[10:14.43]顺便说一下,月亮被称为卫星,
[10:16.80]because it goes round our earth as well as round the sun.
[10:19.28]是因为它围绕着我们的地球运转同时绕太阳运转.
[10:21.77]In other words,it goes round the sun with our earth.
[10:24.34]换句话说,它随着地球围绕太阳运行.
[10:26.91]The surface of our earth is covered by masses of land and larger areas of water.
[10:30.30]我们的地球表面覆盖着一块块的陆地和更大面积的水域.
[10:33.68]Let us consider the water areas frist.
[10:35.81]让我们首先考虑一下水域,
[10:37.94]The total water area is about three times as large as the land area.
[10:40.90]其总面积大概是陆地面积的3倍.
[10:43.87]The very large separate areas of water are called "oceans"
[10:46.65]很大的隔开的水域称为"洋",
[10:49.43]and the lesser 14 areas are called "seas."
[10:51.65]小一些的水域称为"海".
[10:53.87]In most of:the oceans and seas
[10:55.70]在大部分海洋里,
[10:57.53]some of the wateris found to be flowing in a particular direction that is to say,
[11:00.95]人们发现一些水域是沿着特有的方向流动的
[11:04.37]from one Fart towards another part of the ocean or sea concerned.
[11:07.05]---这就是说,从流经的海洋的一个区域流向别一区域.
[11:09.73]The water which is flowing in this manner is said to be moving as a"current"
[11:12.81]以这种方式流动的水叫"海流".
[11:15.89]There are many thousands of currents in the waters of the oceans and seas
[11:18.67]流动在海洋的水域里有成千上万条海流,
[11:21.46]but only certain of the stronger and better marked currents
[11:24.03]但只有若干条较强和较显著的海流被专门命名,
[11:26.60]are specially 15 named and of great importance.
[11:28.88]而且其具有很大重要性.
[11:31.15]These currents are important
[11:32.87]这些海流之所以重要,
[11:34.60]because they affect the climate of the land areas close to where they flow
[11:37.57]是它们影响着所流经区域附近陆地的气候,
[11:40.55]and also because they carry large quantities of microscopic 16 animal and vegetable life
[11:44.03]也是因为它们拾了大量的微生支,植物,
[11:47.50]which forms a large part of the food for fishes.
[11:49.77]而这些构成了鱼类食品的一大部分.
[11:52.05]The nature and characteristics of the surface of the land areas of the earth
[11:57.69]vary a great deal from area to area and from place to place
[12:00.72]地球不同区域的陆地表面自然特征区别很大.
[12:03.75]the surface of some areas consists largely of high mountains and deep valleys
[12:06.99]一些区域的地表由大量的高山和深谷组成,
[12:10.23]whilst,in other areas,most of the surface consists of plains.
[12:13.20]而其他区域,大部分地表却由平原组成.
[12:16.18]If one made a journey over the Continents
[12:18.31]如果一个人做一次大陆旅行,
[12:20.44]one would find every kind of surface including mountain ranges,
[12:23.26]他会发现各种各样的地貌,包括山区,
[12:26.08]plains,plateaux,deserts,tropical forestlands
[12:29.62]平原,高原,沙漠,热带雨林
[12:33.16]and empty areascovered permanently 17 by ice and snow.
[12:35.68]和永久性冰雪覆盖的空旷无人区.
[12:38.20]When thinking and learning about the world
[12:40.12]当我们想象和了解这个世界时,
[12:42.04]we should not forget that our world is the home of a very great many different people
[12:45.17]我们不应忘记我们的世界是很多不同人的家园
[12:48.29]peoples with different coloured skins,living very different lives
[12:51.11]---他们是具有不同的肤色,过着极不相同的生活
[12:53.93]and having very different ideas about a great many important things
[12:59.49] such as religion,government,education and social behaviour.
[13:02.77]以及对诸如宗教,政府,教育和社会行为等许多重要事情持有极为不同的观点的民族.
[13:06.05]The circumstances under which different people live
[13:10.41]make a great difference between the way in which they live[13:12.84]不同民族的生活环境造就了他们和我们极为不同的生活方式,
[13:15.27]and the way in which we live,
[13:18.54]and it ought to be our business to try to understand these different circumstancea,
[13:21.57]我们应该做的是去了解他们不同的生活环境
[13:24.60]so that we can better understand people of other lands.
[13:26.96]以便于可以更好地理解其他地区的人们.
[13:29.33]Above all,
[13:32.07]we should avoid deciding what we think about people different from ourselves
[13:35.15]我们应当避免对他们有先入为主的看法,
[13:38.23]without first having learned a great deal about them
[13:42.60]and the kind of lives they have to live.
[13:44.79]尤其是在没有对与我们不同的人们和他们必须过的那种生活有大量了解前.
[13:46.98]It is true to say that the more we leam about other people,
[13:49.61]确实我们了解其他人越多,
[13:52.24]the better we understand their ideas and as a rule,
[13:57.30]the better we,like those people themselves.
[13:59.37]我们越能理解他们的观点,通常我们就更大喜欢那些人.