NASA科学家 火星表面有液态水

 　　US satellite observations have produced the first strong evidence for water flowing on Mars.

　　美国卫星观测找到了火星表面存在液态水的首批强有力证据。

　　The water is a brine saturated¹ in salts such as perchlorates. As it seeps² down the slopes of Martian craters³ and mountains, it leaves narrow streaks⁴ less than five metres wide, which appear and lengthen⁵ during the warm season and fade during the Martian winter.

　　这种水是含有饱和盐类（如高氯酸盐）的咸水。随着咸水渗入火星陨石坑和山丘的斜坡，它留下了不到5米宽的狭窄条纹，这些条纹在温暖季节显现并延长，而在火星冬季时逐渐消失。

　　Although the salty liquid would not be drinkable by visiting astronauts in its present form, the presence of any water strengthens the idea that Mars may harbour microscopic⁶ lifeforms.

　　虽然这种咸水以目前形态无法被到访火星的宇航员饮用，但任何形式水的存在都会加强火星可能存在微小生命形态的设想。

　　“Our quest on Mars has been to ‘follow the water’ in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates⁷ what we’ve long suspected,” said John Grunsfeld, Nasa’s head of science. “This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water, albeit⁸ briny⁹, is flowing today on the surface of Mars.”

　　“我们在火星上的探索一直在‘循着水’寻找宇宙中的生命，而现在我们有了令人信服的科学证据来证实我们所长期怀疑的，”美国宇航局(NASA)科学部门主管约翰格隆菲尔德(John Grunsfeld)说，“这是一项重大发现，因为它似乎证实了如今有水（尽管是咸的）在火星表面流淌。”

　　Nasa scientists announced their “major science finding” at a news conference in Washington and in a scientific paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

　　NASA科学家在华盛顿的一场新闻发布会以及发表在《自然地球科学》(Nature Geoscience)期刊上的科学论文中宣布了他们的“重大科学发现”。

1 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

2 seeps   

n.（液体）渗( seep的名词复数 )；渗透；渗出；漏出v.（液体）渗( seep的第三人称单数 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• Water seeps through sand. 水渗入沙中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Water seeps out of the wall. 水从墙里沁出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 craters   

n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等

参考例句：

• Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The battlefield was full of craters made by exploding shells. 战场上布满弹坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 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。

6 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

7 validates   

v.证实( validate的第三人称单数 )；确证；使生效；使有法律效力

参考例句：

• Other research validates that when it comes to chocolate, type does matter. 其他的研究也证实了不同种类的巧克力确实功效不同。 来自互联网
• Trouble shoots equipment, review and validates data and complete reports. 管理错误描述设备，审查并确认试验数据，完成试验报告。 来自互联网

8 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

9 briny   

adj.盐水的；很咸的；n.海洋

参考例句：

• The briny water is not good for the growth of the trees.海水不利于这种树木的生长。
• The briny air gave a foretaste of the nearby sea.咸空气是快近海的前兆。