精美英文欣赏:显微技术

The Microscopic¹ Technique

Each advance in microscopic technique has provided scientists with new perspectives on the function of living organisms and the nature of matter itself. The invention of the visible light microscope late in the sixteenth century introduced a previously² unknown realm of single celled plants and animals.In the twentieth century, electron microscopes have provided direct views of viruses and minuscule³ surface structures. Now another type of microscope, one that utilizes⁴ x rays rather than light or electrons, offers a different way of examining tiny details; it should extend human perception still farther into the natural world.

The dream of building an x ray microscope dates to back 1895; its development, however was virtually halted in the 1940's because the development of the electron microscope was progressing rapidly. During the 1940's, electron microscopes routinely achieved resolution better than that poss ible with a visible light microscope, while the performance of x ray microscopes resisted improvement. In recent years,however, interest in x ray microscopes has revived,largely because of advances such as thedevelopment of new sources of x ray illumination. As a result, the brightness available today is millions of times tha t of x ray tubes, which, for most of the century, were the only available sources of soft x rays.The new x ray microscopes considerably⁵ improve on the resolution provided by optical microscopes. They can also be used to map the distribution of certain chemical elements. Some can form pictures in extremely short times; others hold the promise of special capabilities⁶ such as three dimensional imaging. Unlike conventional electron microscope, x ray microscope enables specimens⁷ to be kept in air and in water, which means that biological samples can be studied under conditions similar to their natural state. The illumination used, so called soft x rays in the wavelength⁸ range of twenty to forty angstroms (an angstrom is one ten billionth of a meter), is also sufficiently⁹ penetrating¹⁰ to image intact biological cells in ma ny cases.

Because of the wavelength of the x rays used,soft x ray microscopes will never match the highest resolution possible with electron microscopes.

Rather, their special properties will make possible investigations¹¹ that will complement¹² those performed with light and electron based instruments.

显微技术

显微镜技术的每一个进步都给科学家提供了看待生物体的功能和其性质的新观察方式。 16 世纪晚期可视光显微镜的发明引入了一个以前一无所知的单细胞植物和动物的领域。 20 世纪电子显微镜提供了对病毒和极微物体的表面结构的直接观察。 现在一种新的显微镜，利用X 光而不是自然可见光或电子，为观察微小细节提供了不同的观察方式，它将扩展人类对自然世界进行的更深入的认识。 研制X 光显微镜的梦想可追溯到 1875 年；但它的发展却在 20 世纪 40 年代实际上停止了，因为电子显微镜的发展进行很快。 在 40年代，电子显微镜毫无例外地比可见光显微镜获得了更好的分辨能力。 然而X 光显微镜的表现却没有改进。 但近年来，对它的兴趣又复活了，这很大程度是因为例如X 射线在新光源上的发展的结果。 结果，今天可得到的亮度是大半个世纪以来唯一可得到的X 光源-X 光管的几百万倍。 新的 X 光显微镜相当大地提高了电子学显微镜提供的分辨能力。 它们也可用来给某些化学元素绘制分布图。 某些 X 光显微镜可以在极短的时间里成像。 另一些可望具备三维成像的特殊功能。 与传统的电子显微镜成像术不同，X 光显微镜成像术可使分析样本保留在空气或水中。 这就意味着生物样品可以在与它们自然环境相近的条件下被观察研究。 其使用的照明度，即所谓的软性X 射线，其波长在20 到40 埃之间(1 米的 100亿分之一为 1 埃)。 在许多情况下也能够穿透完整无缺的生物细胞并成像。 由于使用的X射线的波长使软性X 射线显微镜永远比不上电子显微镜可能具有的最高分辨力。 不过他们特殊的功能将可能补充那些用自然光和电子仪器所进行的观察。

1 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。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。

4 utilizes   

v.利用，使用( utilize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• One highly successful approach utilizes a triplet aspheric lens array. 一种很成功的方法是利用一个三合非球面透镜阵列。 来自辞典例句
• The first utilizes a blend of finely ground ceramic powders. 第一种用的是一种磨细的陶瓷粉末混合物。 来自辞典例句

5 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

6 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 wavelength   

n.波长

参考例句：

• The authorities were unable to jam this wavelength.当局无法干扰这一波长。
• Radio One has broadcast on this wavelength for years.广播1台已经用这个波长广播多年了。

9 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

10 penetrating   

adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
• He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

12 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。