太阳科普 第18期

 With one you could power a small village.  一个太阳能碟能满足一座小村的能源需求

A field of them could power a city.  一大批则能供给一座城市所需的能源

Each system produces about 25 kw  一套系统的发电量是25千瓦

which is enough to power about 10 homes.  这可满足十个家庭的能源需求

However we plan to deploy¹ these on a large scale.  但我们打算大规模部署

20,000 of these,  两万个太阳能碟

which is massive about five hundred megawatts  发电量是500百万瓦

which is the equivalent to a coal fired plant,  这相当于一座火力发电厂

or maybe even a nuclear plant.  甚至一座核电厂

The ink is just drying on the contract to  他们才刚刚签定合约

build the first commercial solar power station.  建造第一座商业太阳能发电厂

It will fill 5 square miles of the vast Californian desert  完工之后偌大的加州沙漠

with mirrors and will supply electricity  将会有五平方哩铺满镜子

to the city of San Diego.  以供应圣地牙哥所需的电力

In time,as the technology and efficiency  未来随着技术和效率的提升

improves systems like these may spread around the world.  像这样的系统将会遍布全球

These dishes are direct descendents  这些太阳能碟是巨石阵

of the stone monuments of Stonehenge and Orkney.  和奥克尼石碑的直系后代

Separated by 5000 years they all embody²  虽然相隔五千年，但它们都体现了

our desire to understand the sun,  人类了解太阳

to be bathed in its light  沐浴在阳光下

and to tap into its awesome³ power.  及利用太阳惊人能源的欲望

He's quiet, he's clean,he's powerful.  太阳安静、纯净、威力无穷

This was the way I was raised.  小时候大人是这样教我的

Raised to respect him and  教我要尊敬太阳

to offer those prayers to him for keeping us  对太阳祈祷，希望它能

for the length of time that he has.  永生永世地保护我们

He's done this for generations,and generations  太阳照亮了我们过去的世世代代

and hopefully he will you know in the future.  也希望能照亮我们未来的子孙

The sun will probably shine down on our civilisations  只要我们的文明存在于世的一天

for as long as they exist.  太阳就会照亮它们

If we survive for another billion years  如果人类能再存在十亿年

the sun will still be there.  太阳仍然会高挂天际

But just as the sun was once born,  但万事万物有生必有死

it will one day die.  太阳也不例外

And when it does so,it will take the Earth with it.  届时地球将会和它同归于尽

In about 5 billion years time  50亿年后

the sun will run out of hydrogen.  太阳的氢气将会燃烧殆尽

When it does it will become a red giant.  到时候太阳会变成一颗红巨星

Deprived of fuel the core will shrink.  失去燃料的核心将会收缩

Generating so much heat that the outer layers  产生大量高热

will balloon into the solar system.  导致外层向太阳系膨胀

The inner planets will be swept up.  内侧行星将会遭其吞噬

It may even swallow the Earth.  甚至连地球都难以幸免

Whether it is engulfed⁴ or not the Earth is doomed⁵.  其实不论是否被吞噬，地球已在劫难逃

The sun, burning 2000 times hotter than it does now  燃烧热度为现今两千倍的太阳

will melt and seal the outer layers of the planet.  将会融化、封死外层

Then suddenly the sun will stop burning.  然后太阳会骤然停止燃烧

As the remains⁶ of the solar system is plunged⁷ into darkness  残余的太阳系陷入黑暗时

the sun's core will collapse⁸ and with its last gasp⁹ it  太阳的核心崩塌

will blow its remaining shroud¹⁰ of gas into space.  并以最后一口气，将残余的气体喷至太空中

It will be forever night.  此后将是无尽的黑夜

The story of the sun and the earth will have ended.  太阳和地球的故事将会画下句点

And a small part of the outer arm of the Milky¹¹ Way  银河的外缘的一小部分

will be a little bit darker.  将出现一小块黑暗的区域

But around it in the rest of the universe  但是在周遭的宇宙中

the same story will be being told  十亿颗微不足道的小恒星

by a billion other small insignificant¹² stars  将诉说着相同的故事

twinkling in the vastness of space.  在浩瀚宇宙中闪闪发光

 

1 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

2 embody   

vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录

参考例句：

• The latest locomotives embody many new features. 这些最新的机车具有许多新的特色。
• Hemingway's characters plainly embody his own values and view of life.海明威笔下的角色明确反映出他自己的价值观与人生观。

3 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

4 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

10 shroud   

n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏

参考例句：

• His past was enveloped in a shroud of mystery.他的过去被裹上一层神秘色彩。
• How can I do under shroud of a dark sky?在黑暗的天空的笼罩下，我该怎么做呢？

11 milky   

adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的

参考例句：

• Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
• I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。

12 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。