英语听力：自然百科 金星和水星旅行指南(24)

Despite all this scientific effort, we still don't know what triggered Venus' diabolical¹ transformation².

尽管科学已经进行了不懈努力,但我们依然不知道是什么引发了金星如此的转变。

People debated over whether Venus ever had a moon.

人们讨论金星是否曾经有过月亮。

If Venus had a satellite at one point, could that satellite eventually impacted onto the surface and caused some catastrophe³ to happen? We don't know.

如果金星在某个地方存在有卫星, 卫星会影响到表面最终造成这些灾难的发生吗?我们不得而知。

It could've been possibly a factor.

这是可能的一种因素。

Perhaps such an impact explains both the strange calendar and climate on Venus.

这种影响也许说明了金星奇怪的日历和气候。

Was it hit hard enough to flip⁴ upside down?

沉重的打击足以翻转颠倒过来吗?

And for its day to be slowed to a crawl?

一天被放慢得好像要爬一样?

Was this the moment Venus'climate was thrown into chaos⁵?

还是金星的气候现在陷入了一片混乱?

Whatever the cause of Venus' climate calamity⁶, could life have ever survived such an ordeal⁷?

无论什么原因引发金星气候灾难，生命能通过这样的一个考验幸存下来吗?

If I had to guess or I had to bet, I would say,Yeah, the Venus did have life.

如果让我猜或不得不打赌的话,我会说,是的,金星也有生命。

And I say that because what we do understand about life on Earth is that it started early and doesn't seem to have required any extraordinary conditions.

我会说,因为我们了解地球上的生命很早就开始,而且似乎不需要任何什么特殊条件。

1 diabolical   

adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的

参考例句：

• This maneuver of his is a diabolical conspiracy.他这一手是一个居心叵测的大阴谋。
• One speaker today called the plan diabolical and sinister.今天一名发言人称该计划阴险恶毒。

2 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

3 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

4 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

5 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

6 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

7 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。