2007年VOA标准英语-Center Provides New Look at Underwater Environm

By Paul Sisco
Washington, DC
21 February 2007
 
watch New Discovery Center

One of the newest attractions for visitors to Florida, the southernmost point in the continental¹ United States, celebrates the undersea world in and around the famous Florida Keys archipelago.  VOA's Paul Sisco has more.

The new Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center is a cooperative effort by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric² Administration, the National Park Service and the state of Florida. 

 
James Connaughton
"The beauty of the Eco-Discovery center is that you can get under the water without getting wet, but it is going to be an inspiration so that when you do get to the water you are going to treat it in a sensible way and again make it available for future generationsm," said James Connaughton, President Bush's senior adviser³ on the environment.  He says you can visit without getting wet.

The center showcases the rich variety of habitats -- both underwater and onshore -- in and around the Florida Keys.  The chain of more than 15-hundred islands curls into the sea off the southern tip of Florida, at the boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf⁴ of Mexico.

Florida is well known for its sunny beaches, the Kennedy Space Center and Disney World.  Those involved in the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center hope the interactive⁵ underwater exhibits (that opened last month) will become another major attraction for visitors.

The center has a walk-through version of Aquarius, the world's only operational underwater laboratory, which rests 20 meters below the surface in the 10,000-square-kilometer marine⁶ sanctuary⁷ surrounding the Florida Keys.  Scientists spend up to two weeks at a time on board Aquarius, studying sea life. 

 
Visitor, Florida Keys Eco-discovery
Visitors to the mock-up laboratory can hear recordings⁸ of researchers at work, view sea creatures through portholes, and take an interactive video tour of the Keys' undersea world. 

"The keys are a resource, not just for Florida”, says Connaughton. “They are a resource for the nation, and are actually recognized as a resource for the world.  They are one of the easiest resources to access, and they can teach us so much about the vitality⁹ [of the seas] and the need for ocean conservation."

Through an underwater camera, visitors will be able to watch the Keys' spectacular annual coral spawn¹⁰.  The islands themselves were formed by fossilized remnants of ancient coral reefs.  The full moon in August helps trigger the rarely seen coral spawn, which generates new growth and keeps existing reefs alive.

Scientists study coral's life cycle and reproductive process in the hope they can improve the marine creatures' ability to survive and thrive.

Coral colonies die each year from human disturbances¹¹ and natural causes such as hurricanes and disease, and they are considered one of the planet's most endangered ecosystems¹².  Like rain forests, corals harbor and support many thousands of species of plant and animal life.

Now divers¹³ and nondivers alike, of all ages, can uncover and discover the mysteries of the sea by visiting the new Eco-Discovery center in Key West, Florida.

1 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

2 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

3 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

6 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

8 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

9 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

10 spawn   

n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产

参考例句：

• The fish were madly pushing their way upstream to spawn.鱼群为产卵而疯狂地向上游挤进。
• These fish will lay spawn in about one month from now.这些鱼大约一个月内会产卵。

11 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

12 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

13 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。