VOA标准英语2008年-Scientists Begin Testing World's Largest Atom S

The Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful atom smasher, has gotten under way. Physicists² at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, in Geneva successfully injected the first beam of particles into this colossal³ multi-billion dollar machine. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA that scientists believe the LHC will unlock many secrets of the universe.
　
European Organization for Nuclear Research scientists observe computer screen at the CERN control center in Geneva, 10 Sep 2008

Bystanders gaping⁴ at a giant screen watched physicists hunched⁵ over computers at the CERN Control Center inject the first beam of protons into the Large Hadron Collider.

The first attempt to fire up the LHC failed. So, the second, successful attempt was greeted with a palpable sense of relief and even giddiness from the many physicists who have labored⁶ for more than two decades to get this 10-billion-dollar experiment underway.

The beam of particles is now traveling around the 27-kilometer underground tunnel, which straddles the Swiss-French border near Geneva. It will take a couple of months for the LHC to get up to speed. The accelerated protons will travel at nearly the speed of light.

Theoretical physicist¹ John Ellis tells VOA the collisions which are produced will allow scientists to learn what happened when the universe was born 13.7 billion years ago.

"We are going to be creating individual collisions," Ellis explained. "Collisions, which occurred in the universe when it was something like a trillionth of a second old. Now, we are not going to be re-creating in the laboratory pieces of the universe, obviously. These are just individual collisions, which are the same as what happened when the universe was extremely young."

LHC Project Leader, Lyn Evans calls the LHC a machine of discovery. He says physicists believe they will find an elusive⁷ elementary particle called the Higgs Boson, which should explain why other particles obtain mass.

And, even if the Higgs is not found, he says the effort will not have been in vain.

"The quest for human knowledge is never a bust," Evans noted⁸. If the Higgs is not there - there are many theorists that say that the most interesting thing of all is if the Higgs is not there. The nightmare scenario⁹ for this machine is that we find the Higgs and nothing else....If the Higgs is there, we will find it. If the Higgs is not there, we will have to find out why it is not there and what is replacing it."

Physicists say the LHC is perfectly¹⁰ safe. They say the proof is that the Earth has been bombarded by cosmic rays, triggering collisions similar to those of the Large Hadron Collider, since the solar system formed more than four billion years ago.

 

1 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

2 physicists   

物理学家( physicist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• For many particle physicists, however, it was a year of frustration. 对于许多粒子物理学家来说，这是受挫折的一年。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技
• Physicists seek rules or patterns to provide a framework. 物理学家寻求用法则或图式来构成一个框架。

3 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

4 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 hunched   

（常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的

参考例句：

• He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。
• Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。

6 labored   

adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing. 我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。 来自辞典例句
• They have labored to complete the job. 他们努力完成这一工作。 来自辞典例句

7 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。