在另一颗行星上寻找生命

来听音室提升你的听力吧。

Improve your listening with the listening room.

听BBC新闻报道，然后回答问题，检验你的理解程度。

Listen to BBC news reports and answer the questions to test your understanding.

从雌性大猩猩的友谊，到太空中的米其林星级美食，我们相信你一定能找到感兴趣的内容。

From female gorilla friendships to Michelin starred food in space, we know you'll find something that interests you.

现在就去我们的网站bbclearningenglish.com，找到听音室吧。

Find the listening room on our website now, bbclearningenglish.com.

六分钟英语。

Six Minute English.

来自BBC学习英语。

From bbclearningenglish.com.

你好。

Hello.

这里是BBC学习英语的六分钟英语。

This is six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

我是尼尔。

I'm Neil.

我是贝卡。

And I'm Becca.

尼尔，你相信地球以外存在生命吗？

Neil, do you believe that life exists away from planet Earth?

至于科幻电影里那种小绿人，我不太确定有没有。

Well, I'm not sure about the kind of little green men that you see in science fiction movies.

但我认为，我们在宇宙中不可能是孤独的。

But also, I think we cannot be alone in the universe.

你呢，贝卡？

What about you, Becca?

你怎么看？

What do you think?

我同意。

I agree.

我觉得地球之外确实可能存在生命，但可能不像科幻电影里演的那样。

I think that maybe life does exist beyond our planet, but maybe not as we see in alien movies.

在这期节目中，我们会听科学家和太空专家聊聊，距离我们40光年的一颗行星上，是否具备生命存在的条件。

Well, in this episode, we'll be learning from science and space experts about whether the conditions for life exist on a planet 40 light years away.

没错。

Yes.

和往常一样，你可以在我们的网站bbclearningenglish.com找到本期节目的文字稿、词汇表和练习题。

And as usual, you can find a transcript for this episode along with all the vocabulary and a worksheet on our website b b c learning english dot com.

好的。

Okay.

贝卡，我来考你个问题。

A quiz question for you, Becca.

如果你以每小时100公里的速度开车去太阳，需要多长时间？

How long would it take to drive a car to the sun at a 100 kilometres an hour?

是a，七十年；b，一百七十年；还是c，一千七百年？

Is it a, seventy years, b, a hundred and seventy years, or c, seventeen hundred years?

尼尔，太阳看起来离我们真的很远。

Well, Neil, the sun seems very far away.

那我选c，一千七百年。

So I'll go for c, seventeen hundred years.

希望你带够了汽油。

I hope you have enough petrol for that.

不过这个问题的答案，我们稍后再揭晓。

Well, we'll find out the answer to the question later.

但现在，一些科学和太空专家对另一个恒星系统中的一颗行星感到兴奋。

Now though, some science and space experts are excited about a planet in a different solar system from our own.

科学记者卡罗琳·斯蒂尔在BBC世界服务节目《世界万象》中谈到了这一发现。

Science journalist Caroline Steele talks about this discovery on the BBC World Service programme, What in the World?

科学家们一直在研究一颗系外行星。

So scientists have been looking at an exoplanet.

也就是说，它位于我们太阳系之外的一个恒星系统中，名叫TRAPPIST-1e。

So that's a planet that exists in a solar system that isn't our own called TRAPPIST-1e.

它是一颗像地球一样的岩石行星。

And it's a rocky planet like Earth.

它的大小和地球相近，位于其恒星的宜居带内，这颗恒星叫TRAPPIST-1。

It's a similar size to Earth, and it exists in the habitable zone around its sun, and its sun is called TRAPPIST-one.

卡罗琳解释说，科学家发现TRAPPIST-1e这颗行星位于其恒星的宜居带内。

Caroline explains that scientists have discovered that the planet TRAPPIST-1e exists in the habitable zone around its sun.

‘宜居’这个词形容的是适合生命生存的地方或环境。

The adjective habitable describes a place or habitat that is suitable for something to live.

对。

Yes.

‘带’指的是具有某种特定特征的区域。

And a zone is an area with a particular feature.

比如，住在地震带的人得做好应对危险的准备。

For example, people who live in earthquake zones have to be prepared for danger.

所以宜居带就是指可能适合生命存在的区域。

So a habitable zone is an area where something could live.

卡罗琳进一步解释了为什么科学家认为TRAPPIST-1e可能适合生命存在。

Caroline goes on to explain why they think TRAPPIST-1e may be habitable.

科学家们一直在研究TRAPPIST-1e周围的大气可能性，发现它不太可能含有大量氢气或二氧化碳，这可是好事，因为这两种都是温室气体，会让行星变得非常热。

Scientists have been looking at the potential atmosphere around TRAPPIST -1e, and they've ruled out that it's really full of hydrogen or carbon dioxide, which is a great thing because they're greenhouse gases, which would make the planet really hot.

对。

Mhmm.

还有一些细微的迹象表明，它的大气可能以氮气为主，这又是另一个暗示那里可能存在生命的线索。

And there are some small clues that it might be a nitrogen dominated atmosphere, which again is another sort of clue that there could be life there.

卡罗琳·斯蒂尔说，科学家们正在研究TRAPPIST-1e周围的大气状况。

Caroline Steel says that scientists are looking at the potential atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1e.

也就是说，他们想弄清楚这颗行星的大气是否具备或有可能发展出支持生命的能力。

That is, they want to find out if the atmosphere is capable or likely to become able to host life.

如果某物具有潜力，就意味着它已经具备了做某事的条件或能力。

If something has potential, it already has the qualities or abilities to do something.

‘潜在的’这个形容词意思相近，但更强调未来可能实现的能力。

The adjective potential has a similar meaning, but refers to future capability.

没错。

Exactly.

我们可以说这些数据有潜力，因为它们显示出有助于研究的迹象。

We could say the data has potential in that it shows signs of helping the research.

但当我们提到‘有潜力的数据’时，指的是那些可能对今后研究有帮助的数据。

But when we talk about potential data, we're referring to data that could help us with future research.

她还提到，科学家已经排除了TRAPPIST-1e充满氢气或二氧化碳的可能性。

She also mentions how scientists have ruled out that TRAPPIST-1e is full of hydrogen or carbon dioxide.

短语动词‘rule out’的意思是排除某种可能性或想法。

The phrasal verb rule out means to dismiss the possibility or idea of something.

科学家发现，TRAPPIST-1e并没有大量这些温室气体。

Scientists have found that TRAPPIST-1e is not full of those greenhouse gases.

他们已经排除了这种可能。

They've ruled it out.

确实如此。

Indeed.

卡罗琳还提到，TRAPPIST-1e的大气主要由氮气组成。

And Caroline goes on to say how the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1e is dominated by nitrogen.

如果某物被另一物主导，就意味着它被后者控制，或者后者是其中最突出的成分。

If something is dominated by something else, it is controlled by it or is the most significant element of it.

TRAPPIST-1e充满了氮气，这很令人兴奋，因为氮气是生命和宜居性的标志。

TRAPPIST-1e is full of nitrogen, which is exciting because nitrogen is a sign of life and habitability.

那如果在这颗行星上真的发现了氮气呢？

So what if nitrogen is actually found on this planet?

卡罗琳·斯蒂尔还有更多要说。

Caroline Steel has more.

我猜我们接下来会尝试分析大气中还有哪些其他气体，再通过模型推算这颗行星可能有多热，看看温度是否适宜生命存在，还是太热或太冷。

My guess is what we'll do is try and see what other gases are in the atmosphere and use models to work out how warm the planet could be and whether or not it's a temperature that basically could support life or it maybe it's too hot or too cold.

但愿它真有氮气。

But fingers crossed, it has a nitrogen.

量足够多，能维持一个适宜的温度。

There's enough of it to keep the planet a decent temperature.

这样一来，离发现生命又近了一步。

And then that's one step closer to finding life.

卡罗琳推测，科学家们会重点关注这颗行星的温度，以及它是否适宜生命存在。

Caroline guesses that scientists will focus on the planet's temperature and whether it could support life.

她用了‘希望如此’这个表达，来传达对积极结果的期盼。

She uses the expression, fingers crossed, to express hope for a positive outcome.

没错。

Yes.

我们常常会做出交叉手指的动作，祈求好运。

We often make the physical gesture of crossing our fingers for good luck.

确实如此。

We do.

说到这个，尼尔，你之前那个问题的答案来了。

That reminds me, Neil, the answer to your question.

希望我答对了。

Fingers crossed that I answered correctly.

我明白你什么意思了，贝卡。

I see what you've done there, Becca.

对。

Yes.

我之前问你，以每小时一百公里的速度开车去太阳，需要多长时间。

I asked you how long it would take to drive to the sun at a 100 kilometres an hour.

你选了C，一千七百年。

And you answered c, seventeen hundred years.

太阳确实离得特别远，但正确答案其实是B，只要一百七十年。

Well, the sun is very far away, but the answer was B, only a hundred and seventy years.

哦，不过就算这样，也比我一辈子还长。

Oh, well, that's still longer than my lifetime.

现在我们来回顾一下本期学过的表达，首先是‘habitable’，意思是适合生物生存的地方或环境。

Now let's have a recap of the language we've learned in this episode, starting with habitable, which describes a place or habitat that is suitable for something to live.

‘zone’指的是具有某种特定特征的区域。

A zone is an area with a particular feature.

‘Potential’ 指的是具备某种可能的特质或能力。

Potential describes having possible qualities or abilities to do something.

短语动词 ‘rule out’ 的意思是排除某种可能性或想法。

The phrasal verb rule out means to dismiss the possibility or idea of something.

我们还学了 ‘dominated’ 这个词。

We also had dominated.

如果某事物被另一事物主导，就意味着它被控制了，或者是最主要的部分。

If something is dominated by something else, it is controlled by it or is the most significant element of it.

最后，表达 ‘fingers crossed’ 用来表达希望或好运。

And finally, the expression fingers crossed is used to wish for hope or luck.

好了，我们这六分钟又到了，别忘了去我们的网站 bbclearningenglish.com 做个测验和下载练习题。

Once again, our six minutes are up, but head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com for a quiz and worksheet for this episode.

我们很快再见。

See you soon.

暂时告别了。

Goodbye for now.

再见。

Bye.

六分钟英语。

Six Minute English.

来自bbc学习英语网。

From bbclearningenglish.com.