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4pptConvertor
《研究生英语精读教程》(第三版下)
中国人民大学出版社
UnitFour
TheManWhoDiscoveredMotherNature
1.Text
2.Exercise
3.SupplementaryReading
TheManWhoDiscoveredMotherNature
JamesLovelock's①boldnewtheory
mayforeverchangethewaywe
lookatlifeonourplanet
LowellPonte
peacock△n.alargebird,whichhaslongtailfeathers孔雀
strut△vi.(usu.derog)towalkproudlyandstiffly,esp.withthechestpushedforwardsandtryingtolookimportant大摇大摆地走,架子十足地走
[1]AMIDGREENROLLINGHILLSinsouthwestEngland,themud-and-strawcottageseemsunchangedsinceShakespeare's①time.Peacocks*strut*inthesurroundingmeadow.
Butanewadjoining*buildinghousesalaboratoryfilledwithcomputers,chromatographs*,chemicalandelectronicequipment.
adjoining△adj.touchingorhavingacommonboundaryatapointorline毗邻的
chromatographn.instrumentforseparatingandusu.identifyingthechemicalcompoundspresentinamixturebydissolvingthemixtureinaliquidorgasandpassingitoverorthroughanabsorbentsubstancesothateachcompoundremainsinthesubstanceasaseparateoftencoloredlayer色谱仪,色层分离仪
[2]Theowner,JamesLovelock,isananachronism*.Inanagewhenalmostallscientistsarespecialistsworkinginlargeorganizations,Lovelock,now72,isanindependentresearcherandinventor,freelypursuinghiscuriosityacrossmanyfields.
anachronismn.aperson,thing,orideathatisorappearstobeinthewrongperiodoftime与时代不相符合的人(或事物)
Credited*withmorethan40patents*,heresemblesamodernBenFranklin①,whowouldstudytheGulfStream②onedayandthenextflyhiskitetocatchthesecretsoflightningbolts.Andfromhissmalllaboratory,Lovelockhasproposedatheorythatischangingthewayscientiststhinkaboutlifeonourplanet.
credit※vt.toconsiderusu.favorablyasthesource,author,motivatingagent,orperformerofanactionoraspossessorofatrait—usu.usedwith“with”认为…有(某种优点或成就等)
patent※n.agrantmadebyagovernmenttoaninventor,assuringhimthesolerighttomake,useandsellhisinventionforacertainperiodoftime专利,专利权
[3]ItallbeganmorethanthreedecadesagowhenLovelockdevisedtheelectroncapturedetector*.Stillwidelyused,thiselectronicnoseisabletosniffoutafewpartspertrillion*ofchemicalsfoundinthesoil,waterorair.AwareofLovelock'sskills,NASA③askedhimin1961tohelpdevisewaysofdetectinglifeonMars.
detector△n.anyinstrumentforfindingoutthepresenceofsomething检测器,探测器
trillionn.(Gt.Brit.)millionmillionmillion[英]百亿亿,百万兆(百万的三次幂);[美]百亿,兆(百万的二次幂)
[4]LovelockstudiedthechemistryofMars,usinganalysesprovidedbyNASA'sinfrared*telescopes,andfoundthatnochemicalchangesweregoingon.Suchstabilitywasacleargravestonemarkingalifelessplanet.Later,twoViking*robotlandersonMarsconfirmedhisgrimanalysis.
infrared※adj.oforbeingraysoflightoflongwavelengththatcannotbeseenbutgiveheat红外线的,产生红外辐射的
Vikingn.thecoastsofnorthernandwesternEuropefromthe8ththroughthe10thcentury北欧海盗;海盗;维京人
Butnownoticethis.Ifonesimplywithholdstreatment,itmaytakethepatientlongertodie,andsohemaysuffermorethanhewouldifmoredirectactionweretakenandlethal*injectiongiven.Thisfactprovidesstrongreasonforthinkingthat,oncetheinitialdecisionnottoprolonghisagonyhasbeenmade,activeeuthanasiaisactuallypreferabletopassiveeuthanasia,ratherthanthereverse.
lethal※adj.ableorcertaintokill致死的
[5]ButwhilesearchingforsignsoflifeonMars,Lovelockbecamefascinatedwiththe"Goldilocks*Problem",apuzzlethathaslongintrigued*scientists:
WhyisVenustoohotforlife,MarstoocoldandEarthjustright?
goldilocksn.aEuropeanplant欧洲一种黄花;金发菊属植物;欧洲童话中的一位“金发小姑娘”(她到野外游玩,误入住有三只熊的房子,她把熊老二的粥喝了,椅子坐坏了,最后倒在熊老二的床上睡着了。
)
intriguevt.arousetheinterestorcuriosityof激起……的兴趣或好奇心;使感到迷惑不解而急欲弄清
[6]ResearchersusedtoassumethatEarthsimplyhadthegoodlucktobeatpreciselytherightdistancefromtheSunsothatwaterremainedinaliquidstate,attemperaturesbetweenboilingandfreezing.
Butoursunhasburnedhotterasitages;thebestestimateisthatitshineswith25to30percentmorelightandheatthanwhenlifefirstappearedonEarthabout3.8billionyearsago.Earth'saveragetemperaturethenisestimatedtohavebeenaround73degreesFahrenheit.Todayit'scooler,about59degreesF.Howcouldthisbe?
[7]Lovelockwonderedwhethersomepowerful,selfregulatingsystemwasatwork.Hecameupwithaprovocative*thesis:
ourplanetactslikeagiantlivingorganism,inwhichalllivingthingsinteracttomaintainstability.
provocativeadj.likelytocause,anger,argument,interest,etc.激怒的;引起议论、兴趣等的;刺激的
Individualsandspeciesunknowinglyplayapart,muchastheredbloodcellsinyourbodyhavealifeoftheirown,butunwittingly*workinconcerttomaintainyourlife.
unwittingadj.notknowingornotintended不知情的;无心的;非故意的
[8]NobelPrizewinningauthorWilliamGolding①,Lovelock'sneighbor,suggestedcallingthetheoryGaia(GUY-ah)aftertheancientGreekEarthgoddess,Lovelockembraced*thename.Sincehefirstpropounded*itin1969,theGaiaHypothesis②hasbecomethecenterofamajorstormofscientificdebate.
embracevt.accept;makeuseof接受;利用
propoundvt.putforwardorofferforconsiderationorsolution提出以供考虑或解决
[9]Simpleasitsounds,theGaiaHypothesisisarevolutionaryidea.Itarguesthatlivingthingsarenotpassivevictimsoftheirenvironmentbutcanalterit.ThetheorycouldtransformscientificthinkingmuchasdidSirIsaacNewton's①imageoftheuniverseasaclockworkmechanism.
Gaiachallengesthescientificestablishment-whoseexpertsjealouslyrulenarrowspecialties-toseeabiggerpicture:
theworldasonesysteminwhichseaandskyandlifetransformoneanother.
AsLovelock,whoearnedhisdoctorate*inmedicine,hassaid,"WeneedtostudyEarthasdoctorsdiagnoseandtreatpatients,notasanisolatedlegorearbutasawhole,livingbeing.Weneedscientiststothinkinanewway,tobegeophysicians."
doctoraten.thedegreeorstatusofadoctorasconferredbyauniversity博士衔,博士学位
[10]TounderstandhowGaiaworks,turntheclockbacktowhenlifewasfirstemerging.EvidencesuggeststhatEarth'satmospherethencontainedupto98percentcarbondioxide.Thisproduceda"supergreenhouseeffect“thatkeptourworldwarm.
ButastheSungraduallyburnedhotter,whatpreventedEarthfrombecomingoverheated?
Justsucharunaway*greenhouseeffectturnedVenus,aplanetverysimilartooursinsizeandprimordial*chemistry,intoahellishplacewithsurfacetemperaturesabove800F.
runawayadj.outofcontrol脱离控制的
primordialadj.existingfromoratthebeginning(oftime)初发的,初生的;原始的,(从)原始时代存在的
Lovelock'sansweristhatonEarthlivingthingsmadethedifference.Thefirstbacteria,forinstance,consumedcarbondioxide,removingitfromtheatmosphereandlimitingtheeffectofthisgreenhousegas.
[11]Thenaround3.7billionyearsago,earlyformsofbluegreenalgae*begantousesunlighttomakefood.Buttheyalsoproducedwhatwasintheirworldapoisonousgas-oxygen.Whenthiseventuallybegantoaccumulateintheatmosphere,2.5billionyearsago,itcooledtheplanetandkilledsomelifeforms.Otherorganismslearnedtolivewithoxygen,andthatsetthesceneforthelifewenowknow.
algaen.(pl.)verysimple,usu.verysmallplantsthatliveinornearwater(复数)水藻,海藻
[12]Todayoxygenmakesup21percentofEarth'satmosphere.Carbondioxidecomprisesonly3/100thsofonepercentoftheairaroundus.OnVenus,itis98percent.
[13]Gaiahasmanyfeedback*systems.Forinstance,Lovelockoncementionedhismeasurementsofplankton*-produceddimethylsulfide*gasintheatmospheretoUniversityofWashingtonscientistRobertCharlson.
feedback△n.remarksaboutorinanswertoanaction,process,etc.,passedbacktotheperson(ormachine)incharge,sothatchangescanbemadeifnecessary反馈,反应,回复
planktonn.theverysmallformsofplantandanimallifethatliveinwater,esp.thesea,andareeatenbymanyfish浮游生物
dimethylsulfiden.二甲硫
Charlsonhadbeenpuzzlingoverwhatunknownparticlesprovidethenucleionwhichmoisturecondenses,formingclouds.Asaresult,Lovelock,Charlsonandtwoothercolleaguehypothesized*anotherGaianfeedbackmechanism.
hypothesize※vt.toadoptasahypothesis;assume假设,假定
Ifweatherwarmed,planktonmightemit*moredimethylsulfide;theresultingsulfurparticlesintheairmightproducemoreabundantdropletsandreflective*clouds,therebyshadingtheworldbeneathandreflectingmoresunlightbackintospace.Earth,accordingtothisstilldebatedtheory,wouldberespondingtohotterconditionswithactiontocooltheenvironment.
emitvt.tosendout(esp.heat,light,smell,sound,etc.)散发,发射
reflective※adj.capableofreflectinglight,animage,soundwaves,etc.反射的,反映的
[14]Inthe22yearssinceLovelockpropoundedit,theGaiaHypothesishasattractedanoddassortment*ofenthusiasts.SomeindustrialistslikeGaiabecauseitseemstosuggestthatMotherEarthcouldsurviveevenvastamountsofindustrialpollution.
assortmentn.agrouporquantityofmixedthingsorofvariousexamplesofthesametypeofthing;mixture;acollectionofassortedthingsorpeople各种各类(人或物)的聚合;什锦;杂拌
Lovelockwouldagree,buthewouldaddthatthesurvivalmightincludereplacementofhumansbymorepollutionresistantspecies.ManyactivistsinEurope‘senvironmentalist“Green”partieshaveembracedtheirownnotionsofGaia.ButLovelockhascriticizedenvironmentalpoliticsasa“lushpasturefordemagogues*".
demagoguen.(derog)aleaderwhotriestogain,orhasgained,powerbyexcitingpopularfeelingsratherthanbyreasonedargu