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UnitlCosmicBeginnings宇宙的起源1.WhereandwhendoesthehistoryoftheEarthbegin?Onlyinthelastfewdecadescouldthisquestionbeaskedwithanyhopeofascientificanswer,地球的历史上是何时何地开始的?只有在过去的儿十年里,这个问题オ有了一个比较科学的回答来解释。CertainlyonegoodpointatwhichtostartisthetimewhenthematerialsthatweretobecometheEarthbecameseparatedinspacefrommaterialsthatweretobecomeothermembersofthesolarsystem,当然存在ー个较好的说法是地球的起源时间是当组成地球的物质在宇宙中开始与太空中组成太阳系其它成员的物质分离的时候.Althoughthestorycouldwellcommencehere,agreatmanyimportantquestionswouldremainunanswered.虽然故事很可能开始在这里,许多重要的问题仍悬而未决。SomethingneedstobesaidaboutthematerialsthatmakeuptheEarth,andthispushesthequestionoforigintoamoreremoteperiod.ー些有必要提及的物质构成了地球,这将推动更偏远的起源问题。Earth'spartnersinspacemustalsobeconsidered,地球在太空的合作伙伴也必须加以考虑。Nowthatweknowfromfirst-handobservationsagreatdealaboutphysicalconditionsonotherplanetswecanseekreasonableanswersastowhyearlyEarthwasdifferentfromearlyMarsandearlymoon,现在我们知道从其他星球上得到的第一手观察的物理条件,这让我们可以尽早寻求合理的答案,为什么地球是不同于早期火星和月球。Tounderstanddifferencesandsimilarities,wemuststudytheentiresolarsystemincludingthesun.为了理解差异和相似之处,我们必须研究包括太阳的整个太阳系。Tounderstandstarsoftheclasstowhichthesunbelongs,weneedtoknowmoreaboutotherbodiesintheMilkyWayGalaxy.为了了解恒星太阳所属的类,我们需要知道更多关于银河系的其他天体。4.Thesolarsystemoccupiesavast,flattened,lens-shapedregionofspace,inwhichtheplanetsandmostofthesmallercomponentsmoveinanalmostperfectplanearoundthesun.4.太阳系在太空中是一个巨大的,平坦的,透镜状的区域,行星和大部分的更小的组件沿着ー个几乎完整的面绕着太阳转。ThisstructurehasnaturallybeencomparedtothespiralgalaxiesandtotheplanetSaturnwithitssatellitesandpuzzlingrings.这个结构好比与螺旋星系和土星和它的卫星或不明飞行体ー样。Althoughthesolarsystemisunlikeeitheroftheseaggregationsindetail,theconceptofalargecentralbodywithflattenedencirclingringsorspiralarmsremainsasthestartingpointformoderntheoriesofitsorigin,虽然太阳系在细节上也不像这些集合体,但是带有平坦的螺旋圈或旋臂仍然是现代起源理论的起点。DepositionalEnvironment沉积环境1.Thecharacteristicpropertiesofsedimentaryrocksaregeneratedthroughthecombinedactionofthevariousphysical,chemical,andbiologicalprocessesthatmakeupthesedimentarycycle.沉积岩的特征性质是由各种物理、化学和生物过程的共同作用产生的,这些过程组成了沉积旋回。Weathering,erosion,sedimenttransport,deposition,anddiagenesisallleavetheirimpressinsomewayonthefinalsedimentaryrockproduct.风化、侵蚀、沉积物搬运、沉积和成岩作用以某种方式形成了最后沉积岩产物。itisthesedimentaryprocessesandconditionsthatcollectivelyconstitutethedepositionalenvironmentandplaytheprimaryroleindeterminingtextures,structures,beddingfeatures,andstratigraphiccharacteristicofsedimentaryrocks,况积过程和条件,共同构成了沉积环境并在决定纹理、结构、层理特征,地层沉积岩的特征方面扮演主要的角色。Thisclosegeneticrelationshipbetweendepositionalprocessesandrockpropertiesprovidesapotentiallypowerfultoolforinterpretingancientdepositionalenvironments.沉积过程与岩性之间的继承关系提供了一个工具来为了怎样解释古沉积环境。Ifgeologistscanfindawaytorelatespecificrockpropertiestoparticulardepositionalprocessesandconditions,theycanworkbackwardtoinfertheancientdepositionalprocessesandenvironmentalconditionsthatcreatedtheseparticularrockproperties.如果地质学家能找到ー种方法将岩石特性与特殊的沉积过程和条件相关联,他们就能够反推造成这些特殊岩石性质的古代沉积过程和环境条件。
14.Studyofancientdepositionalenvironmentsisimportantbecausetheinsightgainedthroughenvironmentalanalysisallowsustoreconstructthepaleogeographyofpreviousgeologicperiods,thatis,therelationshipofancientlandsandseas.占沉积环境的研究是很重要的,因为该方法获得的信息通过环境分析使我们能够重建前地质时期的古地理学,也就是说,古老的陆地与海洋的关系。!thelpsusalsotodevelopaproperunderstandingofsedimentaryprocessesinthehistoryofEarthandanimprovedabilitytointerpretcomplexstratigraphicrelationshipssuchaslateralandverticalvariationsinlithologyandtexture.它也帮助我们开发ー个正确理解地球历史上的沉积过程和・种改进的能力来解释复杂的地层关系如横向和纵向岩性和质地的变化。Furthermore,thoroughunderstandingofdepositionalenvironmentsisanessentialfactorinevaluatingtheeconomicsignificanceofsedimentaryrocks,theirpotentialreserviorrocksandsourcerocksforpetroleum,forexample.此外,彻底了解沉积环境在评估沉积岩的经济意义上是ー个重要的因素,其潜在储层岩石和石油燈源岩,为例。Unit2Superposition:AFundamentalLawofGeology地层叠覆律:地质学的基本定律l.Thechiefdistinguishingcharacteristicofsedimentaryrocksisthattheyarefoundinlayersorbeds,theyare,inotherwords,beddeddeposits.沉积岩的主要特点是它们具有层理,换句话说,它们就是层状沉积物。Thisisbecausethematerialsofwhichtheyarecomposedhavesettledoutofairorwatersoastobemoreorlessevenlydistributed.这是因为它们的材料解决了由空气或水,或多或少是均匀分布的。Thesettlingprocessisnotcontinuous,whatgoesonissomewhatlikethesuccessivesnowstormsofwinterthatproducethickandthinlayersofsnow.沉降过程不是连续的,发生的事情有点像冬天的暴风雪连续产生厚和薄层的积雪。Mostsedimentsaremadeupofsmallparticlesofpreexistingrocksthathavebeenpickedup,transported,spreadout,anddepositedbycurrentsofairorwater.大多数沉积物山先前存在的岩石微粒,这些岩石微粒在气流和水流中不断分选、搬运、扩散、沉降卜来。Othersedimentssuchassaltareprecipitateddirectlyfromwater;盐等其他沉积物直接从水中沉淀下来;otherssuchascoalorcoralreefsconsistoforganicmaterialburiedattheplaceofgrowth.煤或珊瑚礁等由有机材料埋藏所致。2.Althoughsedimentarybedsshowagreatrangeinthicknesscomposition,color,internalstructure,fossilcontent,andreactiontoerosion,thecharacteristicofhavinglayersthatare(orwere)originallylevel,ornearlyso,isuniversal.虽然沉积岩层在厚度组分、颜色、内部结构、化石含量、对剥蚀的反应均表现较大的变化,但是原本是水平的具有岩层的特点这几乎是普遍存在的。Inthelanguageofgeology,asinglebediscalledastratum:agroupofbedsarecalledstrata.thestudyofstrataiscalledStratigraphy,andapersonwhospecializesinthesubjectisastratigrapher.在地质语言中,ー个单独的层称作岩层,ー组层称作地层,而专门研究地层的学问称为地层学,非常精于这门学科的人称为地层学家。Stratigraphyisaveryimportantbranchofgeology.地层学是地质学的ー个非常重要的分支。itconcernstherecognitionandinterpretationofstratifiedrocks,theconditionsoftheirformation,theircharacteristics,arrangements,sequence,age,distribution,andcorrelation,ormatching,bytheuseoffossilsandothermeans.它包括层状岩石的识别和解释、其形成的条件,他们的特点、排列、顺序、时代、相关性,或匹配性,可通过使用化石和其他手段来进行研究。PlateTeaonics板块构造运动1.Foralmost200years,geologistshavesupportedvarioustheoriesofmountain-building,volcanism,andothermajorphenomenaofEarth.近200年来,地质学家们提出并支持不同的理论,如造山理论,火山活动,以及地球其他主要现象。Nonewasgeneralenoughtoexplainwellthewholerangeofgeologicprocesses.没有一个合理的说法能解释整个范围内的地质过程。Now,thereexistsasingle,all-encompassingconceptthatinterpretsmanyofthemajorgeologicfeaturesoftheEarth.现在,存在ー个单・的、包罗万象的概念能解释许多地球的主要地质特征。Suchtopicsasthe
2classificationanddistributionofrocks,thehistoryofsedimentaryrocksequences,thepositionandcharacteristicsofvolcanoes,earthquakebelts,mountainsystems,deep-seatrenches,andoceanbasinswereformerlydescribedinmore-or-lessunrelatedfashion.这些观点如岩石的分类和分布、沉枳着序列的历史、火山的位置和特征、地震带、山系、深海海沟以及海洋盆地等观点被描述成•种看似不相关的趋势。Todayplatetectonics,inwhichthelarge-scalepattern,ifnottheunderlyingmechanism,isrecognized.今天大规模的板块构造,如果不是底层机制,是公认的。Tobesure,somegeologistshavefoundflawsincertainpartsofthetheory,butfewrejectitentirely.Revolutionstendtobelargelycompleteintwentyyears.可以肯定的是,ー些地质学家发现在某些部分的理论缺陷,但很少有人完全拒绝。革命往往是在二十年基本完成。3.Thecentralideaofplatetectonicsisremarkablysimple.Thelithosphereisbrokenintoabouttenlargerigidplates,eachplatemovingasadistinctunit.板块构造的中心思想是非常简单的。岩石圈被分解为十大刚性板块,每个板块作为ー种独特的单元移动。Themajorplatesandthedirectionsinwhichtheymovearesketchedinsidethebackcover,主要的板块和他们移动的方向是在背面进行的。Manylarge-scalegeologicalfeaturesareassociatedwiththeboundariesbetweentheplates.Platesspreadapartalongdivergentjunctionstypifiedbythecrack-likevalleyatthecrestofthemid-Atlanticridge.许多大规模地质特征与板块之间的边界相关联。板块沿着裂开点分散在不同的地方典型的如大西洋洋中脊的裂谷。ThisparticularfeatureisthecontactbetweentheAmericanplateontheonehandandtheEurasianandAfricanplatesontheother.这个特点是美洲板块与欧亚板块和非洲板块相联系的。Thedivergentjunctionischaracterizedbyearthquakeactivityandvolcanism.发散点的特点是地宸活动和火山活动。Thevoidbetweentherecedingplatesisfilledbymelted,mobilematerialthatrisesfrombelowthelithosphere.后退板之间的空隙是由熔融的、移动的从岩石圈以下上升的物质填充的。Thematerialsolidifiesinthecrack,andtheplatesgrowastheyseparate.Sincenewseaflooriscreated,thispartoftheprocesshasbeendubbedsea-floorspreading.这物质在裂隙中凝固,板块独立运动。因为创建了新的海底,这过程被称为海底扩张。7.Thetheoryofplatetectonicshasbeentakingshape,ourunderstandingoftheinternalandexternalheatenginesoftheEarthhasalsodeepened.板块构造理论一经成形,我们对地球的内部和外部的热引撃的理解也加深了〇Themanywaysinwhichtheinternalandexternalheatenginesarelinkedprovideexcitingnewterritoryforgeologistsandoceanographerstoexplore.内部和外部的热动カ相互连接的许多方面为地质学家和海洋学家提供了激动人心的新领域进行探索。Aswefindoutmoreabouteachengine,wefindoutmoreabouttheirinteractions.当我们找到更多关于每种动カ,以及我们找到更多关于它们之间的相互作用。Theirinteractions,too,canaffectusdrasticallyaswhenanearthquake,thathappenstooccurduringPeru'srainyseasontriggersamassivemudflowthatkillsthousandsofpeople(1970),orwhenavolcanolikeMt.StHelenseruptssendingsomuchvolcanicashintotheatmospherethatthequantityofatmosphericdustoverthewholeworldissignificantlyincreased(1980).它们的相互作用也可以强烈影响到我们。当地震来临时,如偶然发生在多雨季的秘鲁中的地震触发大规模的泥石流,泥石流杀死了成千上万的人(1970),或者如圣海伦斯火山爆发将许多的火山灰喷发到大气中使得大气尘埃的数量在全世界都显著增加(1980).Unit3FossilstoDateRocks追溯岩石的化石1.Allsedimentaryrocksoccurinbeds,orlayers,separatedbybeddingplanes.所有的沉积岩都出现在岩层或地层中,并且它们以层理面分开。Thelawofsuperposition,whichstatesthatinanypileofundisturbedsedimentsanybedisolderthantheoverlyingbedandyoungerthantheunderlyingone,isoffundamentalimportanceinreconstructingthepast.地层叠覆律在重建过去是非常重要的,它说明了在任何未被扰动的沉积物中,上覆的岩层比下伏的岩层要年轻。Theoriginallevelconditionofsedimentsmaybedisturbedbyfaulting,foldingandsliding,andinextremecasessuperpositionmaynotapply.沉积物的原始水平条件可能被断层,褶皱和滑动干扰,并且在极端情况下地层叠覆律可能不适用。However,inmanycasesfossilsinsedimentaryrocksbecomeimportanttodaterocks.然而,在许多情况下沉积岩中的化石对于追溯岩石显得很重要。
3最后一段:Wenowperceivethatlivingthingshavelittlecontroloverwhatgoesoninthephysicalworld,我们现在认为,生物难以控制的物理世界。Asclimatesshift,andlandsrise,sink,orshiftposition,theiroccupantsmustadjustaccordingly.随着气候变化,陆地上升下降,或改变位置,当地居民也必须相应地做出调整。Withinthelastdecade,muchattentionhasbeengiventotheponderousforcesthathavesplitcontinentsapartandweldedthemtogetherinever-changingaggregations.Withoutfossilswewouldbemuchlesssureaboutwhatisgoingon.在过去的十年里,人们一直十分关注那些让大陆不断分分合合的繁域的动カ。如果没有化石,我们就不知道是怎么回事。!tisfossilsthatgaveusthethoughtthatIndiawasonceinthesouthernhemisphere,thatAfricaandSouthAmericawereoncejoined,thatAntarcticawasonceinatropicalzone,andthattherocksattheverysummitofMountQomolangmawereformedinthebottomofanocean400millionyearsago.正是化石让我们认为印度曾经在南半球,非洲和南美洲曾经是连接起来的,南极洲曾经是在热带区域,在珠穆朗玛峰峰顶的岩石是形成于4亿年前海洋的底部。Unit4Paleomagnetics:AMostSignificantSynthesisofEarthSciences古地磁学:ー个组成地球科学最重要的综合学科Magnetismwasprobablydiscoveredwhenitwasfirstnotedthatcertainnaturalmineralsattractedorrepelledeachother.当磁性首次被指出在某些天然矿物中出现相互吸引或排斥的性质就可能已经被发现了。Thisismoststronglyshowninconnectionwiththemineralsmagnetite(Fe304),hematite(Fe203),andilmenite(FeTi03).其中在磁铁矿(Fe304),赤铁矿(Fe203)和钛铁矿(FeTiO3)中表现比较突出。Evenrockswithasmallcontentofthesemineralsaremagnetic,andtheirmagnetismcanbemeasured.甚至只含少量这些矿物的岩石都能具有磁性,且它们的磁性可以被测出来。Manyrocks,includingthelavaknownasbasalt,andsedimentswithironmineralsareknowntoacquiremagnetizationwhentheyareformed.许多岩石,包括熔岩如玄武岩和含铁矿物的沉积物在它们形成时就具有磁性了。Duringtheprocessofcoolingoflavaormagma,thesusceptibleironmineralsbecomemagnetizedintheEarth'sprevailingfield.Thisiscalledthermoremanentmagnetism(TRM).在熔岩或岩浆的冷却过程中,易铁矿化的矿物地球的磁场中被磁化,这被称为热剩余磁性(TRM)。Whenironmineralsarebeingdepositedasparticles,theyfallintoplacelikefreelyswingingcompassneedlesalignedinthedirectionoftheEarth'sfield.Thisiscalleddepositionalremanentmagnetism(DRM),当铁矿物作为颗粒沉积时,它们沉降的位置像自山摆动的指南针与地球磁场的方向是一致的,这就是所谓的沉积剩磁(DRM)。4.Asinvestigatorsbegantostudyolderiron-richlavasandred(iron-rich)sediments,theywerenotsurprisedtofindthatthepositionofthemagneticpoleshasnotbeenconstant-itshiftedconsiderablyeveninhistorictimes.当调査人员开始研究古老的‘富含铁的熔界和纟I色(富含铁)的沉枳物时,他们对发现磁极的位置不是固定不变的并不感到惊讶,磁极的位置在历史时期是变化的。WhatdidsurprisethemwasthefactthattheEarth'smagneticfieldhasbeenreversedagreatmanytimes.让他们惊讶的事实是地球的磁场已经倒转很多次了。Thenorthmagneticpolehasfrequentlybecomethesouthmagneticpole.TheEarthdidnottipover-onlytheinvisiblepositiveandnegativepolestookonreversesigns.磁北极频繁地成为磁南极。其实地球并没有倒转,只是无形的止负两极T扭转的迹象。Thesechangesare,ofcourse,worldwideandaffecteverymagneticmineralformedatanygiveninstant.当然,这些变化是全球性的,并且它影响每ー个已经形成的磁性矿物。Thatthisistruewasprovenbyobtainingtheactualagesofstatisticallysignificantnumbersofspecimens,它们确实可以由许多数量的标本在数据上获得岩石真实年龄来证实。Therecouldbenodoubtofthetheory;allspecimensofthesameageareeithernegativelyorpositivelymagnetized.Therewasnomixingofpolaritysigns,毫无疑问所有同时代的标本是具有同一磁性的,要么正极性或者负极性,没有混合极的现象标志。Periodsofmagnetizationlikethepresentaretermednormal;thoseoppositelymagnetizedaretermedreversed,磁化的时间像现在ー样的称为正常的,反之为倒转的。
4Volcanism火山活动2.Fordecadesgeologistshavedebatedthesourceofmagma,thehotandmobilematerialthatisgeneratedwithintheEarthandthatsolidifiesintoigneousrock.儿十年来,地质学家们讨论岩浆的来源,岩浆是炎热和移动性的,它们在地球内部生成,最后凝固成火成岩。Thereisnowlittledoubt,sotheseismologiststellus,thattheasthenosphere,whichextendsfromdepthsofabout75tO250km,istheonelargeregioninthemantlethatispartiallymolten.据地震学家告诉我们的,现在毫无疑问,软流圈是一个存在于地幔中的、部分熔融的大块的区域,它分布于约?5至リ250公里的深度。Itisreasonable,therefore,toidentifythislayerasamainsourceofmagma.Remeltingofsectionsofthelithospheremayprovideanothersourceofmagma,因而鉴定这ー层作为ー个主要的岩浆来源的说法是合理的。岩石圈的重熔的部分可以提供另一个岩浆的来源。Atcertainplaces,perhapswherethelithosphereisfracturedorotherwiseweakened,themagmarises,squeezedupbytheweightoftheoverlyingcrust,someofiteventuallyreachingthesurfacewhereiteruptsaslava.也许容易发生在某些地方,如在岩石圈断裂或削弱、岩浆上升、或上覆地壳的挤压的地方,其中一些最终通过作为熔岩喷发到达表面。Lavadiffersfromtheparentmagmainthatlavahaslostsomevolatileconstituents(gases)totheatmosphereoroceanandhasgainedorlostotherchemicalcomponentsonroutetothesurface.熔石イ、同于母岩浆,熔岩的石浆已经失去了一些挥发性成分(气体)于大气或海洋中,并且在到达地表的过程中获得或失去ー些化学组分。Despitethesedifierences,lavaprovidesimportantcluestothechemicalcompositionandphysicalstateoftheuppermantle.尽管存在这些差异,熔岩为上地幔的化学成分和物理状态提供了重要的线索。4.Volcanicrocksareimportantnotonlyforwhattheyrevealabouttheinteriorbutalsobecausethechemical-mineralogicalcompositionoflavasaffectseruptivestylesandthekindsoflandformstheybuilduponfreezing.火山岩很重要,不仅因为它们揭示了地球内部而且也因为熔岩的化学矿物成分影响喷发类型和它们冷去卩后形成的地貌。Tounderstandthevarietyofshapesofvolcanoes-whysomeeruptionsareexplosiveandothersgentle-wemustbeginwiththerocksthemselves.为了了解各种形状的火山以及为什么ー些火山喷发是猛烈的,而另ー些是柔和的,我们则必须从岩石本身着手。Igneousrocksareclassifiedintofourmajorgroupsonthebasisofsilicacontentandmineralogy:felsic,intermediate,mafic,andultramafic,火成石ケK砧硅的含量和矿物分为四种类型:长英质的、中性的、镁铁质的、超镁铁质的。Veryslowcoolinggivesrisetothelargemineralgrainsfoundinintrustiverocks;fastercoolingresultsinafine-grainedrock;andveryrapidcoolinginglass,sincethereisnotimeforcrystalgrowth.在侵入岩中发现缓慢的冷却形成大的矿物颗粒,快速冷却导致岩石中生成细粒的矿物,在玻璃质中以更快的速度冷却,因为没有时间让晶体生长。Thecoarsegrained,intrusive,analogsofLava,whichareimportantindiscussingtheoriginofmagma,are:rhyolite-granite,andesite-diorite,andbasalt-gabbrowiththesystematicincreaseinsilicaandthedecreaseiniron-magnesiumoxidesingoingfrombasalttoandesitetorhyolite,粗粒的、侵入的、熔岩的类似物,它们在讨论岩浆的起源时是重要的,它们是:流纹岩一花岗岩,安山岩一闪长岩,玄武岩一辉长岩,随着系统中硅的增加和铁镁氧化物的减少从玄武岩到安山岩到流纹岩变化着。