(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Scientists who study the sun watch for sunspots -- violent storms that can affect communications, navigation systems and even electric power stations on Earth.
One of those scientists is Alex Young of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Crews at Goddard are studying the Earth and our solar system for NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Mr. Young recently told VOA what the space agency is learning about the sun.
Sunspots are a product of huge electromagnetic storms on the sun. Scientists on Earth are able to observe sunspots eight minutes after they happen. That is how long it takes for the sun's light to reach us.
The first electrically charged particles from a sunspot enter Earth's atmosphere about 20 to 30 minutes after the storm happens. These particles can harm human beings. So before they arrive, astronauts on the International Space Station move into special areas designed to protect them from their effects.
About a day or two later, the biggest part of the storm arrives. It is called a coronal mass ejection.
"That is billions of tons of solar material that's blown away from the sun. (When) it's traveling millions of kilometers an hour, but that is relatively slow."
That is Alex Young. He is the Associate Director for Science at NASA's Heliophysics Science Division.
Several civilian government agencies and the U.S. Air Force watch weather conditions in space 24 hours a day. NASA does so because it must protect its astronauts and the electronic devices on its spacecraft.
Scientists are also trying to understand why the number of sunspots rises and falls at almost regular intervals every 11 years. In other words, scientists can almost predict the amount of solar activity.
"Also, sometimes the intensity is higher, sometimes lower. For example, the current solar cycle, as we call it, that we are in, is much lower than the previous one."
Several satellites watch the sun and the environment between the sun and the earth. Pictures and other information from the satellites tell scientists what is happening on and near the sun.
Alex Young says we have only been looking at the sun with powerful instruments for about 30 to 40 years. That is a very short time compared to the four billion years that the star has been shining.
I'm Jim Tedder.
词汇解析
1.sunspot n. 太阳黑子；雀斑
The broadcast was snapped for a few seconds by the sunspot activity.
太阳黑子运动使广播突然中断了几秒钟。
2.electromagnetic adj. 电磁的
Some people are worried that electromagnetic fields from electric power lines could increase the risk of cancer.
有些人担心输电线的电磁场可能增加致癌几率。
3.ejection n. 喷出；排出物
Radioactivity is the ejection of particles or radiation from the nucleus.
放射性是原子从核中射出粒子或辐射的现象。
4.interval n. 间隔；间距；幕间休息
The process is repeated after a short interval of time.
该程序间隔很短时间就重复一次。
内容解析
1.Scientists who study the sun watch for sunspots -- violent storms that can affect communications, navigation systems and even electric power stations on Earth.
watch for 等待；当心；守候
We'll be watching for any developments.
我们会密切注视任何进展。
He is watching for a better chance.
他正在等待更好的机会。
2."That is billions of tons of solar material that's blown away from the sun. (When) it's traveling millions of kilometers an hour, but that is relatively slow."
blow away 吹走；驱散；给…留下深刻印象; 深深打动
I was blown away by the tone and the quality of the story.
我深深地被故事的基调和格调所打动。
Everyone I met overwhelmed me and kind of blew me away.
我遇到的每个人都让我很感动，可以说给我留下了深刻的印象。
参考译文
研究太阳的科学家会留心太阳黑子，这是一种能影响地球上通讯、导航系统甚至发电站的强烈风暴。
其中一位科学家是马里兰州格林贝尔特戈达德宇宙飞行中心的阿历克斯·杨，特戈达德的科学家们在为美国航天局研究地球和太阳系，杨最近告诉美国之音美国航天局正在研究太阳。
太阳黑子是太阳上的巨大电磁风暴引起的，地球上的科学家能在太阳黑子发生的8分钟后观察到这一现象，这也是太阳光抵达地球所需的时间。
在太阳风暴发生的大约20到30分钟后，第一批来自太阳黑子的充电粒子会抵达地球，这些粒子会影响人类。所以在这些粒子抵达地球之前，国际太空站上的宇航员会转移到专门保护他们的特别区域。
大约一两天后，太阳风暴中最大的一部分会抵达地球，这叫日冕物质抛射。
“这是从太阳抛射的数十亿吨的太阳能物质，每小时数百万千米的速度抵达地球，但这个速度还相对较慢。”
这就是阿历克斯·杨，他是美国航天局太阳物理学部的副主任。
几个民间与政府机构和美国空军观察一天24小时内的天气情况，美国航天局这么做，是因为该机构必须保护其宇航员和飞船上的电子设备。
科学家也在努力探明为何太阳黑子的数量会每隔11年出现有规律的增多和减少现象，也就是说，科学家能几乎预测中太阳活动的量。
“有时其活动强度较大，有时较低，比如，目前我们所处的太阳活动周期其活动强度就比以前小。”
几颗卫星在观测太阳和太阳与地球之间的环境，来自卫星的图片等信息告诉科学家们太阳上及其附近将会发生什么情况。
阿历克斯·杨说，我们用强大仪器来观测太阳也只有30、40年，相对于太阳已经照耀的40亿年来说，这是很短的时间。
我是吉姆·泰德。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
