地球与火星的亲密接触

This is a real show, and if you don’t believe me, go to the web, the Hubble rather, website, and take a look at some of the spectacular pictures that it has gotten now of the planet Mars. Mars and earth coming together just about two hours ago now. The closest they have come in years and years and years, and the closest they will come till the year 2287.

So people from all over the earth are looking into the sky. And you don’t have to have the kinds of high-powered equipment they have at places like here at the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Experts say it looks like a fussy red orb as bright as almost any of the other planets with a disk. It is still 34 million miles away even at its closest point. Scientists are still trying to find out for sure if there ever was enough water to support some form of life on Mars, or pretty sure there aren’t any little green people around. But they keep exploring Mars, and there is good reason.

And we’re told the very best time to get a look at Mars will be between tonight and the

这是一次真正的展现。如果你不相信，那就去上网，登录哈勃网站，看看它给火星拍摄的一些引人入胜的画面。现在火星和地球的亲密接触才两个小时。这是许多许多年来它们距离最近的一次，而且也是2287年之前它们最接近的一次。

所以，全世界的人都在仰望天空。而且你没必要拥有像美国海军天文台那里一样的高倍望远镜。

专家们说，这个看起来像是仔细装饰过的红色天体，几乎和所有其他有碟形环绕的行星一样亮。即使在近地点，它（离我们）也还有3400万英里远。科学家们仍在试图确定那里是否有足以维持某些生命形式的水，或基本确定那里并没有“小绿人”的存在。但他们还是一直在探索火星，并且有不错的理由。

我们得知，观察火星的最佳时间是今晚至九月末之间。我们在华盛顿海军天文台为您现场报道。

1. 0’39” It is still 34 million miles away even at its closest point.此句中的million被重读，强调了这个天体与我们的距离之远。在听力中对于播音员重读的词语要引起注意，它们往往对于新闻的理解有着重要的意义。

2. 0’44” Scientists are still trying to find out for sure if there ever was enough water to support some form of life on Mars, or pretty sure there aren’t any little green people around.这句话中find 以辅音结尾，out 以元音开头，为发音方便二者被连读为[faindaut]。find out 是“找出，查明”的意思。如Daniel wants to find out more about life in space in the future. （丹尼尔想找出更多关于未来太空上的生活情况。）另外，for与sure搭配，表示“确实，确定”。