“中国天眼”发现迄今宇宙最大原子气体结构【健谈英语】

【头条播报】
China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) discovered the biggest atomic cloud in the universe by far, which is 20 times larger than our Milky Way galaxy. The scientists found a mammoth low-density gaseous structure existed in a relatively far location from the center of a group of galaxies known as Stephan’s Quintet. The discovery challenges the current understanding of how the galaxies and the gaseous structure evolved in the universe as the atomic gas with low density should have been destroyed by the ultraviolet radiation in the cosmic background based on current theories.

【分句讲解】
①China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) discovered the biggest atomic cloud in the universe by far, which is 20 times larger than our Milky Way galaxy.
被誉为中国天眼的500米口径球面射电望远镜发现了迄今为止宇宙中最大的原子云，比我们的银河系大20倍。

1. China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) 中国天眼

aperture n. 小孔，缝隙；孔径，口径
spherical adj. 球形的，球状的

Most planets are spherical objects.
大多数的行星都是球状体。

radio telescope 射电望远镜

2. atomic cloud 原子云

3. by far 大大地，……得多

②The scientists found a mammoth low-density gaseous structure existed in a relatively far location from the center of a group of galaxies known as Stephan’s Quintet.
科学家们发现，在距离斯蒂芬五重星系群中心相对较远的位置，存在一个巨大的低密度气体结构。

1. mammoth n. 猛犸象；庞然大物 adj. 极其巨大的，庞大的

a mammoth task 巨大的任务
a financial crisis of mammoth proportions 极其严重的金融危机

2. low-density adj. 低密度的

density n. 密度，浓度
population density 人口密度
high density 高密度

3. gaseous structure 气体结构

gaseous adj. 似气体的，含气体的
a gaseous mixture 气体混合物
in gaseous form 气态

structure n. 结构，构造
Your essay needs a structure.
你的文章组织不够好。

4. relatively adv. 相当地，相对地

I found the test relatively easy.
我觉得这次测试比较容易。
We had relatively few applications for the job.
申请我们这项工作的人相对较少。

relatively speaking 相对而言

5. Stephan’s Quintet 斯蒂芬五重星

quintet n. 五重奏乐团，五重唱组合；五个一组，五件一套，五位一队
a string quintet 弦乐五重奏

③The discovery challenges the current understanding of how the galaxies and the gaseous structure evolved in the universe as the atomic gas with low density should have been destroyed by the ultraviolet radiation in the cosmic background based on current theories.
这一发现挑战了目前对星系和气体结构如何在宇宙中演化的理解，因为根据目前的理论，低密度的原子气体本应被宇宙空间背景中的紫外线辐射所破坏。

1. challenge v. 挑战，质疑，怀疑；考查能力，考验

She does not like anyone challenging her authority.
她不喜欢任何人挑战她的权威。
The job doesn’t really challenge her.
这项工作不能真正考验她的能力。

2. evolve v. 逐渐演变，逐步发展；进化

evolution n. 进化
Darwin’s theory of evolution 达尔文的进化论