来源信息
Title：Scientists find possible signs of life in the clouds of VenusSection：Science & technologyType：Planetary scienceDate：Sep 14th Source：Economist
原文、段落1&2
封面
The discovery of phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere could redirect the search for life beyond Earth
在这颗星球大气层中发现磷化氢可能会改变寻找地球以外生命的方向。
正文、译文
Venus1.mp3Venus1.mp300:34来自学习英语阅读
OF EARTH’S TWO planetary neighbours, Mars and Venus, it is Venus which shines brighter in the sky, comes closer in space, and is more similar in size and physical structure—almost Earth’s twin. But over the past 60 years it has been to Mars that science has paid the most attention. There are currently six operational spacecraft in orbit around it and two more on its surface; more are on their way. Venus is observed by a single small satellite. Yet following a new discovery made with telescopes on Earth, it is Venus which arguably now looks more likely to harbour the thing that planetary science cares most about: life.
在地球的两个邻居——火星和金星中，金星在天空中更亮，在太空中更近，在大小和物理结构上更接近地球，几乎是地球的孪生兄弟。但在过去的60年里，科学最关注的是火星。目前有六个运行中的航天器在它周围的轨道上，还有两个在它的表面；更多的正在路上。金星是由一颗小卫星观测到的。然而，随着望远镜在地球上的一项新发现，可以说，现在似乎金星更有可能拥有行星科学最关心的东西:生命。
The telescopes—the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii and ALMA in Chile—work not in visible light, but with sub-millimetre- and millimetre-wave radiation, which lies in between infrared light and radio waves. The hot depths of Venus’s atmosphere give off a fair bit of radiation at these wavelengths. The molecules in the cooler air above them absorb some of it as it passes out into space; the specific wavelengths absorbed depend on the molecules doing the absorbing. As a team of scientists from various institutions has now reported in Nature Astronomy, one of the chemicals thus revealed appears to be PH3, or phosphine, a molecule composed of phosphorous and hydrogen.
夏威夷的JCMT望远镜和智利的ALMA望远镜不在可见光下工作，而是在亚毫米和毫米波辐射下工作，这种辐射位于红外光和无线电波之间。金星大气的高温深处会释放出相当一部分这种波长的辐射。在它们上方较冷的空气中的分子在辐射进入太空时会吸收其中的一部分；吸收的特定波长取决于进行吸收的分子。正如来自不同机构的一个科学家团队现在在《自然-天文学》杂志上所报道的那样，由此揭示出的一种化学物质似乎是PH3，即磷化氢，一种由磷和氢组成的分子。
单词
1. semi-
UK/sem.i-/ US/sem.a-/ /sem.i-/
half or partly半；部分semi-literate半文盲semiconscious半意识的semi-permanent半永久性的semi-skilled workers半熟练工人a semi-autobiographical novel半自传体小说
semiconductorsUS: [.semakndktr] UK: [.semikndkt(r)]n. 【物】半导体Web 半导体材料；半导体产业；半导体类别词形：semiconductors
Another solar electric technology uses silicon or other semiconductors to convert the suns rays directly into electricity.另一种太阳能发电技术是利用硅或其他半导体把太阳光直接转换为电能。
2. spacecraft
US: [speskrft] UK: [speskrɑft]n. 【宇】宇宙飞船；航天器Web 太空船；空间飞行器；太空飞行器
3. orbit
US: [ bt] UK: [(r)bt]n. （天体等运行的）轨道；（人、组织等的）影响范围v. 沿轨道运行；围绕…运动Web 眼眶；运行轨道；作轨道运行词形：orbits、orbiting、orbited
Its orbit would be thousands of times further from the Sun than the Earths, which could explain why it was previously undiscovered.这颗行星的绕日运动轨道比地球长数千倍，这也许正是它长期未被探测到的原因。Each planet traces an orbit around the sun as if no other planets were present.每一个行星绕着太阳作轨道运行，就像不存在其它行星那样。
4. satellite
US: [st()l.at] UK: [stlat]n. 卫星；人造卫星；卫星城；卫星国v. 通过通讯卫星播送[传播]Web 卫星楼；随体；卫星赛词形：satellites
5. arguably
adverbUK/ɑɡ.ju..bli/ US/ɑrɡ.ju..bli/
used when stating an opinion or belief that you think can be shown to be true大概，可能
He is arguably the worlds best football player.他可能是世界上最好的足球运动员。Arguably, the drug should not have been made available.或许这种药根本就不该上市。
6. harbour
US: [hɑrbr] UK: [hɑ(r)b(r)]n. 港口；港湾；（海）港v. 窝藏；怀有；包含；藏有Web 海港；避难所；怀着词形：harbours、harbouring、harboured
The expressive and colorful cube-shaped houses on concrete pillars are located right in the heart of the city, near the Old Harbour.这座令人印象深刻的彩色方形屋由混凝土柱子支撑，就坐落在该城市的中心，靠近老港口。This leads to adults who harbour excessive feelings of worthlessness, low self-esteem and self-pity.这导致孩子成长为过多的怀有无价值感情、缺乏自尊和自我怜悯。All too often Americans, especially those in Congress and the media, harbour a superiority complex.太多的时候，美国人，尤其是那些国会议员和媒体人，都怀有一种优越感。
7. infrared
US: [.nfr ed] UK: [.nfr ed]n. 红外线；红外区adj. 红外线的；使用红外线的Web 红外的；红外光；红外线接口设置
8. radio
US: [ edio] UK: [ edi]n. 无线电广播；无线电广播节目；收音机；无线电传送v. （用无线电）发送Web 电台；单选按钮；单选框词形：radios、radioing、radioed
9. give sth off
— phrasal verb with give verbUK/ɡv/ US/ɡv/gave | given
to produce heat, light, a smell, or a gas发出，放出（热、光、气味或气体）
That tiny radiator doesn give off much heat.那个小散热器散发不出太多热量。
10. molecule
US: [mɑl.kjul] UK: [ml.kjul]n. 【化,物】分子；克分子；〈口〉微小颗粒Web 分子研究；分子沈积；系分子词形：molecules
11. institution
US: [.nst u()n] UK: [.nst ju()n]n. 制度；院；机关；学会Web 机构；事业；院校词形：institutions
The degradation of infrastructure, institutions and, most important, human capital, creates a desire to tune out of it all.基础设施、公共机构和人力资本（这也是最重要的）的老化，让人们想把这一切撇开不管。Bear Stearns collapsed largely because other institutions stopped doing business with it, fearing it might be in trouble.贝尔斯登的垮台，主要是因为其它机构担心它可能遇到麻烦，而停止了与该行的业务往来。
