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The Big Bang
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... we too are stardust. . .
Hilde settled herself comfortably in the glider1 beside her father. It was nearly midnight. They sat looking out across the bay. A few stars glimmered2 palely in the light sky. Gentle waves lapped over the stones under the dock.
Her father broke the silence.
"It's a strange thought that we live on a tiny little planet in the universe."
"Yes ..."
"Earth is only one of many planets orbiting the sun. Yet Earth is the only living planet."
"Perhaps the only one in the entire universe?"
"It's possible. But it's also possible that the universe is teeming3 with life. The universe is inconceivably huge. The distances are so great that we measure them in light-minutes and light-years."
"What are they, actually?"
"A light-minute is the distance light travels in one minute. And that's a long way, because light travels through space at 300,000 kilometers a second. That means that a light-minute is 60 times 300,000--or 18 million kilometers. A light-year is nearly ten trillion kilometers."
"How far away is the sun?"
"It's a little over eight light-minutes away. The rays of sunlight warming our faces on a hot June day have traveled for eight minutes through the universe before they reach us." "Go on..."
"Pluto4, which is the planet farthest out in our solar system, is about five light-hours away from us. When an astronomer5 looks at Pluto through his telescope, he is in fact looking five hours back in time. We could also say that the picture of Pluto takes five hours to get here."
"It's a bit hard to visualize6, but I think I understand."
"That's good, Hilde. But we here on Earth are only just beginning to orient ourselves. Our own sun is one of 400 billion other stars in the galaxy
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1
glider
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n.滑翔机;滑翔导弹 | |
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2
glimmered
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v.发闪光,发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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teeming
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adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 );到处都是;(指水、雨等)暴降;倾注 | |
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4
Pluto
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n.冥王星 | |
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astronomer
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n.天文学家 | |
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visualize
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vt.使看得见,使具体化,想象,设想 | |
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galaxy
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n.星系;银河系;一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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milky
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adj.牛奶的,多奶的;乳白色的 | |
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situated
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adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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nebula
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n.星云,喷雾剂 | |
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peal
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n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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astronomers
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n.天文学者,天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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galaxies
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星系( galaxy的名词复数 ); 银河系; 一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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colossal
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adj.异常的,庞大的 | |
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relatively
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adv.比较...地,相对地 | |
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dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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shudder
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v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
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precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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inertia
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adj.惰性,惯性,懒惰,迟钝 | |
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implosion
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n.向内破裂,内爆 | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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nucleus
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n.核,核心,原子核 | |
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scenarios
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n.[意]情节;剧本;事态;脚本 | |
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eternity
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n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷 | |
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Christian
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adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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paradox
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n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法;自相矛盾的人(物) | |
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convertible
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adj.可改变的,可交换,同意义的;n.有活动摺篷的汽车 | |
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interventions
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n.介入,干涉,干预( intervention的名词复数 ) | |
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relinquished
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交出,让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 ); 放弃 | |
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rummage
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v./n.翻寻,仔细检查 | |
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compartment
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n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间 | |
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wrench
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v.猛拧;挣脱;使扭伤;n.扳手;痛苦,难受 | |
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chilly
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adj.凉快的,寒冷的 | |
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afterward
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adv.后来;以后 | |
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grudgingly
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enigmas
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n.难于理解的问题、人、物、情况等,奥秘( enigma的名词复数 ) | |
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constellations
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n.星座( constellation的名词复数 );一群杰出人物;一系列(相关的想法、事物);一群(相关的人) | |
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considerably
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adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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unity
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n.团结,联合,统一;和睦,协调 | |
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clump
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n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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disintegrated
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v.(使)破裂[分裂,粉碎],(使)崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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oars
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n.桨,橹( oar的名词复数 );划手v.划(行)( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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