如果我们用核弹炸月球会怎样？：英语精读讲义

What would happen if we were to detonate a very, very powerful nuclear weapon on the moon? 語法

如果我们要在月球上引爆一颗非常非常强大的核武器，会发生什么？

Would the explosion knock its orbit towards Earth,

爆炸会把它的轨道推向地球，

causing tidal waves and misery?

从而引发海啸和灾难吗？

Could the moon be destroyed,

月球会被摧毁，

showering the Earth in a rain of meteoric death? 習語

化作致命的陨石雨洒向地球吗？

During the Cold War, 文化背景

在冷战期间，

the Moon was a major target for space exploration

月球曾是太空探索的主要目标，

and, you know, military bases.

以及，你懂的，军事基地。

So,

因此，

the US Air Force commissioned a serious study into the effects of a nuclear detonation on the surface of the Moon. 短語搭配

美国空军曾委托进行一项严肃的研究，探讨在月球表面引爆核弹的影响。

But just quoting stuff is boring,

但只引用资料太无聊了，

so let's conduct a very important scientific experiment with an imaginary 100 megaton thermonuclear warhead, 短語搭配

所以让我们用一枚假想的1亿吨当量热核弹头来进行一项非常重要的科学实验，

about twice as powerful as the most powerful bomb ever detonated. 語法

它的威力大约是人类引爆过最强核弹的两倍。

We'll also place a number of curious astronauts around the Moon as observers.

我们还将在月球周围安排几位充满好奇心的宇航员作为观察员。

Let's push the button and slow down time.

现在，让我们按下按钮，放慢时间。

For the first few milliseconds,

在最初的几毫秒内，

nothing much happens outside our weapon.

我们的武器外部几乎没有任何变化。

Meanwhile, inside,

与此同时，在内部，

high explosives send a shock wave to a radioactive metal core,

高能炸药将冲击波传送到放射性金属核心，

compressing it so much that it reaches criticality 講解

将其极度压缩，直至达到临界状态，

and starts a nuclear fission chain reaction.

从而引发核裂变链式反应。

The 100 million degree plasma created in this first stage

在第一阶段产生的高达1亿度的等离子体，

sets off the second stage 短語動詞

引发了第二阶段，

with atomic nuclei fusing like they do in the core of a star.

原子核开始像恒星核心中那样发生聚变。

Very briefly,

在极短的一瞬，

our weapon contains one of the hottest places in the universe.

我们的武器内蕴含了宇宙中最热的地方之一。

And only now, 語法

直到此时，

barely 10 milliseconds later,

仅仅过了不到10毫秒，

does the rest of the universe find out that anything has happened,

宇宙的其他部分才察觉到发生了什么，

as suddenly the bomb dissolves and a flaming star of nuclear death is born. 習語

因为炸弹突然消散，一颗燃烧的核子死亡之星诞生了。

So far, so good. 短語搭配

到目前为止，一切都在意料之中。

But everything that happens now is very different from what we're used to on Earth 語法

但接下来发生的事情，将与我们在地球上习惯的完全不同，

because of one major difference.

因为有一个重大区别：

There's no atmosphere.

月球上没有大气层。

As the fireball shines,

当火球闪耀时，

it releases a flash of X-rays and thermal photons,

它释放出X射线和热光子闪光，

a wave of silent heat,

这是一股无声的热浪，

which rushes outwards in all directions.

向四面八方急速扩散。

On Earth,

如果在地球上，

this heat would char and burn everything within a 50-km radius at least.

这种热量至少会将方圆50公里内的所有东西烤焦烧毁。

But on the Moon,

但在月球上，

without an atmosphere and oxygen-rich air, 語法

由于没有大气层和富含氧气的空气，

there's no burning at all.

根本不会发生燃烧。

Also, there are no things to burn.

而且，也没有什么东西可以燃烧。

The crunchy topsoil of the Moon is made from silicate rock and metals chewed to dust 講解

月球表面松脆的表土是由硅酸盐岩石和金属组成的，

by eons of meteorite impacts mixed with tiny traces of water.

它们经过亿万年陨石的撞击被碾碎成粉末，并混杂着微量的水。

When heated by the explosion, 語法

在被爆炸加热时，

X-rays from the fireball vaporize a thin cloud of rock from the lunar surface,

火球释放的X射线会将月球表面的一层薄薄的岩石汽化成云，

while the unlucky dust that's inside the fireball melts into glass. 短語搭配

而那些不幸被困在火球内部的尘埃则会融化成玻璃。

Any astronauts watching the show within about 50 km can expect to be fried. 用詞

在50公里范围内观看这场表演的宇航员大概会被烤熟。

And now, 表達脈絡

现在，

we begin to see one of the biggest differences between explosions in space and on Earth.

我们开始看到太空中和地球上爆炸的最大区别之一。

On Earth,

在地球上，

the atmosphere fights back against the plasma bubble. 習語

大气层会抵抗等离子体气泡的膨胀。

Its expansion is violently stopped within moments by the pressure of the atmosphere.

它的膨胀会在瞬间被大气层的压力猛烈阻止。

But this is not good news.

但这并不是个好消息。

As the fireball rams the atmosphere,

当火球猛烈撞击大气层时，

it produces the most destructive part of a nuclear explosion on Earth,

它会产生在地球上核爆炸中最具破坏性的部分——

the shock wave.

冲击波。

Compressed air around the explosion rushes out faster than the speed of sound,

爆炸周围被压缩的空气以超音速冲出，

shattering buildings and roaring so loud it ruptures organs. 語法

不仅会粉碎建筑物，其巨大的轰鸣声还能震破内脏。

But on the Moon,

但在月球上，

there is no shock wave.

没有冲击波。

No atmosphere means nothing to impede the expanding explosion in space. 語法

没有大气层，意味着在太空中没有任何东西能阻碍爆炸的扩张。

On the Moon,

在月球上，

the fireball just grows in eerie silence

火球只会在令人毛骨悚然的寂静中不断变大，

as there's no atmosphere to stop it or to give it a voice. 習語

因为没有大气层来阻止它，也没有空气为它传声。

This would be an amazing thing to watch from a safe distance.

如果在安全距离外，这将会是一场壮观的景象。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

there's hardly any safe viewing distance for a nuclear explosion on the Moon. 語法

在月球上发生核爆，几乎没有安全的观看距离。

Without an atmosphere weakening the deadly ionizing radiation that can scramble DNA,

由于没有大气层来减弱能破坏DNA的致命电离辐射，

anyone close enough to get a good look will be exposed to fatal amounts of radiation. 語法

任何靠得足够近、想要看清楚的人都会受到致命剂量的辐射照射。

But, of course, 表達脈絡

但当然，

that's not all.

这还不是全部。

While all of this happens,

当这一切发生时，

the explosion hammers against the Moon,

爆炸正在猛击月球，

transferring about a tenth of the explosion energy into seismic waves,

将大约十分之一的爆炸能量转化为地震波，

powering an intense moonquake.

引发一场强烈的月震。

The Moon is much smaller than the Earth,

月球比地球小得多，

and our astronauts will feel an inescapable violent shaking no matter where they're standing. 語法

无论我们的宇航员站在哪里，都会感觉到无法逃避的剧烈摇晃。

Comparable to an earthquake of seven on the Richter scale,

这种震动相当于里氏七级地震，

this shaking could seriously damage or even level infrastructure we might have built anywhere on the Moon. 用詞

可能会严重破坏甚至夷平我们可能在月球上建造的任何基础设施。

Those who hid on the far side of the Moon would have no idea it was an explosion.

那些躲在月球背面的人根本不会知道那是爆炸。

The quaking would feel like an asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid had struck. 習語

这种震动给人的感觉就像是遭到了一颗大金字塔般大小的小行星撞击。

And it's not over yet.

而且，事情还没完。

Where our bomb explodes,

在炸弹爆炸的地方，

the ground splatters like water when a rock strikes a pond. 習語

地面会像石块砸入池塘时溅起的水花一样飞溅。

As the explosion pushes against the surface,

当爆炸对表面施加推力时，

it may excavate as much as 100 million cubic meters of dust and rock, 語法

它可能会抛出多达1亿立方米的尘土和岩石，

forming a crater a kilometer across, 語法

形成一个直径达一公里的陨石坑，

while bedrock is pulverized to rubble. 短語搭配

同时基岩会被粉碎成瓦砾。

Debris is shot into the sky in every direction.

碎片被射向四面八方的天空中。

Again, without an atmosphere,

再说一次，由于没有大气层，

there's no drag to slow any of it down. 用詞

没有任何阻力能减慢它们的速度。

Much of the debris scattered never returns to the Moon,

大部分飞散的碎片再也不会回到月球上，

flying off faster than escape velocity. 用詞

因为它们的飞行速度超过了逃逸速度。

A flurry of micrometeorites have been cast off to explore the solar system,

一阵微陨石雨被抛射出去，开始探索太阳系，

many of which will rain down on the Earth, 短語動詞

其中许多会像雨点般落向地球，

though few will be larger than pebbles.

尽管很少有比鹅卵石更大的。

Any satellite, astronaut, or space station in the way, 短語搭配

然而，任何挡在它们路线上的卫星、宇航员或空间站，

though, will have a really bad time.

都会遭遇大麻烦。

Micrometeorites are launched at many speeds and angles,

这些微陨石以各种速度和角度发射出来，

allowing them to spread all over the surface of the Moon.

使它们能够散布到整个月球表面。

Like bullets,

就像子弹一样，

they'll punch through our curious astronauts, 短語動詞

它们会穿透我们好奇的宇航员的身体，

no matter where they stand.

无论他们站在哪里。

Finally,

最后，

our explosion comes to an end.

我们的爆炸迎来了尾声。

On Earth,

在地球上，

the fireball rises like a hot air balloon,

火球会像热气球一样上升，

forming a sort of stalk.

形成一个类似柱状的“茎干”。

As it reaches up,

随着它不断上升，

cooler air is drawn in around it, 短語動詞

周围较冷的空气被吸入，

rounding the top into a mushroom cloud.

使顶部变得圆润，形成蘑菇云。

But on the Moon,

但在月球上，

well, you know by now, 語氣意圖

嗯，你现在知道了，

no atmosphere, 表達脈絡

没有大气层，

no mushroom.

就没有蘑菇云。

The larger the plasma gets, 語法

等离子体变得越大，

the cooler it becomes and the less energy it has to make interesting or terrifying things happen.

它的温度就越低，也就越没有足够的能量来制造有趣或可怕的事情。

Within seconds of pulling the trigger, 短語搭配

在扣动扳机后的几秒钟内，

the bubble reddens and fades from view.

气泡变红，然后从视线中消失。

It would be visible from the Earth,

从地球上是可以看见它的，

like a star flickering to life, 習語

就像一颗闪烁着诞生的星星，

only to fade out right away. 語法

却又立刻黯淡消失。

A spark, 表達脈絡

仅仅是一点火花，

and then nothing.

然后什么也没留下。

As the cloud of tiny debris reaches far above the surface of the Moon,

当细小的碎片云飘到月球表面上方很高的地方时，

it's illuminated by the Sun for a few minutes,

会被太阳光照亮几分钟，

giving it an eerie beauty for anyone left to observe the spectacle.

给任何留下来观察这场奇观的人带来一种诡异的美感。

What about the Moon's orbit? 表達脈絡

月球的轨道会怎样呢？

It's basically unchanged.

基本没有变化。

Trying to move the Moon with a nuke is like trying to move a truck by blowing on it. 習語

想用核弹推动月球，简直就像想用吹气来推动卡车一样。

Nuclear explosions may be big, 表達脈絡

核爆炸可能很大，

but space is bigger.

但太空更大。

Our mighty explosion just leaves another crater,

我们强大的爆炸只是在月球上留下了另一个陨石坑，

one among millions.

这是数以百万计的陨石坑中的一个。

Still,

尽管如此，

anyone on the Moon will continue to not enjoy themselves. 語氣意圖

任何在月球上的人还是会很不好受。

The material that ends up raining back to the Moon is radioactive, 語法

最终落回月球的物质具有放射性，

and without any natural processes to wash it away or bury it, 短語動詞

由于没有任何自然过程将其冲走或掩埋，

the surface of the Moon will remain contaminated.

月球表面将持续受到污染。

Although,

不过，

fortunately,

幸运的是，

the worst of the radiation will have decayed to a level comparable to natural levels 語法

大约一年后，最严重的辐射就会衰减到

from cosmic rays in about a year.

与来自宇宙射线的自然辐射相当的水平。

In conclusion,

总而言之，

we can say with confidence that while the Moon itself does not care about being nuked 短語搭配

我们可以自信地说，虽然月球本身并不在乎被核爆，

and will barely notice,

甚至几乎感觉不到，

using the Moon as a nuclear test ground kind of ruins it for everyone 語氣意圖

但把月球当作核试验场，对每个人来说都算得上是一种破坏，

trying to spend some time there or to build something useful.

不管是想在那里待上一段时间，还是想建造一些有用的设施。

So,

所以，

maybe we should just not do that. 語氣意圖

我们最好还是别那么做。