如果我們用核彈炸月球會怎樣？：英語精讀講義

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

如果我們要在月球上引爆一顆非常非常強大的核武器，會發生什麼事？

Would the explosion knock its orbit towards Earth,

爆炸會把它的軌道推向地球，

causing tidal waves and misery?

從而引發海嘯與災難嗎？

Could the moon be destroyed,

月球會被摧毀，

showering the Earth in a rain of meteoric death? 慣用語

化作致命的隕石雨灑向地球嗎？

During the Cold War, 文化背景

在冷戰期間，

the Moon was a major target for space exploration

月球曾是太空探索的主要目標，

and, you know, military bases.

以及，你懂的，軍事基地。

So,

因此，

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

美國空軍曾委託進行一項嚴肅的研究，探討在月球表面引爆核彈的影響。

But just quoting stuff is boring,

但只引用資料太無聊了，

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

所以讓我們用一枚假想的1億噸當量熱核彈頭來進行一項非常重要的科學實驗，

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

它的威力大約是人類引爆過最強核彈的兩倍。

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

我們還將在月球周圍安排幾位充滿好奇心的太空人作為觀察員。

Let's push the button and slow down time.

現在，讓我們按下按鈕，放慢時間。

For the first few milliseconds,

在最初的幾毫秒內，

nothing much happens outside our weapon.

我們的武器外部幾乎沒有任何變化。

Meanwhile, inside,

與此同時，在內部，

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

高能炸藥將衝擊波傳送到放射性金屬核心，

compressing it so much that it reaches criticality 講解

將其極度壓縮，直至達到臨界狀態，

and starts a nuclear fission chain reaction.

從而引發核分裂連鎖反應。

The 100 million degree plasma created in this first stage

在第一階段產生的高達1億度的電漿，

sets off the second stage 片語動詞

引發了第二階段，

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

原子核開始像恆星核心中那樣發生融合。

Very briefly,

在極短的一瞬，

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

我們的武器內蘊含了宇宙中最熱的地方之一。

And only now, 文法

直到此時，

barely 10 milliseconds later,

僅僅過了不到10毫秒，

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

宇宙的其他部分才察覺到發生了什麼事，

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

因為炸彈突然消散，一顆燃燒的核子死亡之星誕生了。

So far, so good. 片語搭配

到目前為止，一切都在意料之中。

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

但接下來發生的事情，將與我們在地球上習慣的完全不同，

because of one major difference.

因為有一個重大區別：

There's no atmosphere.

月球上沒有大氣層。

As the fireball shines,

當火球閃耀時，

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

它釋放出X射線和熱光子閃光，

a wave of silent heat,

這是一股無聲的熱浪，

which rushes outwards in all directions.

向四面八方急速擴散。

On Earth,

如果在地球上，

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

這種熱量至少會將方圓50公里內的所有東西烤焦燒毀。

But on the Moon,

但在月球上，

without an atmosphere and oxygen-rich air, 文法

由於沒有大氣層和富含氧氣的空氣，

there's no burning at all.

根本不會發生燃燒。

Also, there are no things to burn.

而且，也沒有什麼東西可以燃燒。

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

月球表面鬆脆的表土是由矽酸鹽岩石和金屬組成的，

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

它們經過億萬年隕石的撞擊被碾碎成粉末，並混雜著微量的水。

When heated by the explosion, 文法

在被爆炸加熱時，

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

火球釋放的X射線會將月球表面的一層薄薄的岩石汽化成雲，

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

而那些不幸被困在火球內部的塵埃則會融化成玻璃。

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

在50公里範圍內觀看這場表演的太空人大概會被烤熟。

And now, 表達脈絡

現在，

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

我們開始看到太空中和地球上爆炸的最大區別之一。

On Earth,

在地球上，

the atmosphere fights back against the plasma bubble. 慣用語

大氣層會抵抗電漿氣泡的膨脹。

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

它的膨脹會在瞬間被大氣層的壓力猛烈阻止。

But this is not good news.

但這並不是個好消息。

As the fireball rams the atmosphere,

當火球猛烈撞擊大氣層時，

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

它會產生在地球上核爆炸中最具破壞性的部分——

the shock wave.

衝擊波。

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

爆炸周圍被壓縮的空氣以超音速衝出，

shattering buildings and roaring so loud it ruptures organs. 文法

不僅會粉碎建築物，其巨大的轟鳴聲還能震破內臟。

But on the Moon,

但在月球上，

there is no shock wave.

沒有衝擊波。

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

沒有大氣層，意味著在太空中沒有任何東西能阻礙爆炸的擴張。

On the Moon,

在月球上，

the fireball just grows in eerie silence

火球只會在令人毛骨悚然的寂靜中不斷變大，

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

因為沒有大氣層來阻止它，也沒有空氣為它傳聲。

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

如果在安全距離外，這將會是一場壯觀的景象。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

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

在月球上發生核爆，幾乎沒有安全的觀看距離。

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

由於沒有大氣層來減弱能破壞DNA的致命游離輻射，

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

任何靠得足夠近、想要看清楚的人都會受到致命劑量的輻射照射。

But, of course, 表達脈絡

但當然，

that's not all.

這還不是全部。

While all of this happens,

當這一切發生時，

the explosion hammers against the Moon,

爆炸正在猛擊月球，

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

將大約十分之一的爆炸能量轉化為地震波，

powering an intense moonquake.

引發一場強烈的月震。

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. 文法

無論我們的太空人站在哪裡，都會感覺到無法逃避的劇烈搖晃。

Comparable to an earthquake of seven on the Richter scale,

這種震動相當於芮氏規模七的地震，

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

可能會嚴重破壞甚至夷平我們可能在月球上建造的任何基礎設施。

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會知道那是爆炸。

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

這種震動給人的感覺就像是遭到了一顆大金字塔般大小的小行星撞擊。

And it's not over yet.

而且，事情還沒完。

Where our bomb explodes,

在炸彈爆炸的地方，

the ground splatters like water when a rock strikes a pond. 慣用語

地面會像石塊砸入池塘時濺起的水花一樣飛濺。

As the explosion pushes against the surface,

當爆炸對表面施加推力時，

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

它可能會拋出多達1億立方公尺的塵土和岩石，

forming a crater a kilometer across, 文法

形成一個直徑達一公里的隕石坑，

while bedrock is pulverized to rubble. 片語搭配

同時基岩會被粉碎成瓦礫。

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,

再說一次，由於沒有大氣層，

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

沒有任何阻力能減慢它們的速度。

Much of the debris scattered never returns to the Moon,

大部分飛散的碎片再也不會回到月球上，

flying off faster than escape velocity. 用詞

因為它們的飛行速度超過了逃逸速度。

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

一陣微隕石雨被拋射出去，開始探索太陽系，

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

其中許多會像雨點般落向地球，

though few will be larger than pebbles.

儘管很少有比鵝卵石更大的。

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

然而，任何擋在它們路線上的衛星、太空人或太空站，

though, will have a really bad time.

都會遭遇大麻煩。

Micrometeorites are launched at many speeds and angles,

這些微隕石以各種速度和角度發射出來，

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

使它們能夠散布到整個月球表面。

Like bullets,

就像子彈一樣，

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

它們會穿透我們好奇的太空人的身體，

no matter where they stand.

無論他們站在哪裡。

Finally,

最後，

our explosion comes to an end.

我們的爆炸迎來了尾聲。

On Earth,

在地球上，

the fireball rises like a hot air balloon,

火球會像熱氣球一樣上升，

forming a sort of stalk.

形成一個類似柱狀的「莖幹」。

As it reaches up,

隨著它不斷上升，

cooler air is drawn in around it, 片語動詞

周圍較冷的空氣被吸入，

rounding the top into a mushroom cloud.

使頂部變得圓潤，形成蕈狀雲。

But on the Moon,

但在月球上，

well, you know by now, 語氣意圖

嗯，你現在知道了，

no atmosphere, 表達脈絡

沒有大氣層，

no mushroom.

就沒有蕈狀雲。

The larger the plasma gets, 文法

電漿變得越大，

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

它的溫度就越低，也就越沒有足夠的能量來製造有趣或可怕的事情。

Within seconds of pulling the trigger, 片語搭配

在扣動扳機後的幾秒鐘內，

the bubble reddens and fades from view.

氣泡變紅，然後從視線中消失。

It would be visible from the Earth,

從地球上是可以看見它的，

like a star flickering to life, 慣用語

像一顆忽然閃爍亮起的星星，

only to fade out right away. 文法

卻又立刻黯淡消失。

A spark, 表達脈絡

僅僅是一點火花，

and then nothing.

然後什麼也沒留下。

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

當細小的碎片雲飄到月球表面上方很高的地方時，

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

會被太陽光照亮幾分鐘，

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

給任何留下來觀察這場奇觀的人帶來一種詭異的美感。

What about the Moon's orbit? 表達脈絡

月球的軌道會怎樣呢？

It's basically unchanged.

基本沒有變化。

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

想用核彈推動月球，簡直就像想用吹氣來推動卡車一樣。

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,

我們強大的爆炸只是在月球上留下了另一個隕石坑，

one among millions.

這是數百萬個隕石坑中的一個。

Still,

儘管如此，

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

任何在月球上的人還是會很不好受。

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

最終落回月球的物質具有放射性，

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

由於沒有任何自然過程將其沖走或掩埋，

the surface of the Moon will remain contaminated.

月球表面將持續受到污染。

Although,

不過，

fortunately,

幸運的是，

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

大約一年後，最嚴重的輻射就會衰減到

from cosmic rays in about a year.

與來自宇宙射線的自然輻射相當的水平。

In conclusion,

總而言之，

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

我們可以自信地說，雖然月球本身並不在乎被核爆，

and will barely notice,

甚至幾乎感覺不到，

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

但把月球當作核試驗場，對每個人來說都算得上是一種破壞，

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

不管是想在那裡待上一段時間，還是想建造一些有用的設施。

So,

所以，

maybe we should just not do that. 語氣意圖

我們最好還是別那麼做。