評論
打印
For most of the time of the object's approach we would exist in a kind of cone of uncertainty. It would certainly be the most interesting few months in the history of the world. And imagine the party if it passed safely.
在那個(gè)物體漸漸逼近的大部分時(shí)間里，我們會生活在某種無法確定的狀態(tài)之中。這肯定會是世界史上最有意思的幾個(gè)星期。想像一下，要是它平安無事地過去了，我們會舉行多么盛大的慶祝會啊。
So how often does something like the Manson impact happen? I asked Anderson and Witzke before leaving.
“那么，像曼森撞擊這樣的事件會多長時(shí)間發(fā)生一次？”我離開之前問安德森和威策克。
Oh, about once every million years on average, said Witzke.
“哦，平均每100萬年發(fā)生一次。”威策克說。
And remember, added Anderson, "this was a relatively minor event. Do you know how many extinctions were associated with the Manson impact?"
“記住，”安德森接著說，“這還是個(gè)區(qū)區(qū)的小事件。你知不知道有多少種生物的滅絕與曼森撞擊有關(guān)系？”
No idea, I replied.
“不知道。”我回答說。
None, he said, with a strange air of satisfaction. "Not one."
“一種也沒有，”他露出一種古怪的滿意神色說，“一種也沒有滅絕。”
Of course, Witzke and Anderson added hastily and more or less in unison, there would have been terrible devastation across much of the Earth, as just described, and complete annihilation for hundreds of miles around ground zero. But life is hardy, and when the smoke cleared there were enough lucky survivors from every species that none permanently perished.
當(dāng)然，威策克和安德森連忙——一定程度上是異口同聲地——補(bǔ)充說，地球上很多地方都受到了嚴(yán)重的破壞，就像剛剛描述的那樣，方圓幾百公里的地方被化為烏有。但是，生命是倔強(qiáng)的。煙消云散以后，每個(gè)物種都有足夠的幸存者，哪個(gè)物種也沒有永遠(yuǎn)毀滅。
The good news, it appears, is that it takes an awful lot to extinguish a species. The bad news is that the good news can never be counted on. Worse still, it isn't actually necessary to look to space for petrifying danger. As we are about to see, Earth can provide plenty of danger of its own.
滅絕一個(gè)物種極不容易，這似乎是個(gè)好的消息。壞的消息是，這個(gè)好消息是絕對靠不住的。更糟糕的是，你其實(shí)不必凝視著太空來尋找令人震驚的危險(xiǎn)。你馬上就會知道，地球本身就是個(gè)很危險(xiǎn)的地方。
