評(píng)論
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Many of these crystals were made of gypsum, a mineral that comes from limestone,
許多結(jié)晶都是由石膏組成，一種硫酸鈣沉積而來(lái)的礦物，
and there was mile after mile of them.
它們綿延不絕
Water is the creator of most caves, but unlike all other limestone caves,
水是大部分洞穴的建造者，但是和其它石灰?guī)r溶洞不同的是
Lechuguilla's rock had not been eaten away by running rainwater. Something else was responsible.
龍舌蘭洞中的巖石并非被流水侵蝕。而是因?yàn)槠渌淖饔昧Α?/div>
The only water Lechuguilla has are these wonderfully still, clear pools.
龍舌蘭洞中唯一的水來(lái)自這些平靜清澈的水塘
As the explorers went deeper into the cave,
隨著探險(xiǎn)家們深入洞穴
they came across whole galleries filled with the most unusual formations,
他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了成片嘆為觀止的地貌
like these five-metre cones frosted with the most delicate crystals.
例如這些5米高的石錐，上面布滿了雪霜一樣的松脆結(jié)晶
It was Lechuguilla's gypsum crystals that made scientists question how these caverns were formed.
龍舌蘭洞的石膏結(jié)晶群，使科學(xué)家們產(chǎn)生了這個(gè)巨洞如何形成的疑問(wèn)
They discovered that Lechuguilla's limestone had actually been eaten away
他們發(fā)現(xiàn)龍舌蘭洞的石灰?guī)r，實(shí)際上是被硫酸侵蝕的
by sulphuric acid cutting through literally miles of limestone.
鑿穿了差不多數(shù)英里的石灰?guī)r。
