VOA慢速英语:NASA发现火星存在液态水的"强有力"证据

Scientists have found strong evidence of salt water on the planet Mars, the U.S.space agency NASA announced Monday.

美国太空总署国家航空航天局周一宣布，科学家们在火星表面发现了有液态水活动的“强有力”证据。

NASA has found lines of "hydrated" salt minerals on Mars. Scientists say these minerals would require liquid water to be created. And where there's liquid water, they say, there could be life.

NASA发现火星上存在水合矿物条纹。科学家们称，这些矿物需要液态水才能被创建。他们表示，哪里存在液态水，哪里可能就会存在生命。

These dark, narrow, 100-meter-long streaks called "recurring slope lineae" flowing downhill on Mars are thought to have been formed by flowing water. The image, taken with a special camera, uses false colors to show detail better.

Jim Green is the director of planetary science at NASA Headquarters. He said during a news conference that "today, we are revolutionizing our understanding of this planet."

吉姆·格林是美国航空航天局总部行星科学主任。他在一次新闻发布会上表示：“今天，我们正在彻底改变我们对这个星球的认知。”

Doug McCuistion is the former head of NASA's Mars program. He told the Boston Herald that "if they are announcing that they have found easily accessible, freely flowing liquid water under the surface ... that has massiveimplications both for the potential for life on that planet and sustainability of humans." Visit the website www.chinavoa.com to get more information!

道格·麦克奎斯逊是美国航空航天局火星计划前负责人。他向波士顿先驱报透露：“如果他们宣布，他们已经找到地表下易于获取、自由流动的液态水，......这将对那个星球上潜在的生命及人类的可持续性产生巨大影响。

NASA has found evidence of water on Mars in the past. In March, NASA said there was once more water on Mars than in Earth's Arctic Ocean. They say more than four billion years ago, Mars was covered with water 137 meters deep. But nearly all of it has since evaporated into space.

过去，NASA已经发现了水存在的证据。在三月份，NASA已经表示与北冰洋相比，从前有更多的水在火星上。他们表示，四十亿年前，火星被水覆盖，深度达137米。但几乎所有的水都蒸发到太空。

I'm Mario Ritter.

我是马里奥• 里特。

Jonathan Evans adapted this story from a VOA News report. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

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Words in This Story

hydrated – adj. – relating to something formed when water combines with another substance

implication – n. a possible future effect or result