时差N小时:平流层细菌

Don: Nice telescope, Yael, what are you looking at?

唐：不错的望远镜，雅艾尔，你在看什么?

Yale: Bacteria.

雅艾尔：细菌。

Don: In space?

唐：在太空吗?

Yale: Not that far out, Don. Scientists recentlycollected three brand new species of bacteria fromthe Stratosphere. When I heard about it, I couldn'tbelieve it. Researchers have been using balloonlifted cryosamplers to collect bacteria and fungifrom the stratosphere for years.

雅艾尔：没那么远，唐。最近科学家们从平流层收集到三种新的细菌品种。当我听说时，我不太相信。多年来，研究人员一直在利用气球举起低温采样器来收集大气中的细菌和真菌。

Don: I didn't think that anything can live that high in the amosphere.

唐：我不认为在那么高的大气中会有生命存在。

Yale: Neither did I. The stratosphere extends from ten to thirty miles above the surface.That's above the clouds where temperatures can get as cold as minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit,and there's lots of ultra violet radiation.

雅艾尔：我以前也是。平流层位于距地表10英里至30英里的高度。那里在云端之上，温度可低至零下76摄氏度，并且有大量的紫外线辐射。

Don: So How do they think bacteria got up there?

唐：那他们认为细菌是如何到达那里的?

Yale: Some scientists think they ride up on particles ejected from volcanoes. Others thinkbacteria might be sucked through updrafts caused by a special kind of lightning that travelsupwards from cloud tops. Forest fires can also cause thunderstorms that toss immense plumesof smoke into the stratosphere. Bacteria could ride on the soot.

雅艾尔：有些科学家认为细菌是由火山喷射出的粒子带上去的。还有人则认为，细菌也许是卷入了一种自云层顶端向上运行的特殊闪电造成的上升气流。森林火灾会引起雷暴，将大量浓烟掷入平流层。细菌可能会驾尘而上。

Don: And they are the same kind Of bacteria that live here on the surface?

唐：那么它们与生活在地表的细菌是同一种类吗?

Yale: Some are known species. They have found rod-shaped Bacillus that are very commonhere as well as Staphylococcus species related to disease causing bacteria. Others arecompletely new, including two new Bacillus species. There's also a third group of bacteriafound in clumps that can't be cultured in normal bacterial nutrients. So far, they are a puzzle.

雅艾尔：有些种类是一样的。已经找到的有非常普遍的杆状杆菌，还有致病细菌——葡萄球菌。 其他的则是完全未知的，包括两个新的杆菌品种。还有第三种细菌，它们成群生长，不能在平常的细菌培养液中培养。到目前为止它仍是个谜。

Don: That's really out of this world, Yael. But you really are trying to see bacteria with yourtelescope, are you?

唐：那真是不可思议，雅艾尔。但你真的在用望眼镜观察细菌，是吗?

Yale: No, Don. They are away too small. I'm just out enjoying the stars.

雅艾尔：不，唐。它们太远，并且太小。我只是在观赏星星。