科學(xué)家們報(bào)告說(shuō)，這是迄今為止觀測(cè)到的持續(xù)時(shí)間最長(zhǎng)的沉積物崩塌。崩塌發(fā)生在非洲西側(cè)剛果河河口切入海底的一條深邃峽谷中。

We’ve all seen pictures of an avalanche falling down a mountain. Now, imagine this mighty force tumbling down a slope for two whole days. This gives you a sense of the volume of sand and mud that collapsed down the Congo Canyon – a sinuous channel that leads away from the West African coastline.

我們都見(jiàn)過(guò)雪崩時(shí)積雪滑下山坡的畫(huà)面?，F(xiàn)在，想象這股強(qiáng)大的力量在斜坡上翻滾了整整兩天。由此可見(jiàn)塌向剛果海底峽谷的泥沙量之大，這條蜿蜒的通道從非洲西部海岸線切入海洋。

An international team of scientists were in the fortunate position to catch the action because they’d lined the channel with instruments. Each sensor popped to the surface to email home, as the so-called turbidity current roared past. The observations provide critical new insights on how these huge sediment flows are triggered. And this gives telecoms companies fresh ideas on how to protect submarine cables.

一個(gè)國(guó)際科研團(tuán)隊(duì)有幸捕捉到了事件的發(fā)生，因?yàn)樗麄兇饲耙言谕ǖ姥鼐€布下了觀測(cè)儀器。當(dāng)所謂的濁流呼嘯而過(guò)時(shí)，每個(gè)傳感器都會(huì)彈出水面發(fā)郵件通知團(tuán)隊(duì)。觀測(cè)結(jié)果為泥沙量巨大的沉積物流的觸發(fā)形式提供了至關(guān)重要的新見(jiàn)解。這給電信公司提供了如何保護(hù)海底電纜的新思路。

Cables can be repaired in weeks by pulling them up and patching – much like you might fix a power cable sliced through by a lawnmower. But delays are costly – money transfers going over these underwater connections have a daily value of trillions of dollars.

破損的電纜可以通過(guò)將之拖出水面來(lái)修補(bǔ)，該過(guò)程耗時(shí)數(shù)周，這和修理被割草機(jī)切斷的電線是同一個(gè)原理。但修復(fù)造成的時(shí)間延誤是代價(jià)高昂的，經(jīng)由水下電纜連接完成的資金轉(zhuǎn)移每天價(jià)值數(shù)萬(wàn)億美元。

詞匯表

avalanche （積雪、沙石等的）崩塌
tumbling 滾落，坍塌
sinuous channel 蜿蜒曲折的通道
instruments 儀器
sensor 傳感器
turbidity current 濁流
insights 深刻見(jiàn)解
sediment flows 沉積物流
submarine 水下的，海底的
costly 昂貴的，高代價(jià)的
money transfers 資金轉(zhuǎn)移

閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問(wèn)題。

1. How long has this underwater avalanche been happening for?

2. How did the sensors tell scientists what had happened?

3. Why might the scientists’ observations help telecoms companies?

4. What flows through these underwater cables that have a daily value of trillions of dollars?

答案  

1. How long has this underwater avalanche been happening for?
The sand and mud avalanche has been tumbling down a slope for two whole days.

2. How did the sensors tell scientists what had happened?
As the avalanche moved past, sensors popped to the surface to email a message home to the scientists.

3. Why might the scientists’ observations help telecoms companies?
The observations give telecoms companies fresh ideas on how to protect submarine cables.

4. What flows through these underwater cables that have a daily value of trillions of dollars?
Money transfers going over these underwater connections have a daily value of trillions of dollars.