在探索太空的过程中，火星是重要的一站。科学家一直在做各种研究，为人类将来登上火星甚至在火星居住做准备。
"Greenhouses" for Mars
by Eleanor Gibson
Researchers at Harvard University have devised a way to terraform Mars by placing sheets of silica aerogel on the planet's surface, which would warm it up to make it suitable for growing plants.
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者（由research加上表示人的后缀-er）
devise /dɪˈvaɪz/ v. 发明
terraform /ˈterəfɔːm/ v. 使（某个行星）像地球一样适合人类居住
Mars /mɑːz/ n. 火星
place /pleɪs/ v. 放置
silica /ˈsɪlɪkə/ aerogel /ˈeərədʒel/ 二氧化硅气凝胶
surface /ˈsɜːfɪs/ n. 表面、地表
warm /wɔːm/ v. 使温暖、使温度升高
They devised the "silica aerogel greenhouse shields" to transform the surface of Mars, which has low temperatures and high ultraviolet（紫外线的） radiation levels, so that it could be suitable for farming. The system is intended as a simple way to warm the ground, melt the ice, and make it a suitable environment for plants.
greenhouse /ˈɡriːnhaʊs/ n. 温室（由green和house组成）
shield /ʃiːld/ n. 防护罩
transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ v. 彻底改变
radiation /ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 辐射
level /ˈlev(ə)l/ n. 水平、高度
melt /melt/ v. 融化、使融化
The shields would be made from silica aerogel, a transparent material. Spreading them across the planet's surface would mimic（模拟） the greenhouse effect by trapping heat that would warm the ground below. They would also block hazardous ultraviolet radiation and allow enough visible light for photosynthesis（光合作用） to occur.
transparent /trænˈspær(ə)nt/ adj. 透明的
material /məˈtɪəriəl/ n. 原材料
spread /spred/ v. 散开、铺开
trap /træp/ v. 困住
block /blɒk/ v. 阻挡、拦住
hazardous /ˈhæzədəs/ adj. 有害的、危险的
visible /ˈvɪzəb(ə)l/ adj. 可见的
occur /əˈkɜː(r)/ v. 发生
"We show that widespread regions of the surface of Mars could be made habitable to photosynthetic（光合作用的） life in the future via a solid-state analogue（相似之物） to Earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect," said the team. "If we want to make sustainable habitats on another planet using present-day technology, this approach could be very useful. It's completely scalable, so the area covered could be anywhere from a few square metres to large regions of the planet."
widespread /waɪdˈspred/ adj. 分布广泛的（由wide和spread组成）
habitable /ˈhæbɪtəb(ə)l/ adj. 适合居住的
solid /ˈsɒlɪd/ adj. 固体的
state /steɪt/ n. 状态
atmospheric /ˌætməsˈferɪk/ adj. 大气的、大气层的（由atmosphere加后缀-ic变成形容词）
sustainable /səˈsteɪnəb(ə)l/ adj. 可持续的（由sustain加后缀-able变成形容词）
habitat /ˈhæbɪtæt/ n. 栖息地
present-day 现在的、今天的
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ n. 方法
scalable /ˈskeɪləb(ə)l/ adj. 可扩大的、可放大的
square metre 平方米
The scientists conducted a number of experiments in Mars-like environments to test the warming potential of the sheets. It found that layers of silica aerogel measuring two to three centimetres thick were enough to warm the surface to the melting point of liquid water or higher. Other tests that explored the effects of the sheet covering over time found that they could warm up several metres below surface level to allow for liquid water for years after years.
conduct /kənˈdʌkt/ v. 做、实施
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ n. 潜力
layer /ˈleɪə(r)/ n. 一层
measure /ˈmeʒə(r)/ v. 量出来是、具有某个规格
centimetre /ˈsentɪˌmiːtə(r)/ n. 厘米
melting point 熔点
covering /ˈkʌv(ə)rɪŋ/ n. 遮盖物
over time 随着时间的推移
"Our results show that via the solid-state greenhouse effect, regions on the surface of Mars could be modified in the future to allow life to survive there with much less infrastructure or maintenance than via other approaches," the team added.
modify /ˈmɒdɪfaɪ/ v. 改变
survive /səˈvaɪv/ v. 生存
infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌktʃə(r)/ n. 基础设施
maintenance /ˈmeɪnt(ə)nəns/ n. 维修保养
"The creation of permanently warm regions would have many benefits for future human activity on Mars, as well as being of fundamental interest for astrobiological（天体生物学的） experiments and as a potential means to facilitate life-detection efforts."
creation /kriːˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 创造、创建（由create加后缀-ion变成名词）
permanently /ˈpɜːmənəntli/ adv. 永久地（由permanent加后缀-ly变成副词）
activity /ækˈtɪvəti/ n. 活动
as well as = and also
fundamental /ˌfʌndəˈment(ə)l/ adj. 根本的、根本性的
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ adj. 潜在的、可能的
means /miːnz/ n. 方法、手段（单数和复数都是means）
facilitate /fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/ v. 促进
detection /dɪˈtekʃ(ə)n/ n. 探测、发现（由detect加后缀-ion变成名词）
There are a number of issues that still need to be addressed with applying the concept to Mars, including ways to manufacture the product on the site, and whether there is life on Mars that could be damaged by the installations.
address /əˈdres/ v. 处理、应对
apply /əˈplaɪ/ v. 运用、应用
concept /ˈkɒnsept/ n. 概念
manufacture /ˌmænjuˈfæktʃə(r)/ v. 制造
installation /ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 装置
In the meantime, however, the team adds that the solid-state greenhouse concept could also be used to improve the fertility（丰产） of hostile environments on Earth, like Antarctica and Chile's Atacama Desert.
in the meantime /ˈmiːntaɪm/ 与此同时
hostile /ˈhɒstaɪl/ adj. 不友好的、有敌意的
Antarctica /ænˈtɑːktɪkə/ n. 南极洲
Chile /ˈtʃɪli/ n. 智利（南美洲国家）
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