【读新闻学英语】地球磁极即将翻转 结果可能毁天灭地！

The Earth has a fierce molten core that generates a magnetic field capable of defending our planet against devastating solar winds. The protective field extends thousands of miles into space and its magnetism affects everything from global communication to power grids.

地球内部有一个剧烈的熔化状态的地核，地核产生的磁场能够保护地球不会受到太阳风的毁灭性影响。磁场屏障可以延伸到太空深处数千英里，从全球通信系统到电网在内的各种设施都会受到影响。

molten：熔化的

magnetic：地磁的；有磁性的

devastating：毁灭性的

But this magnetic field, so important to life on Earth, has weakened by 15 per cent over the last 200 years.  And this, scientists claim, could be a sign that the Earth’s poles are about to flip. Scientists claim there are signs of a reversal. It is said that if this reversal happens, it is likely to render some areas of the planet 'uninhabitable' by knocking out power grids. 

但这一对地球生命如此重要的磁场在过去两百年里减弱了15%。科学家声称这可能是地球磁极即将翻转的信号。科学家表示有迹象表明磁极在翻转中。如果磁极翻转发生，电网可能会受到破坏，地球上部分地区将变得“不能居住”。

reversal：逆转； 反转

uninhabitable：不适宜居住的

Historically, Earth’s North and South magnetic poles have flipped every 200,000 or 300,000 years. However a flip is currently overdue as the last one was about 780,000 year ago. The latest satellite data, from the European Space Agency monitoring the Earth's magnetic field, suggests a flip may be imminent. The satellites allow researchers to study changes building at the Earth’s core, where the magnetic field is generated.

历史上地球的南北磁极每20-30万年会翻转一次。然而最近的78万年以来磁极都尚未翻转。欧洲航天局检测地球磁场所获得的卫星数据显示，翻转可能一触即发。卫星能帮助科学家研究磁场来源地——地核的构造改变。

imminent：即将来临的；迫近的

Their observations suggest molten iron and nickel are draining energy out of the Earth’s core near where the magnetic field is generated. While scientists aren't sure why exactly this happens, they describe it as a 'restless activity' that suggests the magnetic field is preparing to flip.

观察显示熔化状的铁和镍正在抽掉磁场来源的地核附近的能量。虽然科学家们尚不清楚为什么会发生这种情况，但这种“不止歇的活动”暗示了磁极正在为翻转做准备。

nickel：镍；镍币

restless：焦躁不安的；不安宁的

If a switch happens, we would be exposed to solar winds capable of punching holes into the ozone layer. The impact could be devastating for mankind, knocking out power grids, radically changing Earth’s climate and driving up rates of cancer.

如果翻转真的发生，我们将暴露在穿透臭氧层的太阳风中，这将对人类造成毁灭性的打击，电网会被摧毁，地球气候会发生巨变并推高癌症的发病率。

ozone：臭氧

knock out：击倒；打破

（责编：kakapo）