NASA: Salty sea covered part of Mars
NASA:部分火星曾覆盖有盐水海洋

☆NASA  美国国家航空和宇宙航行局

Patterns in sediments show rocks formed in seabed
冲积物图形显示，这些岩石形成于海底

☆ sediment 冲积

By Marsha Walton CNN Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Posted: 0038 GMT (0838 HKT)

(CNN) -- Mars rocks robotically examined by the rover Opportunity were formed at the bottom of a salty sea, NASA scientists said Tuesday.
NASA科学家于周二宣称，机遇号所检测的岩石形成于盐水海底。

☆ rover  飞行器
    opportunity 机会, 时机，在此指火星探测器“机遇者号”

In a news conference at NASA's Washington headquarters titled "Opportunity hits the Beach," scientists said they don't know how long the water covered parts of the Martian surface or how many years ago it existed.
华盛顿NASA总部召开的新闻发布会，主题为“机遇者号登上了海滩”。会上，科学家称不知道这片海水究竟存在了多久，以及在多久前依然存在？

☆ Martian 火星的

"Was the water up to your neck or to your ankles? There's no good answer yet," said Steve Squyres, principal science investigator for Opportunity and its twin rover, Spirit.
负责机遇号及奋进号的首席科学家Steve Squyres称，“水究竟是深及颈部，还是仅到脚腕？目前尚无明确答案。”

☆ spirit  奋进号，机遇号的孪生姐妹。

"There is still a lot we don't know," he said. "We don't know how extensive it was, how long it was there or how common it was on other parts of Mars."
“仍有情况处于未知状态，”他说，“我们不知道它的面积有多大？它存在了多长时间？在火星的其他地方是也有类似的海洋？”

Three weeks ago, NASA presented the first direct evidence that rocks the rovers found on Mars had been shaped by water.
三周前，NASA出示了第一份直接证据，证明机遇号在火星上发现的岩石形成于水中。

☆ shaped 成形,发展

But as new clues emerged, NASA scientists revised their theories about the amount of water, said Ed Weiler, NASA associate administrator for space science.

☆ revise  修正， 修改
 

And to make certain they were seeing what they thought they were seeing, the NASA scientists sought the experience of a half-dozen geological experts who had nothing to do with the space project.