1. The existence of the giant clouds was virtually required for the Big Bang, first put forward in the 1920s, to maintain its reign as the dominant explanation of the cosmos.

【译文】巨大的宇宙云的存在，实际上是使二十年代首创的大爆炸论得以保持其宇宙起源论的主导地位所不可缺少的。

【析句】本句的主干为The existence of the giant clouds was virtually required for the Big Bang，过去分词短语first put forward in the 1920s在句中作后置定语，修饰前面的the Big Bang。

【讲词】Big Bang是天文学的一个名词，应该译成“大爆炸”或“大爆炸理论”。put forward意为“提出”。The Council has put forward valuable concrete proposals on energy conservation.(委员会提出了宝贵而具体的节能意见。)China has put forward three historical sites for UNESCO heritage list.(中国提交三个历史名胜申请成为联合国教科文组织的世界遗产。)

UNESCO的全称是the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization。

2. Astrophysicists working with ground based detectors at the South Pole and balloon borne instruments are closing in on such structures,and may report their findings soon.

【译文】天体物理学家使用南极陆基探测器及球载仪器，正越来越近地观测这些云系，也许不久会报告他们的观测结果。

【析句】本句为连词and引导的并列分句，主语为Astrophysicists，现在分词短语(working with ground-based detectors at the South Pole and balloon-borne instruments)是主语的后置定语，两个并列谓语分别为are closing in on such structures和may report their findings soon。

【讲词】to close in on意为“接近”或“快要”。AOL is closing in on launching video VoIP.(美国在线很快将推出网络视频电话。)Deadly bird flu virus is closing in on Europe.(致命的禽流感正在接近欧洲。)

ground based意为“陆基”，即基于陆地，也可以说land based。以类似方式组成的单词还有web-based(基于网络的;网上的)，如web-based email system(网络在线电邮系统)。

3. Unlike most of the world’s volcanoes, they are not always found at the boundaries of the great drifting plates that make up the earth’s surface; on the contrary, many of them lie deep in the interior of a plate.

【译文】和世界上大多数火山不同的是，它们并不总是在构成地球表面的巨大漂流板块之间的边界上出现;相反，许多热点处于板块较深的内部。

【析句】这是一个由两个分句组成的并列句，中间由分号隔开。在前一个分句中， Unlike most of the world’s volcanoes是一个形容词短语，修饰句子的主语they。定语从句(that make up the earth’s surface)修饰the great drifting plates。第二个分句结构较简单，注意many of them是指many of the hot spots。

【讲词】make up意为“化妆;补足;拼凑;组成;编造”等。He made up an excuse for his absence in class, which was found out.(他编了一个借口没来上课，结果被发现了。)I’ll make up the difference in the bill.(我来补上帐单的差额。)You have to make up the lost time by studying harder.(你应该更加努力学习，以弥补失去的时间。)He kissed his wife and made up with her.(他吻了妻子，和她和好了。)4. The complementary coastlines and certain geological features that seem to span the ocean are reminders of where the two continents were once joined.

【译文】 互相吻合的海岸线和某些似乎跨越海洋的地质特征会使人想到这两个大陆曾经是连在一起的。

【析句】 这个单句的主语是the complementary coastlines and certain geological features，后面跟了一个定语从句(that seem to span the ocean)，从句中that充当的是主语。全句的表语名词reminders跟了一个of短语结构，其中包含一个表示地点的从句。

【讲词】 reminder的意思是“暗示;有提醒作用的人或物”。The museum serves as a reminder of the crimes committed against the people of Nanjing.(纪念馆提醒人们不要忘记南京人民所遭受的暴行。)

span作名词表示“跨度;范围”，作动词时意为“横越”。Richard Carleton, an award-winning journalist whose career in Australian television spanned 40 years, died on Sunday.(理查德·卡尔顿星期天去世，这位多次获奖的记者曾在澳大利亚的电视机构工作了40年。)The Thames is spanned by many bridges. (泰晤士河上架设了许多桥梁。)

5. If the small hot spots look as expected, that will be a triumph for yet another scientific idea, a refinement of the Big Bang called the inflationary universe theory.

【译文】假如那些小热点看上去同预计的一致，那就意味着又一科学理论获得了胜利，这种理论完善了大爆炸论，亦称宇宙膨胀说。

【析句】本句是一个主从复合句，从句是if引导的条件从句，主句是that will be a triumph for yet another scientific idea，a refinement of the Big Bang called the inflationary universe theory是another scientific idea的同位语，其中过去分词短语(called the inflationary universe theory)是a refinement of the Big Bang的后置定语。

【讲词】refinement意为“提炼，精致，文雅”。A refinement of the Big Bang意思是the refined Big Bang theory,说明这种学说或理论完善了大爆炸论。此外，the inflationary universe theory应翻译成“宇宙膨胀理论”或“宇宙膨胀说”。

inflationary意为“膨胀的”，其动词形式是inflate。He was inflated with his success in the exams.(他因在考试中取得好成绩而洋洋自得。)对应名词inflation可以表示“通货膨胀”。Inflation erodes the purchasing power of the families with lower income.(通货膨胀使低收入家庭的购买力不断下降。)

6. Odd though it sounds, cosmic inflation is a scientifically plausible consequence of some respected ideas in elementary particle physics, and many astrophysicists have been convinced for the better part of a decade that it is true.

【译文】 宇宙膨胀说虽然听似奇特，但它是基本粒子物理学中一些公认的理论在科学上看来可信的推论。许多天体物理学家七、八年来一直认为这一论说是正确的。

【析句】 本句是一个主从复合句，Odd though it sounds是个倒装的条件句，其正常的语序应该是Though it sounds odd。主句是由连词and 连接的两个并列分句。应注意代词it指代cosmic inflation。另外，for the better part of a decade的意思是for more than half of a decade，故翻译成“七八年”。

【讲词】 plausible意为“似是而非的”，即听上去奇特，但是却是有道理的。a plausible excuse(看似有理的借口)。I think that is a plausible conclusion based on what we now know.(我认为根据我们所了解的情况，这个结论其实并没有什么道理可言。)