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A new study suggests the asteroid that killed almost all thedinosaurs struck Earth at the "deadliest possible" angle.
一项新的研究表明，导致几乎所有恐龙死亡的小行星以“最致命的”角度撞击地球。
Scientists believe the asteroid hit Earth about 66 millionyears ago near what is today Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.
科学家认为，这颗小行星大约在6600万年前撞击地球，地点就在今天墨西哥的尤卡坦半岛附近。
The force of the massive crash is estimated to have beenequal to the strength of about 10 billion nuclear bombs.
据估计，这次大碰撞的威力相当于100亿个核弹的威力
The climate-changing event is blamed for causing thedisappearance of more than 70 percent of plant and animal life.
气候大幅度变化被认为是导致70%以上的动植物消失的原因。
All dinosaurs that were not bird-like died out.
几乎所有恐龙都灭绝了。
What has remained a mystery for scientists, however, iswhether the asteroid strike was a direct hit.
然而，小行星撞击是否是直接撞击对科学家来说仍然是个谜。
The new study provides evidence that the strike resulted inthe worst kind of crash for the dinosaurs.
新的研究提供了证据，表明这次撞击给了恐龙最致命的撞击。
Researchers examined data on the structure of the200-kilometer-wide crater in Mexico where scientists believe the asteroid hit.
研究人员检查了墨西哥200公里宽的陨石坑的结构数据，科学家认为小行星就是在这里撞击地球的。
They attempted to recreate the asteroid event on computers.
他们试图在电脑上重现小行星撞击事件。
The results, recently published in Nature Communications,showed that the asteroid struck Earth at an angle of about 60 degrees.
最近发表在《自然通讯》(NatureCommunications)上的研究结果显示，这颗小行星以大约60度的角度撞击地球。
As a result of the angle, an especially large amount ofclimate-changing gases would have been released quickly into the atmosphere.
这个角度撞击的结果是，大量的气候变化气体被迅速释放到大气中。
The lead researcher was Gareth Collins, of Britain'sImperial College London.
首席研究员是英国伦敦帝国理工学院的加雷斯·柯林斯。
"For the dinosaurs, the worst-case scenario is exactlywhat happened," he said in a statement.
他在一份声明中说:“对于恐龙来说，最坏的情况就是已经发生的灭绝事件。”
He added that the release of gases into the atmospherestarted a series of events that led to the permanent disappearance ofthedinosaurs.
他补充说，向大气中排放的气体引发了一系列事件，导致恐龙永久消失。
The release "was likely worsened by the fact that itstruck at one of the deadliest possible angles," Collins said.
柯林斯说，这次释放“可能因为撞击是最致命的角度而变得更糟”。
If the asteroid had hit head-on or at lower angles, lessmaterial would have been released into the atmosphere, he added.
他补充说，如果这颗小行星正面撞击，或者以较低的角度撞击，那么释放到大气中的物质会较少。
Scientists believe the massive release of gases andchemicals into the atmosphere led to a period of extreme cold, also known as a"nuclear winter."
科学家认为，大量的气体和化学物质释放到大气中导致了一段极冷时期，也被称为“核冬天”。
This was caused by large amounts of sulphur particles thatstayed in the air, blocking heat from the sun.
这是由于大量的硫磺颗粒停留在空气中，阻挡了来自太阳的热量
The asteroid strike is also believed to have causedwidespread wildfires, earthquakes and ocean waves, or tsunamis.
小行星撞击也被认为引起了广泛的野火、地震、海浪或海啸。
The researchers said their models are the first to reproducethe whole event – from the first hit to the moment when the final crater wasformed.
研究人员说，他们的模型是第一个重现整个事件的模型——从第一次撞击到最后形成陨石坑的那一刻。
The findings seem to disprove a long-standing theory thatthe asteroid moved toward Earth from the southeast.
这些发现似乎驳斥了长期存在的一种理论，即小行星是从东南方向向地球移动的。
The scientists said recreations based on the crater'sstructure showed the asteroid coming from the southwest.
科学家们说，根据陨石坑的结构进行的重建显示，这颗小行星来自西南方向。
The study could lead to a greater understanding about howcraters are formed in general.
这项研究将有助于我们更好地理解陨石坑是如何形成的。
The modeling suggested, for example, that rocks"rebound" to fill in beneath the crater during its final formation.
例如，该模型表明，在陨石坑的最终形成过程中，岩石会“反弹”填满陨石坑的下方。
The researchers said the findings suggest that large craterscan be formed in a matter or minutes.
研究人员表示，这些发现表明大型陨石坑可以在几分钟内形成。
Scientists continue to question how some living things wereable to survive the asteroid event.
科学家们继续质疑一些生物是如何在小行星撞击事件中幸存下来的。
Gareth Collins said the new study clearly suggests thestrike resulted in "a very bad day for the dinosaurs."
加雷思·柯林斯说，新的研究清楚地表明，这次袭击给“恐龙带来了灭顶之灾”。
He added: "It makes it even more remarkable that lifesurvived and recovered as rapidly as it did."
他补充说:“生命能够存活下来，而且恢复得如此之快，这一点更值得注意。”
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asteroid
美 [ˈæstərɔɪd]
n. a rocky object that goes around the sun like a planet
scenario
美 [səˈnærioʊ]
n. a situation that may develop in the future
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