華盛頓郡上空的火球
A mineral and gem museum in the US state of Maine is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone who can find pieces of a meteorite that recently landed near the city of Calais.
美國緬因州的一間礦物和寶石博物館正提供2.5萬美元的賞金，給任何能找到最近掉落在卡萊市附近的隕石的人。
mineral (n.)礦物、礦物質gem (n.)寶石diamond (n.)鑽石jade (n.)玉fragment (n.)碎片
According to NASA, this was a historic event — the first “radar-observed meteorite fall” ever recorded in Maine.
美國國家航空暨太空總署（NASA）表示，這是一個歷史性事件──緬因州有史以來第一次記錄到「雷達觀測到的隕石墜落」。
historic (adj.)歷史性的、具有歷史意義的observe (v.)觀察
The meteorite fell at 11:56 a.m. on Saturday, April 8th, local time.
這顆隕石於當地時間4月8日星期六上午11:56墜落。
Eyewitness reports have also described the event.
目擊者的報告也描述了這起事件。
witness (v.)目睹、目擊 (n.)目擊者、證人eyewitness (n.)目擊者、證人
Some people in the area reported not only “seeing a bright fireball in the sky over Washington County,” but also hearing a loud, sonic boom near where the meteorite supposedly landed.
一些當地人不僅通報「看到華盛頓郡上空出現一顆明亮的火球」，還說聽到了隕石墜落地點附近傳來巨響。
not only…but also… 不但……還……county (n.)郡、縣sonic boom 音爆、巨響supposedly (adv.)可能、大概、據稱
The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum was quick to issue an announcement of the reward for evidence of the historic meteorite.
緬因州礦物和寶石博物館很快發布了有關這顆歷史性隕石的賞金公告。
issue (n.)議題 (v.)發布evidence (n.)證據a piece of evidence 一件證據
In addition to housing the world’s “largest collection of moon meteorites,” the museum also has mineral and geology experts who are considered the best resource for identifying any objects that people may think are meteorite fragments.
該博物館除了擁有世界上「最多的月球隕石收藏」外，還擁有礦物學和地質學專家，他們被認為是鑑定隕石碎片真偽的最佳人選。
in addition to 除了……之外house (v.)容納、收藏geology (n.)地質學geologist (n.)地質學家identify (v.)辨認、識別
One expert even joked that the museum’s professional staff can easily tell if anyone actually finds the meteorite, or if they are mistaken and it is a “meteor-wrong.”
一位專家甚至開玩笑說，博物館的專業人員可以輕易地辨別出任何人是否真的找到了隕石，或者他們是否把「假隕石」誤認為隕石。
tell (v.)辨別、分辨mistaken (adj.)弄錯了、搞錯了
All joking aside, museum officials have told the public that identifying the meteorite should not be hard as “it will stand out from other rocks in the area.”
言歸正傳，博物館高層告訴大眾，發現隕石不難，因為「隕石會與該地區的其他岩石看起來明顯不同」。
all joking aside 言歸正傳、說正經的official (n.)官員、高層職員stand out 顯著、突出
Despite many local news outlets relaying the museum’s reward offering to people in the area, no one has yet located or turned over any meteorites to the museum.
儘管當地許多新聞媒體向當地民眾傳遞了博物館的賞金消息，但尚未有人找到或交給博物館任何隕石。
relay (v.)傳達、轉發locate (v.)找出……的位置turn over 遞交、交出去