生命組成物質
An international research team has recently uncovered sugars crucial to life in meteorites. The discovery lends support to the hypothesis that meteorite impacts on Earth facilitated the emergence of life.
有一組國際研究團隊最近在隕石中發現生物體內重要的糖類，這項發現為隕石衝撞地球促使生命出現的假說提供了佐證。
uncover(v.)揭露;發現(秘密或隱藏物);揭開(覆蓋物);挖掘;挖出uncover archaeological remains挖出考古遺址crucial(adj.)至關重要的=vital=important=significant=essentiallend support to~支持hypothesis(n.)假說impact(n.)衝擊(力)facilitate(v.)促使
Researchers hailing from the US and Japan identified several “bio-essential” sugars on two carbon-rich meteorites: Murchison and Northwest Africa (NWA) 801.
來自美國和日本的研究人員在兩顆含碳量豐富的隕石——默奇森和NWA801中，發現了數種「對生命至關重要」的糖類。
hail from~=come from~來自於bio-essential對生命至關重要rich in~富含
The former landed in Australia in 1969, whereas the latter fell in Northwest Africa in 2001.
前者於1969年落在澳洲，後者於 2001 年落在西北非。
whereas(conj.)而;然而=while
The sugars saw the light of day after scientists tried to extract them from powdered samples via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, a process that sorts molecules according to mass and electric charge.
科學家試著用氣相色譜法—質譜法，根據質量和電荷將分子分類，從粉末狀的樣本中萃取，這些糖類才得以見天日。
see the light of day 首次出現;問世extract…from…從…提取出…via=through透過gas chromatography-mass spectrometry氣相色譜法-質譜法molecule(n.)分子mass(n.)質量electric charge電荷
Among the sugars they managed to isolate were arabinose and xylose. The most important finding, however, was ribose, a crucial ingredient of our ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules.
他們成功分離的糖類包括阿拉伯糖和木糖，不過最重要的發現是核糖，是核糖核酸（RNA）分子中的關鍵成分。
among(prep.)在…之中isolate(v.)分離;使…孤立arabinose(n.)阿拉伯糖xylose(n.)木糖ribose(n.)核糖ribonucleic acid (RNA) 核糖核酸
According to NASA, RNA can replicate itself without other molecules, and it can “initiate or speed up chemical reactions,” leading many scientists to believe it is more fundamental than DNA.
根據美國太空總署的資料，核糖核酸不需要其他分子即可自我複製，而且能「引發或加速化學反應」，這讓許多科學家相信，核糖核酸比DNA還重要。
replicate(v.)複製=copyinitiate(v.)開始=start=beginfundamental(adj.)基礎的;根本的;主要的;根本的
“The research provides the first direct evidence of ribose in space and the delivery of the sugar to Earth,” said Yoshihiro Furukawa, lead author of the study. “The extraterrestrial sugar may have contributed to the formation of RNA on the prebiotic Earth, which possibly led to the origin of life.”
研究主要作者古川善博表示，這項研究首次提出直接證據，說明外太空有核糖並曾被帶到地球，來自外太空的糖類，可能在地球尚未有生物時，促使了核糖核酸的形成，導致了生命的出現。
extraterrestrial(adj.)地球外的;外太空的may have V.pp對過去事實的肯定推測contribute to~對…有貢獻;促成;造成
Previously, scientists had found other ingredients of life such as amino acids, hydrocarbons, and traces of liquid water in meteorites.
先前科學家曾在隕石中發現其他生命的組成物質，像是胺基酸、碳氫化合物和微量的液態水。
amino acids氨基酸hydrocarbon(n.)碳氫化合物
The sugars had been a missing piece, he noted.
古川指出，這些糖類曾是一塊失落的環節。
Now the research team will analyze the chemical composition of more meteorites. This is expected to shed light on how these sugars may have influenced life on Earth.
研究團隊現在將分析更多隕石的化學組成，預期有助於理解這些糖類對地球生物的影響。
composition(n.)構成、結構shed light on sth. 闡明、為……解惑=cast or throw light on~=elucidate=make clear=illuminateinfluence(n.)(v.)(深遠)影響