告別死亡星球
Mars has a volcano that scientists believe last erupted 50,000 years ago.
火星上有一座科學家認為五萬年前曾爆發的火山。
erupt(v.)(火山或事件)爆發eruption(n.)爆發
To humans, 50,000 years seems very long, but to a volcano, it’s hardly a nap.
對人類而言，五萬年似乎很長，但對火山來說只不過是打了個盹。
hardly(adv.)僅僅;幾乎不
A recent eruption could mean that there’s still magma flowing up from the depths of Mars.
最近一次的火山爆發可能意味著火星深處仍有岩漿向上流動。
magma(n.)岩漿flow(v.)(n.)(液體;氣體;電流)流動depth(n.)深處;深度deep(adj.)深的
Geologists have also noticed that there may be ice lying beneath the planet’s surface.
地質學家也注意到火星地表下可能有冰川，
geology(n.)地質學beneath(prep.)在~下方
And where there’s ice and heat, there’s usually water – a requirement for life.
有冰川和熱的地方通常會有水，而水是構成生命的要素。
requirement(n.)要求;規定
If there was an eruption 50,000 years ago, organisms that live in extreme environments might have flourished there in the recent past.
若火星五萬年前曾有火山爆發，那麼能在極端環境存活的生物就可能在距離現在不久的過去茁壯成長。
organism(n.)生物有機體extreme(adj.)極端的flourish(v.)茁壯成長;蓬勃發展
And if the area is still volcanically active, they might even still be around.
若該區的火山活動仍然活躍，那些生物甚至可能還活著。
active(adj.)活躍的be active in sth.=積極參與某事active volcano=活火山dormant volcano=休眠火山extinct volcano=死火山
NASA’s InSight Lander has measured several dozen Marsquakes since 2018, some of which were very close to the volcanic area.
美國太空總署（NASA）洞察號火星探測器自2018年起便已偵測到數次火星地震，其中有些就十分靠近發生火山的區域。
measure(v.)測量;偵測quake(n.)地震earthquake(n.)(尤指地球上的)地震
Computer analysis suggests that these quakes are likely caused by magma flowing deep beneath the surface.
電腦分析指出，這些火星地震可能是由地表深處流動的岩漿所致。
analysis(n.)分析likely(adv.)很可能地
Bruce Banerdt, the main investigator on NASA’s InSight Lander, says that Mars would be considered volcanically active if the conditions point towards the possibility of something happening in the future.
NASA洞察號火星探測計劃主要調查人員班納吉表示，若未來發生類似的情況，那火星可被視為火山活動活躍的星球。
investigator(n.)調查人員be considered (to be)=被視為~=be regarded or seen ascondition(n.)狀況;狀態possibility(n.)可能性
If so, then our understanding of Mars could go from a dead world to an active one.
如果確實如此，我們對火星的定義就會從死亡星球轉為活躍的行星。
understanding(n.)理解;了解