n the 1920s，to maintain its reign as the dominant explanation of the cosmos.According to the theory，the universe burst into being as a submicroscopic，unimaginably dense knot of pure energy that flew outward in all directions，emitting radiation as it went，condensing into particles and then into atoms of gas.Over billions of years，the gas was compressed by gravity into galaxies，stars，plants and eventually，even humans.
Cobe is designed to see just the biggest structures，but astronomers would like to see much smaller hot spots as well，the seeds of local objects like clusters and superclusters of galaxies.They shouldnt have long to wait.（73）Astrophysicists working with groundbased detectors at the South Pole and balloonborne instruments are closing in on such structures，and may report their findings soon.
（74）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.Inflation says that very early on，the universe expanded in size by more than a trillion trillion trillion trillionfold in much less than a second，propelled by a sort of antigravity.（75）Odd though it sounds，cosmic inflation is a scientifically plausible consequence of some respected ideas in elementaryparticle physics，and many astrophysicists have been convinced for the better part of a decade that it is true.
1998年英译汉试题参考译文
离地球大约150亿光年的一块狭长的巨大宇宙云系是科学家在此以前所发现的最大、最遥远的物体。（71）但更为重要的是，这是科学家所能观测到的最遥远的过去的景象，因为他们看到的是150亿年前宇宙云的形状和结构。那大约就是宇宙形成的时候。研究人员发现的宇宙云既令人惊讶，又是人们所期待的，因为美国国家航空航天局的宇宙背景探测者Cobe号卫星已经发现了划时代的证据，证明宇宙确实起源于最早的一次爆炸，即人们一直所称的大爆炸（此理论认为宇宙起源于一大块能量）。
（72）巨大的宇宙云的存在，实际上是使本世纪二十年代首次提出的大爆炸论是以保持其宇宙起源论的主导地位所必不可少的。根据这一理论，宇宙的形成是由一团亚微观的、极其稠密的纯能量团朝四面八方向外发散，随着放出辐射线，浓缩成粒子，然后形成气体原子。数十亿年来，这种气体受引力的压缩形成星系、恒星、行星，并最终甚至产生人类。
Cobe卫星设计的目的就是观察这些最大的物体结构，但宇航员还想看到更为微小的热点，即像星纱中的星团和超星团这样一些局部物体的粒子。看来他们不必长期等待。（73）天体物理学家使用南极陆基探测器及球工仪器，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。
（74）假如这些小热点看上去同预计的一致，那就意味着又一科学论说的胜利，这种论说即更完美的大爆炸论，亦称宇宙膨胀说。膨胀说告诉我们，早在很久以前，宇宙的体积在不到一秒钟内被一种反引力驱动而发生了无数倍的膨胀。（75）宇宙膨胀说虽然听似奇特，但它是基本粒子的物理学中一些公认的理论在科学上看来似乎可信的推论。许多天体物理学家七八年来一直确信这一论说是正确的。
注:1.第4句中的at once意为既，又，如:The story is at once amusing and instructive.（这个故事既有趣又有教育意义。）
2.第1段最后一句中的a mass of意为一大块（团，堆）。
3.第3段最后一句中的close in on原意是从四面八方紧压过来。例如:She had a queer feeling that the room was closing in on
her.（她有一种奇特的感觉，仿佛那房间从四面八方把她紧紧围住了。）4.第3段第2句中的should表示推测的意思。
5.（71）题中的look（=see）意为:看见，作及物动词用，其宾语是关系代词that。into the past意为对过去。可见…it was the
farthest that scientists had been able to look into the past…直译为:…它是科学家对过去所能看到的最遥远的东西…。
10.1999年英译汉试题及参考译文
（71）While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians，modern practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain th
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