LYRICS
Scientists say newly examined data from a Chinese explorer on Mars adds to existing evidence that the planet once had a very large ocean.
科学家们表示，来自中国火星探险者的最新研究数据增加了现有证据，证明火星曾经有过面积广袤的海洋。
The exploring vehicle, or rover, is called Zhurong. It landed on the Martian surface in 2021.
探索车，或称月球车，叫做“祝融”。它于2021年降落在火星表面。
The rover has been operating in an area known as Utopia Planitia.
这辆月球车一直在一个名为乌托邦平原的地区工作。
This area is a large plain in Mars' northern hemisphere, the American space agency NASA explains.
美国航天局NASA解释说，这片区域是火星北半球的一大片平原。
The researchers combined data from Zhurong's instruments with observations from satellites and spacecraft orbiting Mars.
研究人员将“祝融”号的数据与火星轨道上卫星和宇宙飞船的观测数据结合起来。
The team said the examinations appeared to show that Utopia Planitia had geological elements suggesting an ancient ocean coastline.
该团队表示，这些检查似乎表明，乌托邦平原具有证明古代海洋海岸线的地质元素。
The scientists said multiple elements, or features, pointed to evidence that a large ocean existed on Mars billions of years ago.
科学家们说，多种元素或特征表明，有证据表明，数十亿年前火星上曾存在过一片大海洋。
The discovered surface features included troughs and channels that may have been formed by flowing water on Mars.
发现的地表特征包括可能是由火星上的流水形成的沟槽和沟渠。
Earlier research that examined data of similar surface features suggested they might have been created by mud volcanoes, which likely formed in areas where there had been water or ice.
早些时候对类似地表地貌数据的研究表明，它们可能是由泥火山造成的，而泥火山很可能形成于有水或冰的地区。
The researchers said the evidence suggests the area likely contained deep ocean environments as well as shallow ones.
研究人员说，证据表明，该地区可能既有深海环境，也有浅海环境。
The research findings were recently reported in a study in the publication Scientific Reports.
这项研究结果最近发表在《科学报告》上的一项研究中。
Bo Wu was the lead writer of the study. He is a planetary scientist at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
吴波是这项研究的主要撰稿人。他是香港理工大学的行星科学家。
Wu told Reuters news agency, "We estimate the flooding of the Utopia Planitia on Mars was approximately 3.68 billion years ago.
吴波告诉路透社记者，“我们估计火星上的乌托邦平原的洪水大约发生在36.8亿年前。
The ocean surface was likely frozen in a geologically short period."
海洋表面很可能在很短的地质时期内被冻结。”
The search for water on Mars is closely linked to the search for signs of possible life.
在火星上寻找水与寻找可能的生命迹象密切相关。
Evidence of a past ocean raises the possibility that the planet may have once supported microbial life.
过去存在海洋的证据说明这颗行星更有可能曾经能支持微生物存活。
There have been past studies suggesting Mars once had a large northern ocean.
过去的研究表明，火星曾经有一片辽阔的北海。
One such study was released in 2022. That research was based on satellite images of the Martian surface.
其中一项研究是在2022年发布的。这项研究是根据火星表面的卫星图像进行的。
The images were combined to produce detailed maps of the planet's northern hemisphere.
这些图像被组合在一起，生成了火星北半球的详细地图。
Examination of the maps led to evidence of coastlines that once sat at the edge of a large ocean.
通过对地图的检查，我们找到了海岸线存在的证据，这些海岸线曾经位于一大片海洋的边缘。
Another study, released in August, presented evidence suggesting Mars may contain a large ocean deep beneath its surface.
8月份发布的另一项研究提出的证据表明，火星表面以下可能有一大片海洋。
That evidence was based on NASA's InSight Lander.
这一证据是根据NASA的“洞察力着陆器”得出的。
China's Zhurong rover began its data collection mission in May 2021.
中国的“祝融”号月球车于2021年5月开始数据采集任务。
It stopped operating about one year later, with mission planners saying the power system was likely affected by sand and dust.
大约一年后，它停止运行，任务规划者表示，电力系统可能受到了沙尘的影响。
But the rover still outlasted its planned mission of three months.
但这个火星车的寿命仍然超过了原计划的三个月。
The researchers said the data shows that the ocean seems to have disappeared by about 3.42 billion years ago.
研究人员称，数据显示，海洋似乎在大约34.2亿年前消失了。
The study suggests the water that likely filled the Martian ocean was "heavily silted," study co-writer Sergey Krasilnikov said.
该研究的合著者谢尔盖·克拉西尔尼科夫说，这项研究表明，可能填满火星海洋的水已经“严重淤积”。
He is a planetary scientist at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
他是香港理工大学的行星科学家。
Silt is a mix of sand and clay that has been carried by water, but later settles on land.
泥沙是沙子和粘土的混合物，由水携带，但后来会在陆地上沉降。
Krasilnikov added that during the period when the Martian ocean would have been active, the planet "…probably had a thick, warm atmosphere."
克拉西尔尼科夫补充说，在火星海洋活跃的时期，这颗行星“…可能有一个浓厚、温暖的大气层。”
At that time, "microbial life was much more likely," he said.
那时候，“存在微生物的可能性要大得多，”他说。
Hong Kong Polytechnic's Wu said the new findings do "provide further evidence to support the theory of a Martian ocean."
香港理工学院的吴波教授说，新的发现确实“为火星海洋理论提供了进一步的证据”。
However, he told the French news agency AFP the study does "not claim that our findings definitively prove" there was an ocean on Mars.
然而，他告诉法新社，这项研究“并不能断言我们的发现确实证明了”火星上曾有海洋。
Such proof, he said, would likely require a future mission to bring Mars materials back to Earth for closer study.
他说，要得出这个结论，可能还需要未来再进行一次任务，将火星材料带回地球进行更近距离的研究。
I'm Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·林恩。
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