IN SEPTEMBER 1961 a small hurricane called Esther swirled into being above the warm waters of the mid-Atlantic. It bore down on America’s east coast, executed a graceful clockwise loop-the-loop off the shores of New York, then gusted up through Maine and into Quebec as little more than a squall.
在1961年9月份，一个叫做艾斯特的小型飓风在大西洋中部的热带水域中盘旋。它在美国东海岸登陆，沿着纽约海岸完成了一个优美的顺时针环路，然后爆发从缅因州到魁北克，就像暴风雨一样。
Esther’s place in history was not assured through its destructive power, although it did kill seven people when it brought down an American navy plane that was on route to Monrovia, in Liberia. It was, rather, the surveillance of Esther that made the storm famous, for this was the first hurricane to be discovered from space. Tracking began after the third Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS-3), an early meteorological satellite launched by the United States, spotted precursor thunderstorms in the eastern Atlantic, southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.
艾斯特的历史地位并不是通过其破坏力得到保证，但是它使一架利比里亚境内飞往蒙罗维亚的美国海军飞机坠毁，导致7人死亡。相反，正是对艾斯特的监视使风暴出名，因为这是第一次在太空中发现飓风。追踪开始于第三台电视红外观测卫星，这是一颗由美国发射的早期气象卫星，在佛得角群岛西南的大西洋的东部发现雷暴的前兆。
America’s suite of hurricane sensors has grown since 1961. The current Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1st, sees the country running a stack of instruments that reach from orbit to a kilometre beneath the ocean. TIROS-3’s successors keep a constant watch on storms’ tracks and sizes. Gulfstream jets fly over and around storms, dropping sensors into them to measure wind speeds. Propeller-driven planes fly right into storms, measuring their properties with radar and its modern, laser-based cousin, lidar. Unmanned drones fly in even deeper. And floats, buoys and aquatic drones survey storms from below.
自1961年以来，美国的飓风传感器套件一直在增加。从6月1日开始的大西洋飓风季节，从轨道到海洋下方一公里的地方运行着一堆仪器。TIROS-3的继任者经常关注风暴的轨迹和大小。湾流喷气式飞机在风暴的上方和周围飞行，并把传感器投入风暴中来测算风速。螺旋桨驱动的飞机直接飞入风暴，用雷达及其现代的基于激光的同类，激光雷达来测算它们的属性。无人驾驶的遥控飞机飞的甚至更加深入。浮标、浮标以及水下遥控飞机从下方研究风暴。
All of the data these machines gather are transmitted directly to computer models which are used to forecast two things. The first is what track a hurricane will follow, and thus whether, where and when it will make landfall. The second is how much energy it will dump on North America if it does indeed cross the coast—a value known as its intensity.
所有这个及其手机的数据都直接输入计算机模型，用来预测两件事情。第一件事就是追踪飓风的轨迹，以及何时何地登陆。第二件事就是如果飓风确实横穿海岸，它将向北美倾倒多少能量-这一价值被称为强度。

重点单词释义：
一、
swirl /swɜːl/ CET6+ TEM8 ( swirling, swirled, swirls )

V-T/V-I If you swirl something liquid or flowing, or if it swirls, it moves around and around quickly. 使 (液态、流动的物质) 快速旋流; (液态、流动的物质) 快速旋流
例：
She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass.
她微笑了，旋动着玻璃杯里的葡萄酒。
例：
The black water swirled around his legs, reaching almost to his knees.
黑水在他的双腿周围打转，差不多没到他的膝盖。

N-COUNT Swirl is also a noun. 旋涡
例：
...small swirls of chocolate cream.
…小块旋涡形的奶油夹心巧克力。

二、execute /ˈɛksɪˌkjuːt/ CET4 TEM4 ( executing, executed, executes )

V-T To execute someone means to kill them as a punishment for a serious crime. 处死
例：
He said nobody had been executed as a direct result of the events.
他说没有人作为这几起事件的直接后果被处死。
例：
One group claimed to have executed the hostage.
一个组织声称他们已处死了那名人质。

execution N-VAR 处死
例：
Execution by lethal injection is scheduled for July 30th.
注射死刑定于7月30日执行。

V-T If you execute a plan, you carry it out. 执行 (计划等) [正式]
例：
We are going to execute our campaign plan to the letter.
我们将严格执行我们的竞选方案。

execution N-UNCOUNT 执行
例：
U.S. forces are fully prepared for the execution of any action once the order is given by the president.
美国军队做好了充分准备，一旦总统下令就采取行动。

V-T If you execute a difficult action or movement, you successfully perform it. 完成 (高难动作)
例：
The landing was skilfully executed.
着陆熟练地完成了。

三、precursor /prɪˈkɜːsə/ ( precursors )

N-COUNT A precursor of something is a similar thing that happened or existed before it, often something that led to the existence or development of that thing. 前兆
例：
He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.
他说这次交易不应该被看作是合并的前兆。

四、spot /spɒt/ CET4 TEM4 ( spotting, spotted, spots )

N-COUNT Spots are small, round, coloured areas on a surface. 斑点
例：
The leaves have yellow areas on the top and underneath are powdery orange spots.
叶子上端有黄色斑块，下方有粉状橙色斑点。

N-COUNT Spots on a person's skin are small lumps or marks. (皮肤上的) 小疙瘩; 斑
例：
My brother's face was covered with spots.
我弟弟曾满脸疙瘩。

N-COUNT You can refer to a particular place as a spot. 地点
例：
They stayed at several of the island's top tourist spots.
他们在岛上几个最好的旅游景点呆过。

N-COUNT A spot in a television or radio show is a part of it that is regularly reserved for a particular performer or type of entertainment. 固定节目档
例：
Unsuccessful at screen writing, he got a spot on a CNN show.
电影剧本创作方面未能成功，之后他在CNN得到了一个固定节目档。

V-T If you spot something or someone, you notice them. 发现
例：
Vicenzo failed to spot the error.
维森佐没能发现这个错误。

N-COUNT A spot of a liquid is a small amount of it. 滴; 点 [英国英语]
例：
Spots of rain had begun to fall.
雨点已经开始落下来了。

PHRASE If you do something on the spot, you do it immediately. 当即; 当场
例：
James was called to see the producer and got the job on the spot.
詹姆斯被叫去见那个制片人，当即得到了那份工作。

五、gust /ɡʌst/ CET6+ TEM4 ( gusting, gusted, gusts )

N-COUNT A gust is a short, strong, sudden rush of wind. 一阵强风
例：
A gust of wind drove down the valley.
一阵狂风掠过山谷。

V-I When the wind gusts, it blows with short, strong, sudden rushes. 劲吹
例：
The wind gusted again.
风又猛刮起来。

N-COUNT If you feel a gust of emotion, you feel the emotion suddenly and intensely. (感情的) 迸发 [N 'of' n]
例：
...a small gust of pleasure.
…一丝愉悦的迸发。