The idea of colonising Mars -- a world 160 times more distant than the Moon -- will move decisively from the second phase to the third, when a significant number of people are living permanently in space.

colonize / colonise ^{v. establish a colony in an area 建立殖民地}

• Britain colonized many parts of Africa. 
• semi-colonial and semi-feudal society ^{半封建半殖民地社会，半殖民地半封建社会}
• Early explorers attempted to colonise the newly discovered continent.^{早期探险家试图在新发现的大陆上殖民。}
• The mission is focused on how humans can eventually colonise another planet.^{这次任务的重点是人类最终如何殖民另一个星球。}

decisive ^{adj. 1. definite and clear in a way that leaves no doubt 确定无疑的}

• The answer was a decisive no. 
• All efforts have failed to locate decisively the birthplace of Columbus. 

decisive ^{adj. 2. very important for the final result of a particular situation 决定性的}

• The injury to their key player could be a decisive factor in the game. 
• Germany had been decisively beaten and disarmed. 

decisive ^{adj. 3. able to decide sth. quickly and with confidence 果断的，当机立断的(褒义)}

• The government must take decisive action on gun control. 
• If we had acted more decisively it might not have come to this. 
• The project needs to move decisively from the planning stage to the execution stage.^{该项目需要果断地从规划阶段进入执行阶段。}
• The market moved decisively from bearish to bullish after the announcement.^{在公告发布后，市场果断地从熊市转向牛市。}

Mars has an extraordinary fascination for would-be voyagers.

extraordinary fascination ^{非凡的魅力/吸引力}

• The ancient ruins hold an extraordinary fascination for historians.^{这些古代遗迹对历史学家有着非凡的魅力。}
• Her personality possesses an extraordinary fascination that draws people in.^{她的个性拥有一种吸引人们的非凡魅力。}

would-be ^{adj. [only before noun] used to describe sb who is hoping to become the type of person mentioned 希望成为某种人的(只做前定，不能做表语)}

• The magazine offered advice to would-be entrepreneurs.^{这本杂志为那些想要成为企业家的潜在人士提供了建议。}
• Security forces intercepted a group of would-be smugglers at the border.^{安全部队在边境拦截了一群潜在的走私者。}

voyager ^{n. a person who goes on a long journey, esp. by ship to unknown parts of the world 长途旅行者，驾船探险者}

• The Voyager spacecraft would visit all of these. ^{航行者宇宙飞船将会全部到访。}
• NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached the outside edge of the solar system. ^{NASA的旅行者1号已到达太阳系外缘。}
• Planes following Voyager could see that the ends of the wings were badly damaged. ^{跟在“航行者”号后面的飞机可以看到它的机翼的后部严重受损。}

America, Russia and Europe are filled with enthusiasts -- many of them serious and senior scientists -- who dream of sending people to it.

enthusiast ^{n. a person who is very interested in sth. and spends a lot of time doing it 热心于某事的人，……爱好者，……迷}

• Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own computers. 
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored.

America, Russia and Europe are filled with enthusiasts ― many of them (being) serious and senior scientists ― who dream of sending people to it. ^课文补全

• Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, much of it (being) broken. 
• In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences ― most of them (being) wildly improbable. 

dream ^{v. to think about something that you would like to happen or have 梦想}

• He always dreamed of becoming a professional musician.^{他一直梦想着成为一名专业音乐家。}
• They dream of travelling the world after they retire.^{他们梦想着在退休后环游世界。}
• He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country. 
• They had the kind of house we could only dream about. 

Their aim is understandable.

aim ^{n. 目标/目的}

• The main aim of the research is to find a cure for the disease.^{这项研究的主要目标是找到治愈这种疾病的方法。}
• My aim is to save enough money to buy a house next year.^{我的目标是存够钱明年买一套房子。}

It is the one world in the Solar System that is most like the Earth.

most like ...  ^最像...的

• Manchester City strike me as being most like China.
• Here is another instance where he is most like Jesus Christ.
• Of all the moons, Titan is considered to be the most like the Earth in terms of surface processes.^{在所有卫星中，就表面过程而言，土卫六被认为是最像地球的。}
• His painting style is most like the impressionists of the 19th century.^{他的绘画风格最像 19 世纪的印象派画家。}

It is a world of red sandy deserts (hence its name -- the Red Planet), cloudless skies, savage sandstorms, chasms wider than the Grand Canyon and at least one mountain more than twice as tall as Everest.

hence ^{adv. 1. (fml.) for this reason 因此(引出原因)}

• Crime is on the increase, hence the need for more police.
• His grandfather was Greek, hence the surname.
• Alcohol can cause liver failure and hence death.

hence ^{adv. 2. (fml.) from this time 从此时起（引出时间）}

• The project will be completed at the end of the decade, two years hence.
• The true consequences will only be known several months hence.

chasm ^{n. a deep crack or opening in the ground 深坑，深渊，峡谷}

• This immense chasm has been formed by an underground stream which has tunnelled a course through a flaw in the rocks. 
• It is more of a chasm than a gap.^{但这显然是一个鸿沟而不是什么缺口。}
• The tourists luxuriated in the beauties of the chasm. ^{游客们尽情地享受这个峡谷的美景。}
• The expedition discovered a series of deep chasms in the remote mountains.^{探险队在偏远的山区发现了一系列深邃的峡谷。}

canyon ^{n. a long deep valley with very steep sides made of rock 峡谷}

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona in the United States. 

• Laguna Canyon Road was blocked off again northbound. ^{拉古纳峡谷路的北行道又被封了。}
• The best bit of the holiday was seeing the Grand Canyon. ^{假期中最精彩的片段是参观大峡谷。}
• Far up the west rim of the canyon, a coyote yipped twice. ^{远处峡谷的西岸，一只丛林狼嚎叫了两声。}

Everest / Mount Everest / Qomolangma mountain ^{珠穆朗玛峰}

the highest mountain in the world. Everest is in the Himalayas, on the border between Tibet and Nepal. 

• Since its discovery, it has become a sort of potholers' Everest. 
• I'd like to climb Qomolangma Mountain. ^{我想要攀登珠穆朗玛峰。}
• Qomolangma, the world's highest mountain is about 8,848 metres above sea level. ^{珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最高的山峰，海拔约8848米。}

It seems ideal for settlement.

ideal ^{adj. the best or most suitable that something could possibly be 理想的，最佳的，最适合的(没有比较级，本身为最高级)}

• Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. 
• ideal weather for a holiday 
• He's the ideal husband for her. 
• The sandy beaches are ideal for families with young children.