Eventually, the tidal bulge became aligned with the Earth, locking the speed of the moon's rotation.

最终，月球的突起正对地球，锁定了月球的转速。

Just like Earth, there are two tidal bulges on the Moon: one facing the Earth and one facing away.

就像地球一样，月球上也有两个凸起：一个面向地球，另一个背向地球。

The way things are now, the Moon’s gravity tugs on the Earth, creating tidal bulges.

现在的情况是， 月球的引力拉动地球， 造成潮汐隆起。

The Moon's tidal bulges didn't align with the Earth, and the Earth's gravity tugged on them, slowing the Moon's spin and moving it farther away.

月球由于引潮力而产生的凸起也不完全在地球月球的连线上，地球的引力拉着它，减慢了月球的自转速度，并使它移得更远。

At that point, the Earth’s tidal bulges would always be directly in line with the Moon, so it would finally stop getting farther away.

到那时， 地球的潮汐隆起将始终与月球成一直线，因此它最终不会远离月球。

Now, the size of that tidal bulge facing the Earth is something like seven metres in rock and then, as the moon rotates, that bulge sweeps across the lunar surface.

面向地球的那部分会增加 7 米的高度，当月球自转时这个突起会穿过月球表面。

And lucky for us, our Moon's orbit and gravitational pull tilt the Earth 23.4 degrees, creating tidal bulges that help slow the rotation of our planet just enough for life to safely exist, or so we think.

幸运的是，月球的轨道运行和引力作用使地球倾斜 23.4 度，产生的潮汐使地球自转速度减慢到恰好能让生命幸存下来，或者这只是我们的假想。