时差N小时 宇航员如何在太空中上厕所?(上)

It may sound silly, but it’s really a good question, because weightlessness does make a visit to the latrine a tricky¹ proposition.

这个问题听起来可能有些可笑，但这的确是个现实的问题，失重导致上厕所成为棘手难题。

Weightlessness poses two main problems in the bathroom.

在失重状态下上厕所会面临两个问题。

The first is that an astronaut could drift away from the bowl at any time.

首先是宇航员随时可能会飘离便池。

But, there is a simple solution. They put on thigh² and foot restraints in order to go to the john!

不过，有个简单的解决办法。为了上厕所，他们将大腿和双脚固定起来。

The second dilemma³ is a bit more complicated.

第二个问题更加复杂。

Here on earth, gravity assures that our waste falls downward, away from the body.

在地球上，重力可以保证排泄物下坠，完全远离人体。

But, under weightless conditions, body waste has the disconcerting tendency to hover⁴ close to wherever it exited the body.

而在失重的状态下，排泄物离开人体后漂浮在四周，还可能会靠近其他东西，令人不安！

1 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

2 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

3 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

4 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。