VOA慢速英语2012 Technology Report - The Historic Flight of the Dragon

 

Technology Report - The Historic Flight of the Dragon

科技报道 - 国际空间站迎来首个私人航天器--飞龙号太空舱

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

A rocket designed and built by a privately¹ owned company has made history by bringing a supply capsule to the International Space Station. It was the first private spacecraft to carry out such a mission.

由一家私营公司设计建造的火箭历史性地为国际空间站带来了补给舱，这是执行此类飞行任务的首个私人航天器。

The company SpaceX launched its Dragon space capsule last week on the company's Falcon² 9 rocket. It launched from Cape³ Canaveral, Florida.

太空探索科技公司（以下简称SpaceX公司）上周通过该公司的猎鹰9号火箭，从佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角发射了“飞龙号”太空舱。

NASA LAUNCH COMMENTATOR⁴: "Three, two, one, zero and the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as NASA turns to the private sector⁵ to resupply the International Space Station."

美国宇航局发射解说员：“3，2，1，0，猎鹰9号火箭发射。这次发射正值美国宇航局转向私营部门为国际空间站运送补给之际。”

SpaceX mission controllers celebrated⁶ when the rocket had reached orbit and its solar panels had deployed⁷. Three days earlier, a launch attempt was cancelled at the last second when a computer found a problem with the engine.

SpaceX公司飞行控制人员在火箭进入轨道，太阳能电池板打开后进行了庆祝。3天前，计算机在火箭发射前最后一秒发现发动机故障，发射被取消。

Charlie Bolden is the head of the American space agency, NASA. He spoke⁸ to reporters at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the rocket was launched.

查理·博尔登（Charlie Bolden）是美国宇航局负责人。火箭发射以后，他在佛罗里达州的肯尼迪航天中心对记者表示：

CHARLIE BOLDEN: "The significance of this day cannot be overstated. A private company has launched a spacecraft to the International Space Station that will attempt to dock there for the first time. And, while there is a lot of work ahead to successfully complete this mission, we are certainly off to a good start."

博尔登：“这一天的意义不容忽视。一家私人公司向国际空间站发射了航天器，并首次试图停靠到空间站。在成功完成这次飞行任务之前我们提前做了很多工作，显然我们有了一个很好的开端。”

The head of SpaceX watched the launch from company headquarters. Elon Musk⁹ told reporters:

SpaceX公司负责人艾伦.马斯克（Elon Musk）在公司总部观看了这次发射，他对记者表示：

ELON MUSK: "There is so much hope riding on that rocket, so when it worked, and Dragon worked and the solar arrays deployed, and people saw their handiwork in space and operating as it should -- I mean it was tremendous elation¹⁰. I mean, it is like, I guess, for us, it is like winning the Super Bowl."

马斯克：“这枚火箭上倾注了太多希望，所以当火箭及它携带的飞龙号太空舱发射成功，太阳能电池板展开，大家看到自己亲手打造的航天器飞上太空并且控制正常时--这是多大的喜悦啊。我觉得对我们来说，就像赢得了超级碗（Super Bowl）。”

The rocket successfully linked with the International Space Station on Friday. Astronauts on board the Space Station used its robotic arm to secure the capsule.

上周五，火箭与国际空间站成功对接。国际空间站上的宇航员使用机械臂来捕捉飞龙号太空舱。

SPACE STATION: "Capture is confirmed."

空间站：“捕捉成功。”

MISSION CONTROL: "Station, Houston, congratulations on a wonderful capture. You've made a lot of folk happy down here and over in Hawthorne and right here in Houston. Great job, guys."

飞行控制中心：“国际空间站，这里是休斯敦，祝贺你们捕捉成功。你们让休斯敦（飞行控制中心）和霍桑（SpaceX公司总部）的很多人都非常高兴。”

NASA has invested about four hundred million dollars in SpaceX to help it develop space flight technology. And the agency also has a contract with SpaceX for twelve flights to resupply the space station.

美国宇航局已经在SpaceX公司身上投资了约4亿美元帮助他们发展航天技术。美国宇航局还和SpaceX公司签有合同，由SpaceX公司为空间站进行12次补给飞行任务。

NASA wants private companies to carry out operations in low-Earth orbit. The agency wants to center its attention on developing the next generation of spacecraft that can travel to asteroids¹¹ or Mars.

美国宇航局希望私人公司开展近地轨道业务，自己集中精力发展能够前往小行星或火星的下一代航天器。

The Falcon 9 rocket brought more than five hundred kilograms of supplies to the space station. But it also carried the remains¹², or ashes, of three hundred people. Among the remains were those of astronaut Gordon Cooper and actor James Doohan. Doohan played Chief Engineer Scotty in the popular television and movie series "Star Trek¹³. "

猎鹰9号火箭为国际空间站带来了五百多公斤物资。但它还携带了300人的骨灰，其中包括宇航员戈登·库珀（Gordon Cooper）及演员詹姆斯·杜汉（James Doohan）的骨灰。杜汉在热门电视与电影系列剧《星际迷航》中扮演了总工程师斯科提（Scotty）。

The remains will orbit the Earth for about a year until burning up in the atmosphere.

这些骨灰将在轨一年左右，然后在大气中燃烧殆尽。

And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report. Transcripts¹⁴, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at www.voanews.cn. I'm Steve Ember.

1 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

2 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

3 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

4 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

10 elation   

n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意

参考例句：

• She showed her elation at having finally achieved her ambition.最终实现了抱负，她显得十分高兴。
• His supporters have reacted to the news with elation.他的支持者听到那条消息后兴高采烈。

11 asteroids   

n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星

参考例句：

• Asteroids,also known as "minor planets",are numerous in the outer space. 小行星，亦称为“小型行星”，在外太空中不计其数。
• Most stars probably have their quota of planets, meteorids, comets, and asteroids. 多数恒星也许还拥有若干行星、流星、彗星和小行星。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

14 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句