VOA慢速英语2019 印度宣布月船3号2020年登月计划

India has announced plans to land an unpiloted space vehicle on the moon in 2020. The plans mark a continuation of India's drive to expand its space program.

印度宣布了2020年无人航天器的登月计划。这些计划标志着印度继续发展其太空项目的努力。

The head of India's Space Research Organization, K. Sivan, made the announcement on January 1.

印度空间研究组织负责人西万于1月1日宣布了这一消息。

The planned mission, called Chandrayaan-3, aims to land an exploration vehicle on the moon's surface. Chandrayaan is the Sanskrit word for "moon vehicle." Sivan recently told reporters that mission planning had progressed "smoothly¹" so far.

这项被称为“月船3号”的计划任务旨在让探测车登上月球表面。Chandrayaan是梵语中月球车的意思。西万最近对记者表示，这项计划任务到目前为止都进展顺利。

"We are targeting the launch for this year, but it may spill over to next year," Sivan said. Indian sources told the French news agency AFP that officials had set November as a target launch date.

西万表示：“我们的目标是今年发射，不过也有可能会延续到明年。”印度消息人士对法新社表示，有关方面已经将预定发射日期定在11月。

India is seeking to become only the fourth nation to land on the moon's surface -- after Russia, the United States and China. Israel made an unsuccessful attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon last April.

印度正寻求成为继俄罗斯、美国和中国之后第四个登上月球表面的国家。以色列去年4月未能成功将飞船降落在月球上。

India has worked to establish itself as a low-cost satellite launcher. It is seeking to become a world space power. However, the country's space program suffered a failed moon-landing attempt last September. That mission, Chandrayaan-2, ended with the lander spacecraft crashing on the moon's surface.

印度一直致力于建立自己的低成本卫星运载火箭。该国正寻求成为世界太空大国。但是去年9月，该国的太空项目经历了一次失败的登月尝试。那次月船2号任务最终以登陆器坠毁在月球表面而告终。

Chandrayaan-2 had aimed to land on the south pole of the moon, where no other lunar mission had gone before. The area is believed to contain water because it is largely unaffected by the high temperatures of the sun.

月船2号的目标是降落在月球的南极地区，该地区以前没有进行过其它登月任务。人们认为该地区存在水分，因为它基本不受太阳高温的影响。

Chandrayaan-3's explorer vehicle hopes to confirm the presence of water in the form of lunar ice, which it first discovered during a mission in 2008.

月船3号探测车希望确认有月球冰形式的水的存在，2008年的一次探月任务中首次发现了月球冰的存在。

Sivan said the new unpiloted mission is expected to cost about $35 million, with additional launch costs.

西万表示，这次新的不载人探月任务预计将耗资3500万美元左右，其中包含额外的发射费用。

Sivan also announced that India had chosen four candidate astronauts to take part in the country's first planned piloted mission into orbit. That mission is set for late 2021 at the earliest. The four candidates are expected to start training in Russia later this month. Up to three astronauts are to take part in the flight.

西万还宣布，印度已经挑选了4名候选宇航员参加该国首次计划的载人航天任务。这次任务定于最早2021年下半年进行。预计这4名宇航员将于本月晚些时候在俄罗斯开始训练。最多会有3名宇航员参加这次航天任务。

The piloted mission is one of India's main planned projects to mark the 75th anniversary of India's independence from British rule.

这次载人航天任务是印度纪念脱离英国统治75周年的重要计划项目之一。

1 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。