VOA慢速英语2020 NASA团队居家办公，远程操控火星探测器

Even from Home, NASA Team Keeps Mars¹ Explorer Moving

Millions of people around the world are currently² working from home in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

目前，全世界有数百万人都在家办公，以减缓新冠状病毒的传播。 

Many of them have had to learn new ways of performing their jobs while attempting to turn living spaces into work-friendly environments.

他们中的许多人不得不学习新的工作方式，同时试图将居住空间转变为适合工作的环境。 

While such change can be difficult for any worker,it can be even harder for a scientist or engineer who cannot work in their usual laboratory setting.

尽管这种变化对任何工作人员来说都是困难的，但对于无法在通常的实验室环境中工作的科学家或工程师来说，那就更难了。

The American space agency NASA employs a large number of these workers.

美国宇航局NASA雇佣了大量这样的工作人员。 

Almost all of them have been working from home for the past month.

在过去的一个月中，几乎所有人都在家工作。 

Recently, the NASA team that controls the Curiosity explorer on Mars showed that they were able to perform their daily duties completely from their homes.

最近，控制着火星“好奇号”探测器的NASA团队表明，他们能够完全在家中进行日常工作。 

NASA recently reported on the teams latest activities on its website.

NASA最近在其网站上报告了该团队的最新活动。 

Usually, the Curiosity control team operates from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL, in Pasadena, California.

通常情况下，“好奇号”的控制团队是在美国宇航局位于加州帕萨迪纳的喷气推进实验室（JPL）工作的。

But for the first time ever, all members of the team have had to do all of their work remotely.

但是，这是有史以来第一次，团队的所有成员都必须远程完成所有工作。 

Alicia Allbaugh leads the Mars Exploration Program.

艾丽西亚·奥尔博负责火星探索项目。 

She said the current situation is very different from the environment her team is used to working in at JPL headquarters.

她说，目前的情况与她的团队过去在JPL总部工作的环境大不相同。 

"Were usually all in one room, sharing screens, images and data.

“我们通常都在一个房间里，共享屏幕，图像和数据。 

People are talking in small groups and to each other from across the room," she said.

大家分成小组，在房间的另一头互相交谈。”她说。 

The Curiosity team has attempted to recreate the same cooperative³ work atmosphere by using video conferencing technology and messaging apps.

“好奇号”团队试图通过视频会议技术和即时通讯app来重建同样的合作工作氛围。 

Effective communication is very important.

有效的沟通非常重要。 

So, team leaders have added extra planning time each day to help make sure all team members are connected.

因此，团队负责人每天需要额外的时间，确保所有团队成员都已连接。 

Carrie Bridge is the chief of science operations for the team.

嘉莉·布瑞吉是该团队的科学业务主管。 

She said one of her main jobs is to be a bridge between the scientists and engineers to make sure they understand each others work.

她说，她的主要工作之一是在科学家和工程师之间架起一座桥梁，确保他们了解彼此的工作。 

At JPL headquarters, Bridge usually goes around to meet directly with groups working in a "situation room"

在JPL总部，布瑞吉通常会直接去“情景室”与工作小组见面， 

where Curiositys data and images are examined and commands are shared.

而此处则是检查“好奇号”的数据和图像和共享命令的地方。 

Now, she calls into as many as four separate videoconferences at once.

现在，她一次可以召开多达四场单独的视频会议。 

Bridge said she is also now looking at about 15 different message chats at all times to keep effective communication flowing.

布瑞吉说，她现在还在随时查看大约15种不同的消息聊天，以保持有效的交流。 

"Youre juggling⁴ more than you normally would," she said.

她说：“你需要比平常操作的更多。” 

The remote Curiosity team was lacking some technology and tools they usually use to perform their jobs.

远程办公的“好奇号”团队缺乏一些他们通常执行工作的技术和工具。 

Some employees were able to pick up some computer and communications equipment.

有的员工家里有计算机和通讯设备。 

But other equipment could not be sent home.

但是其他设备无法寄回家。 

For example, the team uses special goggles⁵, or eyewear, to examine three-dimensional (3D) images sent from Mars.

例如，团队使用特殊的护目镜或眼镜，检查从火星发送的三维图像。 

The equipment helps scientists get a better look at the surface of the planet

这些设备可以帮助科学家更好地观察地球表面， 

so they know where to drive Curiosity and how far they can extend the explorers arm.

这样他们就知道在哪里驱动“好奇号”，以及他们可以把“好奇号”的手臂伸多远。 

The goggles require high-powered computer systems to operate that team members could not set up at home.

护目镜需要功能强大的计算机系统才能操作，而团队成员无法在家里无法做到。 

So, they were told to use simple red-blue 3D glasses instead.

因此，他们被告知用简单的红蓝色3D眼镜来代替。 

While not nearly as sensitive as the usual goggles,

该团队报告说，虽然不像普通的护目镜那样灵敏， 

the team reported that the low-tech 3D glasses worked just as well for planning drives and arm movements for Curiosity.

但这种低技术含量的3D眼镜在为“好奇号”计划驱动和手臂运动时表现得一样好。 

After a lot of planning and test runs,

经过大量的计划和测试运行后， 

the remote team was excited to announce that the explorer had received its commands from Earth and performed as expected.

远程团队兴奋地宣布，“探测器”已经收到了来自地球的指令，并按预期执行。 

The first result: Curiosity successfully completed a rock drilling operation in an area called "Edinburgh."

第一个结果：好奇号在“爱丁堡”地区成功完成了凿岩作业。 

While the effort required a lot of creative thinking and workflow changes,

虽然这项工作需要大量的创造性思维和工作流程的改变， 

Carrie Bridge said the experience demonstrated what NASA has always been about.

但嘉莉·布瑞吉说，这次经历证明了NASA一直以来的宗旨。 

"Were presented with a problem and we figure out how to make things work.

“我们遇到了一个问题，我们想办法解决问题。 

Mars isnt standing⁶ still for us - were still exploring."

火星并不是静止不动的，我们仍在探索中。” 

Im Bryan Lynn.

布莱恩·林恩为您播报。 

1 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

2 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

3 cooperative   

adj.有合作意向的，合作的；n.合作社（企业）等

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。
• We decided to set up a cooperative.我们决定开办一家合作社。

4 juggling   

n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was charged with some dishonest juggling with the accounts. 他被指控用欺骗手段窜改账目。
• The accountant went to prison for juggling his firm's accounts. 会计因涂改公司的帐目而入狱。

5 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。