美国国家公共电台 NPR Florida Company Gets One Bureaucratic Step Closer To Landing On The Moon

Florida Company Gets One Bureaucratic¹ Step Closer To Landing On The Moon

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

There was one small step for man - and now something not nearly as dramatic, but still important, one small step for robots. A Florida company that wants to put a robot on the moon got the government's OK to send that robot out into space. Here's NPR's Rae Ellen Bichell.

RAE ELLEN BICHELL, BYLINE²: If you want to send something to the moon, the first thing you have to do is paperwork, lots of it. That's what Moon Express Inc. is in the middle of right now. It plans to send a robot to the moon next fall. Naveen Jain is one of the company's founders³.

NAVEEN JAIN: It's called MX-1E, and think of it as probably the size of a washing machine.

BICHELL: The lander is supposed to hop⁴ across the surface of the moon. And well, it's unclear exactly what it's supposed to do there. But Jain, a former Silicon⁵ Valley entrepreneur, is overflowing⁶ with business ideas. He wants to harvest resources like helium-3, bring people's ashes to the moon and at the very least, revolutionize the wedding industry.

JAIN: When we bring the moon rocks, we change the whole foundation of engagement rings. If you love her enough, you give her the moon.

BICHELL: Moon Express recently cleared one bureaucratic hurdle⁷ called payload review. It means the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the robot to leave the planet. But it hasn't cleared the rocket that would actually carry the vehicle to the moon or the launch itself.

JOHN LOGSDON: This is more symbolic⁸ than substantive⁹.

BICHELL: That's John Logsdon. He's a space policy specialist at George Washington University. Logsdon says this is the first time the FAA has cleared equipment from a private company to leave Earth with the moon as its intended destination.

LOGSDON: It symbolizes¹⁰ the government's willingness to allow private companies to begin the exploration of the solar system.

BICHELL: The company still has a long way to go before it actually sends anything into space. And it's just one of 16 companies gunning for a $20 million prize from Google to put a vehicle on the moon by the end of next year. Today, only world superpowers have landed on the moon. Rae Ellen Bichell, NPR News.

1 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

4 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

5 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

6 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

7 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

8 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

9 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

10 symbolizes   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》