VOA双语新闻：19、美中可能合作探索太空（在线收听）

美中可能合作探索太空

Space exploration officials from more than 30 countries met in Washington, D.C. recently to discuss how to advance the exploration and utilization of space. The meeting was organized by the U.S. State Department which, for the first time, invited officials from China's space agency, highlighting the possibility of cooperation in space exploration.

来自30多个国家的太空探索官员最近汇集在华盛顿，讨论如何推进探索及利用太空。这次论坛的主办方是美国国务院。这是首次邀请中国航天官员参加的会议，凸显出美中在太空中合作的可能性。

Cooperation between the U.S. space agency, NASA, and China's space agency was banned by Congress in 2011. However, signs are emerging that this policy may change.

美国宇航局(NASA)和中国的国家航天局的合作2011年被美国国会命令禁止，而目前出现了改变这一局面的迹象。

At the International Space Exploration Forum, held January 9, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns invited all countries to participate in space exploration.

1月9日在华盛顿举行的国际太空探索论坛上，美国国务院常务副国务卿伯恩斯邀请了所有国家参与太空探索。

“Now is the time to come together to make space exploration a shared global priority, to unlock the mysteries of the universe, and to accelerate human progress here on Earth,” said Burns.

伯恩斯说：“现在是时候了，让我们大家走到一起，把共同探索太空作为全球共享的要务，揭开太空的奥秘，加快人类在地球的的进步。”

Xu Dazhe, head of the China's National Space Administration, attended the meeting. China Daily quoted Dazhe as saying his participation was a signal that China is willing to cooperate with other countries in exploring space.

中国国家航天局局长徐达哲参加了这次论坛。中国官方的英文报纸《中国日报》援引他的话说，他来参加这次会议所发出的信号就是中国愿意和其他国家合作探索太空。

Scott Pace, who heads the Space Policy Institute and is a professor of international affairs at George Washington University, said the Chinese were specifically invited to be part of the international discussion, but warned against excessive optimism.

斯科特.佩斯是空间政策研究所所长，也是乔治·华盛顿大学的国际关系教授。他说，这次国际太空论坛特别邀请了中国与会。

“There really hasn’t been a political breakthrough that would then lead to large, symbolic, direct cooperative activity. There are, however a number of small opportunities that I think we can and should be able to pursue,” said Pace.

“事实上目前还没有形成那种接下来会带来大规模、有象征意义而且是直接的合作行动的政治突破。不过，目前已经出现了一些小小的机会，我认为，我们能够而且应该去抓住这些机会。”

佩斯说，在冷战时期，美国和苏联在太空探索的某些方面还进行过合作。

Pace pointed out that during the Cold War, the U.S. cooperated with the Soviet Union on some aspects of space exploration.

佩斯说，在冷战时期，美国和苏联在太空探索的某些方面还进行过合作。

“It was in very specific scientific areas: earth science, solar physics, some biometrical data. And I think similar levels of cooperation can certainly occur with China today, and probably should,” Pace continued.

他说：“那是非常具体的科学领域，比如地球科学、太阳物理、某些生物统计数据等。我认为，类似层级的合作目前完全可以和中国展开，而且可能应该这样做。”

Also present at the meeting were countries not usually associated with space exploration - like Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.

参加这次会议的还有一些通常和太空探索无关的国家，例如巴西、沙特阿拉伯和尼日利亚。

Pace said many countries use space for practical purposes, such as navigation or communications, but they should now be more ambitious.

佩斯说，很多国家在太空问题上只是注重实际用途，例如导航或通讯，但是，他们现在应该拿出更多的雄心壮志。

“The moon is emerging, I think, as a consensus technical focus, because it provides opportunities for countries at all levels of space development - from the very largest to very modest,” said Pace.

佩斯说：“我认为月球在吸纳更多的探索兴趣，逐渐成为大家都看好的技术焦点，因为月球为处在太空发展各个水平的国家都提供了机会，发展规模巨大的和刚刚起步的国家都包括在内。”

Because the Space Station is an international facility and its operational life has been extended until 2024, Pace said China may be invited to participate in experiments on board.

因为国际空间站是国际设施，使用寿命已经被延长到了2024年，佩斯说，中国可能受邀参加空间站的实验。

The next place where one might see cooperation with China would be on the moon, given that missions to Mars or asteroids are too difficult and expensive, even for the U.S. and Russia.

下一个人们可能看到美中合作的领域也许就是月球了，因为探索火星和小行星的使命，即使对美国和俄罗斯来说，都非常困难和昂贵。