VOA常速英语2015--宇航员们在夏威夷进行模拟火星训练（在线收听）

Simulated Astronauts Get Taste of Mars, in Hawaii 宇航员们在夏威夷进行模拟火星训练

LOS ANGELES—

For generations, people have dreamed of traveling to Mars to explore our closest planetary neighbor. While space agencies like NASA are planning manned missions to the planet, some volunteers in Hawaii are learning how humans will cope with months in isolation on a Mars base.

Volunteers are living for eight months in terrain that looks much like the surface of Mars. Six people are isolated high atop Mauna Loa, a volcanic mountain on the Big Island of Hawaii in a make-believe Mars base. The project, funded by NASA, is called HI-SEAS, which stands for Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation.

这些志愿者在看起来近似于火星表面的地形环境生活了8个月。6个人被孤立在莫纳罗亚山,这是位于夏威夷岛假想火星基地中的一座火山。由美国宇航局资助的这个项目名为HI-SEAS,即夏威夷太空探索模拟和仿真任务。

Kim Binsted of the University of Hawaii is principal investigator. She walks across the red lava rock and says this stark setting, 2,500 meters above sea level, is as close to Mars as you will find on Earth.

夏威夷大学的金·贝恩斯特德是该项目的负责人。她表示这是地球上所能发现最接近火星的环境。

“Visually, it is very similar to what you see on Mars. You will see that there is really no visible plant life, there is no visible animal life," she said. "And you have got this wonderful volcanic material. We are on a cinder cone here on Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is geologically very similar to Olympus Mons on Mars.”

Mauna Loa is the second largest mountain in the solar system, after the Martian peak, when measured from its base.

“视觉上,它非常类似于火星上所看到的景象。你会发现真的没有可见动植物。而且你会看到这个美妙的火山物质。我们正身处莫纳罗亚山的火山灰锥。

The six-member crew inside is mostly self-sufficient. Support crews bring food and supplies, but cannot interact with volunteers inside the habitat.

而内部的6名宇航员主要是自给自足。援助人员会运送食物和其他物资,但不能与栖息地志愿者有任何接触。

Binsted says this is an experiment that looks at the interaction of astronauts.

贝恩斯特德表示这是宇航员之间交互的实验。

“We study how well they work together, how we can keep them happy and supported, and not wanting to kill each other over these long durations,” she said.

“我们研究他们如何携手工作,我们如何让志愿者快乐及为他们提供支持,而不是在这么长时间内试图想害死对方。”

The current crew has been living in the habitat since October and will stay until June. Two earlier crews have gone before them.

当前这组队员自去年10月以来一直在栖息地生活，并且将呆到6月。早些时候两组人员已经在他们之前离去。

Participants communicate with the outside world through email and blogs and even YouTube videos.

参与者与外界沟通则是通过电子邮件，博客甚至YouTube视频。

This is not the only group of volunteers with sights set on Mars. An organization called Mars One, based in The Netherlands, has solicited applications for would-be Mars astronauts from around the world.

这不是所处火星唯一的志愿者们。一个总部设在荷兰名为火星一号组织已经征求来自世界各地准火星宇航员的申请。

Others believe the American or European space agencies are more likely to reach the goal, in the 2030s, or later. Whoever gets there first, the journey will not be easy, says Kim Binsted.

金·贝恩斯特德表示观察家们认为美国或欧洲太空机构会在2030年代或以后更容易达成火星的目标。无论谁先抵达这个星球,这段旅程绝非易事。

“It is going to be challenging,” she said.

“这肯定是个挑战。”

In the meantime, volunteers are getting a taste of life on a future Mars base.

与此同时,这些志愿者们正在尝试过着未来火星基地的生活。