VOA慢速英语2019 夏威夷受阻望远镜项目寻求西班牙建设许可（在线收听）

Telescope Project Blocked in Hawaii Seeks Permit to Build in Spain

The group planning to put a telescope on a Hawaiian mountain is now seeking permission to build in Spain because protesters are blocking the project in Hawaii.

计划在夏威夷某山顶安装望远镜的组织现在开始寻求在西班牙的建造许可，原因是示威者阻止该项目在夏威夷施工。

The start of construction on the $1.4-billion telescope has been delayed several weeks because of the protests.

由于抗议活动，这个耗资14亿美元的望远镜项目已经推迟数周未能动工。

Hundreds of demonstrators have blocked a road leading to the top of Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s highest mountain. That is where Thirty Meter Telescope wants to build their telescope. But protesters say the Mauna Kea mountaintop is holy.

数百名示威者封锁了通往夏威夷最高峰的莫纳克亚山顶的道路。“30米望远镜项目组”想要把望远镜建在这里。但是示威者称莫纳克亚山顶是圣地。

The mountain is already home to several major observatories. Opponents of the project say the new telescope will further desecrate the mountain.

这座山已经有几处重要的天文台。该项目的反对者称，新望远镜项目会进一步亵渎这座山。

Scientists say the mountaintop is the best place to put the Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, which is aimed at helping to answer questions about the universe. The project is operated by a group of universities in California and Canada, with partners from China, India and Japan.

科学家们表示，该山顶是这个旨在帮助解答宇宙疑问的“30米望远镜项目”的最佳建造地。该项目由加州和加拿大的一些大学运营，合作伙伴来自中国、印度和日本。

Hawaii’s Supreme Court approved permits for the Thirty Meter Telescope project in 2018, after years of protests and legal battles. State officials recently approved a two-year extension for construction to begin on the project.

经过多年的抗议和打官司，夏威夷最高法院于2018年批准了“30米望远镜项目”的建设许可。加州官员最近批准该项目的开工期延期两年。

Thirty Meter Telescope’s director Ed Stone said in a statement that the group still plans to build on Mauna Kea. However, it wants a backup plan in case the project cannot happen in Hawaii. So, project officials have sought a permit to build on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

“30米望远镜项目”的负责人埃德·斯通在一份声明中表示，该组织仍然计划建在莫纳克亚山顶。然而，它需要一套备选方案，以防该项目无法在夏威夷落地。因此，项目官员已经寻求获得在西班牙加那利群岛拉帕尔马岛的建造许可。

Stone said, “We continue to follow the process to allow for TMT to be constructed at the ‘plan B’ site in (Spain) should it not be possible to build in Hawaii.”

斯通表示：“我们会继续按照流程获得‘30米望远镜项目’在后备选址（西班牙）的建设许可，以免万一不能在夏威夷建设。”

Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute Director Rafael Rebolo confirmed to the Associated Press that he had received a letter from the head of the Thirty Meter Telescope seeking a building permit. “We are observing what is happening in Hawaii with the maximum respect,” Rebolo said. “Our position is that we are here if the TMT project needs us,” he added.

加那利群岛天体物理研究所所长拉斐尔·雷博洛向美联社证实，他已经收到了30米望远镜项目负责人寻求获得建设许可的来信。雷博洛表示：“我们正以极大的尊重观望夏威夷正在发生的事情。我们的立场是，如果30米望远镜项目需要我们，我们就在这里。”

Rebolo said local officials in La Palma solidly back the project and that environmental impact studies have already been carried out.

雷博洛表示，拉帕尔马岛当地官员坚决支持该项目，并且已经开展了环境影响研究。

The plan to explore possible building in the Canary Islands pleased many Hawaiian activists. However, the development was not enough for protesters to end their block of the road into Mauna Kea.

探索在加那利群岛建造“30米望远镜项目”可能性的计划让很多夏威夷活动人士感到高兴。然而，这种事态发展尚不足以让示威者停止封锁通往莫纳克亚山顶的道路。

The demonstrators say they are not opposed to the scientific work the telescope is designed to perform. They say they just want the research to take place somewhere else.

示威者表示，他们并不反对该望远镜旨在进行的科学工作。他们称只是希望这项研究在其它地方进行。

“There’s lots of good science to be done from the Canary Islands,” protest organizer Kealoha Pisciotta told the AP. She said that moving the telescope project out of Hawaii would “be a win for everyone.”

示威活动组织者柯洛哈·皮斯考塔对美联社表示：“有很多科学研究都在加那利群岛完成。”她说将望远镜项目迁出夏威夷“对所有人来说都将是一场胜利。”

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

construction – n. the act or process of building something

desecrate – v. to damage or show a lack of respect toward something considered holy or respected

maximum – adj. being the largest amount or number possible

impact – n. the strong effect or influence something has on a person or situation