VOA慢速英语2012 SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - NASA Celebrates Past While Facing Unsure Future

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - NASA Celebrates Past While Facing Unsure Future

BARBARA KLEIN: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein.
BOB DOUGHTY¹: And I’m Bob Doughty. Today, we remember a major anniversary for the American space program. And we tell how budget cuts may affect American plans to explore the planet Mars. We also tell about efforts to organize competing uses for coastal² waters. And we tell what scientists have learned about the healing powers of massage³.
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BARBARA KLEIN: The National Aeronautics⁴ and Space Administration celebrated⁵ a major anniversary earlier this month. It was fifty years ago that an American astronaut first orbited the Earth. John Glenn made history on February twentieth, nineteen sixty-two. He became a hero to millions of Americans.
Just seven years after that flight, NASA reached all the way to the moon. The world watched and listened as astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon.
That was nineteen-sixty-nine. Now, a huge national debt has forced the federal government - and the American people – to set lower expectations. This month, the Obama administration proposed cuts in many federal programs. NASA did not escape the budget cuts.
BOB DOUGHTY: Astronaut Cady Coleman has been to space three times. Last year, she spent nearly six months on the International Space Station. Even with the threat of cuts, she believes the American space agency can do great work.
CADY COLEMAN: “The fact that we have a space station in orbit right now, six people living up there - working, doing experiments that we can’t do down here. It makes me very excited about the future.”
President Obama says that future includes plans to send people to the planet Mars, but not anytime soon. Charles Bolden is the head of the space agency. He recently spoke⁶ about efforts to reach Mars, including a program called MAVEN – the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile⁷ Evolution Mission.
CHARLES BOLDEN: “The missions currently at Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory on its way, and MAVEN - well into development - will provide many years of data to help us understand the red planet and our needs in future years to meet the president’s challenge to send humans to Mars in the mid-twenty-thirties.”
BOB DOUGHTY: American scientists have already used a number of devices -- landers, orbiters and rovers – to gather details about Mars. The Mars Science Laboratory - known as Curiosity - is set to land on the red planet in August. And NASA hopes to launch the MAVEN spacecraft as early as next year.
The United States has no plans to end its exploration of Mars. But it is surely slowing down the speed of that exploration. NASA says the cuts would mean it will not have the money to move forward with what are called “ExoMars” missions. These projects were to be joint⁸ efforts between NASA and the European Space Agency.
BARBARA KLEIN: The proposed NASA budget calls for a twenty percent reduction in spending for planetary science. That would mean three hundred million dollars in cuts from the program’s twenty-twelve budget of one point five billion dollars.
But the news for the space agency is not all bad. There are proposed spending increases for some programs. For example, the president’s budget would increase spending for development of a new commercial manned spacecraft. It would double to eight hundred thirty million dollars the amount for developing private spacecraft to replace the Space Shuttle program, which ended last year.
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: American communities often use zoning laws to control where businesses may operate in a neighborhood. Now there is a move to zone parts of the ocean.
Several states and the federal government have plans to organize competing uses for their coastal waters. Interest in such planning grew in two northeastern states following reports of wind-turbine energy projects being built close to seaside towns. On the West Coast, the interest came as a result of wave and tidal energy development.
However, balancing competing uses for coastal waters has proved difficult. At first look, the Pacific Ocean appears mostly empty. But it is anything but that. Recently, the state of Oregon published a digital map of the Oregon coast on the World Wide Web. The map includes about fifty levels of information about existing ocean uses and the environment.
BARBARA KLEIN: The United States Congress created the Sea Grant program to bring attention and resources to ocean and coastal issues. Todd Hallenbeck is a Sea Grant fellow in Oregon. He uses his laptop computer to show major fishing grounds.
TODD HALLENBECK: “There’s a large area of the territorial⁹ sea that’s important to fishing with the darker red colors representing some of the most important areas for each of the ports.
Purple lines stretch across the screen of his laptop computer. Little marks representing seabird colonies appear along the coastline.
BOB DOUGHTY: Justin Klure works for Pacific Energy Ventures, a business development company. He feels uneasy with the first set of lines on the ocean planning map.
JUSTIN KLURE: "First blush that those maps look a little intimidating¹⁰ from the industry perspective, only because the areas that they've identified are relatively¹¹ small and don't align¹², I think, with some of the basic requirements that the industry is looking at, which is , ou know, access to port, access to transmission, certain water depths."
Todd Hallenbeck admits there are problems.
TODD HALLENBECK: "There are not a ton of areas that seem to not have something of importance in them already. And so the challenge here is finding the few areas that do exist that have the least amount of conflict."
But Justin Klure is not giving up hope yet. He argues for what he calls a "mixed use" approach while more information is gathered.
BARBARA KLEIN: The planning process is moving slowly. It has frightened off at least one ocean energy company interested in Oregon. Scotland-based Aquamarine Power closed its Oregon office last autumn. In a statement, the company expressed its hope of returning to the Pacific Northwest someday.
Aquamarine Power's energy generator¹³ uses a large mechanical flap placed just below the surface of the water. A more traditional ocean energy design uses a series of buoys¹⁴ floating on the water. There are also plans to use pressure-sensitive airbags on the sea floor.
The ocean mapping and zoning process will not stop development of the West Coast's first commercial wave-energy park. Ocean Power Technologies' demonstration¹⁵ project near Reedsport, Oregon, has already been approved. The company plans to launch the first of ten large floating wave energy generators¹⁶ there later this year.
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: Massage not only feels good -- it also does good things. The healing effects of massage are well-known. But less is known about why putting pressure on body parts can ease painful muscles. Researchers are now beginning to uncover the reasons why.
Massage is commonly used in sports to help the overworked muscles of athletes. It also can be part of physical therapy programs to help patients recover from injuries.
A new study suggests that massage may work on the cellular¹⁷ level in a way similar to pain medicines like aspirin¹⁸
BARBARA KLEIN: A new study suggests that massage may work on the cellular level in a way similar to pain medicines like aspirin. Mark Tarnopolsky is a professor of pediatric medicine at McMaster University in Canada. He led a study that attempted to find a biological explanation for the healing properties of massage.
Professor Tarnopolsky and his team studied eleven young men. They exercised on stationary¹⁹ bicycles. All the exercise made the young men very tired, although the bikes never left the room.
BOB DOUGHTY: The men had muscle biopsies in each leg before biking. A small piece of muscle tissue was removed for future testing. Each subject then had one leg massaged²⁰ after exercise. Another piece of muscle tissue was taken from each leg ten minutes after the end of the massage. More muscle tissue was removed again two and a half hours later during the recovery period.
Professor Tarnopolsky says his team did a genetic²¹ study of each of the tissue samples.
MARK TARNOPOLSKY: ”What we did is we looked at whatever genes²² were influenced by exercise in a different way in the massaged versus²³ the non-massaged leg. And what came out of that were two different pathways.”
BARBARA KLEIN: In the tissue of the massaged leg, researchers found a decrease in inflammatory cytokines, or proteins. They also found an increase in mitochondria, compared to tissue from the unmassaged leg. Mitochondria are the energy-producing parts of cells.
Inflammation, or enlargement, is evidence of tissue damage. Mitochondrial production is a sign of tissue recovery.
The researchers say their findings suggest that massage acts on the cellular level in the same way as many medicines for fighting pain. But these drugs are known to have serious side effects. The researchers believe that massage may be an effective and safer method that could be used as part of normal medical treatment.
A report on the study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written Brianna Blake and Christopher Cruise. Our producer was June Simms. I’m Bob Doughty.
BARBARA KLEIN: And I’m Barbara Klein. We have a video about the anniversary of John Glenn’s Earth orbit and planned Mars missions on our website, voanews.cn. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

4 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

10 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

13 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

14 buoys   

n.浮标( buoy的名词复数 )；航标；救生圈；救生衣v.使浮起( buoy的第三人称单数 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神

参考例句：

• The channel is marked by buoys. 航道有浮标表示。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Often they mark the path with buoys. 他们常常用浮标作为航道的标志。 来自辞典例句

15 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

16 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

18 aspirin   

n.阿司匹林

参考例句：

• The aspirin seems to quiet the headache.阿司匹林似乎使头痛减轻了。
• She went into a chemist's and bought some aspirin.她进了一家药店，买了些阿司匹林。

19 stationary   

adj.固定的，静止不动的

参考例句：

• A stationary object is easy to be aimed at.一个静止不动的物体是容易瞄准的。
• Wait until the bus is stationary before you get off.你要等公共汽车停稳了再下车。

20 massaged   

按摩，推拿( massage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He massaged her back with scented oil. 他用芳香油按摩她的背部。
• The script is massaged into final form. 这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。

21 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

22 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

23 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。