VOA慢速英语2017--Stephen Hawking Calls for Return to Moon

 

Physicist¹ Stephen Hawking² said people should return to the Moon and go to Mars because leaving Earth may be the only way to save humanity.

Hawking said that as Earth faces climate change and pressure on natural resources, human beings need to reach beyond our planet.

"We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds,” he said. “It is time to explore other solar systems. Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth," he added. "If humanity is to continue for another million years, our future lies in boldly going where no one else has gone before.”

The University of Cambridge professor spoke³ during a visit (in June) to the Starmus Festival in Trondheim, Norway.

Hawking said human beings should return to the moon by the year 2020 and Mars by 2025. This, he said, will unite humans in the shared purpose of exploring the universe.

"Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity," he said. "I hope it would unite competitive nations in a single goal, to face the common challenge for us all.”

Hawking added that reaching the Moon, Mars and other plants would get young people interested in space-related sciences.

He said making the first moves into space would “elevate humanity” because it would have to involve many countries.

"Whenever we make a great new leap, such as the Moon landings, we bring people and nations together, usher⁴ in new discoveries, and new technologies," Hawking said. "To leave Earth demands a concerted global approach, everyone should join in. We need to rekindle⁵ the excitement of the early days of space travel in the (19)60s."

The European Space Agency has announced a plan to create a “Moon Village” after the International Space Station is taken out of service in 2024. China is also reportedly interested in sending an astronaut to the Moon.

The United States is working on sending astronauts to Mars. The U.S. space agency, NASA, hopes to do this by the 2030s.

I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

resource - n. something that a country has and can use to increase its wealth?

beyond - adv. on or to the farther part or side?

convince - v. to cause (someone) to believe that something is true?

boldly - adv. not afraid of danger

challenge - v. to question the action or authority of someone or something

elevate - v. to lift up

leap - v. to move forward quickly or by a lot?-

rekindle - v. to cause something, like a feeling, to be strong or active again

1 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

2 hawking   

利用鹰行猎

参考例句：

• He is hawking his goods everywhere. 他在到处兜售他的货物。
• We obtain the event horizon and the Hawking spectrumformula. 得到了黑洞的局部事件视界位置和Hawking温度以及Klein—Gordon粒子的Hawking辐射谱。

3 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。

4 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

5 rekindle   

v.使再振作；再点火

参考例句：

• Nothing could rekindle her extinct passion.她激情已逝,无从心回意转。
• Is there anything could rekindle his extinct passion?有什么事情可重燃他逝去的热情呢？