VOA慢速英语2021 美国宇航局发布毅力号传回的首批视频和彩照

The U.S. space agency NASA has released the first video, pictures and sound captured by its Mars explorer Perseverance¹.

美国宇航局发布了毅力号火星探测器拍摄的第一批视频、图片和音频。

The video shows the explorer, or rover, at different points during its landing on the Red Planet last week.

该视频显示了火星探测器上周着陆火星期间的不同位置。

Some members of the Perseverance team said the video and images were even better than they had expected. "It gives me goose bumps every time I see it, just amazing," said Dave Gruel². He is head of the spacecraft's landing camera team.

毅力号团队的一些成员表示，这些视频和图像比他们所预期的还要好。戴夫·格鲁尔表示：“每次我看到它时都浑身起鸡皮疙瘩，这太不可思议了。”他是该航天器着陆摄像机团队的负责人。

Al Chen heads the Perseverance landing team. He called the pictures and video "the stuff of our dreams."

陈艾伦负责毅力号着陆团队。他称这些图片和录像是我们梦寐以求的东西。

Six color cameras were positioned to capture all stages of the landing. NASA said the cameras started when the rover was about 11 kilometers above the surface of Mars.

毅力号设置了6台彩色摄像机录制着陆各个阶段的视频。美国宇航局表示，当探测器位于火星表面以上约11公里处时，这些摄像机便启动了。

Flight controllers were also pleased with the thousands of images that Perseverance sent back to Earth. They said the rover was in very good condition after the landing.

飞行控制人员也对毅力号发回地球的数千张图片感到满意。他们表示，探测器着陆后状况良好。

Perseverance landed in an area of Mars called Jezero Crater³, just north of the planet's equator. The area contains a large ancient lakebed. The six-wheeled explorer's main mission is to collect Martian soil and rocks to help scientists search for signs of ancient life.

毅力号降落在火星上一处名为耶泽洛陨石坑的区域，这里正好位于火星赤道以北。该区域包含一个大型的古代湖床。这辆六轮火星车的主要任务是采集火星的土壤和岩石，以帮助科学家寻找古代生命的迹象。

NASA added 25 cameras to the Perseverance mission -- the most ever sent to Mars. The space agency's last rover, 2012′s Curiosity, is only able to produce lower-quality images of the planet's surface.

美国宇航局给这次毅力号任务增加了25台摄像机，这是有史以来最多的一次。该机构上一辆火星车，即2012年的好奇号只能生成火星表面质量较低的图像。

NASA said it also received sound from Perseverance. A microphone attached to the rover was not able to collect usable data during the actual landing. But it did record sounds from Jerezo Crater after it touched down.

美国宇航局表示，它也接收到了毅力号录制的音频。在实际着陆期间，连接到探测器的微型麦克风无法收集可用数据。但是它确实在着陆从耶泽洛陨石坑录制了音频。

NASA said that about 10 seconds into a 60-second recording⁴, Martian wind can be heard for a few seconds. Equipment sounds were also captured as the rover operated on the surface.

美国宇航局表示，在一段60秒的音频中，有大约10秒可以听到几秒钟火星风的声音。当火星车在火星表面操作时，设备的声音也被录制了下来。

The video and images provided NASA with the possibility to see the effectiveness of spacecraft systems – some of which could not be tested on Earth. "So this is the first time we've had a chance as engineers to actually see what we designed," said Matt Wallace, a project official with NASA's Mars 2020 program.

这些视频和图片为美国宇航局提供了查看该航天器系统有效性的可能，其中一些系统无法在地球上进行测试。美国宇航局火星2020计划的项目官员马特·华莱士表示：“这是我们作为工程师第一次有机会真正看到我们的设计。”

Thomas Zurbuchen is NASA's science mission chief. He said the video and panoramic⁵ pictures that Perseverance captured "are the closest you can get to landing on Mars without putting on a pressure suit."

托马斯·祖布臣是美国宇航局科学任务理事会的负责人。他说，毅力号拍摄的视频和全景图片是“我们不用穿太空服就能体验登陆火星的最好机会”。

NASA engineers say the images will help the agency prepare for astronaut flights to Mars in the future. But, imaging scientist Justin Maki noted⁶ that the pictures and videos can offer more immediate⁷ help, as well.

美国宇航局工程师表示，这些图像将帮助该机构为未来宇航员飞往火星做准备。但是，影像科学家贾斯丁·马基指出，这些图像和视频可以提供更及时的帮助。

"I know it's been a tough year for everybody," Maki said. "And we're hoping that maybe these images will help brighten people's days."

马基表示：“我知道对所有人来说这都是艰难的一年。我们希望这些图像可以帮助人们快活起来。”

1 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

2 gruel   

n.稀饭，粥

参考例句：

• We had gruel for the breakfast.我们早餐吃的是粥。
• He sat down before the fireplace to eat his gruel.他坐到壁炉前吃稀饭。

3 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

4 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

5 panoramic   

adj. 全景的

参考例句：

• Most rooms enjoy panoramic views of the sea. 大多数房间都能看到海的全景。
• In a panoramic survey of nature, speed is interesting because it has a ceiling. 概观自然全景，速率是有趣的，因为它有一个上限。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。