2006年VOA标准英语-Russian Spacecraft Docks at International

By Bill Gasperini
Moscow
01 April 2006
 
 
This image made available by NASA-TV shows the Soyuz capsule, center, docked¹ with the international space station
  
The three-man crew of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, including the first Brazilian to go to space, has joined the two-man crew in the International Space Station.

The Soyuz docked at the ISS on autopilot, after the two-day flight from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Russian Cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, American astronaut Jeffrey Williams and Brazilian Marcos Pontes entered the station a short time later.

Traditionally it is the head of mission, or Vinogradov, who goes in first.
But this time, the honor was conferred² on Pontes, much to the delight of millions of his countrymen and women watching a live television feed back home in Brazil, where he has become a national hero.

The first Brazilian spaceman unfurled his country's flag, and smiled as he was greeted by American William MacArthur and Russia's Valery Tokarev, who have been on the station since last October.  

Pontes, 43, is a Brazilian air force officer, who will stay on the station for the next nine days, conducting various experiments, before returning to earth with the current two-man crew on April 9.

Vinogradov and Williams are then due to spend the next six months on the International Space Station.

They will prepare for the arrival of a US space shuttle in July, which will bring Thomas Reiter from Germany, who will also make an extended stay in space. 

The ISS has depended on the Russian space program to ferry crews and cargo³ to and from the station since the Columbia shuttle disaster three years ago.

The shuttle Discovery did make a trip to the ISS last July, but had problems with the foam⁴ insulation⁵ on its external fuel tank. 

NASA engineers say changes made since then should make everything ready for another flight this coming July.

1 docked   

（使）船停靠码头( dock的过去式和过去分词 )； （使宇宙飞船在外层空间）对接； 减少； 扣除

参考例句：

• He docked her pocket money until the debt was paid off. 他削减了她的零用钱，直到还清了债务。
• They docked him of the pleasures of childhood. 他们剥夺了他童年时代的欢乐。

2 conferred   

v.商谈，商议( confer的过去式和过去分词 )；授予，赋予

参考例句：

• The university conferred its highest degree on the statesman. 该大学将其最高学位授予了这位政治家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Diplomas were conferred on members of the graduating class. 给毕业班的学生颁发了毕业文凭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

4 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

5 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。