VOA常速英语2008年-NASA: Bad Weather Could Delay Shuttle Launch

By Michael Bowman
Washington
05 February 2008

The U.S. Space Agency (NASA) says everything is running smoothly¹ ahead of Thursday's launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, assuming the weather cooperates. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman has details.

After resolving numerous mechanical glitches², the countdown is on for the lift-off of Atlantis, according to NASA Test Director Steve Payne.

"As of right now, the countdown is proceeding³ very smoothly," he said.  "We have no problems to report, and we are all looking forward to Thursday afternoon's launch."

At present, there are clear skies over Florida, including Cape⁴ Canaveral. But NASA Launch Weather Officer Mike McAleenan says that will change.

"It looks like, unfortunately, today is going to be our last day of sunny, hot weather in central Florida," he said.  "You can see a large mass of clouds in eastern Texas, and that is going to be coming across the country and causing some dicey [problematic] weather for our area on Thursday," he explained.

McAleenan says inclement⁵ weather could push conditions to the edge of what is considered acceptable for a shuttle launch. He says fortunately the weather outlook improves after Thursday should lift-off be postponed⁶.

Atlantis will transport the European Space Agency's (ESA) multi-ton science lab, Columbus, to the International Space Station.

"The European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory is the most important European mission to the International Space Station to date, and the cornerstone of Europe's contribution to the International Space Station," said Mission Payload Manager Debbie Hahn.  "Once Columbus completes its commissioning activities [hook-up to the space station], ESA will become an active partner in the operations and utilization⁷ of the International Space Station."

NASA hopes this will be the first of multiple shuttle launches this year as it and other space agencies work to meet a 2010 target date for completing the space station. Launches have been less frequent since the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated⁸ as it re-entered earth's atmosphere five years ago, necessitating⁹ greater reliance on Russian vessels¹⁰ for supplying the space station and rotating its crew.

1 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

2 glitches   

n.小过失，差错( glitch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Manufacturing glitches have limited the factory's output. 生产中的故障影响了该厂的产量。 来自辞典例句
• Another kind of period variation,\"Glitches,\" are seen in several pulsars. 在几个脉冲星中还看到了周期的另一种变化，即“自转突快”现象。 来自辞典例句

3 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 inclement   

adj.严酷的，严厉的，恶劣的

参考例句：

• The inclement weather brought forth a host of diseases.恶劣的天气引起了种种疾病。
• They kept on going,even through the inclement weather.即使天气恶劣，他们还是执意要去。

6 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

7 utilization   

n.利用，效用

参考例句：

• Computer has found an increasingly wide utilization in all fields.电子计算机已越来越广泛地在各个领域得到应用。
• Modern forms of agricultural utilization,have completely refuted this assumption.现代农业利用形式，完全驳倒了这种想象。

8 disintegrated   

v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The plane disintegrated as it fell into the sea. 飞机坠入大海时解体了。
• The box was so old;it just disintegrated when I picked it up. 那箱子太破旧了，我刚一提就散了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 necessitating   

使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Multiple network transmissions overlapping in the physical channel, resulting in garbled data and necessitating retransmission. 多个网络传输重迭发生在同一物理信道上，它导致数据被破坏，因而必须重传。
• The health status of 435 consecutive patients with sleep disturbances necessitating polysomnography was investigated. 435个患有睡眠紊乱的病人进行多导睡眠描记法对其健康状况进行调查。

10 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》