眾所周知上周末,埃隆?馬斯克旗下的公司SpaceX成功將兩名宇航員送入太空拜轨,并與國際空間站對接抽减。這是美國時隔近十年后再次從本土發(fā)射航天飛機,也是人類歷史上首次由私人公司完成的載人航天任務(wù)撩轰。這一史無前例的發(fā)射還有哪些亮點胯甩?商業(yè)航天有什么值得期待的前景昧廷?
SpaceX Lifts NASA Astronauts to Orbit, Launching New Era of Spaceflight
By Kenneth Chang The United States opened a new era of human space travel on Saturday as a private company for the first time launched astronauts into orbit, nearly a decade after the government retired the storied space shuttle program in the aftermath of national tragedy.
周六,隨著一家私營企業(yè)首次將宇航員送入太空軌道偎箫,美國開啟了人類太空旅行的新紀元木柬。近十年前,在國家悲劇的余波中淹办,美國政府叫停了當年著名的航天飛機計劃眉枕。
Two American astronauts lifted off from a familiar setting, the same Florida launchpad that once served Apollo missions and the space shuttles. But the rocket and capsule that lofted them out of the atmosphere were a new sight for many — built and operated not by NASA but SpaceX, the company founded by the billionaire Elon Musk to pursue his dream of sending colonists to Mars.
兩位美國宇航員從位于佛羅里達州的發(fā)射臺起飛,這個熟悉的環(huán)境正是當年執(zhí)行阿波羅計劃怜森、發(fā)射航天飛機的地方速挑。但這次將宇航員送出大氣層的火箭和太空艙對許多人來說卻是一番新景象——它們由美國太空探索技術(shù)公司(SpaceX)所建造并運行,而非美國航天航空局(NASA)副硅。SpaceX由億萬富翁埃隆?馬斯克創(chuàng)立姥宝,以此來實現(xiàn)他殖民火星的夢想。
It was a moment of triumph and perhaps nostalgia for the country, a welcome reminder of America’s global pre-eminence in science, technological innovation and private enterprise at a time its prospects and ambitions have been clouded by the coronavirus pandemic, economic uncertainty and political strife.
對美國而言恐疲,這是一個勝利的時刻腊满,或許也是懷舊的時刻。在美國的前景和雄心被新冠疫情培己、經(jīng)濟不確定性和政治紛爭所籠罩的當下碳蛋,這個時刻令人欣喜地提醒著人們,美國在科學省咨、技術(shù)創(chuàng)新和私營企業(yè)領(lǐng)域所具備的全球領(lǐng)先地位肃弟。
Since the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011, NASA has paid Russia’s space program to transport its astronauts to the space station. And with this success, NASA has begun ceding this task to SpaceX and other companies, and it opens new possibilities for entrepreneurs looking to make money off the planet.
自從美國的航天飛機2011年退役以來,NASA一直在給俄羅斯的太空項目付費零蓉,從而將自己的宇航員送往空間站笤受。而此次發(fā)射成功后,NASA已開始將這項任務(wù)移交給SpaceX和其他公司壁公,這為那些希望通過駛離地球來賺錢的企業(yè)家提供了新的可能性感论。
內(nèi)容拓展:
1. SpaceX? n. 太空探索技術(shù)公司(Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) 埃隆·馬斯克(Elon Musk)在18年前創(chuàng)立的一家太空運輸公司,是一家私營企業(yè)紊册,與美國的NASA是商業(yè)合作關(guān)系比肄。
2. lift? UK /l?ft/ US /l?ft/? vt. 空運(take people or things to or from a place by aircraft)
4. launch? UK /l??nt?/ US /lɑ?nt?/? vt. 開啟,啟動 launch a new era 開啟一個新時代
5. open a new era? 開啟了新紀元 launch/open/start/begin a new era 開啟新時代/紀元
6. as? UK /?z, ?z/ US /?z, ?z/? conj. 因為囊陡,由于(表原因芳绩,相當于because)
8. launch? UK /l??nt?/ US /lɑ?nt?/? vt. 發(fā)射 launch ①發(fā)射:可接火箭、導彈撞反、衛(wèi)星等妥色,指離開陸地,飛向太空遏片。 ②下水(to launch a ship or a boat means to put it into water often for the first time after it has been built):如航空母艦首次下海嘹害、漁民新造好的船首次下水等撮竿。 ③發(fā)起、啟動一項重要的事情:如本篇文章中“開啟一個新時代”等笔呀。 ④發(fā)布:launch a new product 發(fā)布一個新產(chǎn)品幢踏。 注:launch既可以做動詞也可以做名詞,名詞意思與動詞相同许师。
9. retire? UK /r??ta??/ US /r??ta?r/? vt. (使)某人/物退休(make sb. or sth. retire)
10. storied? UK /?st??rid/ US /?st??rid/? adj. 廣為流傳的房蝉,眾所周知的(well-known, famous, or mentioned in stories)
11. aftermath? UK /?ɑ?ft?m?θ, ?ɑ?ft?mɑ?θ/ US /??ft?rm?θ/? n. 重大不幸/不快事件的后果,余波(the consequences or aftereffects of a significant unpleasant event) A lot of rebuilding took place in the aftermath of the war. 戰(zhàn)后進行了大量的重建工作微渠。
12. lift off? (火箭)發(fā)射
13. launchpad? UK /?l??nt??p?d/ US /?lɑ?nt??p?d/? n. (火箭)發(fā)射臺搭幻,發(fā)射架 14. space shuttle? 航天飛機(往返于地球和太空站之間運載人和物資的)
15. capsule? UK /?k?psju?l/ US /?k?ps?l/? n. 太空艙
16. loft? UK /l?ft/ US /lɑ?ft/? vt. 往高處投擲東西 n. 閣樓
17. pursue? UK /p??sju?/ US /p?r?su?/? vt. 追求,努力實現(xiàn)逞盆,致力于(to do sth. or try to achieve sth. over a period of time) to pursue a goal/an object/a dream 努力實現(xiàn)一個目標/追求某物/追逐夢想 pursuit n. 追求 pursuit of happiness 追逐幸福 電影:《當幸福來敲門》(The Pursuit of Happiness)
18. colonist? UK /?k?l?nist/ US /?kɑ?l?nist/? n. 殖民地居民檀蹋;殖民地移民;殖民地開拓者 讓人類成為多行星物種:make humanity multiplanetary
19. a moment of triumph? 勝利的時刻 triumph UK /?tra??mf/ US /?tra??mf/ n. 巨大的成功纳击,重大的成就续扔,偉大的勝利(a great success, achievement or victory) 20. nostalgia? UK /n?s?t?ld??/ US /nɑ??st?ld??/? n. (尤指對幸福時光的)懷舊,懷念(an affectionate feeling you have for the past, especially for a particularly happy time) nostalgic UK /n?s?t?ld??k/ US /nɑ??st?ld??k/ adj. 懷舊的 They are filled with nostalgia for their college days. 他們對大學時代充滿了懷念之情焕数。 21. pre-eminence? UK /?pri??em?n?ns/ US /?pri??em?n?ns/? n. 領(lǐng)先 pre-eminent adj. 卓越的,杰出的 同根近義詞:prominent adj. 優(yōu)秀的 近義詞:excellent adj. 卓越的 excellence n. 卓越
22. prospect? UK /?pr?spekt/ US /?prɑ?spekt/? n. 成功的機會刨啸,前景堡赔,遠景(the possibility of being successful, especially at work) improve your career prospects 改善自己的職業(yè)前景