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Hubble: Our Heavenly View of Space 哈伯太空望远镜：窥视苍穹的天眼

 

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Space voyage brings new life to this amazing telescope  太空探险任务使奇妙的哈伯望远镜重获新生

 

The Hubble Space Telescope has opened new windows into deep space and enabled astronomers to travel visually to nearly the beginning of time. Orbiting Earth every 97 minutes for the past 19 years, the observatory also has beamed down thousands of stellar and planetary portraits so vivid they appear three-dimensional. Iconic images have included stars in the throes of birth and death, galaxies stalking galaxies and chunks of comet slamming into Jupiter.

哈伯太空望远镜（译注：哈伯望远镜命名自发现宇宙会扩张的天文学家Edwin P. Hubble [1889-1953]）为人类观察无垠太空开启了一扇窗，也让天文学家得以用眼睛神游到创世纪之初。此外，过去十九年来，每九十七分钟绕行地球一次的哈伯望远镜，也传出数以千计的恒星和行星的图像，逼真到看似具有三度空间的立体感，而其他图像还记录了恒星历经诞生或死亡之痛、星系相互靠近的景象，以及彗星撞击木星（译注：即于一九九四年撞击木星的Shoemaker-Levy九号彗星）的景象。

 

The spectacular scenes are merely grace notes to astronomers, who use the telescope to probe far-off specks of light for data on movement and molecules. But they have made the school-bus-sized telescope the world’s best-known piece of scientific equipment.

不过，对天文学家来说，这些天文奇景只能算是正事之外的点缀而已，因为他们主要是用哈伯望远镜来探索遥远天际闪烁的星光，以找寻有关天体运行和各种分子（译注：例如在一些行星的大气中寻找甲烷等分子）的信息，但在此同时，他们也让校车大小的这台望远镜成了全球最知名的科学仪器。

 

“Hubble is not just about science,” said Roger Launius, a senior curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “Hubble is about its stunning imagery.” But in the seven years since it was last serviced, Hubble suffered computer and power failures that hampered its usefulness and could shorten its life.

「哈伯不只是和科学有关而已，」「史密森尼航空航天博物馆」资深策展人罗杰．劳尼斯指出，「哈伯的重要性在于令人叹为观止的影像。」只不过，距离上次维修已经七年之久的哈伯望远镜，已备受电脑和电力问题所苦，不但妨碍到正常运作，甚至还可能减损它的使用年限。

 

So last May, NASA launched the highest-profile space-shutter flight in years [when it] sent Atlantis to hook up with the space telescope 353 miles above Earth. Five tightly choreographed spacewalks, each lasting 6 1/2hours, rebuilt the telescope to extend its life to at least 2014. With the shuttle due to retire next year, this will be the last Hubble repair mission.

正因如此，「美国航空暨太空总署」（简称NASA）在今年五月发射了亚特兰提斯号航天飞机，与哈伯望远镜在地球上方三百五十三哩之处连结（译注：也就是在哈伯望远镜绕行地球的轨道上，换算为五百六十九公里之处），而这也是多年来最受瞩目的航天飞机任务。航天员共进行了五次精心设计、每次长达六个半小时的太空漫步后，才终于把哈伯修复好，足以把使用年限至少延长到二０一四年。而由于亚特兰提斯号预计将在明年终止服役，因此这也是哈伯接受的最后一次维修了。

 

The astronauts’ work included swapping out 125-pound batteries and replacing stabilizing gyroscopes. More delicate tasks entailed exchanging the main camera for a far more powerful model, installing an ultraviolet-sensing instrument able to provide information on the temperature and composition of distant stars and planets, and repairing guidance and data systems.

航天员的任务包括要换掉总重一百二十五磅的电池，并更换用来加强望远镜稳定度的回转仪。至于更精细的工作则包括了把主相机更换成效力更强的另一台款式，还要装入一台紫外线感测仪器，以便提供有关遥远恒星和行星的温度与组成的相关信息，还要修复一些导航和信息系统。

 

NASA hopes Hubble’s ability to see deep into space will be vastly upgraded beyond anything it has been able to do since it was launched in 1990.

NASA希望能藉此把哈伯望远镜的功能升级到优于以往的层级。哈伯望远镜当年是自一九九０年发射升空服役。

 

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heavenly [ˋhɛvənlɪ] adj. 天的，天空的

voyage [ˋvɔɪɪdʒ] n. 太空旅行; 航行

telescope [ˋtɛlə͵skop] n.（单筒）望远镜

observatory [əbˋzɝvə͵torɪ] n. 天文台; 气象台; 观测所

beam down（定向）播送，发送 to send someone or something to earth as waves of energy

portrait [ˋportret] n. 肖像，画像，相片

appear [əˋpɪr] v. 似乎，看来好像 to seem or look to be

in the throes of 在…的痛苦中, 苦苦地… to be experiencing a very difficult or unpleasant period

throes [θroz] n. 阵痛；痛苦的挣扎

comet [ˋkɑmɪt] n.【天】彗星

slam [slæm] v. 猛撞; 猛击

Jupiter [ˋdʒupətɚ] n.【天】木星

grace note (idiom)【音】装饰音；花音; 装饰音符(引申为点缀) an unnecessarily added touch, but usually one that adds beauty or decoration

probe [prob] v. 探查，探测

far-off [ˋfɑrˋɔf] adj.（时间、地点等）遥远的

speck [spɛk] n.（常用于否定句）一点点，少量[S][（+of）]

curator [kjʊˋretɚ] n. 馆长

service [ˋsɝvɪs] v. 检修

high-profile 倍受瞩目的

hook up 某物与某物连接 to connect a mechanism and a source of power

choreographed [ˋkɔrɪəgræft] adj. 刻意安排的；精心设计的

swap out 换出

swap [swɑp] v.【口】交换，交易

gyroscope [ˋdʒaɪrə͵skop] n. 陀螺仪 a device containing a wheel which spins freely within a frame, used on aircraft and ships to help keep them horizontal to the earth

delicate [ˋdɛləkət] adj. 需要小心处理的；微妙的；棘手的

entail [ɪnˋtel] v. 牵涉; 需要 contain, involve

 

 

 

 

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The [Hubble Space Telescope] got off to an inauspicious start. After it was placed in orbit and turned on, astronomers found distortions in its main mirror were resulting in fuzzy images. But a fix-it mission in 1993 installed a corrective lens, and Hubble was soon rewriting astronomy books. Edward Weiler, a longtime chief Hubble scientist and now NASA’s associate science administrator, said the telescope not only surpassed expectations but also created new ones that couldn’t have been conceived before it went into space.

不过，哈伯太空望远镜服役之初，可说是一开始就出师不利，因为当它进入绕行轨道并开始启动后，天文学家却发现望远镜的主镜有扭曲的情形，导致影像模糊。好在后来在一九九三年进行了一次修复任务，为它装上了矫正镜片，使得哈伯很快就开始改写天文学历史。长期担任哈伯望远镜首席科学家、如今也是NASA科学副主管的爱德华．韦勒表示，哈伯望远镜的表现超出各界预期，同时也因为有了它升上太空开创先河，才能为之后更新型望远镜的问世铺路。

 

Astronomers, though, are eager to go beyond Hubble. In 2014, if all goes well, NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s intended to orbit a million miles from Earth, with a main mirror far larger than Hubble’s. And it will be better able to peer through gas and dust clouds to get astronomers closer to a view of when the universe was formed.

不过，天文学家倒是急于推陈出新、超越哈伯。如果一切顺利的话，那么在二０一四年NASA就会发射詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜（译注：James E. Webb为NASA第二任署长，在任期间完成了著名的阿波罗登陆月球计划），预期将在距离地球数百万哩之处绕行地球，主镜远比哈伯更大。韦伯望远镜将使天文学家更清楚看出气体和星尘云，因而更加了解宇宙形成时的状态。

 

Once Hubble no longer functions, NASA will turn to another device installed during Atlantis’ mission: a docking port that will allow a future spacecraft, most likely robotic, to latch onto Hubble in order to guide it to a fiery demise in Earth’s atmosphere or up to the relative safety of a graveyard – or “museum” – orbit.

一旦哈伯失去作用之后，NASA将利用在这次亚特兰提斯号任务中装设一项装置，也就是一座停靠区，好让未来宇宙飞船能锁住哈伯，并引导它在地球大气层中烧毁，而宇宙飞船最有可能是机械操作的，此外，也可能让哈伯去到相对而言更安全的长眠地──也就是送入所谓的「博物馆」轨道中。

 

Alan Dressler of Carnegie Observatories, whom some refer to as the father of the James Webb Space telescope, said astronomers yearn to answer two core questions: How did we get here – and are we alone? Hubble, he said, has given astronomers some of the most important clues so far by providing a glimpse of the earliest stars and galaxies and by blazing a trail for the Webb telescope to follow for an even closer look.

「卡内基天文台」的亚伦．戴雷斯勒被一些人称为詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜之父，据他指出，天文学家渴望能解答两个核心问题：那就是人类究竟是从何而来？以及除了地球上的生命之外，是否还有其他星球也有生命存在呢？他进一步指出，哈伯提供了天文学家一些极宝贵的线索，使他们得以瞥见最古老的恒星和星系，此外，哈伯也是詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜的开路先锋，让后者得以追随其足迹，让人能更深入地探索宇宙的奥秘。

 

“The Hubble Space Telescope got us to the doorway of that era,” Dressler said. “That’s a huge accomplishment.”

「哈伯太空望远镜是引领我们进入那个世纪的入门阶，」戴雷斯勒说，「那是莫大的成就。」

 

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get off 动身出发 to start, as on a trip; leave

inauspicious [͵ɪnɔˋspɪʃəs] adj. 不吉的；恶运的

distortion [dɪsˋtɔrʃən] n. 扭曲；变形；失真

fuzzy [ˋfʌzɪ] adj. 模糊不清的

dock [dɑk] v. 使（太空飞行器）在外层空间对接

robotic [roˋbɑtɪk] adj. 自动操作的; 机械的

latch onto something 抓住.. , 弄到..  to become closely connected to something

latch [lætʃ] v. 用闩把……闩上；用碰锁把……锁上

observatory [əbˋzɝvə͵torɪ] n. 天文台；气象台

refer to 称呼

 

 

 

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NASA brings ingenuity to Hubble repair mission  独具巧思的修复任务

 

Matt Ashmore, 31, had nearly finished his design of a new NASA power screwdriver when the aerospace engineer hit an unexpected roadblock: finding the right shape for a handle so astronauts could easily grip the tool in space. So Ashmore grabbed a spare glove from a space suit and visited three hardware stores for inspiration. Wearing the glove, he grabbed about two dozen drills, saws and screwdrivers, seeking the most-comfortable grip.

三十一岁的航天工程师麦特．亚许莫就快要完成为NASA设计的新电动螺丝起子，却碰上了意想不到的阻碍：那就是把手应该设计成什么形状，才能让航天员在太空中更好握呢？于是亚许莫顺手拿走太空装的备用手套，然后去了三家五金行寻找灵感。他戴上手套后，轮流握着约两打电钻、电锯和螺丝起子的把手，看看哪种把手最好握。

 

In the end, the handle of a DeWalt cordless screwdriver became the model for his high-powered drill, one of the new tools that NASA blasted into space when the space shuttle Atlantis departed for its repair mission to the Hubble Space telescope.

最后，他决定模仿德瓦特牌无线螺丝起子的把手，来设计他的高效能钻子，而当NASA把亚特兰提斯号航天飞机发射升空，以便进行修复哈伯太空望远镜的任务时，也同时把他的新设计和其他新器具一起送上了太空。

 

More high-tech tools  更多高科技利器

 

One new device, essentially a high-tech camera, lets Hubble capture images in ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared light. A second, called the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, gathers light from distant corners of the cosmos to help scientists understand how the universe [developed]. The tools range from redesigned manual screwdrivers – equipped with a faucet-handle head for easy gripping – to the power unit developed by Ashmore. Others include a device that allows the astronauts to extract circuit boards without touching their sharp edges and a case that stops screws from floating away.

另一项新器材基本上是台高科技相机，能让哈伯捕捉到紫外线、可见光和近红外线等光的影像。另一个设备则是宇宙起源光谱仪，能从宇宙遥远的角落搜集光源，以协助科学家了解宇宙究竟是如何形成的。各式器材包括了重新设计的手动螺丝起子──还配备了水龙头把手的顶部，以方便手握，还有就是亚许莫研发的电动起子。其他还有一个能让航天员用来拔出电路板而不会碰到尖锐边缘的器材，以及一个盒子来装螺丝以免它们飘走。

 

Ashmore said the inspiration for his 240-rpm screwdriver – four times faster than what NASA has been using – came from the air wrenches NASCAR pit crews use to change tires. The astronauts needed a tool that could quickly remove about 150 screws from panels aboard Hubble.

亚许莫指出，他的电动螺丝起子──比过去NASA使用的起子快四倍──灵感来自「全国运动汽车竞赛协会」（简称NASCAR）后勤维修人员用来换轮胎的气动板手。他设计的起子每分钟转数达二百四十，设计的原因是因为航天员需要一个利器，好让他们能在短时间内卸下哈伯望远镜上约一百五十个螺丝。

 

“We need an impact wrench for our NASCAR wheel so that we can zip these screws out …. and that is how we approached it,” said Ashmore, who tinkers with a 1969 Dodge Polara in his free time.

「我们需要一个让NASCAR人员拆轮胎的冲击板手，这样就能快速卸下螺丝…而我们就是从这个角度来设计的，」亚许莫表示，他在空闲的时候，喜欢在他那辆一九六九年份道奇葆拉拉轿车上外行地敲敲打打、东修西补的。

 

－by Kevin Spear

 

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screwdriver [ˋskru͵draɪvɚ] n. 螺丝刀；螺丝起子

roadblock [ˋrod͵blɑk] n. 路障；障碍物

grip [grɪp] v. 握（或咬，夹）牢

cordless [ˋkɔrdlɪs] adj. 不用电线的

high-powered [ˋhaɪˋpaʊɚd] adj. 马力大的, 高性能的

blast [blæst] v. 疾驰; 飞速行进

spectrograph [ˋspɛktrə͵græf] n. 光谱仪

cosmos [ˋkɑzməs] n.（有和谐体系的）宇宙

faucet [ˋfɔsɪt] n. 水龙头

extract [ɪkˋstrækt] v. 取出; 挑出; 拔出

circuit board 线路板，电路板

rpm (revolutions per minute) 每分钟转数 a measurement of the number of times something spins around during a minute

wrench [rɛntʃ] n. 扳手，扳头

pit crew 后勤维修人员 mechanics that wait in a designated area besides the race track and make required adjustments to their team’s car periodically throughout a race

pit [pɪt] n.（赛车中途的）加油站，修理站

zip [zɪp] v. 有力而迅速地行动（或移动）to move with a sharp hissing sound

tinker [ˋtɪŋkɚ] v. 拙劣地修补；笨手笨脚地做事[（+with/at）]

 

 

 

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Vocabulary Focus

stalk [ˋstɔkɪŋ] v. 偷偷接近 to follow something as closely as possible, usually in order to catch it

hamper [ˋhæmpɚ] v. 妨碍，阻碍 to make more difficult the successful achievement of an action

conceive [kənˋsiv] v. 构想出，想象，设想 to invent a plan or an idea

demise [dɪˋmaɪz] n. 死亡；终止 the end of the operation or existence of something

yearn [jɝn] v. 思念；渴望；向往[（+for/after/towards）][+to-v] to desire something strongly, especially something difficult or impossible to obtain

blaze a trail 开辟道路, 闯出新路, 率先…, 披荆斩棘 to do something that no one has done before, especially something that will allow other people to follow

ingenuity [͵ɪndʒəˋnuətɪ] n. 心灵手巧；独创性；足智多谋 the ability to think of clever new ways of doing something

tinker with 笨拙地修理, 马马虎虎地修理 to make small changes to something, usually trying to improve or repair it

 

 

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