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Entering the Space Age 旅游新纪元──飞向太空

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繁體中文譯本

In the modern era, nothing has transfixed humanity more than the prospect of exploring the far-flung regions of space. From the invention of the ancient practice of astrology to our perpetually increasing knowledge of astronomy, humankind has constantly striven to understand what lies beyond this world. Until recently, space exploration was the domain of a few astronauts. But now, space travel is within the reach of the common, if exceedingly wealthy, man.

在近代，没有什么比能够探索浩瀚宇宙更吸引人类的了。从古老占星术的发明到持续增进的天文学知识，人类不断地努力以了解地球以外的世界。之前，太空探索是属于少数航天员的专业领域。但在今日，只要你富可敌国，一般人也可以体验到太空旅行。

Space travel has become a long way since the first successful orbital launch took place over half a century ago in 1957. Two years later, the world marveled at the first image of the Earth taken from high above the planet in Earth’s orbit. It was not until 1961 that the first manned flight to space was launched, and Russia cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the globe. His journey lasted just under two hours, but it opened up a whole new world of possibilities in the field of interstellar travel.

自从超过半个世纪前的1957年第一次轨道飞行成功发射以来，太空探索已经有了长足的进步。两年之后，全世界对首张从地球上空轨道所拍摄的地球照片感到惊叹不已。而直到1961年才首次发射载人的太空飞行，让苏联航天员尤里．加加林成为第一位进入太空并绕行地球的人。他的旅程持续不到两个小时，但却在星际旅行的领域中开拓出一个充满无限可能的崭新世界。

Space travel was taken to new heights when, on July 20th, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. It was then that Armstrong uttered the immortal words, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” as the worldwide audience watched the dramatic and historic moment unfold live on their television screens.

在那之后，美籍航天员尼尔．阿姆斯特朗以及巴兹．艾德林于1969年7月20日登陆月球，让太空飞行再创高峰。全世界的观众都看着电视中那令人兴奋不已、历史性的一刻以直播方式一幕幕地展开。就在当时，阿姆斯特朗说出了那句不朽的经典名句：「这是一个人的一小步，却是人类的一大步」。

Vocabulary

单词发音

prospect [ˋprɑspɛkt] n.〔成功的〕可能性; 机会

astronomy [əsˋtrɑnəmɪ] n. 天文学

humankind [ˋhjumən͵kaɪnd] n. 人类

strive [straɪv] v. 努力，奋斗[（+for/after）][+to-v]

domain [doˋmen] n. 领域，范围

marvel [ˋmɑrv!] v. 感到惊讶；感到好奇[（+at）]

orbit [ˋɔrbɪt] n.（天体等的）运行轨道

take to new heights 达到更高的成就或水平

immortal [ɪˋmɔrt!] adj. 不朽的，流芳百世的

leap [lip] n. 跃进

dramatic [drəˋmætɪk] adj. 戏剧性的; 充满激情的

unfold [ʌnˋfold] v. 展开; 呈现

More Information

单词发音

transfix [trænsˋfɪks] v. 使呆住; 使惊呆 captivate, enchant, engross, fascinate

far-flung [ˋfɑrˋflʌŋ] adj. 遥远的; 广布的

astrology [əˋstrɑlədʒɪ] n. 占星术，占星学

perpetually [pɚˋpɛtʃʊəlɪ] adv. 不断地

astronaut [ˋæstrə͵nɔt] n. 航天员，宇航员

exceedingly [ɪkˋsidɪŋlɪ] adv. 非常地；极度地

manned [mænd] adj. 载人的; 由人驾驶的

cosmonaut [ˋkɑzmə͵nɔt] n.（尤指前苏联）航天员

interstellar [͵ɪntɚˋstɛlɚ] adj. 星际的

utter [ˋʌtɚ] v.〔吃力地〕发出〔声音〕; 说，讲

课文朗读

课文讲解

Anyone who has ever seen the clip of Armstrong and Aldrin bouncing along on the moon’s cratered, dusty surface has probably dreamed of one day making their own journey into space. Amazingly, though it was once thought impossible, ordinary civilians have started to enjoy all that an emerging space tourism industry has to offer. In April of 2001, American businessman Dennis Tito became the world’s first fee-paying space tourist, paying a reported US$20 million to visit the International Space Station for a week.

任何人只要看过阿姆斯特朗与艾德林在布满坑洞与灰尘的月球表面上弹跳的影片，大概都曾梦想着有一天自己也可以来一趟太空之旅。虽然这曾被认为是不可能的，但令人惊讶的是，现在一般民众也开始可以享受到新兴太空旅游业所提供的服务。2001年4月，美国企业家丹尼斯．蒂托成为世界上首位自费上太空的旅客。据报导，蒂托为他在国际太空站的7天旅程支付了两千万美金。

Tito’s galactic adventure opened up a new era of space tourism, as companies sought to capitalize on what they hope will become a highly lucrative sector of the travel industry. Virgin Galactic, led by the charismatic self-made billionaire Richard Branson, has introduced its own space tourism program. As part of a US$200,000 package, clients will undergo three days of training followed by a two-and-a-half-hour flight with five other passengers. The spacecraft will reach an altitude of nearly 110 kilometers above the Earth, hitting a maximum speed of Mach 3. It won’t get people nearly as far into space as Tito got, but at one-hundredth of the massive price he paid, it’s definitely more affordable.

蒂托的银河探险开启了太空旅游业的新纪元。许多公司都希望从这种有望成为利润无穷的旅游业赚取利益。由魅力十足、白手起家的亿万富翁理查德德德德德．布兰森领导的维京银河公司推出了他们自己的太空旅游行程。在这20万美金的套装行程中，客户会接受3天的训练，随后与其他5名乘客一同经历一趟2.5小时的飞行。宇宙飞船会飞至海拔将近110公里的高度，最高速度可达3马赫。它无法将乘客送到跟蒂托所达一样远的外层空间，但价格只有蒂托所支付之巨额的百分之一，这绝对是较为负担得起的数目。

Perhaps one day the price of space tourism will come down to earth, and we will all have the chance to become space explorers. But until that day, a quote from Leonardo da Vinci seems to sum up our continual desire to escape the bonds of gravity: “for once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”

或许有一天太空旅游的价格会较平易近人，我们也都将有机会成为太空探险家。但直到那一天来临前，李奥纳多．达文西的一句名言或许可以总结我们持续想摆脱重力束缚的欲望：「一旦你尝过飞行的滋味，以后在地面上行走时你都会仰望天空，因为那里是你曾经到过，并且渴望回去的地方。」

−by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

单词发音

bounce [baʊns] v.（人）跳（起）；跃；蹦蹦跳跳

civilian [sɪˋvɪljən] n. 平民，百姓

emerging [ɪˋmɝdʒɪŋ] adj. 新兴的; 发展初期的

capitalize [ˋkæpət!͵aɪz] on 利用…,

charismatic [͵kærɪzˋmætɪk] adj. 有魅力的

undergo [͵ʌndɚˋgo] v. 经历；经受

altitude [ˋæltə͵tjud] n. 海拔

affordable [əˋfɔrdəb!] adj. 负担得起的

continual [kənˋtɪnjʊəl] adj. 不间断的，连续的

escape [əˋskep] v. 逃跑；逃脱

bond [bɑnd] n. 束缚

gravity [ˋgrævətɪ] n. 重力；引力；地心吸力

More Information

单词发音

cratered [ˋkretɚd] adj. 有坑洞的；多坑的

International Space Station 国际太空站

galactic [gəˋlæktɪk] adj. 银河的

lucrative [ˋlukrətɪv] adj. 可赚大钱的; 盈利的

sector [ˋsɛktɚ] n. 部分；部门

self-made [ˋsɛlfˋmed] adj. 白手起家的

Mach [mɑk] n. 马赫 (速度单位，1马赫等于1倍音速)

come down to earth（从幻想中）回到现实 to become realistic

sum up 总结 summarize

skywards [`skaɪwɚdz] adv. 向着天空; 朝向天空

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following statements about space travel is NOT true?

A. The first manned flight to space took place in 1957.

B. The first person to go into space was Russian.

C. America was the first nation to send a person to the moon.

D. People around the world watched the moon landing on TV.

2. What do we know about space tourism?

A. The cost has fallen dramatically since Dennis Tito went into space.

B. Most people can now afford to take a trip into space.

C. Becoming a space tourist requires no training of any kind.

D. People now can visit the moon easily.

3. What is the difference between Tito’s trip into space and the trip offered by Virgin Galactic?

A. Virgin Galactic’s space shuttle is much more advanced.

B. The in-flight service on Tito’s trip was superior.

C. Tito was able to travel much further into space.

D. The Virgin Galactic flight is much more expensive.

4. What is mentioned in the article about space travel?

A. It has become boring and routine.

B. It fascinates humankind.

C. It is no longer a top priority of NASA.

D. It has become far too dangerous.

First Moon Landing 1969

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo First "Feathered" Flight

Virgin Galactic

Answer