Human Mission to Mars Likely to Happen in Increments
VOA News
Last updated on: May 07, 2015 12:42 PM (source)
Human Mission to Mars Likely to Happen in Increments
美登陸火星計畫可望分階段實 現
VOA News
May 07, 2015 12:42 PM
"We need to stimulate the [American] public to be supportive” of a U.S. mission to Mars, Buzz Aldrin told the Human to Mars Summit 2015 this week.
前美國太空人伯茲艾德林 (Buzz Aldrin) 於本周「2015登錄火星高峰會」上表示，「我們需要振奮大眾，讓他們支持(supportive of)(美 國的火星任務)。」
The veteran astronaut, who became the second man to walk on the Moon in 1969, said it was unlikely that simply announcing “a space program that is going to go to Mars” could work, saying the program needs to evolve in series of stages over the course of several years.
伯茲艾德林是退役的(veteran)老 太空人，是1969年時第二個登陸月球的人。他認為，「送人上火星的太空計畫」如果僅僅當口號宣布是不會成功的，這個計畫需要多年的過程(course) ，經過好幾個連續的階段來逐漸 演變而成(evolve)。
According to NASA engineer Bret Drake, that is more or less the approach offered by several industry partners.
根據美國太空總署(NASA)工程師Bret Drake的說法，好幾個跟NASA合作的產業界夥伴所提出的大致上(more or less)就 是分階段性的計畫方案 (approach)。
Lockheed Martin, for example, has proposed a Stepping Stones plan. It calls for initial flights to the International Space Station using today’s launch vehicles and Orion spacecraft that build increasingly towards America’s long term goal of exploring Mars.
美國航空廠洛克希德馬丁(Lockheed Martin)所提出的「踏腳石(Stepping Stones)」計畫即是一個例子。這個計畫要使用今日的太空火箭和獵戶座太空船(spacecraft)先 到國際太空站， 再逐步發展為 (build increasingly towards . . .)探索火星的長期計畫。
Drake explained Lockheed Martin envisions the first landing on Deimos, the closer of the Red Planet's two moons.
美太空總署工程師Drake解釋，洛克希德馬丁公司計畫登陸火星(Red Planet)的衛星(moon)Deimos， 那是火星的兩個衛星離我們比較近的。(編按：火星表面因為多有鐵氧化物覆蓋，所以呈現紅色，故又稱紅色星球(Red Planet)。moon是指宇宙間繞著行 星轉的衛星，所以指地球的衛星「月亮」時，前面要加定冠詞來指定它，“the moon”。相同的道理，sun是宇宙間的恆星，要指我們的「太陽」，也需要加定冠詞來指定，“the sun”。)
Mars matters
We know that at one time Mars had conditions suitable for life and what we learn about the Red Planet may tell us more about our own home planet’s history and future.
火星曾一度(at one time)具 有適合生命發展的條件，因此了解火星能讓我們更了解地球的過去與未來。
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Mars “just might help us to unravel the age old mystery about whether life exists beyond Earth.”
美太空總署署長Charles Bolden說，「火星也許能幫我們解開(unravel)地 球外是否有生命存在，這個年代 久遠的秘密(the age old mystery)。」
Bolden added NASA is “on pace to reach the goal President [Barack] Obama articulated five years ago at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida: To (land) American astronauts [on Mars] in the 2030s.” And he believes “a new consensus is emerging around this timetable and around this goal.”
他補充說，「在五年前，歐巴馬總統曾於佛羅里達的甘迺迪太空 中心明確表達 (articulate)，2030年要把美國太空人送上火星，太空總署正是朝這個目標逐步前進(on pace)。」
Over the past four years, the agency has been implementing the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, enacted with broad bipartisan support and reflecting agreement between the Congress and the Obama administration on the nation’s next steps into space.
太空總署過去四年間執行的是2010年的NASA授權法案， 此案在廣大的兩黨 (bipartisan)支持下制定(enact)，反映 國會與歐巴馬政府對於下一階段美國太空計畫的共識。
The Act calls on NASA to develop and evolve the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew vehicle and to expand human exploration beyond low Earth orbit to space destinations as far away as the Earth’s moon, leading eventually to the international exploration of Mars.
此法案讓美國太空總署繼續發展與改造太空發射系統與獵戶座載人太空船(crew vehicle)， 擴大人類在近地軌道之外的探索範圍，目地可遠至月球，而最終能促成國際間合作的火星探測。
Probing Martian secrets
That pioneering exploration is already underway. The Mars rovers Curiosity and Opportunity are moving across the Martian surface, sending photos and data back to Earth. They have shown the planet exhibits conditions that could have supported microbial life in the past.
此項開創性(pioneering)探 索計畫正在進行當中 (underway)，火星漫遊車(Mars rovers)探險號與機會號在火星表面移動，把照片與資料送回地球。火星的資料展現出，火星在過去可能一度具有讓微生物(microbial)得 以生存的條件。
Curiosity’s sensors measured the radiation environment both in transit to Mars and on the surface.
好奇號裝載的偵測器測量往火星途中(in transit to)與 火星表面的輻射環境。
The Mars Reconnaissance orbiter and Mars Odyssey orbiter are examining the planet's surface and climate in great detail, and their imagery may one day identify the first human landing sites.
火星探測軌道器(Mars Reconnaissance orbiter)與奧德賽探測器(Mars Odyssey orbiter)則仔細的檢驗火星表面與氣候，其拍攝的影像可望有一日找出人類首次的著陸點(landing site)。
The MAVEN and InSight missions will study Mars’ atmosphere and interior, respectively, allowing us to peer into Mars’ past and its future.
火星大氣與揮發物演化任務(MAVEN)與洞察任務 (InSight)將各別 (respectively)研究火星的大氣與內部(interior)， 讓我們更加了解火星的過去與未來。(編按：MAVEN是縮寫字，全名為 “Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission”；InSight全稱則是 “Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport”，也就是使用震測(seismic investigation)、測地學(geodesy)與熱輸送(heat transport)來探測火星的內部。這兩個任務的名子都頗有巧思，縮寫字都剛剛好有意思，maven一字是「行家、專家」的意思，而insight則 是「洞察力、深刻的理解」。)
Language Notes
increment (n) 增加；增量 *注意重音在第一音節  veteran (a) 老手的；老經驗的 evolve (v) 逐步形成 more or less (phr) 或多或少；大約 unravel (v) 闡明；弄清 articulate (v) 明確的說明與表達 *本字常見的意思是「清楚的發音」，把每個字或音節清楚念出來，但在此是「明確說明了立場」的意思 consensus (n) 意見統一、一致  bipartisan (a) 兩黨的 enact (v) 制定法律；頒布法案 underway (a) 進行中的 peer (v) 凝視；盯著看 *後可接at 或into 
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Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, select the text above to reveal the hidden answers. 1. The experts unraveled a mystery. 2. Several bills were enacted at the end of this session of Parliament. 3. Many people are unable to articulate the unhappiness they feel. 4. I hope my explanation will prove more or less helpful to you. 5. You should consult a veteran doctor about your illness.
編譯：簡嘉呈
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Florian Commans, crew biologist and greenhab officer, of Crew 153, studies a collection of rocks near the Mars Desert Research Station, in Hanksville, Utah, April 18, 2015. See more on VOA.
