美国有线新闻 CNN 2016-8-09

The idea of sending people to Mars has been around for decades. It's been approached differently by different U.S. leaders and lawmakers. At this time, we don't have the technology to get people there and back. But scientists are working on it.

把人类送到火星上去这个想法已经谈论了数十年。历届美国总统和国会议员用不同的方式进行了探讨。现在，我们还没有能让人类往返火星的技术。但是科学家正在努力研究。

There's debate about whether it will be money well-spent, or if it's worth risking human lives when we could send robots. But one of the biggest restraints of a potential Mars mission could be a simple lack of desire.

现在这个问题存在争论，这是不是一项值得花钱的计划，在可以派机器人的情况下这项计划是否值得人类去冒生命危险。而可能进行的火星任务所面临的最大限制可能只是单纯的缺乏欲望。

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They say history is the best predictor of the future.

CNN记者蕾切尔·克莱恩：他们说历史是未来最好的预测指标。

NEIL ARMSTRONG, AMERICAN ASTRONAUT: It's one small step for man —

美国宇航员尼尔·阿姆斯特朗：这是人类的一小步

CRANE: And historically, the U.S. has been the leader in space exploration.

克莱恩：从历史上看，美国一直是太空探索的领先者。

HOUSTON MISSION CONTROL: They've got the flag up now. You can see the Stars and Stripes on the —

休斯敦任务控制室：他们现在已经把国旗插上了。你可以看到星条旗……

CRANE: But we're in different time, decades from the boundless¹ Apollo era, when space exploration was a national priority.

克莱恩：但是我们现在在不同的时间，与无止境的阿波罗时代有数十年的距离，那个时候太空探索是国家重点任务。

JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race to space.

前美国总统约翰·费茨杰拉德·肯尼迪：任何国家要想领先于其他国家，就不会在这场太空竞赛中落后。

CRANE: Now, we're at a point where scientists and space enthusiasts² say we need to push further.

克莱恩：现在，科学家和太空爱好者认为我们需要进一步推进。

CHARLES BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR³: We're closer to Mars today, humanity is, than we have ever been in the history of civilization.

美国国家航空与航天局局长查尔斯·博尔登：现在我们人类比文明史上任何时刻都要更接近火星。

CRANE: What are some of the lessons of the past that NASA is taking on these future missions to Mars?

克莱恩：就未来的火星任务来说，美国国家航空与航天局从过去吸取了什么经验？

BOLDEN: Some of the greatest lessons of the past have to do with our failures.

博尔登：过去的一些伟大经验与我们的失败有关。

HOUSTON MISSION CONTROL: Obviously, a major malfunction⁴.

休斯敦任务控制室：显然，这是严重故障。

BOLDEN: One of the things that we constantly remind ourselves is we have to be hungry all the time.

博尔登：我们一直在不断提醒自己的一件事是，我们必须时刻处于渴求状态。

CRANE: What is it going to take to get to Mars?

克莱恩：登上火星要付出什么代价？

BOLDEN: Blood, sweat, tears, some tragedy along the way, unfortunately. But the biggest thing, you know, the biggest thing is will power.

博尔登：鲜血、汗水、泪水，不幸的是，这一过程中可能还会有悲剧发生。但是最重要的是意志力。

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A beautiful view.

身份不明的男性：美丽的景色。

CRANE: Buzz Aldrin is the second man to walk on the moon and one of the most famous astronauts in history.

克莱恩：巴兹·奥尔德林是第二个在月球上行走的人，也是历史上最著名的宇航员之一。

Going to Mars, it's going to be one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever taken on. Do you think we have the will to actually pull this off?

登上火星将是人类有史以来面临的最大挑战。你认为我们有完成这项任务的意志吗？

BUZZ ALDRIN, AMERICAN ASTRONAUT: No, we don't have the will right now. And the public is really not all that fired up.

美国宇航员巴兹·奥尔德林：没有，我们现在没有这种意志。而且公众也不是都这么充满热情。

KIP THORNE, PHYSICIST⁵: The whole atmosphere that we're living in is not like it was in the Apollo era. One big difference is the level of enthusiasm of the American public. The second big difference is the level of enthusiasm in Washington.

物理学家基普·索恩：现在我们周围的整体氛围与阿波罗时代不一样。其中一大不同点是美国民众的热情程度。第二大不同是华盛顿方面的热情程度。

CRANE: And it's not just enthusiasm. It's money, too.

克莱恩：这不仅与热情有关。还与资金有关。

During the Apollo era, though, NASA had about 4 percent of federal spending. Now, it's less than half of one percent. Is that going to have to change in order for us to pull off this mission?

在阿波罗时代，美国国家航空与航天局的支出占联邦支出的4%。现在，只有不到0.5%。为了我们能完成这项任务，这方面必须改变吗？

BOLDEN: Yes, yes.

博尔登：对，没错。

CRANE: NASA doesn't have an exact price tag for a manned mission to Mars. But some argue it could cost hundreds of billions of dollars. This year, NASA received a budget increase of $1.3 billion.

克莱恩：美国国家航空与航天局并没有计算载人火星任务具体要花费多少。但是，有人认为这一任务可能会耗费数千亿美元。今年，美国国家航空与航天局得到的预算增加了13亿美元。

BOLDEN: The U.S. is trying to lead the rest of the world in exploring our solar system, but not a foray out and back, but actually expanding human presence throughout our solar system.

博尔登：美国试图在探索太阳系方面领先于其他国家，但是并不是往返太阳系，而是扩大人类在太阳系的存在。

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One step further on the moon.

身份不明的男性：在月球上更进一步。

CRANE: But historically, the U.S. wanted to do it alone.

克莱恩：从历史上来看，美国想独自去做。

BOLDEN: Going back to the beginning, international collaboration⁶ was non- existent. We got to the moon because of competition. We could not allow the Soviets⁷ to beat us to the moon.

博尔登：在刚开始的时候，不存在国际合作。因为存在竞争，所以我们登上了月球。我们不能让苏联比我们先登上月球。

CRANE: But it seems as though we've gone from the spirit of competition during the Apollo era to a spirit of collaboration and cooperation.

克莱恩：看起来我们好像从阿波罗时代的竞争精神走向了协作和合作精神。

BOLDEN: And that's essential. We cannot do it alone. No nation can go where we want to go and do it alone. This is a human journey to Mars.

博尔登：这很重要。我们不能独自完成。没有国家能独自去到我们想去的地方。这是人类的火星之旅。

1 boundless   

adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的

参考例句：

• The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
• His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。

2 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 malfunction   

vi.发生功能故障，发生故障，显示机能失常

参考例句：

• There must have been a computer malfunction.一定是出了电脑故障。
• Results have been delayed owing to a malfunction in the computer.由于电脑发生故障，计算结果推迟了。

5 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

6 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

7 soviets   

苏维埃（Soviet的复数形式）

参考例句：

• A public challenge could provoke the Soviets to dig in. 公开挑战会促使苏联人一意孤行。
• The Soviets proposed the withdrawal of American ballistic-missile submarines from forward bases. 苏联人建议把美国的弹道导弹潜艇从前沿基地撤走。