经济学人80:从太空采集太阳能

 　　Science and Technology,Solar power from space,Beam it down, Scotty.

　　科技,从太空采集太阳能,传送电力到地球吧,斯科蒂。

　　Harvesting solar power in space, for use on Earth, comes a step closer to reality

　　将太空收获的太阳电能在地球上利用，这种理想又向现实迈出了一大步。

　　THE idea of collecting solar energy in space and beaming it to Earth has been around for at least 70 years.

　　从太空中收集太阳能并将其传送到地球的想法已经存在了至少70年。

　　In "Reason", a short story by Isaac Asimov that was published in 1941, a space station transmits energy collected from the sun to various planets using microwave beams.

　　艾萨克·阿西莫夫(Isaac Asimov )在1941年出版的短篇小说Reason中曾设想利用微波束将空间站收集到的太阳能传送到各类行星上。

　　The advantage of intercepting¹ sunlight in space, instead of letting it find its own way through the atmosphere, is that so much gets absorbed by the air.

　　从太空直接截获太阳光而不任由它们穿过大气层的优点是大部分光能量不会被大气吸收。

　　By converting it to the right frequency first (one of the so-called windows in the atmosphere, in which little energy is absorbed) a space-based collector could, enthusiasts² claim, yield on average five times as much power as one located on the ground.

　　通过将太阳光转换成正确的频率光波（即所谓的大气窗口之一，这种频率的光波在穿越大气层时能量损失最少），热衷该技术的人士称空间接收器产生的能量要比地面接收器平均高4倍。

　　The disadvantage is cost. Launching and maintaining suitable satellites would be ludicrously expensive.

　　但它的缺点是费用高。发射和维护合适的卫星将需要异常昂贵的费用。

　　But perhaps not, if the satellites were small and the customers specialised.

　　但如果它们是为客户专用的小型卫星，费用可能就不是问题。

　　Military expeditions, rescuers in disaster zones, remote desalination³ plants and scientific-research bases might be willing to pay for such power from the sky.

　　军事远征，灾区救援人员，远程海水淡化厂和各种科研基地都可能愿意为这种太空能源花付费用。

　　And a research group based at the University of Surrey, in England, hopes that in a few years it will be possible to offer it to them.

　　英国萨里郡(Surrey)大学研究小组希望在未来几年时间内可能将这种能源提供给客户使用。

　　This summer, Stephen Sweeney and his colleagues will test a laser that would do the job which Asimov assigned to microwaves.

　　今年夏天，斯蒂芬·斯威尼(Stephen Sweeney )及其同事将测试能够胜任这种工作的激光，用以取代阿西莫夫(Asimov)所指定的微波。

　　Certainly, microwaves would work: a test carried out in 2008 transmitted useful amounts of microwave energy between two Hawaiian islands 148km (92 miles) apart, so penetrating⁴ the 100km of the atmosphere would be a doddle.

　　当然，微波也能完成此项工作：2008年科研人员对微波做了实验，他们在两座相距148公里（92英里）的夏威夷岛屿之间成功地传送了大量微波能量，因此微波要穿透100公里的大气层也将是轻而易举的事。

　　But microwaves spread out as they propagate.A collector on Earth that was picking up power from a geostationary satellite orbiting at an altitude of 35,800km would need to be spread over hundreds of square metres.

　　但是微波在传播过程中会扩散，要想从轨道高度在35800公里的地球同步卫星上收集能量，地面能源接收器需涵盖几百平方米的范围。

　　Using a laser means the collector need be only tens of square metres in area.

　　而采用激光手段意味着能量接收器只需涵盖几十平方米的区域。

　　Dr Sweeney's team, working in collaboration⁵ with Astrium, a satellite-and-space company that is part of EADS, a European aerospace⁶ group, will test the system in a large aircraft hangar in Germany.

　　斯威尼(Sweeney)博士领导的研究小组与欧洲航空航天集团EADS下属的卫星与空间公司astrium合作研发，他们将在德国一座大型飞机库内对该系统进行测试。

　　The beam itself will be produced by a device called a fibre laser.

　　激光波束本身将由光纤激光设备产生并在一个细长的光纤核心产生激光束的相干光。

　　This generates the coherent light of a laser beam in the core of a long, thin optical fibre. That means the beam produced is of higher quality than other lasers, is extremely straight (even by the exacting⁷ standards of a normal laser beam)

　　这意味着产生的激光波比其它激光有更好的品质，并且直线度极高。（甚至符合正常激光束的严格标准）

　　and can thus be focused onto a small area.

　　这样就能将能量集中传送到一个小的区域范围内。

　　Another bonus is that such lasers are becoming more efficient and ever more powerful.

　　这种激光波的另一个优点是具有更高的效率和更强的能量。

　　In the case of Dr Sweeney's fibre laser, the beam will have a wavelength⁸ of 1.5 microns, making it part of the infra-red spectrum⁹.

　　以斯威尼(Sweeney)博士研发的光纤激光器为例，它产生的激光波束波长为1.5微米，这使其成为红外线光谱的一部分。

　　This wavelength corresponds to one of the best windows in the atmosphere.

　　此波长对应于大气中的最佳窗口之一。

　　The beam will be aimed at a collector on the other side of the hangar, rather than several kilometres away.

　　实验中激光束的目标能量接收器不是位于几千米以外，而是放置在了飞机库的另一端。

　　The idea is to test the effects on the atmospheric¹⁰ window of various pollutants¹¹, and also of water vapour, by releasing them into the building.

　　其想法是把激光束释放到建筑空间来测试不同污染物和水蒸气对大气窗口的影响。

　　Assuming all goes well, the next step will be to test the system in space.

　　假如一切进展顺利，下一步该系统将送到太空中系统测试。

　　That could happen about five years from now, perhaps using a laser on the International Space Station to transmit solar power collected by its panels to Earth.

　　从现在算起，实验可能会在未来的五年内进行，可能采用的方法是利用国际空间站的激光将太阳板收集到的太阳能传送到地球。

　　Such an experimental system would deliver but a kilowatt¹² of power, as a test.

　　作为测试，该实验系统将只传送一千瓦的电力。

　　In 10-15 years Astrium hopes it will be possible to deploy¹³ a complete, small-scale orbiting power station producing significantly more than that from its own solar cells.

　　Astrium希望在未来10到15年内，将有可能部署一个完整的、小规模的地球轨道电站，使其产生的电能远远超过自身太阳能电池产生的电能。

　　Other researchers, in America and Japan, are also looking at using lasers rather than microwaves to transmit power through the atmosphere.

　　美国和日本的其它研究人员也在寻求利用微波以外的激光透过大气传输能量。

　　NASA, America's space agency, has started using them to beam energy to remotely controlled drones.

　　美国航天局（NASA）已开始利用激光束将能量传送到远程无人驾驶飞机上。

　　Each stage of converting and transmitting power results in a loss of efficiency, but with technological¹⁴ improvements these losses are being reduced.

　　在电力转换和传送的各个阶段都会伴随效率的损失，但是随着科技的进步这些效率的损失正逐步减少。

　　Some of the latest solar cells, for instance, can covert¹⁵ sunlight into electricity with an efficiency of more than 40%.

　　例如最近开发的太阳能电池能以超过40%的效率将太阳光转换成电能。

　　In the 1980s, 20% was thought good.

　　但在20世纪80年代，20%的效率就被认为是不凡的表现了。

　　Whether the Astrium system will remain a specialised novelty or will be the forerunner¹⁶ of something more like the cosmic power stations of Asimov's imagination is anybody's guess.

　　是否Astrium的系统仍只是一种专业领域的新奇玩意或者会成为象阿西莫夫设想的宇宙发电站那样的科技先锋，一切都还是未知数。

　　But if it comes to pass at all, it will be an intriguing¹⁷ example, like the geostationary communications satellites dreamed up by Asimov's contemporary, Arthur C. Clarke, of the musings of a science-fiction author becoming science fact.

　　与阿西莫夫（Asimov）同时代的科幻小说作家阿瑟C.克拉克曾幻想过地球同步通信卫星的存在，这种幻想如今已变成了科学现实，与此相同，如果Astrium的系统实验能获成功，它也将成为将科学幻想变成现实的有趣范例。

1 intercepting   

截取（技术），截接

参考例句：

• The police had been intercepting my mail, ie reading it before it was delivered. 警方一直截查我的邮件。
• We've been intercepting radio transmissions from Moscow. 我们已从莫斯科拦截到无线电信号。

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 desalination   

n.脱盐(作用)

参考例句：

• Crops can be grown on this land after desalination. 这片土地经过脱盐就可以种植庄稼了。
• One source is by desalination-taking the salt out of salt water to make it drinkable. 淡水的来源之一是使水淡化--把含盐的水中的盐份去掉，使之能够饮用。

4 penetrating   

adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
• He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

5 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。

6 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

7 exacting   

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

• He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
• The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

8 wavelength   

n.波长

参考例句：

• The authorities were unable to jam this wavelength.当局无法干扰这一波长。
• Radio One has broadcast on this wavelength for years.广播1台已经用这个波长广播多年了。

9 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

10 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

11 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 kilowatt   

n.千瓦

参考例句：

• They pay thirty fen per kilowatt hour.他们每度电付三角钱。
• The watt is a small unit of power so that we use the kilowatt instead.瓦特是小功率的单位，因此我们用千瓦代之。

13 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

14 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

15 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

16 forerunner   

n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先

参考例句：

• She is a forerunner of the modern women's movement.她是现代妇女运动的先驱。
• Penicillin was the forerunner of modern antibiotics.青霉素是现代抗生素的先导。

17 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》