2022年经济学人 战区的通讯

Science & Technology

科技版块

Communications in a war zone

战区的通讯

Skywaves and satellites

“天波”和卫星

Technologies old and new may help keep Ukrainians in touch with the world

新老技术都有可能助于乌克兰与世界保持联系

In communist Eastern Europe a shortwave radio was a vital piece of equipment for anyone wanting to stay ahead of the censors¹.

在共产主义的东欧，短波收音机对于任何想要领先于监察者的人来说都是一件至关重要的设备。

Stations such as the bbc World Service, Radio Free Europe and Voice of America broadcast news, entertainment and rock-and-roll across the Iron Curtain.

BBC世界广播电台、自由欧洲电台和美国之音等电台跨越铁幕广播新闻、娱乐和摇滚乐。

After the cold war ended, shortwave radios gave way to television and the internet, and the broadcasts were wound down.

冷战结束后，短波收音机让位于电视和互联网，广播也随之减少。

But on March 3rd, in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the bbc announced their return.

但在3月3日，在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰之后，BBC宣布了它们的回归。

The World Service has begun nightly news broadcasts into Ukraine and parts of Russia.

国际广播电台已经开始对乌克兰和俄罗斯部分地区进行夜间新闻广播。

Radio is an early-20th-century technology.

无线电是一项20世纪初的技术。

But the bbc hopes it can still be useful in the internet age because it is hard to stop.

但BBC希望它在互联网时代仍可发挥作用，因为它很难停止。

Shortwave signals bounce off the ionosphere, a layer of charged particles high in the atmosphere.

电离层是大气中的一层带电粒子层，短波信号会从电离层反射回来。

The resulting "skywave" travels for thousands of kilometres, meaning broadcasters can sit safely beyond the reach of censors, secret policemen -- and invading armies.

由此产生的“天波”可以传播数千公里，这意味着广播公司可以安全地坐下来，不受监察人员、秘密警察和军队的影响。

And in Ukrainian cities like Mariupol, where days of shelling have left the place without electricity, battery-powered radios still work when the internet and television do not.

在马里乌波尔这样的乌克兰城市，连日来的炮击已经造成断电，在互联网和电视瘫痪的情况下，电池供电的收音机仍然可以使用。

Ukraine's government does rely on the internet where it can, though, to fight the public-relations war and to keep communication with the outside world alive.

不过，乌克兰政府确实依赖互联网来打公关战，同时保持与外部世界的有效沟通。

In the past few days, for example, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president, has addressed America's Congress, the European Parliament and Britain's House of Commons via a video link.

例如，在过去的几天里，总统弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基通过视频链接向美国国会、欧洲议会和英国下议院发表了讲话。

With Russian troops massing near Kyiv, ground-based internet links are unlikely to last.

随着俄罗斯军队在基辅附近集结，地面互联网连接不太可能持续下去。

But, on February 28th, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's vice-prime minister, thanked Elon Musk², an American entrepreneur, for a delivery of "Starlink" satellite-internet dishes.

但是，在2月28日，乌克兰副总理米哈伊洛·费多罗夫感谢美国企业家埃隆·马斯克送来了“星链”（Starlink 是马斯克公司的私人轨道卫星网络）。

These can provide high-speed, low-latency access to the internet via a network of low-flying satellites run by SpaceX, one of Mr Musk's companies.

这些设备可以通过由马斯克的公司之一SpaceX运营的低空卫星网络提供高速、低延迟的互联网接入。

A few days later Mr Musk said SpaceX had modified the dishes' software to allow them to be powered by a car's cigarette lighter³.

几天后，马斯克表示，SpaceX已经修改了设备的软件，允许它们由汽车打火机供电。

That could prove useful if and when the siege of Kyiv begins in earnest.

如果对基辅的围困真正开始，这可能会被证明是有用的。

1 censors   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。
• The censors let out not a word. 检察官一字也不发。

2 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。