VOA慢速英语2019 世界上最大的飞机首次成功试飞（在线收听）

World’s Largest Airplane Makes First Successful Test Flight

The world’s biggest airplane has made its first successful test flight in the United States.

世界上最大的飞机在美国进行了首次成功试飞。

The huge six-engine aircraft, called Stratolaunch, took its first-ever flight last weekend over the Mojave Desert in California.

这架巨大的、有着六个（波音747）引擎的飞机被称为“Stratolaunch”（平流层发射），上周末在加州莫哈韦沙漠进行了首次飞行。

The company said the flight lasted two-and-a-half hours. Officials reported the plane reached a top speed of 304 kilometers per hour and reached a height of more than 5,100 meters. Stratolaunch has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in the world. It measures 117 meters from one end to the other.

该公司表示，该次飞行持续了两个半小时。有关官员称，这架飞机最高时速达304公里，飞行高度超过5100米。Stratolaunch是世界上翼展最大的飞机，从机翼一端到另一端长117米。

Jean Floyd, the CEO of Stratolaunch Systems, said in a statement the aircraft made "a fantastic first flight" and landed with no problems.

平流层发射系统公司（Stratolaunch Systems）首席执行官吉恩·弗洛伊德在一份声明中表示，“这架飞机首次飞行非常圆满，着陆时也没有出现任何问题”

Test pilot Evan Thomas also reported a successful test during a briefing with reporters. "The flight itself was smooth, which is exactly what you want the first flight to be. And for the most part, the airplane flew as predicted, which is again exactly what we want."

试飞员埃文·托马斯在新闻发布会上也报告了这次成功的试飞情况。“飞机本身很平稳，这正是大家对于首次飞行的期望。在很大程度上，飞机如预期那样飞行，这也正如我们所愿。”

Stratolaunch was designed as a new way to launch satellites into low-Earth orbit. It was built to take off with a total weight of nearly 600,000 kilograms. To support its size and weight, Stratolaunch has 28 wheels. It is powered by six engines made for Boeing 747 aircraft.

“Stratolaunch”是设计来将卫星送入近地轨道的一种新方式。机身总重量将近60万公斤。为了支撑它的体积和重量，Stratolaunch有28个轮子，由六个为波音747飞机制造的发动机提供动力。

Stratolaunch Systems was launched by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2011 with the goal of building aircraft to send rockets into space. The company entered a partnership with Scaled Composites to develop and build the new aircraft.

平流层发射系统公司由微软联合创始人保罗·艾伦于2011年创办，目标是制造将火箭送入太空的飞机。该公司与Scaled Composites建立了合作关系，共同开发和制造这种新型飞机。

Allen died in October 2018. His death came just weeks before the company announced the plane's first successful ground speed test.

艾伦于2018年10月去世。就在他去世几周后，平流层发射系统公司宣布这架飞机首次成功进行了地面速度测试。

CEO Jean Floyd spoke about Allen during the briefing with reporters. "It was an emotional moment for me to personally watch this majestic bird take flight and to see Paul Allen's dream come to life in front of my very eyes."

首席执行官Jean Floyd在新闻发布会上谈到了Allen。“亲眼目睹这只‘宏伟的鸟’飞翔，亲眼目睹保罗·艾伦的梦想成真，对我来说，这是一个激动人心的时刻。”

He added: "I had imagined this moment for years, but I'd never imagined the experience without Paul standing next to me." Floyd said that as Stratolaunch lifted off, he did "whisper a 'thank you' to Paul" for permitting him to be a part of the project.

他补充说:“多年来我一直在想象这一刻，但我从来没有想过保罗会没有站在我身旁。”弗洛伊德称，随着Stratolaunch的升空，他确实轻声向艾伦道一句感谢，感谢他允许自己参与这个项目。”

The satellite-carrying launch vehicles are to be connected to the bottom of the plane. Once Stratolaunch reaches a height of about 10,000 meters, the rockets would be released, and then "air launched" to space.

携带卫星的运载火箭将被连接到飞机底部。一旦Stratolaunch升空达到1万米的高度时，火箭就会从机翼上脱离，然后在高空向太空进发。

Stratolaunch Systems said the plane's airport-style launch system and ability to launch rockets over and over again will greatly reduce costs for satellite companies. The plane will also cut wait times between launches and is able to avoid bad weather areas, the company said.

平流层发射系统公司表示，这架飞机的机场式发射系统以及反复发射火箭的能力，将大大降低卫星公司的成本。该公司表示，这款飞机还将缩短发射之间的等待时长，并能够避开在恶劣天气地区发射。

The business model aims to profit from predicted higher demand for satellite launches in the coming years. Stratolaunch plans to compete with other companies offering similar services. These include U.S.-based SpaceX and United Launch Alliance - a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

该商业模式旨在未来几年从预计的卫星发射需求上升中获得利润。Stratolaunch计划与其他提供类似服务的公司竞争，其中包括美国太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）和联合发射联盟公司，联合发射联盟公司是波音公司和洛克希德马丁公司的合作伙伴。

While Stratolaunch calls its aircraft the world's largest, other planes are longer from front to back. These include the Soviet-designed Antonov AN 225 cargo plane, which is 84 meters long, and the Boeing 747-8, which is more than 76.3 meters in length.

虽然Stratolaunch称其飞机为世界上最大的飞机，但别的飞机从前端到尾翼的长度更长，其中包括苏联设计的安东诺夫225货机机身长84米；，波音747-8机身长76.3米。

Words in This Story

fantastic – adj. very good

majestic – adj. very beautiful or powerful in a way that people admire

whisper – v. to speak extremely quietly so that other people cannot hear

cargo – n. goods that are carried in a ground or air vehicle