VOA慢速英语2014 为宇航员准备的浓缩咖啡

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-13 Out-of-this-World Espresso for Astronauts 为宇航员准备的浓缩咖啡

Italian-style espresso coffee has a large public following around the world. Many people have given up traditional coffee and have turned to this thicker drink.

Now, Italian coffee machine makers² have created a device³ they say can produce espresso in weightless conditions. They are hoping to put their product on the International Space Station.

Many people cannot imagine life without coffee. And for most Italians, coffee means espresso. A special coffee machine is required to create this thick drink.

So, when Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti traveled to the International Space Station last month, her friends may have worried about her.

They were, most likely, not concerned about her being the first Italian woman in space. She is a captain in the Italian Air Force, after all. They probably did not worry about her having health issues or physical difficulties.

No. They probably worried how Ms. Cristoforetti would survive in space for six months, drinking only instant coffee. 

This is, most likely, a frightening thought for most Italians.

Italian teamwork delivers space-age espresso

To solve the problem, an Italian coffee maker¹ and an engineering⁴ company teamed up on a special project. They wanted to help the astronaut and others enjoy a good cup of coffee while traveling through space.

The coffee maker Lavazza is based in the Italian city of Turin. Argotec, another Turin-based business, makes space food. The two companies joined together to make a space-age coffee machine that would work at zero-gravity.

The machine is called ISSpresso – a combination⁵ of the abbreviation⁶ of International Space Station and the word “espresso.” ISSpresso overcomes zero-gravity by forcing water through small container of coffee.

Alberto Cabilli is the head of research and development at Lavazza. He says the two companies first had to find out how to make coffee on the space station.

The ISSpresso is different than espresso makers here on Earth. But a few conditions are the same in space as they are on the ground. These conditions include the small containers of coffee, water pressure and the water temperature of 75 degrees Celsius⁷. 

Mr. Cabilli says one difficulty was making sure the machine would meet safety requirements on the space station. Argotec made changes to its first design. The company had to make sure the machine would not leak in orbit⁸.

Experimentation⁹ leads to cutting edge coffee

David Avino is Argotec’s managing director. He says the idea for the machine began as a technology experiment. But he says NASA, the American space agency¹⁰, became interested in getting such a machine and keeping it on the space station. He says that if everything goes well, the espresso maker will be kept at the station and be available for all the astronauts.

On November 23, Ms. Cristoforetti went into Earth’s orbit. The ISSpresso, sadly, did not. It seems, the espresso maker did not pass an equipment test and had to be fixed¹¹. The latest plan is to send it into space in April.

Besides espresso, the ISSpresso machine can also make tea and clear soup. Now all they have to do is make a zero-gravity pizza oven¹².

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

4 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

5 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

6 abbreviation   

n.（用词首字母组成的）缩写

参考例句：

• A.D.is the abbreviation for"advertisement".A.D.是advertisement的缩写。
• The postal abbreviation for Kansas is KS.堪萨斯州的邮政缩写是KS。

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 orbit   

n.轨道；vt.使沿轨道运行；使进入轨道运行；vi.沿轨道运行，环行

参考例句：

• The space rocket was launched and went into orbit.宇宙火箭发射后进入轨道。
• We can draw the earth's orbit round the sun.我们可以画出地球绕太阳运行的轨迹。

9 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

10 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

11 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

12 oven   

n.烤炉；烤箱

参考例句：

• You put food inside an oven to cook it.你把食物放进烤箱里热一下。
• She baked bread in an oven.她用烤炉烤面包。