VOA慢速英语2015 NASA研究履行长期航天任务的宇航员

NASA to Study Astronaut on Yearlong Mission in Space NASA研究履行长期航天任务的宇航员

An American astronaut is beginning a year long trip in space.

一名美国宇航员开始了长达一年的太空旅行。

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly is traveling to the International Space Station for the second time. Mr. Kelly says that this time in space would present a greater challenge than his first visit.  

美国航天局宇航员斯科特·凯里正第二次前往国际太空站，凯里说这次在太空将面对比第一次更严峻的挑战。

Most visits to the space station last just four to six months. Scott Kelly will be there a year. Researchers hope this longer stay will teach them more about how the human body reacts to long periods of spaceflight.

大多数空间站之旅只有4到6个月，斯科特·凯里将在那里呆一年。研究者希望这将帮助他们了解人体如何应对长期的太空飞行。

Astronaut Kelly’s mental and physical health will be closely watched during his ISS visit and after his return. He also presents NASA with a unique study situation.  Researchers will be able to compare medical information from Astronaut Kelly with that from his identical twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly.

在他太空站旅行期间和回地球之后，宇航员凯里的心理和身体健康状况都将被密切监测，他还为宇航局提供一种独特的研究状况。研究者将把宇航员凯里的医学信息与他的同卵双胞胎兄弟、前宇航员马克·凯里作对比。

Craig Kundrot is deputy¹ chief scientist of NASA’s Human Research Program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.  He says Mark Kelly is volunteering as a private citizen.

克雷格·坤德罗特是德州休斯顿约翰逊航天中心美国宇航局人类研究项目副首席科学家，他说马克·凯里作为普通公民志愿参与。

One main focus will be on the bacteria that live in the human digestive system. Mr. Kundrot says comparisons could be interesting because the twins will be eating very different food in the year ahead. He says Scott Kelly’s diet in space will be very limited and sterile².

一个研究的重点是生活在人体消化系统里的细菌，坤德罗特说因为两个双胞胎在未来一年中吃的食物会很不同，所以这种对比很有趣，他说斯科特·凯里在太空中的饮食很有限而且无菌。

John Charles is also a NASA scientist with the Human Research Program. He says it has been almost twenty years since someone spent so long in space.  He says technology has developed a lot since that team of Russians spent a year in space. 

约翰·查理斯也是美国宇航局人类研究项目的科学家，他说上次有人在太空呆这么长时间是在20年前，他说自从俄罗斯团队在空间站呆一年以来，科技已经有了很大进步。

“The Russians themselves are very interested in what we are going to learn from this mission, because it is a chance to revisit and further the studies they did earlier.”

“俄罗斯人对我们能从这项任务中学到什么很感兴趣，因为这是一次重审和深化他们之前研究的机会。”

John Charles says the collection of tests and the ability to watch Scott Kelly’s condition every day could produce unexpected results.

约翰·查理斯说，全部的检测结果和观察斯科特·凯里每天的状况将产生意想不到的结果。

“We are not going to be surprised by surprises. We were surprised several years ago by finding that certain astronauts have changes in their vision during long-duration space flight about halfway³ through a six-month mission.”

“我们不会对结果感到意外的，几年前我们就吃惊地发现，一些宇航员在长期太空飞行中的半路上视力就发生了改变。”

Another area of interest is the effect of radiation on the human body. This would be even more intense for astronauts on a three-year mission to Mars⁴. NASA scientists think research collected from Scott Kelly’s one-year space trip will be important to pave⁵ the way for a future piloted flight to Mars.

另一个感兴趣的地方是辐射对人体的影响，对于进行火星三年旅行的宇航员来说，辐射会更强烈。航天局的科学家们认为，从斯科特·凯里一年的太空旅行中进行的研究将为未来载人火星旅行做好铺垫。

Words in This Story

unique – adj. very special or unusual

focus – v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific

sterile – adj. very plain and not interesting or attractive

pave the way – v. to make it easier for something to happen or for someone to do something

1 deputy   

n.代理人，代表，副职；adj.代理的，副的

参考例句：

• John will act as a deputy for me during my absence.我离开期间，约翰将代理我的职务。
• She is the deputy headmistress of the school.她是那所学校的代理校长。

2 sterile   

adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
• The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。

3 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

4 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

5 pave   

vt.给（道路路面）铺上石板或砖

参考例句：

• The town council decided to pave the square before the Hall.市议会决定把市政厅前的广场铺上石板。
• I believe this treaty will pave the way to peace in Europe.我相信这个条约将为欧洲的和平铺平道路。