2007年VOA标准英语-Flight Controllers Regain Communication with Co

By Jessica Berman
Washington
14 June 2007

Flight controllers in Moscow have been able to establish contact with critically important computers aboard the International Space Station.  The computers that control among other things oxygen and water supply, went down the day before.   VOA's Jessica Berman reports from Washington.

Russian ground controllers have regained¹ partial communication with the computers aboard the international space station's Russian Zarya module².  The computers are responsible for such operations as orientation³, navigation, and water and oxygen supplies.

retraction4 of a solar array during the mission's second spacewalk, 14 Jun 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070628/1033230.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Astronaut Steve Swanson helps with the retraction of a solar array during the mission's second spacewalk, 14 Jun 2007

The computers failed early Wednesday as astronauts began working on retraction of one of the solar arrays.

Flight director Holly⁵ Ridings says controllers working through the night in Moscow are now able to send and receive signals from the computers.

"They have made a lot of progress overnight and there is still clean up stuff to do, and some investigation," she said.

Mission controllers still do not know what caused the computer crash aboard the space station.

Officials say normally, the computers reboot themselves in the event of a crash.

NASA says it might have to extend the mission of shuttle Atlantis, which is docked at the space station, to help fix the problem.  The scheduled 11-day mission has already been extended to 13 days to repair a heat protection blanket that came loose during lift off.

In the meantime, the shuttle is helping⁶ the orbiting laboratory maintain its position in space by periodically firing its thrusters.
 
In a worst-case scenario⁷, NASA says, the space station could be evacuated⁸ if the problem cannot be fixed⁹.

1 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

2 module   

n.组件，模块，模件；(航天器的)舱

参考例句：

• The centre module displays traffic guidance information.中央模块显示交通引导信息。
• Two large tanks in the service module held liquid oxygen.服务舱的两个大气瓶中装有液态氧。

3 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

4 retraction   

n.撤消；收回

参考例句：

• He demanded a full retraction of the allegations against him.他要求完全收回针对他的言论。
• The newspaper published a retraction of the erroneous report.那家报纸声明撤回那篇错误的报道。

5 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

8 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

9 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。