VOA标准英语2011--Atlantis Crew Ready for Final Shuttle Mi

Atlantis Crew Ready for Final Shuttle Mission

The end of an era is near. The U.S. space shuttles - the complex workhorses of the U.S. space program - are being retired¹ so NASA can focus on developing spacecraft that can travel beyond low-Earth-orbit. The space shuttle Atlantis is set to lift off on July 8 - the final launch in the 30-year-old shuttle program. We have more on the 12-day mission to carry supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station.
These four astronauts are about to make an historic journey. Mission Specialist Rex Walheim, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus make up the last crew to fly aboard a NASA space shuttle.
Magnus remembers when she first saw a space shuttle roar into the skies back in 1981.
"I was in high school, and it was just, you know, pretty spectacular to see something launching with people in it, even on TV," said Magnus. "It was like, 'Wow, look at that! You know, that's really cool. It looks like an airplane, but it's launching like a rocket. Wow!' You know, it was really different."
All members of this Atlantis crew have flown on space shuttles before. But this time it is different, because NASA is retiring the shuttle fleet at the end of this mission.
Commander Ferguson spoke² to reporters during a brief break in training.
"We're very honored to be in this position," said Commander Ferguson. "You know, there are many people who could be here. We just happened to...when the dice³ fell, our names were facing up. So we consider ourselves fortunate, lucky. I think - and we haven't talked about this - I think each of us feels, perhaps, a little extra burden to make sure we put on the best possible face forward for the last go-around of this. And the crew is very prepared."??????
The astronauts readied for this mission with ascent⁴ training in a simulator, water survival training, running through emergency scenarios⁵ - such as a fake fire on a mock-up of the space station, preparing in virtual reality labs and more simulators, reviewing the tools they might need in space and practicing post-landing exits from a mock-up of the shuttle.
The crew says it is ready for this final mission.
"We're going to go out and do a fantastic job and, like I said, when it's all over at the very end, I think that's when the enormity is going to hit us. You know, that last wheelstop call is going to be a little tough."
This last shuttle flight will help to restock the International Space Station," said Ferguson. "Although NASA is retiring its shuttle fleet, the United States has committed to funding the space station through 2020.
The orbiting lab is as capable as it is today because of the shuttle program, says Magnus.
"Now you'll see this huge monster building in space," she said. "You will see science racks and experiment facilities that are on board because the shuttle could take them there."
The space outpost where people have lived continuously for more than a decade remains⁶ a visible legacy⁷ of the 30-year-old shuttle program.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 dice   

n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险

参考例句：

• They were playing dice.他们在玩掷骰子游戏。
• A dice is a cube.骰子是立方体。

4 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

5 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。