PBS高端访谈:美国"机智号"火星直升机首飞成功

Well, NASA has made plenty of history with spaceflights to Mars, but, today, a new chapter: It flew on Mars for the very first time. Miles O'Brien takes us out of this world.

美国国家航空和宇宙航行局(NASA)在火星上创造了很多历史，但是，今天，一个新的篇章：它第一次在火星上飞行。下面由迈尔斯·奥布莱恩带我们穿越太空。

Altimeter data confirmed that Ingenuity¹ has performed its first flight.

高度计的数据证实了“机智”号进行了第一次飞行。

When the data and the early images came down proving history was made 180 million miles away, the Mars Ingenuity team erupted with joy.

当数据和早期图像被记录下来，证明历史是在1.8亿英里以外形成的，火星创新团队爆发出了喜悦。

Project manager MiMi Aung ripped up the contingency² speech she wrote in case things did not go as well as they did.

项目经理米米昂撕毁了她写的应急演讲稿，以防事情不像他们做的那样顺利。

Ingenuity took off, hovered³ and landed on Mars, the first powered controlled flight on another planet.

“机智”号在火星上起飞、盘旋和着陆，这是在另一个星球上的第一次动力控制飞行。

We can now say that human beings have now flown a rotorcraft on another planet.

我们现在可以说人类已经在另一个星球上驾驶了一架旋翼飞机。

Mars changes the equation for flight with wings or rotors. The gravity is about one-third of Earth's, and the carbon dioxide atmosphere is much thinner.

火星用机翼或旋翼改变了飞行方程式。那里的引力大约是地球的三分之一，二氧化碳大气层要薄得多。

It's about 1 percent compared to here right on Earth. Even though you're able to lift, right, you have to spin very fast to lift. Because the atmosphere is so thin you can't lift as much mass.

与地球上相比，这个比例大约是1%。即便你能举起来，你必须快速旋转才能举起来。因为大气层太薄，你不能举起那么多的质量。

Here on Earth, helicopter blades typically spin about three or 400 revolutions per minute. Ingenuity's blades spin at about eight times faster, 2,400 RPMs.

在地球上，直升机叶片通常每分钟旋转3到400转。“机智”号飞机的叶片旋转速度是它的8倍，每分钟2400转。

The key challenge for the team, make the helicopter as small and light as possible to fit on Perseverance⁴ and to be flight-worthy.

团队面临的关键挑战是，让直升机尽可能的小和轻，以适应“毅力”号和飞行价值。

To find compact components⁵, they didn't have to look much farther than their own smartphones.

要想找到紧凑的部件，他们只需要看看自己的智能手机就行了。

The advancement⁶ of the cellular⁷ phone technologies, and, also, autonomous⁸ cars are also starting to have reliable lightweight sensors⁹,

移动电话技术的进步，还有，自动驾驶汽车也开始拥有可靠的轻量化传感器，

right, and their lightweight computers on their phones. And drone community has also advanced electronic components.

是的，还有他们手机上的轻型电脑。而无人机社区也拥有先进的电子元件。

Ingenuity is a technology demonstrator, so its goals are modest.

“机智”号是一种技术示范，所以它的目标是谦逊的。

The plan is to fly only five flights, no higher than 15 feet, no farther than 160 feet downrange, and no longer than a minute-and-a-half.

计划只飞行五次，高度不超过15英尺，降落范围不超过160英尺，飞行时间不超过1分半钟。

If history serves as a guide, Ingenuity could usher¹⁰ in a new era of mobile exploration on Mars.

如果以历史为鉴，人类的智慧可能会引领一个移动探索火星的新时代。

We have imaging data.

我们有成像数据。

Yes!

耶！

In 1997, the first Mars rover, Sojourner¹¹, was also a technology demonstration¹² project.

1997年，第一个火星漫游者“旅居者”也是一个技术示范项目。

The size of a microwave oven, it led to larger and more capable successors, Spirit and Opportunity in 2003, Curiosity in 2012, and now Perseverance. Lori Glaze¹³ is director of NASA's Planetary Science Division.

它带来了更大更有能力的后继者，2003年的“勇气”和“机遇”，2012年的“好奇”，现在是“毅力”。洛里·格莱兹是美国宇航局行星科学部主任。

The helicopters can actually help to do reconnaissance, to scope out a new site or actually to access places that we can't actually access,

直升飞机可以帮助进行侦察，寻找新的地点或者进入我们无法进入的地方

to collect samples, potentially, or carry scientific instrumentation to do some institute science from the helicopter.

，收集样本，或者携带科学仪器在直升飞机上做一些科学研究。

Just as it was 118 years ago at Kitty Hawk¹⁴, this first flight is likely just the beginning of a new era of aviation. For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Miles O'Brien.

就像118年前在“小鹰”号上发生的那样，这次首次飞行可能只是航空新时代的开始。这里是“PBS新闻一小时”，我是迈尔斯·奥布莱恩。

1 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

2 contingency   

n.意外事件，可能性

参考例句：

• We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。
• A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。

3 hovered   

鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
• A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。

4 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

5 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

6 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

7 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

8 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

9 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

10 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

11 sojourner   

n.旅居者，寄居者

参考例句：

• The sojourner has been in Wales for two weeks. 那个寄居者在威尔士已经逗留了两个星期。 来自互联网
• A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. 出12:45寄居的、和雇工人、都不可吃。 来自互联网

12 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

13 glaze   

v.因疲倦、疲劳等指眼睛变得呆滞，毫无表情

参考例句：

• Brush the glaze over the top and sides of the hot cake.在热蛋糕的顶上和周围刷上一层蛋浆。
• Tang three-color glaze horses are famous for their perfect design and realism.唐三彩上釉马以其造型精美和形态生动而著名。

14 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。