British Vision Issue 78, "嫦娥一号"探月行动

To much patriotic¹ fanfare², china launched its first ever moon-shot today, the Chang'e 1 orbiter named after Chinese goddess credited with flying to the moon will spend more than a year surveying the lunar surface. It's all part of the China's long term plan to be the first Asian country to land a man on the moon. With Japan and India accelerating their lunar programs and the United States reviving its interest in the moon, it seems a new space race is on. As our China correspondent Lindsay Hilson now reports, it is as much about military might as it is scientific endeavor.

China's first lunar orbiter the Chang'e 1 launched by the Long March 3A rocket from a site in Sichuan province. The launch was broadcasted with about a minute's delay, so if anything went wrong they could pull the plug. But it didn't. And in 20 days time the satellite should start orbiting the moon, taking 3D images and analyzing³ the distribution of elements on the moon surface. Today's launch marks a significant step in China's lunar mission. Party secretary Hu Jingtao has sent a congratulatory message. Some 2000 Chinese tourists paid 60 pounds each to watch the launch, no foreigners were allowed. This is a matter of national pride.

This is our first probe to the moon and it's a symbolic⁴ event, I feel this is very important for us. Spending the money is a small matter for me, the main thing is to come here to witness the moment of the launch.

It was Chairman Mao, back in 1958 who said China should compete with the US and the Soviet⁵ Union in space. The first Chinese rocket was launched in 1960 and the first satellite 10 years later. But it wasn't until 2003 that the Chinese sent a man into orbit: Yang Liwei, who said last week that he hoped one day to found the first branch of the Chinese Communist Party in space.
We have a go for main engine to start.
Now it seems there is a new space race.
And lift off of Discovery.
Another Discovery space shuttle was launched from Cape⁶ Canaveral yesterday. The astronauts on board will anchor a new European laboratory to the International Space Station--from which the Chinese had been excluded. President Bush recently talked of sending American astronauts back to the moon.
We will build new ships to carry men forward into the universe, to gain a new foothold on the moon and prepare for new journey to the worlds beyond our own.
(The engine ignition) Last month, Japan launched a lunar orbiter, the most technically⁷ complex mission to the moon since the Apollo program of the 1960s. India too has an increasingly ambitious space program. And it's planning a lunar mission next year. China's space budget is less than a tenth of NASA's . But the US military believes China will soon have the capacity to knockout American satellite communications, critical in any future war. China and the US both see space as a new potential battlefield. Today's launch is another way for China to show the world that it is a power to be reckoned with.
Lindsay Hilsun, Channel 4 News.

1 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

2 fanfare   

n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布

参考例句：

• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King.嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

3 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

4 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

6 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

7 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。