太空清理 Cleaning up space

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob and joining me in the studio today is Jennifer. Welcome, Jennifer!
大家好，欢迎来到BBC六分钟英语。我是Rob，这是我今天的搭档Jennifer。你好，Jennifer。
Hi there. Now Rob, I believe our subject for discussion this week is a load of rubbish?!
你好，Rob。本周我们要讨论的话题是一堆垃圾？！
I wouldn’t put it exactly like that. We are talking about rubbish – or to use another word – junk – and hearing some language about a subject that is out of this world – space junk.
呃，准确来说并不是。今天我们要讨论下垃圾，或者用另一个词汇——废物，并听到一些有关太空垃圾的语言。
Yes, here on planet Earth we don’t like seeing rubbish or litter on our streets but in space the problem is far more serious and it could even be catastrophic – so it could lead to a serious disaster.
是的。在地球上，我们不喜欢看见街道垃圾；但在太空中，问题要严重的多。垃圾可能引起破坏性灾难。
Well, we’ll hear more about that in a moment and also find out how scientists are going to clear up this mess. But, before that, I think we should blast off with a space- related question.Now, did you know, the Russian satellite, Sputnik, was the first man- made object to be blasted into space? Do you know in which year it was launched? a) 1957 b) 1960 c) 1967
没错，稍后我们将深入讨论这一话题，并看看科学家准备如何清理太空垃圾。但在那之前，我想先问你个与太空有关的问题。苏联卫星Sputnik是第一颗飞入太空的人造卫星，那么你知道它是于哪年发射的吗？ A.1957年 B.1960年 C.1967年
I think it was in the sixties perhaps so I’m going to say b) 1960.
我觉得是六十年代，所以我选B. 1960年。
OK, Well, we will find out if you are right at the end of the programme. So, we’ve mentioned that junk – or debris – floating around in space is a big problem.It can take a long time to tidy up your house so imagine the challenge that lies ahead in tidying up the great mess in outer space. That’s something that’s been discussed at a recent conference on space debris in Germany.
好，节目最后我们会揭晓答案。刚刚我们提到漂浮在太空中的垃圾或碎片是个大问题。打扫房屋尚且要花很长时间，所以想象一下清理外太空大片垃圾是多大的挑战。近日在德国召开的空间碎片会议也谈到了这一点。
Well, tidying up space is not something I would like to do! But how did all this rubbish end up floating about up there in the first place?
我可不想去清理太空，但所有太空垃圾要怎样结束漂浮，停在最初位置呢？
A good question. For the past 50 years, man has been sending objects like rockets and satellites into orbit. In fact, even now around 70 satellites are sent into space every year.But when they are no longer needed they are just left up there and not disposed of – or put away somewhere where they won’t cause harm. They were never designed to be brought back down to Earth.
问得好。过去五十年里，人类不断将火箭、卫星等物体送入轨道。事实上即便现在，每年也约有70颗卫星被送入太空。但当没用时，它们就留在那里。既不被处理，也未放到不会造成伤害的地方。人类从未想过将它们带回地球。
These old fragments – or bits of technology continue to circle the Earth and become a threat to spacecraft which are operating up there.In 2009, for example, two satellites accidently hit each other – or collided - causing them to break into small pieces.
于是这些旧碎片或科技碎片继续绕着地球旋转，并给正在运行的航天器造成了威胁。例如在2009年，两颗卫星意外相撞，并分成了很多小碎块。
That’s added to the millions of small pieces of junk that are just floating around that might never be recovered – in other words collected and brought back down to Earth.Let’s hear more about this Professor Richard Crowther, Chief Engineer at the UK Space Agency. What other issue does he compare this problem with?
原本太空中已有数百万块漂浮垃圾不可能带回地球，这下卫星相撞的碎片又添加到了其中。接下来让我们听听英国航天局首席工程师Richard Crowther的话语。看看他把太空垃圾与什么问题作了比较。
Perhaps the most alarming factor is, even if we stop launching anything in to orbit from now on we would still see collisions occurring between satellites currently up there.But we recognise that if we want to actively manage this problem we have to do something now.It’s like global warming – we’re not 100 % certain that a certain scenario will occur but we have a pretty good idea of what’s dominating and what’s influencing the evolution.
也许最令人震惊的消息是，即使从现在起我们不向太空发射任何物体，但尚已存在的卫星还是可能发生碰撞。我们意识到，要想积极处理此问题，必须采取某些措施。太空垃圾就像全球变暖，虽然不确定会发生什么，但我们很清楚什么在起控制作用，什么在影响进程。
Professor Crowther mentioned an alarming factor, so a very worrying piece of information, that even if we didn’t put any more objects in to space there is a lready a risk of the current satellites hitting each other.These satellites are the ones that we depend on for communications, watching TV, weather forecasting and for using satellite navigation-satnavs.
Crowther教授提到了一件令人震惊的事情，也是非常令人担忧的消息。那就是即使我们不向太空发射物体，也仍存在现有卫星互撞的风险。它们是人类用来通信、看电视、播报气象预报、使用卫星导航的卫星。
Well, that’s why he says we have to do something now. He predicts catastrophic – or very bad - collisions could occur every five to nine years unless something is done.He compares the problem with global warming. It’s serious . We’re not sure what might happen in the future but we do need to protect against it.
所以Crowther说我们必须得做点什么。他预测倘若不采取措施，那么每5-9年便会有卫星相撞，造成灾难性后果。他把这一问题同全球变暖做了比较。问题很严重。虽然不确定将来会发生什么事情，但我们现在必须避免它。
Maybe they need a huge vacuum cleaner, or what about a giant magnet to gather up all that metal clutter ?
也许巨大真空吸尘器或巨大磁铁可以把所有金属杂物吸走？
Hmm, I think you’re talking rubbish – or saying things that will never happen. But there are some more realistic ideas being developed such as using nets, lasers to destroy the pieces of junk and a harpoon to catch them.
呃，你在讲废话吧，净说不会发生的事情。不过话说回来，的确可以采取某些更现实的措施，如用激光器摧毁碎片，或用鱼叉捕获垃圾。
It sounds like science - fiction – something you just read about in stories. But are these ideas really being developed?
哇，听上去有点像科幻小说（即仅能在书里看到的故事）。但这些想法真的可以实施吗？
Yes, although research is in its very early stages. A harpoon could be fired at a redundant - or no longer working - satellite and then it would be pulled downwards to burn up in the atmosphere.
是的，但研究还处在早期阶段。鱼叉可叉中废余（不再工作的）卫星，然后把卫星向下拖并使其在大气中燃烧。
But, surely up in space, lasers and harpoons might be thought of as weapons which could be used in a space war?
但激光器和鱼叉不会被看作可用于太空战争的武器吗？
Well, according to Professor Richard Crowther, it is something that will need managing. What does he suggest?
在Richard Crowther教授看来，这些东西是需要管理的。一起来看看他的建议吧。
If you’ve watched James Bond films over the years, you know that anything with a harpoon, with a laser, with a net in space, has the potential to grab another spacecraft and destroy it,so what we need to do is build reassurance within the space community and demonstrate that the systems being proposed are peaceful in their nature but also peaceful in the intent and the way in which they are going to be used.
如果看过詹姆斯·邦德系列电影，便会知道任何带有鱼叉、激光器或网的东西，在太空中都有可能抓住另一个航天器并将其摧毁。所以我们需要在太空中建设放心工程，声明所建系统不管在本质上、意图上还是在使用方法上都是和平的。
He talked about reassuring – or explaining – that the new technology is of a peaceful nature. That means it’s not for use in war or violence. He says the intent – or the purpose behind using it – is good not bad.
Crowther教授说，要向大家保证新技术在本质上是和平的。也就是说新技术不会用于战争或暴力。而且他说使用目的也是良性的。
OK, well there’s one thing back on planet Earth that needs tidying up and that’s the answer to today’s question. Earlier I mentioned that the Russian satellite, Sputnik, was the first man- made object to be blasted into space. But did you know in which year it was launched?
好了，我们该回到地球上整理一下了，来看看本期节目的问题。我曾提到苏联卫星Sputnik是第一颗飞入太空的人造卫星，那么它是在哪年发射的呢？
I said b) 1960.
我当时选的是B.1960年。
And I’m afraid you were wrong! It launched in 1957. OK, we’re almost out of time now, so Jennifer, could you remind us of some of the words and phrases we’ve heard today?
恐怕你答错了，它是在1957年发射的。好了，节目快要结束了。Jennifer，你能带我们回顾下今天听到的词汇和短语吗？
Yes. They were: junk, mess, debris, disposed of, recovered, clutter, talking rubbish, redundant.
没问题。它们是：junk（垃圾）、 mess（混乱，一堆乱东西）、 debris（碎片）、 disposed of（处理）、 recovered（复位）、 clutter（杂乱，混乱）、 talking rubbish（说废话，胡说八道）、 redundant（多余的，累赘的）。
Ok. Let’s get our feet back on the ground now and say farewell. Bye for now!
谢谢你。让我们起身和大家说再见吧，拜拜~
Bye!
拜~