VOA常速英语:For West Virginia Town, No Wi-Fi, No Problem

As a visitor to Green Bank, it becomes apparent that you have to navigate the old-fashioned way: by reading road signs.That’s because GPS comes to a screeching halt as you approach this West Virginia town,which has two churches, an elementary school, a library and the world’s largest radio telescope.
很明显，到格林班克的游客不得不回归老式的驾驶方式，自己读认路标。这是因为当你靠近西维吉尼亚小镇的时候，GPS 会停止工作。这个小镇有两个教堂、一个小学、一个图书馆，还有世界上最大的电波望远镜。

Sherry manages the largest store in Green Bank, she was born here so the lack of WIFI connection is normal for her.We’ve never really had it, so most people would probably say we do it in the old-fashioned way,even though it is not the old-fashioned way, it’s just the way of living.”
Sherry管理着格林班克最大的商店。她出生在这里，所以没有WIFI对她来说习以为常。“我们从来没有过无线网络。所以很多人也许会说我们是过时的。但是这并不是守旧落后，这只是一种生活方式。”

On the store wall, an artifact from the past ... a phone attached to a wall jack ... the only way to call someone in Green Bank.
在商店的墙上，挂着过去的手工艺品，还有一部电话，这是在格林班克呼叫别人唯一的方式。

No modern wireless convenience here, Green Bank is frozen in time, somewhere in the 1950s. That is because there’s a 33,000-square-kilometer zone of silence.The closer you get to the telescope, the greater the restrictions.There’s a 16-kilometer radius around the Observatory where radio-controlled items, even toys, cannot be used.
没有现代无线网络的便捷，格林班克被冻结在了1950年代。这是因为这里有一片33000平方千米的无声区。你离望远镜越近，受到的限制越大。在了望台半径16千米的范围内，所有无线电控制的东西，甚至玩具，都不能使用。

This equipment I can actually look….to mind you the weak signal that could be interfering with the telescopes.
“ 这个设备可以提示你那些影响到望远镜的微小信号。”

John Bauserman acts as the technical policeman. If he suspects there is an unauthorized signal, he drives to the house and inspects it for prohibited devices.Telescope police even works in a special room, much like a submarine .
John Bauserman 是这里的技术警察。如果他怀疑有非法信号，他就会开车去房屋附近观察是否有违禁设备。望远镜警察甚至在一个特殊的房间工作，有点像潜水艇。

This is the electrical submarine if you will, no electric waves could get into this room, none of them could get out of this room.
“你可以把它想象成电力潜水艇。没有任何电波可以进入这个房间，它们也不可能跑出这个房间。”

In the room, the walls are covered with coppers, same for the windows.Even the microwave oven has to be cabined into a special metal box.
这个房间的墙壁以及窗户被铜丝覆盖。即使是微波炉也要被放在一个特殊的金属盒子中。

“The power worked until that door is locked.”
“在门关上之后，电力才可以开始工作。”

The job of the scientists is to minimize the impact of the outside interference on radio telescope.Holstine says only once a week, when there’s regularly scheduled maintenance,can some prohibited devices be allowed near the telescope.The size of a football field, the telescope is so sensitive it could pick up signals sent from an alien world.
科学家的工作就是减少外部干扰对电波望远镜的影响。Holstine说，只有每周一次的定期维护时，一些违禁设备才可以靠近望远镜。望远镜有足球场那么大的面积，它非常敏感，可以接收外太空的信号。

All the signals that we detect with the telescope so far,are just generated by unintelligent stars, galaxies, things of the universe. We have never detected anything from intelligent civilizations."
“我们目前用望远镜探测到的信号全部来自非智能星球、星系或宇宙物质。目前还没有探测到任何来自智能文明的信息。”

Local people respect the work of the scientists, and they are more than happy to live life Wi-Fi-free.
当地人尊重科学家的工作。虽然没有无线网，但他们的生活还是很开心。

“You know, instead of sitting here on our phones, we just get out for fishing and hanging and going to each other’s houses.”
“我们不会抱着手机坐在那儿。我们会出去钓鱼、闲逛、去彼此家。”

For the latest news, residents read the weekly local newspaper.When she’s looking for a phone number, Sherry reaches for the phone book.And instead of Facebook, Sherry enjoys daily conversations with her customers.In this town, everyone knows each other and communication is face to face.
当地人要想知道最新消息，会阅读当地的周报。Sherry需要找电话号码的时候会翻阅电话本。Sherry很喜欢每天和她的客人聊天，而不是在脸书上交流。在这座小镇上，每个人都认识彼此，沟通也是面对面的。

VOA news Green Bank, West Virginia
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