A:What is the most unexpected thing you experienced in space?
你在太空中最出乎意料的經(jīng)歷是什么?
B:I wasn't quite prepared for the view of the Earth as we left. It was just awe-inspiring. It emerged from just a slightly curved horizon to a whole Earth , where you could look across oceans and continents in a single glance. I wasn't quite prepared for that. It's inevitably etched in my memory.
我們離開地球時對宇宙中所看到的地球的模樣沒有心理準備。那景觀真是令人肅然起敬。它從一條微微彎曲的地平線上浮現(xiàn),直至能看見整個的地球。此時你一眼就能看遍所有的陸地。我沒想到會是這樣的景象。它在我的記憶中留下了不可磨滅的印象。
A:When viewing the Earth from space,do you feel detached from humanity or more a part of the totality of humankind?
從太空中看地球時,你是覺得與人類恍如隔世呢,還是覺得自己與人類的整體更加密不可分呢?
B:Detached. You're literally detached from one planet, captured by another. Your only link to reality is the Earth out there;fortunate-1y,it stays in view the whole time.
那種感覺真是恍如隔世。你感覺就是離開了一個星球而被另一個星球俘獲了。你現(xiàn)實的惟一聯(lián)系就是宇宙中的地球。萬幸的是,它一直在我們的視野范圍內(nèi)。
A:There're a lot of suspicions that the International Space Station is never going to become reality. Is it going to be some future project that never happens?
很多人懷疑國際太空站項目永遠不會成為現(xiàn)實。會不會是這樣呢?
B:I believe it's certainly for real. It without question has suffered a lot of delays. But there's hardware sitting on the pad right now and it's due to go off in December. It is a reality. It has just taken longer to get literally off the ground.
我相信這個項目不是兒戲。當然,這不是個簡單的項目。但是,有些硬件設(shè)施已經(jīng)在發(fā)射臺上準備就緒了,預(yù)定在12月就能發(fā)射升空。它會成為現(xiàn)實,只不過事情的發(fā)展經(jīng)歷的時間比人們的預(yù)想要長罷了。
A:There were a lot of talks during the Bush administration about a not too distant future Mars mission. It seemed to fizzle out. Do you think that this Shuttle mission will reignite the public's passion for space and get us to Mars sooner?
布什總統(tǒng)當政期間,很多傳言說在不久的將來我們要飛向火星。這好像己經(jīng)不了了之了。你認為飛船項目會不會重燃人們對太空的熱情,讓我們能早一天飛向火星?
B:I hope this flight is not just a one-time affair, that it does re-ignite people's interest to push on. But only time will tell.
我希望這次飛行不會是曇花一現(xiàn)的事,我希望它的確能重新激發(fā)人們對太空的向往,鼓勵我們繼續(xù)努力。但是,這只有時間才能驗證。
A:You had gone to the moon twice, orbited space around the Earth lots of times,and of course you have had the most amazing views that a human being can have. How long do we ordinary beings have to wait to feel the weightlessness? I just can't wait.
你曾兩次登上月球,多次環(huán)繞地球飛行,你所見過的必定是人類所能看到的最為奇妙、驚人的景觀。那么我們普通老百姓還得等多長時間才能感覺到太空中失重的滋味?我都等不及了。
B:If I were the man making the decisions, you could get in line tomorrow. I strongly support ordinary people going into space. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be in the near future.
如果我是說了算的人,明天你就排上號了。我非常支持人們走進太空。不過,恐怕近期內(nèi)這還難以做到。