字神帝國英語天地

 今日主題：Cleaning up space 太空清理

 凱妃老師&派老師共同推薦：雅思聽力最好的課外教材：BBC
 康康精選雅思會考的主題，堅持每天精聽一定會進步的哦!!

 建議方法：
1. 先聽兩三遍 (不看文稿)
2. 再一句一句聽寫 (每句都要聽寫數遍，直到寫出85%以上的字)
3. 最後check文稿，看哪聽不出來，單字沒背過，還是發音不熟。
4. 堅持天天聽，就能每天進步哦。

 MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：喜歡的同學，幫忙推或按讚哦~~
http://static.iyuba.com/sounds/minutes/78.mp3

 只有音檔怎夠，聽不懂地方，不用怕，康康幫你準備好中英文稿了：

 中英文稿：
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob and joining me in the studio today is Jennifer. Welcome, Jennifer!
大家好，歡迎來到BBC六分鐘英語。我是Rob，這是我今天的搭檔Jennifer。你好，Jennifer。
Hi there. Now Rob, I believe our subject for discussion this week is a load of rubbish?!
你好，Rob。本周我們要討論的話題是一堆垃圾？！
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，準確來說並不是。今天我們要討論下垃圾，或者用另一個詞彙——廢物，並聽到一些有關太空垃圾的語言。
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，我們不喜歡看見街道垃圾；但在太空中，問題要嚴重的多。垃圾可能引起破壞性災難。
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
沒錯，稍後我們將深入討論這一話題，並看看科學家準備如何清理太空垃圾。但在那之前，我想先問你個與太空有關的問題。蘇聯衛星Sputnik是第一顆飛入太空的人造衛星，那麼你知道它是於哪年發射的嗎？ 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.
我覺得是六十年代，所以我選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，節目最後我們會揭曉答案。剛剛我們提到漂浮在太空中的垃圾或碎片是個大問題。打掃房屋尚且要花很長時間，所以想像一下清理外太空大片垃圾是多大的挑戰。近日在德國召開的空間碎片會議也談到了這一點。
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樣結束漂浮，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.
問得好。過去五十年裡，人類不斷將火箭、衛星等物體送入軌道。事實上即便現在，每年也約有70顆衛星被送入太空。但當沒用時，它們就留在那裡。既不被處理，也未放到不會造成傷害的地方。人類從未想過將它們帶回地球。
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. 
於是這些舊碎片或科技碎片繼續繞著地球旋轉，並給正在運行的航天器造成了威脅。例如在2009年，兩顆衛星意外相撞，並分成了很多小碎塊。
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?
原本太空中已有數百萬塊漂浮垃圾不可能帶回地球，這下衛星相撞的碎片又添加到了其中。接下來讓我們聽聽英國航天局首席工程師Richard Crowther的話語。看看他把太空垃圾與什麼問題作了比較。
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.
也許最令人震驚的消息是，即使從現在起我們不向太空發射任何物體，但尚已存在的衛星還是可能發生碰撞。我們意識到，要想積極處理此問題，必須採取某些措施。太空垃圾就像全球變暖，雖然不確定會發生什麼，但我們很清楚什麼在起控制作用，什麼在影響進程。
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驚的事情，也是非常令人擔憂的消息。那就是即使我們不向太空發射物體，也仍存在現有衛星互撞的風險。它們是人類用來通信、看電視、播報氣象預報、使用衛星導航的衛星。
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說我們必須得做點什麼。他預測倘若不採取措施，那麼每5-9年便會有衛星相撞，造成災難性後果。他把這一問題同全球變暖做了比較。問題很嚴重。雖然不確定將來會發生什麼事情，但我們現在必須避免它。
Maybe they need a huge vacuum cleaner, or what about a giant magnet to gather up all that metal clutter ?
也許巨大真空吸塵器或巨大磁鐵可以把所有金屬雜物吸走？
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，你在講廢話吧，淨說不會發生的事情。不過話說回來，的確可以採取某些更現實的措施，如用雷射器摧毀碎片，或用魚叉捕獲垃圾。
It sounds like science - fiction – something you just read about in stories. But are these ideas really being developed?
哇，聽上去有點像科幻小說（即僅能在書裡看到的故事）。但這些想法真的可以實施嗎？
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，但研究還處在早期階段。魚叉可叉中廢餘（不再工作的）衛星，然後把衛星向下拖並使其在大氣中燃燒。
But, surely up in space, lasers and harpoons might be thought of as weapons which could be used in a space war?
但雷射器和魚叉不會被看作可用於太空戰爭的武器嗎？
Well, according to Professor Richard Crowther, it is something that will need managing. What does he suggest?
在Richard Crowther教授看來，這些東西是需要管理的。一起來看看他的建議吧。
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.
如果看過詹姆斯•邦德系列電影，便會知道任何帶有魚叉、雷射器或網的東西，在太空中都有可能抓住另一個航天器並將其摧毀。所以我們需要在太空中建設放心工程，聲明所建系統不管在本質上、意圖上還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教授說，要向大家保證新技術在本質上是和平的。也就是說新技術不會用於戰爭或暴力。而且他說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，我們該回到地球上整理一下了，來看看本期節目的問題。我曾提到蘇聯衛星Sputnik是第一顆飛入太空的人造衛星，那麼它是在哪年發射的呢？
I said b) 1960.
我當時選的是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?
恐怕你答錯了，它是在1957年發射的。好了，節目快要結束了。Jennifer，你能帶我們回顧下今天聽到的詞彙和短語嗎？
Yes. They were: junk, mess, debris, disposed of, recovered, clutter, talking rubbish, redundant.
沒問題。它們是：junk（垃圾）、mess（混亂，一堆亂東西）、debris（碎片）、disposed of（處理）、 recovered（復位）、 clutter（雜亂，混亂）、 talking rubbish（說廢話，胡說八道）、 redundant（多餘的，累贅的）。
Ok. Let’s get our feet back on the ground now and say farewell. Bye for now!
謝謝你。讓我們起身和大家說再見吧，拜拜~
Bye!
拜~