(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
The head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, said that the space agency is on track to land people on Mars in the 2030s.
Charles Bolden is the administrator for NASA. He said that five years ago, President Obama set that goal for the space agency.
Speaking at the Humans to Mars Summit 2015, Bolden said "This plan is clear, this plan is affordable and this plan is sustainable."
Buzz Aldrin was the second man to step on the moon. He is retired from NASA but is working to get humans to Mars. He told the summit that "we need to stimulate the public to be supportive" of a U.S. mission to Mars. The program, Mr. Aldrin said, needs to develop in a series of stages, or steps, over several years.
NASA engineer Bret Drake said that is the idea that several private companies have offered.
Explore Mars, Inc., is the group that organized the Humans to Mars summit last week. The group released a study on the steps required to send people to Mars.
They are a new Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, a deep space environment for astronauts to live in, and new methods for entry, descent and landing. Other new technologies needed are solar electric propulsion for power and a vehicle that could land people on Mars.
NASA is already working with private partners to develop the technology needed to get humans to Mars. They are working to develop advanced propulsion and habitation—where and how people will live on Mars once they get there.
One example is Lockheed Martin's Stepping Stones plan. It calls for beginning flights to the International Space Station using today's vehicles and Orion spacecraft. Later flights will land on Deimos, one of Mars' two moons.
Last week NASA also announced a "Journey to Mars Challenge." The agency is asking for ideas from the public on how to get people to Mars and how they can stay. The ideas could be about shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social relations and medicine. NASA said people are "encouraged to consider innovative and creative elements beyond these examples."
The Mars rovers Curiosity and Opportunity are already providing much information as they move across the Martian surface. It is already known that at one point in time Mars had conditions that could have supported life.
NASA's Charles Bolden said that Mars "just might help us to unravel the age old mystery about whether life exists beyond Earth."
I'm Anne Ball.
词汇解释
1.propulsion n. 推进；推进力
The nineteenth century witnessed a revolution in ship design and propulsion.
19世纪船舶设计和船舶动力领域发生了重大的变革。
2.habitation n. 居住；住所
The recent survey found that 20 percent of rented dwellings are unfit for human habitation.
最近的调查发现，20%的出租屋并不适合人的居住。
3.shelter n. 庇护；避难所；遮盖物 vt. 保护；使掩蔽 vi. 躲避，避难
The city's bomb shelters were being prepared for possible air raids.
这座城市的防空掩体正在准备中，以防可能发生的空袭。
4.unravel vt. 解开；阐明；解决；拆散 vi. 解决；散开
He could unravel a knot that others wouldn't even attempt.
他能解开其他人甚至不敢尝试的绳结。
内容解析
1.The head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, said that the space agency is on track to land people on Mars in the 2030s.
on track to 在 ... 的轨道上，即将做某事
China's reserves alone are on track to top $ 1, 000 bn within weeks.
仅中国的外汇储备，就可能在数周内突破1万亿美元。
Officials say the country is on track to achieve this.
中国官员表示正按计划进行并将达成目标。
2.It is already known that at one point in time Mars had conditions that could have supported life.
at one point 一度；在某处；在某一时刻
At one point a bird trilled in the Conservatory.
有那么一刻，一只鸟儿在温室里啼叫。
At one point last week shares in the grey market touched 230p.
上周，灰市上的股票价格一度高达230便士。
参考译文
美国宇航局(NASA)局长称本机构准备在21世纪30年代将人送往火星。
查尔斯·博尔登是美国宇航局负责人，他说五年前奥巴马总统就为宇航局设定了该目标。
在2015年人类登陆火星峰会上，博尔登说，“这个计划很清晰、能负担得起而且可以持续。”
巴兹·奥尔德林是第二个登上月球的人，他已从美国宇航局退休，不过正在参加人类登陆火星计划。他在峰会上说，我们需要激发公众对美国火星计划的支持。奥尔德林说该计划需要划分为系列阶段，需要几年时间来完成。
美国宇航局工程师布雷特·德雷克说这是几个私营公司提出的想法。
探索火星公司组织了上月的人类登陆火星峰会，该组织就送人到活动需要的步骤发布了一篇研究。
其中包括新的太空发射系统、猎户座飞船、宇航员生活的深空环境，以及进入、下降和着陆的新办法。其他所需的技术包括动力方面的太阳能电子推进器和能够让人在火星登陆的火星车。
美国宇航局已经和私营合作伙伴合作开发送人到火星所需的技术，正努力开发先进的助推器，以及人类登陆火星后的生活舱。
其中一个例子就是洛克希德·马丁公司的垫脚石计划，该计划要求使用现在的登陆车和猎户座飞船进入国际太空站，然后降落在火星的两颗卫星之一火卫二。
上周宇航局宣布了“登陆火星挑战”，该机构向公众征集如何将人送往火星以及登陆后如何生存的意见，涉及住宿、食物、水、可呼吸空气、通讯、锻炼、社交和医药。美国宇航局称这是在鼓励人们思考例子之外的创新和创意元素。
好奇号和机遇号火星漫游者在火星表面移动时已经提供了很多信息，目前已经得知火星上一度具备支持生命的条件。
美国宇航局的查尔斯·博尔登说，火星“或许可以帮助我们揭开地球之外是否存在生命这个古老的谜团。”
我是安妮·鲍尔。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
