【BBC六分钟英语】你能成为一名宇航员吗？
【英文脚本】
Alice
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Alice…
Rob
… And I’m Rob.
Alice
So Rob, what job did you want to do when you were little?
Rob
I really wanted to be an astronaut. Be in orbit, watching the Earth from afar…
Alice
Wow! Be in orbit - it means be in space and following the Earth’s curvature. Well, the view must be nice from up there. But the reality of becoming an astronaut is pretty hard. And it’s the subject of today’s show! Did you know that less than 600 people have been into space so far?
Rob
I’d like to have been one of them. I know I have what it takes to be a spaceman!
Alice
Yes. There are many others like you who would like to go for this job, Rob. And that’s the quiz question for you today. How many people have applied to join Nasa’s 2017 astronaut class? Was it… a) 800 b) 8,000 Or c) 18,000 people?
Rob
Mmmm… 8,000 sounds like a lot already so I’ll go for b) 8,000 people.
Alice
Well, we’ll find out if you chose the right answer later on in the programme. So, what do you think is the biggest challenge when considering becoming an astronaut?
Rob
Well, I’d say claustrophobia, and that means: fear of being in a small space. That might be a problem because the space capsules are small and you’re with the same people for months at a time.
Alice
Yes, that’s right. Well, astronauts are bound to get on each other’s nerves sometimes! To get on someone’s nerves means: to annoy them.
Rob
But I’m a great team player… so I think I’ll be OK.
Alice
Yes, I can confirm that. Anyway, the challenge of being an astronaut doesn’t stop here. In the space capsule, astronauts have to put up with extremely difficult conditions. Like zero gravity, for example.
Rob
It looks like doing somersaults in the capsule and catching bits of food in your mouth as it floats out of its packet…
Alice
But zero gravity, a condition where gravity is exerting no force, can lead to wasting of the bones and muscles. Astronauts take two and a half hours of exercise per day to help prevent this.
Rob
But what do astronauts have to do before they go into space to prepare themselves for weightlessness and spacewalking?
Alice
They can practice using a virtual reality headset and special gloves. It’s like playing a computer game that looks and feels like doing a spacewalk. And they also train in a swimming pool! Let’s listen to Major Tim Peake, a British astronaut, talking about the preparation he did for his mission on the International Space Station.
Major Tim Peake, British astronaut with the European Space Agency
The way we practise spacewalk is in water. Water gives us the neutral buoyancy that we need. So we sink training modules into swimming pools and then practise the spacewalking on them. We wear very specific equipment, a pressurized spacesuit, very difficult to move in actually, it’s hard to bend the fingers, it’s hard to bend your arms, and it really gives you quite a difficult workout.
Rob
British astronaut Tim Peake says water gives us buoyancy, which is the ability to float. Floating in space is similar to floating in water, so astronauts practise their spacewalk in swimming pools.
Alice
Yes. They take to the water and to the air too. Astronauts experience the feeling of weightlessness in planes. A large plane with padded walls flies to high altitude and then goes into a nosedive, or a fast and sudden fall, which creates short periods of weightlessness.
Rob
Fabulous! I’d love to do that!
Alice
But it’s not all fun and games. Don’t forget that one of the main reasons for being out on the International Space Station is to conduct research. Major Tim Peake is doing scientific experiments such as how to grow plants in space, and what effect radiation and zero gravity have on this process.
Rob
Like that film where an astronaut gets stranded, or left behind, on Mars and has to grow potatoes.
Alice
Yes.
Rob
The film is called The Martian.
Alice
That’s right. Yes. So do you think you have what it takes to survive in a challenging environment, Rob? Let’s listen to Major Tim Peake talking about his survival training.
Major Tim Peak, British astronaut with the European Space Agency
Survival training: for this year the European Space Agency sends us to Sardinia. When you land in the Soyuz capsule sometimes you might not land exactly where you expect to be. Foraging for food, for example, and your basic elements of shelter and protection, getting water… Go and live in a cave for seven days with an international crew. And it’s a wonderful environment to prepare you for a mission because you are very isolated.
Rob
So astronauts may get stranded on Earth, when the space capsule lands somewhere unexpected. And they have to find food. Forage means to search.
Alice
It’s a word we often use to describe how animals search for food.
Rob
Indeed. Well, let’s go back to that quiz question you asked me earlier, Alice. I’m keen to know how many people want to live this experience of being an astronaut.
Alice
OK. Well, I asked: How many people have applied to join NASA’s 2017 astronaut class? Was it… a) 800, b) 8,000 or c) 18,000 people?
Rob
And I said quite a lot: b) 8,000 people.
Alice
And you were wrong, I’m afraid! According to Nasa’s website, more than 18,300 people applied to join their 2017 astronaut class. This is almost three times the number of applications received in 2012 for the most recent astronaut class.
Rob
Wow! So there’s no chance of me ever succeeding.
Alice
Oh, well, you mustn’t give up, Rob. Anyway, we are running out of time so here are the words we heard today: in orbit claustrophobia get on someone’s nerves zero gravity buoyancy nosedive stranded forage
Rob
Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon!
Both
Bye.
【中英文双语脚本】
Alice(爱丽丝)
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Alice…
您好，欢迎来到 6 Minute English。我是 Alice…
Rob(罗伯)
… And I’m Rob.
…我是 罗伯。
Alice(爱丽丝)
So Rob, what job did you want to do when you were little?
那么 罗伯，你小时候想做什么工作？
Rob(罗伯)
I really wanted to be an astronaut. Be in orbit, watching the Earth from afar…
我真的很想成为一名宇航员。在轨道上，从远处观察地球……
Alice(爱丽丝)
Wow! Be in orbit - it means be in space and following the Earth’s curvature. Well, the view must be nice from up there. But the reality of becoming an astronaut is pretty hard. And it’s the subject of today’s show! Did you know that less than 600 people have been into space so far?
哇！在轨道上 - 这意味着在太空中并跟随地球的曲率。嗯，从那里看的景色一定不错。但成为一名宇航员的现实是相当艰难的。这就是今天节目的主题！您知道吗，到目前为止，只有不到 600 人进入太空？
Rob(罗伯)
I’d like to have been one of them. I know I have what it takes to be a spaceman!
我想成为他们中的一员。我知道我具备成为一名宇航员的条件！
Alice(爱丽丝)
Yes. There are many others like you who would like to go for this job, Rob. And that’s the quiz question for you today. How many people have applied to join Nasa’s 2017 astronaut class? Was it… a) 800 b) 8,000 Or c) 18,000 people?
是的。还有很多人像你一样想从事这份工作，罗伯。这就是今天给你的测验问题。有多少人申请加入 NASA 的 2017 年宇航员班？是不是……a） 800 b） 8,000 还是 c） 18,000 人？
Rob(罗伯)
Mmmm… 8,000 sounds like a lot already so I’ll go for b) 8,000 people.
嗯。。。8,000 听起来已经很多了，所以我会选择 b） 8,000 人。
Alice(爱丽丝)
Well, we’ll find out if you chose the right answer later on in the programme. So, what do you think is the biggest challenge when considering becoming an astronaut?
好吧，我们稍后会发现您是否在节目中选择了正确的答案。那么，您认为考虑成为一名宇航员时最大的挑战是什么？
Rob(罗伯)
Well, I’d say claustrophobia, and that means: fear of being in a small space. That might be a problem because the space capsules are small and you’re with the same people for months at a time.
嗯，我会说幽闭恐惧症，这意味着：害怕待在狭小的空间里。这可能是个问题，因为太空舱很小，而且你一次要和同一个人在一起几个月。
Alice(爱丽丝)
Yes, that’s right. Well, astronauts are bound to get on each other’s nerves sometimes! To get on someone’s nerves means: to annoy them.
是的，没错。好吧，宇航员有时肯定会让彼此感到紧张！To get on someone’s nerves 的意思是：惹恼他们。
Rob(罗伯)
But I’m a great team player… so I think I’ll be OK.
但我是一个很棒的团队合作者……所以我想我会没事的。
Alice(爱丽丝)
Yes, I can confirm that. Anyway, the challenge of being an astronaut doesn’t stop here. In the space capsule, astronauts have to put up with extremely difficult conditions. Like zero gravity, for example.
是的，我可以确认。无论如何，成为一名宇航员的挑战并不止于此。在太空舱中，宇航员必须忍受极其困难的条件。例如，就像零重力一样。
Rob(罗伯)
It looks like doing somersaults in the capsule and catching bits of food in your mouth as it floats out of its packet…
它看起来像在胶囊里翻筋斗，当食物从包装中飘出时，将食物碎片含在嘴里……
Alice(爱丽丝)
But zero gravity, a condition where gravity is exerting no force, can lead to wasting of the bones and muscles. Astronauts take two and a half hours of exercise per day to help prevent this.
但是零重力，即重力不施加力的情况，会导致骨骼和肌肉的萎缩。宇航员每天进行两个半小时的锻炼来帮助防止这种情况。
Rob(罗伯)
But what do astronauts have to do before they go into space to prepare themselves for weightlessness and spacewalking?
但是，宇航员在进入太空之前必须做什么，为失重和太空行走做好准备呢？
Alice(爱丽丝)
They can practice using a virtual reality headset and special gloves. It’s like playing a computer game that looks and feels like doing a spacewalk. And they also train in a swimming pool! Let’s listen to Major Tim Peake, a British astronaut, talking about the preparation he did for his mission on the International Space Station.
他们可以练习使用虚拟现实耳机和特殊手套。这就像玩一个看起来和感觉都像太空行走的电脑游戏。他们还在游泳池训练！让我们听听英国宇航员蒂姆·皮克少校谈论他为在国际空间站执行任务所做的准备工作。
Major Tim Peake, British astronaut with the European Space Agency(蒂姆·皮克少校，欧洲航天局的英国宇航员)
The way we practise spacewalk is in water. Water gives us the neutral buoyancy that we need. So we sink training modules into swimming pools and then practise the spacewalking on them. We wear very specific equipment, a pressurized spacesuit, very difficult to move in actually, it’s hard to bend the fingers, it’s hard to bend your arms, and it really gives you quite a difficult workout.
我们进行太空行走的方式是在水中。水为我们提供了所需的中性浮力。因此，我们将训练模块沉入游泳池中，然后在其上练习太空行走。我们穿着非常特殊的设备，加压宇航服，实际上很难移动，手指很难弯曲，手臂也很难弯曲，这真的会给你带来相当困难的锻炼。
Rob(罗伯)
British astronaut Tim Peake says water gives us buoyancy, which is the ability to float. Floating in space is similar to floating in water, so astronauts practise their spacewalk in swimming pools.
英国宇航员蒂姆·皮克 （Tim Peake） 说，水赋予我们浮力，即漂浮的能力。漂浮在太空中类似于漂浮在水中，因此宇航员在游泳池中练习太空行走。
Alice(爱丽丝)
Yes. They take to the water and to the air too. Astronauts experience the feeling of weightlessness in planes. A large plane with padded walls flies to high altitude and then goes into a nosedive, or a fast and sudden fall, which creates short periods of weightlessness.
是的。它们也会飞到水里和空气中。宇航员在飞机上体验失重的感觉。一架带有软垫壁的大型飞机飞到高空，然后俯冲，或快速突然下降，从而产生短暂的失重。
Rob(罗伯)
Fabulous! I’d love to do that!
瑰！我很想这样做！
Alice(爱丽丝)
But it’s not all fun and games. Don’t forget that one of the main reasons for being out on the International Space Station is to conduct research. Major Tim Peake is doing scientific experiments such as how to grow plants in space, and what effect radiation and zero gravity have on this process.
但这并不全是乐趣和游戏。不要忘记，在国际空间站上的主要原因之一是进行研究。蒂姆·皮克 （Tim Peake） 少校正在进行科学实验，例如如何在太空中种植植物，以及辐射和零重力对这一过程有什么影响。
Rob(罗伯)
Like that film where an astronaut gets stranded, or left behind, on Mars and has to grow potatoes.
就像那部电影，宇航员在火星上被困或被遗忘，不得不种植土豆。
Alice(爱丽丝)
Yes.
是的。
Rob(罗伯)
The film is called The Martian.
这部电影叫做《火星救援》。
Alice(爱丽丝)
That’s right. Yes. So do you think you have what it takes to survive in a challenging environment, Rob? Let’s listen to Major Tim Peake talking about his survival training.
没错。是的。那么，罗伯，您认为您有能力在充满挑战的环境中生存吗？让我们听听蒂姆·皮克少校谈论他的生存训练。
Major Tim Peak, British astronaut with the European Space Agency(蒂姆·皮克少校，欧洲航天局的英国宇航员)
Survival training: for this year the European Space Agency sends us to Sardinia. When you land in the Soyuz capsule sometimes you might not land exactly where you expect to be. Foraging for food, for example, and your basic elements of shelter and protection, getting water… Go and live in a cave for seven days with an international crew. And it’s a wonderful environment to prepare you for a mission because you are very isolated.
生存训练：今年，欧洲航天局将我们派往撒丁岛。当您降落在联盟号太空舱中时，有时您可能无法准确降落在预期位置。例如，觅食，以及住所和保护的基本要素，获取水……去和一群国际船员一起在山洞里住七天。这是一个很棒的环境，可以让你为任务做好准备，因为你非常孤立。
Rob(罗伯)
So astronauts may get stranded on Earth, when the space capsule lands somewhere unexpected. And they have to find food. Forage means to search.
因此，当太空舱降落在意想不到的地方时，宇航员可能会被困在地球上。他们必须找到食物。Forage 的意思是搜索。
Alice(爱丽丝)
It’s a word we often use to describe how animals search for food.
我们经常用这个词来描述动物如何寻找食物。
Rob(罗伯)
Indeed. Well, let’s go back to that quiz question you asked me earlier, Alice. I’m keen to know how many people want to live this experience of being an astronaut.
事实上。好吧，让我们回到你之前问我的那个测验问题，Alice。我很想知道有多少人想体验这种成为宇航员的经历。
Alice(爱丽丝)
OK. Well, I asked: How many people have applied to join NASA’s 2017 astronaut class? Was it… a) 800, b) 8,000 or c) 18,000 people?
还行。好吧，我问：有多少人申请加入 NASA 的 2017 年宇航员班？是不是……a） 800 人，b） 8,000 人还是 c） 18,000 人？
Rob(罗伯)
And I said quite a lot: b) 8,000 people.
我说了很多：b） 8,000 人。
Alice(爱丽丝)
And you were wrong, I’m afraid! According to Nasa’s website, more than 18,300 people applied to join their 2017 astronaut class. This is almost three times the number of applications received in 2012 for the most recent astronaut class.
恐怕你错了！根据美国宇航局的网站，超过 18,300 人申请加入他们的 2017 年宇航员班。这几乎是 2012 年最近一届宇航员课程收到的申请数量的三倍。
Rob(罗伯)
Wow! So there’s no chance of me ever succeeding.
哇！所以我永远没有成功的机会。
Alice(爱丽丝)
Oh, well, you mustn’t give up, Rob. Anyway, we are running out of time so here are the words we heard today: in orbit claustrophobia get on someone’s nerves zero gravity buoyancy nosedive stranded forage
哦，好吧，你不能放弃，罗伯。无论如何，我们的时间不多了，所以以下是我们今天听到的话： 在轨道上 幽闭恐惧症 让某人感到紧张 零重力浮力 俯冲 搁浅的草料
Rob(罗伯)
Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon!
好了，今天的六分钟 English 到此结束。请尽快再次加入我们！
Both(双)
Bye.
再见。
【核心词汇】
in orbit
being in space and following the path around the Earth’s curvature
在轨道上
在太空中并沿着地球曲率的路径运行
The satellite is now in orbit around the Moon.
这颗卫星现在正在月球轨道上运行。
claustrophobia
fear of being in a small space
幽闭恐惧症
对身处狭小空间感到恐惧
Many people suffer from claustrophobia and find lifts very unpleasant.
很多人都有幽闭恐惧症，觉得乘坐电梯很不舒服。
get on someone’s nerves
to annoy someone
惹恼某人
使某人烦恼
Stop making that noise! You’re getting on my nerves.
别再弄出那种噪音了！你快把我惹烦了。
zero gravity
a condition where gravity is exerting no force
零重力
引力不起作用的状态
Astronauts train in conditions of zero gravity.
宇航员在零重力条件下训练。
buoyancy
the ability to float
浮力
漂浮的能力
Salt water has more buoyancy than fresh water.
盐水比淡水有更大的浮力。
forage
to search (used especially for animals looking for food)
觅食
（尤指动物）寻找食物
The pigs were foraging in the woods.
猪在树林里觅食。
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