VOA慢速英語：美國新衛(wèi)星有望改善天氣預(yù)報

A new American weather satellite could save more lives by better predicting extreme weather conditions.
一顆新的美國氣象衛(wèi)星能夠通過更好地預(yù)測極端天氣來挽救更多生命。
The satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, in the state of Florida, on November 19. It will be in orbit some 36,000 kilometers above Earth's surface.
這顆衛(wèi)星于11月19日在佛羅里達州卡納維拉爾角發(fā)射升空，它將停留在距離地球表面大約3.6萬公里的軌道上。
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as NOAA, has been working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the project.
美國國家海洋和大氣管理局(簡稱NOAA)一直在和美國國家航空航天局合作開展該項目。
NOAA officials are calling the new satellite GOES-R. That is short for a much longer name -- the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R Series.
國家海洋和大氣管理局官員把這顆新衛(wèi)星命名為GOES-R，這是地球靜止軌道環(huán)境業(yè)務(wù)衛(wèi)星R系列的縮寫。
NOAA said GOES-R could improve the nation's ability to observe weather conditions and make weather predictions. It said the satellite's deployment would lead to more exact and timely weather forecasts, watches and warnings.
國家海洋和大氣管理局表示，GOES-R衛(wèi)星能夠提高美國觀察氣象和預(yù)報天氣的能力。該局表示，這顆衛(wèi)星的部署將會帶來更加準確和及時的天氣預(yù)報、觀測和預(yù)警。
The government agency said the satellite will require testing of its six instruments and will be ready to work "within a year."
這家政府機構(gòu)表示，這顆衛(wèi)星需要測試其配備的六種儀器，并將在一年內(nèi)做好工作準備。
Next generation of weather satellites
下一代氣象衛(wèi)星
"The next generation of weather satellites is finally here," said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan. She described GOES-R as one of the most sophisticated Earth-observing machines ever created.
國家海洋和大氣管理局局長凱瑟琳·蘇利文(Kathryn Sullivan)表示，“這顆下一代衛(wèi)星終于來了。”她稱GOES-R衛(wèi)星是美國曾經(jīng)制造的最為先進的地球觀測設(shè)備之一。
Sullivan said its instruments will be able to study Earth five times faster and with four times more detail than any other NOAA satellite currently in operation. She believes this will make the United States an even stronger, more "Weather-Ready" nation.
蘇利文表示，和該局當前運作的其它衛(wèi)星相比，這顆衛(wèi)星上的儀器能夠以5倍的速度和4倍的詳盡來研究地球。她認為這將使得美國成為一個更加強大、更加做好氣象準備的國家。
A NOAA statement said the greater detail will help improve the agency's study of ocean storms, as well as "the prediction and warnings of severe weather." In addition, GOES-R will be able to provide improved rainfall estimates, which will lead to more timely and detailed flood warnings.
國家海洋和大氣管理局發(fā)布的一份聲明表示，更詳盡信息將有助于提高該機構(gòu)對“海洋風暴”以及“惡劣天氣預(yù)報和示警”的研究。此外，GOES-R衛(wèi)星還能提供更好的降雨估算，這將帶來更及時和詳盡的洪水預(yù)警。
The statement also said that GOES-R will give better estimates of wind strength, as well as better measurement of fog, ice or lightning strikes.
聲明還表示，GOES-R衛(wèi)星能夠?qū)︼L力強度進行更好的估算，還能對霧、冰以及雷擊進行更好的測算。
One of the six instruments on the satellite is designed to help scientists study lightning strikes and map them. This, NOAA says, will help the agency follow the movement of severe storms and provide more detailed warnings.
該衛(wèi)星上的六種儀器之一旨在幫助科學家研究雷擊并繪制地圖。國家海洋和大氣管理局表示，這將有助于該機構(gòu)跟蹤強暴風雨的運動，并提供更詳盡的預(yù)警。
Craig Fugate serves as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He says that the GOES-R satellite will improve the ability of people and organizations across America to prepare for, and react to, weather-related disasters.
克雷格·福格特(Craig Fugate)擔任美國聯(lián)邦應(yīng)急管理署署長。他說，GOES-R衛(wèi)星將提高美國各地群眾和組織準備和應(yīng)對天氣災(zāi)害的能力。
Fugate feels that better understanding of the world around us will lead to better results. These include knowing where to best position supplies before a storm hits and providing more targeted information to local officials. That information could help the officials decide when to order civilians to leave an area because of bad weather.
福格特認為，更好地了解我們周邊的環(huán)境能夠帶來更好的結(jié)果。這些包括在暴風雨來臨之前知道哪里最適合儲存物資，并向地方官員提供更有針對性的信息。這些信息可以幫助官員決定何時命令平民因為惡劣天氣轉(zhuǎn)移。
In addition to weather forecasting, GOES-R will be part of an international search and rescue network. It will have a "special transponder" that will be able to find signals from emergency beacons.
除了天氣預(yù)報，GOES-R衛(wèi)星還是國際搜救網(wǎng)絡(luò)的一部分。它將配備一個“特制應(yīng)答機”，能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)應(yīng)急信標的信號。
I'm Phil Dierking.
菲兒·迪爾金 報道。