VOA慢速英語:Mars Rover Marks First Year on Red Planet

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

這里是美國之音慢速英語新聞報道。

This week marks the first anniversary of a major exploration effort on Mars. It has been 12 months since the exploration device called "Curiosity" landed on the distant planet. Curiosity is named for the human condition of wanting to learn or know something.

本周是一項重大火星探測計劃的一周年紀念，好奇號探測器登陸遙遠的火星已經(jīng)過去了12個月。它被命名為好奇號，體現(xiàn)了人類希望求知的這樣一種狀態(tài)。

The United States space agency, NASA, says Curiosity has driven more than 1.6 kilometers on Mars. The device, called a "rover," is about the size of a car.

美國宇航局(簡稱NASA)表示，好奇號在火星上已經(jīng)行駛超過1.6公里。好奇號的大小近似于一輛汽車，它也被稱為漫游者。

Curiosity has found evidence of an ancient riverbed and other signs of wet conditions. NASA scientists say that with these discoveries, Curiosity has answered the question of whether conditions on ancient Mars could have supported life.

好奇號已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)古河床的證據(jù)和濕潤環(huán)境的其它跡象。美國宇航局的科學家說，通過這些發(fā)現(xiàn)，火星號已經(jīng)回答了遠古火星環(huán)境是否適合生命生存的這個問題。

Jim Green leads the planetary division at NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

吉姆·格林負責美國宇航局科學項目理事會的行星部門。

"We found all the ingredients of life as measured in this material that's deposited in this ancient riverbed. Mars was habitable in its past."

他說，“我們在分析這塊沉積在古河床的材料時發(fā)現(xiàn)了生命的所有成分?；鹦沁^去曾經(jīng)適合居住。”

Curiosity is a traveling laboratory that contains 10 scientific instruments. The rover has found hydrogen, oxygen and other elements necessary for life.

好奇號是一個攜帶了10種科學儀器的移動實驗室，它已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了氫，氧和生命所必需的其它元素。

The space agency says Curiosity has fired more than 75,000 laser shots. The laser turns rocks and soil into gas. The equipment on Curiosity then examines and identifies the materials on the Martian surface.

美國宇航局表示，好奇號已經(jīng)發(fā)射了超過7.5萬次激光。這些激光將巖石和土壤變成氣體。隨后好奇號上的設備就能檢測并確定火星表面的物質。

Curiosity has sent back more than 70,000 images that give a new understanding of Earth's neighboring planet.

好奇號已經(jīng)發(fā)回了7萬多張照片，讓我們對地球的這個近鄰有了全新的認識。

Curiosity's findings will help set future Mars exploration. NASA's Jim Green says the next mission will be launched in 2020.

好奇號的發(fā)現(xiàn)將有助于制定未來的火星探測計劃。美國宇航局的格林表示，下一輪任務將在2020年推出。

"Knowing that Mars was an environment that was habitable in its past, we're going to start seeking the signs of potential life that could have existed on Mars. And that, if we could answer that question, will change everything."

他說，“知道了火星過去的環(huán)境曾經(jīng)適合居住，我們將開始尋找火星上可能已經(jīng)存在的潛在生命的跡象。如果我們能夠確定這個問題將改變一切。”

Space scientists chose to explore Mars instead of other planets because of the Red Planet's similarities with our own. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system.

空間科學家選擇探索火星而不是其它行星，是因為火星和地球有相似之處。美國宇航局局長查爾斯·博爾登(Charles Bolden)說，火星是太陽系中最像地球的行星。

"If life exists beyond Earth, and I am one who believes that it may very well, Mars, for me, is the most likely place that that life will be found."

他說，“如果地球之外有生命存在，我也認為這點可能很好。對我來說，火星是最有可能發(fā)現(xiàn)生命的地方。”

Mr. Bolden spoke at an event to mark Curiosity's first year of exploring Mars.

博爾登在好奇號探索火星一周年的紀念活動上做出上述表示。

Curiosity is traveling in the low area called Gale Crater, where it landed last year. The crater was formed by an asteroid that hit Mars long ago. It is a deep, 150-kilometer-wide area similar to a valley or canyon on Earth.

好奇號正行駛在被稱為蓋爾隕石坑的低洼地區(qū)，它去年在這里降落。該隕石坑是很久以前小行星撞擊火星形成的，這是一塊有著150公里寬的很深的區(qū)域，類似于地球上的山谷或峽谷。

Curiosity is moving toward the area called Mount Sharp. NASA scientists plan for the device to study the lower levels of that Martian mountain. It will search for clues about how the planet has changed over time. The rover will also search for a type of soil called "clay." Curiosity has found clay minerals on Mars. Clay is evidence of once wet conditions on the planet.

好奇號正朝著夏普山這一區(qū)域移動。美國宇航局的科學家計劃使用該設備研究這座火星山的低海拔位置。它將尋找火星隨時間改變的有關線索。好奇號還將尋找一種名為“粘土”的土壤。好奇號在火星上找到了粘土礦物，粘土是火星曾經(jīng)是濕潤環(huán)境的證據(jù)。

Curiosity was designed to work for two years, but it could go on exploring and sending information back to Earth much longer.

好奇號設計工作壽命為2年，但它可以堅持更長時間，繼續(xù)探索和向地球發(fā)回信息。