1)Heavenly 2)Views
天上美景
‧ 標題單字
1) heavenly (a.) 天空的，天堂般的
2) view (n.) 景觀
That's what scientists expect to see after 1)astronauts 2)upgrade the Hubble 3)telescope
這是太空人更新哈伯望遠鏡後，科學家預期會看到的景象
‧ 副標題單字
1) astronaut (n.) 太空人
2) upgrade (v.) 升級
3) telescope (n.) 望遠鏡
1.
On a cloudless morning, the space shuttle Columbia 1)blasted off into the Florida sky. Its 2)mission: giving the Hubble space telescope 6,000 pounds of new 3)equipment. During the 11-day mission which ended on March 12, astronauts repaired Hubble so that it could send Earth the 4)sharpest-ever 5)outer space pictures.
在一個無雲的早晨，哥倫比亞號太空梭噴火上昇，進入佛羅里達的天空。它的任務：將六千磅重的新設備安裝到哈伯太空望遠鏡上。在3月12日結束的11天任務期間，太空人修復了哈伯太望遠鏡，好讓它將史上最清晰的外太空照片送回地球。
‧ 本段單字
1) blast (v.) 爆發
2) mission (n.) 任務
3) equipment (n.) 配備
4) sharp (a.) 清晰的
5) outer space (phr.) 外太空，指太陽系以外的太空
2.
The Hubble space telescope has been looking into 1)distant corners of the universe since 1990. The $2 2)billion telescope is in 3)orbit more than 300 miles above Earth.
哈伯太空望遠鏡從1990年開始就注視著宇宙的遙遠角落。這座價值二十億美元的望遠鏡在距離地表三百哩以上的軌道運行。
‧ 本段單字
1) distant (a.) 遙遠的
2) billion (n.) 十億
3) orbit (n.) 運轉軌道
3.
Hubble's position beyond Earth's 1)atmosphere gives it a 2)crystal-clear view of space. The 3)gases in Earth's atmosphere 4)interfere with our view of the heavens, even through the most powerful ground telescopes. So far, Hubble has taken more than 420,000 5)cosmic 6)shots. The images include those of stars being born, 7)galaxies 8)crashing into one another, stars 9)exploding and 10)razor-sharp views of the other 11)planets of our 12)solar system.
哈伯位於地球的大氣層外，所以能無比清晰地觀察太空。地球大氣層中的氣體會干擾我們觀察天體，就算使用最強大的地面望遠鏡也是一樣。目前為止，哈伯已經拍攝了四十二萬多張的宇宙照片。這些影像包括恆星的誕生、相撞的星系、恆星的爆炸以及我們太陽系裡其他行星的清晰影像。
‧ 本段單字
1) atmosphere (n.) 大氣層
2) crystal-clear (a.) 清澈如水晶的
3) gas (n.) 氣體
4) interfere (v.) 妨礙，干擾
5) cosmic (a.) 宇宙的
6) shot (n.) 拍攝
7) galaxy (n.) 星系
8) crash (v.) 撞擊
9) explode (v.) 爆炸
10) razor-sharp (a.) 剃刀般銳利的，極清晰的
11) planet (n.) 行星
12) solar system (phr.) 太陽系
4.
Hubble's space pictures have given 1)astronomers the best information ever about our universe. It's hard to believe that the whole project was once nearly a disaster! After Hubble was placed in orbit, its 2)vision was 3)blurry because of a 4)flawed mirror. In a 5)daring 1993 mission, astronauts corrected Hubble's vision with additional mirrors and fixed other problems with the telescope.
哈伯的太空照片讓天文學家們獲得有史以來最好的宇宙資訊，令人很難相信這整個計畫原本幾乎成為一場災難！哈伯安置到軌道上之後，它的影像因為一面有瑕疪的鏡子而模糊不清。在1993年一次大膽的任務中，太空人添加了鏡子來修正哈伯的視力，並且解決了望遠鏡其他的問題。
‧ 本段單字
1) astronomer (n.) 天文學家
2) vision (n.) 視力
3) blurry (a.) 模糊的
4) flawed (a.) 有瑕疵的
5) daring (a.) 大膽的
5.
This recent mission was definitely more complicated than the one in 1993. 1)For starters, it almost ended before it started because of a 2)blocked coolant line. The 3)crew did as many as five space walks to 4)adjust the big telescope. A new camera doubled Hubble's 5)field of vision. The 800-pound camera is 10 times more powerful than the old one. It should 6)capture objects that are smaller, 7)fainter and farther away than anything yet seen in space.
最近的這次任務，絕對比1993年的任務更加複雜。首先，由於冷媒管堵塞，這項計畫差一點就胎死腹中。太空船員進行多達五次的太空漫步才調整好這座龐大的望遠鏡。一台新的攝影機使哈伯的視野擴大了一倍。這台八百磅重的攝影機比原先那台強上十倍。它應該可以捕捉到太空中比從前看得到更小、更微弱、以及更遙遠的物體。
‧ 本段單字
1) for starters (phr.) 首先……
2) block (v.) 阻塞
3) crew (n.) 船員，機員
4) adjust (v.) 調整
5) field of vision (phr.) 視野
6) capture (v.) 捕捉
7) faint (a.) 模糊的，微弱的
6.
Smaller, 1)sturdier 2)solar 3)panels -- those that collect the sun's energy to power the telescope - 4)replaced the 5)damaged old panels.
更小、更堅固的太陽能電板──用來搜集太陽能為望遠鏡提供能源的——取代了損壞的舊電板。
‧ 本段單字
1) sturdy (a.) 堅固的
2) solar (a.) 太陽的
3) panel (n.) 面板
4) replace (v.) 替代
5) damage (v.) 損壞
7.
A new power-control 1)unit now sends energy to all parts of the telescope. The astronauts also replaced part of the 2)steering system. A cooling system was put in to try to get another Hubble camera to work; it hasn't since 1999. With all parts in place, Columbia pushed Hubble a bit higher above Earth. Then the shuttle's 3)robot arm 4)nudged the telescope back into orbit.
一套新的電力控制裝置現在可將能量送到望遠鏡的各個部位。太空人也替換了一部分的操控系統。他們也安裝了一套冷卻系統，打算讓另一個自1999年就故障的哈伯攝影機能順利運作。所有零件安裝完成後，哥倫比亞號把哈伯推到離地球更遠一點的地方。然後太空梭上的機器手臂把望遠鏡輕輕推回到軌道中。
‧ 本段單字
1) unit (n.) 單位
2) steer (v.) 操控，駕駛
3) robot (n.) 機器人
4) nudge (v.) 輕推
8.
The 1)riskiest job was the replacing of the power unit. All of the telescope's power was shut down -- something never 2)attempted in the 12 years that Hubble has been in orbit. With the risky mission completed, crew member John Grunsfeld said, "I'm still riding high on the fact that we did everything we came to do, and that we didn't break the telescope."
最危險的作業是更換電力裝置。必須先關閉望遠鏡的全部電力──這是自哈伯進入軌道十二年來未曾嘗試過的事。完成這項危險的任務後，太空船員約翰葛蘭斯菲說：「對於我們成功完成原先計畫的一切任務，而且沒有打破望遠鏡，至今我仍感到相當興奮。」
‧ 本段單字
1) risky (a.) 冒險的
2) attempt (v.) 嘗試
9.
The astronauts trained for this mission for two years. They practiced 1)removing, adjusting and replacing telescope parts without seeing or feeling them -- just as they must do in space.
太空人為這次任務接受了兩年的訓練。他們練習在盲目而且無感覺的狀況下，拆除、調整和替換望遠鏡的零件——就像他們在太空中必須做的一樣。
‧ 本段單字
1) remove (v.) 除去
10.
Richard Linnehan is a 1)veterinarian as well as a crew member. He has 2)operated on elephants, whales and walruses! Fixing Hubble was similar work, he says. "It's like doing 3)surgery on a big 4)beast."
理查林漢是位獸醫，也是太空船員。他曾替大象、鯨和海象動過手術！他表示，修理哈伯也是類似的工作：「就像替大型動物開刀一樣。」
‧ 本段單字
1) veterinarian (n.) 獸醫，簡稱 vet
2) operate (v.) 開刀
3) surgery (n.) 外科手術
4) beast (n.) 野獸
11.
One more Hubble trip is planned for 2004, and the telescope will stay 1)afloat until 2010. Then it will be 2)loaded into a shuttle and returned to Earth, where it will be placed in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. By then, the next model, the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), should be in orbit. Scientists say the NGST will offer even sharper views of galaxies far, far away.
(From the pages of TIME School Publishing)
計畫要在2004年再造訪哈伯一次，這架望遠鏡會一直在太空漂浮到2010年。然後它會裝上太空梭運回地球，安置於華盛頓特區的國家航太博物館裡。屆時，下一型的望遠鏡，也就是新世代太空望遠鏡（NGST），應該已進入軌道。科學家表示，NGST將能提供遙遠星系更鮮明的影像。
‧ 本段單字
1) afloat (a.) 漂浮的
2) load (a.) 裝載
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