航空探险一直是国内外英语写作的重大主题，2004年考研写作也不例外。去年美国哥伦比亚航天飞机的失事，引发了人们对航空探险的思考：我们应该不应该冒生命危险？我们应该不应该投入那么多的金钱？航空探险的目的是什么？航空探险到底能给我们带来什么？这一系列的问题需要我们思考。前不久，我国神州五号的成功发射，以及杨利伟这个名字又使人们对航空探险进行深思。下面的文章就是有关航空探险的，第一、二篇讲述了我国的神州五号探险的原因以及伟大意义，第三、四篇文章讲述了有关美国哥伦比亚航天飞机的内容，由于文章较难我给大家附上了汉语译文。

1． New chapter in space history 航天历史的新篇章

The Shenzhou-V, or “Divine Ship,” has carried the first Chinese into orbit and the country into the prestigious space club pioneered four decades ago by the former Soviet Union and the United States. As the inventor of the ancient rocket, the Chinese nation had cherished a space dream for centuries. The launch of its first satellite, the Dongfanghong, in 1970 ushered in China’s space age. Now, the Shenzhou-V marks another giant stride in China’s space trek.

As the world’s largest developing country, China is more than proud of making its own contribution to human beings’ outer space exploration.

By reigniting people’s interest in the universe, China’s latest accomplishment appears especially important for rejuvenating the world’s space programmes, which have unfortunately been bogged down by accidents in recent years.

The blast-off of China’s first manned spacecraft will definitely breathe new energy into the country’s pursuit of space technologies for the overall welfare of its people. Just imagine what new seed varieties with higher yields and better qualities, which are developed in space, would mean to a country with 1.3 billion people. It is hoped that wider applications of space technology will turn out to be an important driving force in the country’s economic and social development.

Expensive as they are, manned missions are worth it. In addition to offering a tremendous boost to a country’s technological capabilities and creating a plenitude of other possibilities, they are a huge morale booster.

The successful launch of Shenzhou-V has clearly showcased the value of devotion, co-operation and pursuit of the unknown. And the upbeat spirit the first Chinese astronaut demonstrated in the face of the unknown will inspire the nation to take on challenges as it continues to evolve. (285 words)

2． China’s manned star trek signals a brighter future

中国的载人飞行预示着更好的未来

The ultimate goal of the programme is to explore outer space and make good use of its rich resources.

The universe is abundant with energy and resources, while mankind, on its way to self-improvement and development, must constantly seek new channels to acquire more resources.

Since the 1970s many countries have conducted experiments in space and achieved major breakthroughs in the research of key space technologies. A comprehensive satellite system, offering services in fields like telecommunications, navigation, meteorology and outer space exploration, has been established.

Since 1975, China has successfully launched 17 recoverable satellites. As those satellites orbited the Earth, a variety of experiments in space engineering, agriculture, life sciences and space materials were smoothly conducted.

As the world’s most populous nation with a population of 1.2 billion, China relies heavily on its agricultural sector. As early as 1987, China’s recoverable satellites started to carry plant seeds into orbit in a bid to breed new seed varieties with higher yields and better quality.

Outer space is an ideal industrial base, as the universe is very clean and almost without gravity.

The United States and Russia have both set up workshops in space stations. Products like semiconductors, optical glass, pottery and a variety of alloys have been produced in space.

In order to be able to share space resources with other countries as soon as possible, China has vigorously developed its manned space programme. Sending a man into space is just the “first step” for China’s ambitious programme. (247 words)

3．Columbia Space Shuttle 哥伦比亚航天飞机

The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.

On board was a crew of seven, these men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.

In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all he more.

The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.

In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and might strength, not one of them is missing.” (201 words)

参考译文：

“哥伦比亚号”失事了；无一人生还。

机上的七名男女宇航员为造福全人类而承担了巨大的风险。

在太空飞行似乎已基本成为常规作业的时代，人们易于忽视乘坐火箭飞行的危险和在险恶的地球外层空间飞行的难度。这些宇航员懂得这些危险，而且甘心情愿地面对这些危险，因为他们知道生命中有着远大而崇高的目标。正是因为他们的勇气、胆识和理想主义精神，我们会更加怀念他们。

他们为之献身的事业将继续下去。人类是在探索精神和求知欲望的引导下，超越我们的世界，进入黑暗的未知空间。我们的太空之旅将继续下去。

今天，我们在空中看到的是毁灭和悲剧。但在我们的视野之外存在着安慰和希望。先知以赛亚说：“你们向上举目，看谁创造这万象？他逐一领出烁烁繁星，一一称其名。因为他的大力全能，一个都不缺。”

4．To Columbia Space Shuttle Heroes 致哥伦比亚航天飞机的英雄们

Their truest testimony will not be in the words we speak, but in the way they led their lives and in the way they lost those lives — with dedication, honor and an unquenchable desire to explore this mysterious and beautiful universe.

They were so different, yet in their mission, their quest, they held so much in common.

We remember Christa McAuliffe, who captured the imagination of the entire nation, inspiring us with her pluck, her restless spirit of discovery; a teacher, not just to her students, but to an entire people, instilling us all with the excitement of this journey we ride into the future.

We will always remember them, these skilled professionals, scientists and adventurers, these artists and teachers and family men and women, and we will cherish each of their stories — stories of triumph and bravery, stories of true American heroes.

The sacrifice of your loved ones has stirred the soul of our nation and, through the pain, our hearts have been opened to a profound truth — the future is not free, the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice. It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required, and who gave it with little thought to worldly reward.

Today, the frontier is space and the boundaries of human knowledge. Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain. Our nation is indeed fortunate that we can still draw on immense reservoirs of courage, character and fortitude — that we are still blessed with heroes like those of the space shuttle Challenger.

Today, we promise Dick Scobee and his crew that their dream lives on; that the future they worked so hard to build will become reality. The dedicated men and women of NASA have lost seven members of their family. Still, they too, must forge ahead, with a space program that is effective, safe and efficient, but bold and committed.

Man will continue his conquest of space. To reach out for new goals and ever greater achievements-that is the way we shall commemorate our seven Challenger heroes.

We can find consolation only in faith, for we know in our hearts that you who flew so high and so proud now make your home beyond the stars, safe in God’s promise of eternal life. (437 words)

参考译文：

英雄之所以称之为英雄，并不在于我们颂赞的语言，而在于他们始终以高度的事业心、自尊心和锲而不舍地对神奇而美妙的宇宙进行探索的责任感，去实践真正的生活以至献出生命。

他们彼此很不相同，但他们每个人的追求和肩负的使命却又是那样的一致。

我们还记得凝聚了整个国家想象力的科里斯塔·麦考利芙，她用她的勇气和永不停息的探索精神激励我们。她是一位教师，不仅是她的学生们的教师，而且是全国人民的教师，她以这次太空飞行作为激励我们向未来冲击的教例，孜孜不倦地讲述给我们。

我们将永远记住他们，这些杰出的专家、科学家、冒险家，这些艺术家、教师和家庭中的男女成员们。我们将珍爱他们每个人的故事，这是诉说胜利和勇敢的故事，这是真正的美国英雄的故事。

你们所热爱的人们的牺牲轰动了整个国家。在痛苦中我们认识到了一个意义深远的道理：未来的道路并不平坦，整个人类前进的历史是与一切艰难险阻斗争的历史。我们又一次认识到，我们的美国是在英雄主义和崇高献身精神的基础上建立起来的，它是由像我们的七位宇航员那样的男人和女人，那些把全社会的责任作为自己责任的人，那些给予人民比人民期望和要求的更多的人，那些为人类做出贡献而从不企求些微报答的人建立起来的。

今天的荒漠就是太空和人类知识没有达到的疆域。有时，我们会感到想到达外星球还力不从心。但我们必须重新振作起来，忍受着磨难，不断前进。我们的国家的确非常幸运，因为我们依然保持着巨大的勇气、令人信赖的声誉和刚毅不屈的品质，我们仍然有像“挑战者”号上七位宇航员那样的英雄。

今天，我们向迪克·司各比和他的伙伴们保证，他们的梦想决没有破灭，他们努力为之奋斗的理想一定会成为现实。为国家航空和宇宙航行局献身工作的人们，他们的大家庭中失去了七位成员，他们仍要继续工作去实现既安全可行又冒险、大胆的更有效的太空计划。人类将继续向太空进军，不断确立新的目标，不断取得新的成就。这正是我们纪念“挑战者”号上七位英雄的最好方式。

我们所能找到的唯一安慰是，我们在心里知道飞得那样高那样自豪的你们，现在在星际之外找到了上帝许诺以不朽生命的归宿。

跪求2011年英语高考(江西卷）阅读D翻译

美国宇航局（NASA）的探测器刚刚着陆过的小行星原来是空心的，而且里面空心的部分非常大，这个小行星的自转可能最后会把自己给转没了。

翻译：涂博士

小行星贝努（Bennu）现在变得越来越离奇了。

当美国宇航局（NASA）决定发送探测器降落在一个太空中的岩石上并带回样本时，它选择了贝努（Bennu）小行星，因为这个小行星表面看上去比较光滑，是探测器降落的好地方。但是，当Osiris-Rex航天器飞了2亿英里的旅程到达贝努（Bennu）小行星后，航天器发回来的影像显示出小行星表面上到处是大小不同的砾石。

美国宇航局（NASA）最终选择了一个它能找到的相对最平坦的地点，在上个月探测器掠过这个行星的表面，趁机在表面上刮了一些东西下来，整个采样过程非常顺利。但是，让所有人感到惊讶的是：这颗小行星的表面的岩土非常的松软，当飞行器碰触到小行星的表面时，表面上的岩土随即垮塌了下去。

探测器的采样方式是对着小行星的表面喷射出一股氮气，通过氮气对小行星表面的冲击溅起一阵岩石和尘埃，然后采样器就可以把溅起的岩石和尘埃给收集起来。但科学家没有想到的是，用这个方法溅起的岩石和尘埃太多以至于把采样器里面塞满到门都关不紧，这样采样器里面好不容易收集的外星尘土随后又不断地泄漏到太空中去。

科学家们总算及时堵住了漏洞，所以样品损失还不算太大。不过这个问题解决后，科学家又发现了更大的惊奇。最近，科罗拉多大学的研究人员根据Osiris-Rex探测器在过去两年收集的数据得出结论，探测器一直绕着转的贝努（Bennu）小行星里面可能是空心的。

负责这项研究的大学航空航天工程学系教授丹尼尔·谢里斯（Daniel Scheeres）在新闻发布会上说：“就好像在这个小行星的中心里面有一个可以容纳几个足球场大小的空心地带。”

更重要的是，贝努（Bennu）行星的自转可能会把自己给转散架。

“整个东西都在散架”

当Osiris-Rex探测器在围绕着贝努（Bennu）小行星运行时，探测器测量了小行星对其的万有引力的大小。与此同时，贝努（Bennu）小行星的自转也会将一些弹子大小的碎石从地面上甩到空中去，进入到环绕小行星运行的轨道，然后其中的一些碎石会回落到小行星的表面上。通过跟踪这些碎石的运动轨迹，地面控制中心的人员能够计算出贝努（Bennu）小行星的重力强度。

由于重力来自于质量（译者注：如果不记得重力和质量的关系，可以复习一下初中物理里面的牛顿定律），因此通过这两组数据，谢里斯（Scheeres）团队可以计算出小行星内部物质的分布情况。

谢里斯（Scheeres）团队发现贝努（Bennu）小行星的质量分布远不是均衡的，贝努（Bennu）小行星自旋的力量似乎正在将其内部物质推向表面，小行星最薄的部分位于其凸起的赤道处。谢里斯（Scheeres）团队的这一研究结果发表于10月8日的《科学进展》杂志上（在Osiris-Rex探测器的短暂登陆之前）。

贝努（Bennu）小行星每四个小时完成一次自转，而且它的自转速度以后只会越来越快。

谢里斯（Scheeres）说：“你可以想象得到，在一百万年或更短的时间内，整个东西都会散架。”

贝努（Bennu）小行星可能会含有关于生命起源的秘密

根据Osiris-Rex探测器首席研究员丹特·劳雷塔（Dante Lauretta）的说法，贝努（Bennu）小行星是太阳系中最具潜在危险的小行星之一，因为它在22世纪撞击地球的概率“不能忽略不计”。不过，这个小行星本身的脆弱性可能对我们来说是个好消息。

对贝努（Bennu）小行星的研究可能会帮助到未来的科学家制定计划，以便在这颗小行星在将来威胁到地球时让它改变路径。该项研究还可能揭示有关小行星生命的新细节。在行星的形成过程中，那些没有加入到行星里面的原始的小块岩石聚集到一起就形成了小行星。这些物体可能隐含着我们的太阳系如何形成以及地球上的生命如何起源的秘密。

谢里斯（Scheeres）说：“我们希望经过一段时间的研究，我们能够发现这颗小行星过去到底经历了些什么，这可以让我们更好地了解所有这些小行星在数百万，数亿乃至数十亿年间的变化。我们现在的发现已经超出了我们当初的预期。”

科学家尚未梳理Osiris-Rex探测器收集的大量数据，探测器采集的样本有望在2023年返回地球。

美国宇航局（NASA）表示，如果装有采集样本的太空舱几年后能够按计划安全降落到犹他州的沙漠中，宇航局将保留一部分外星岩石，等将来开发出新的技术以后，再对其做进一步的研究，剩余的岩石将被送往世界各地的实验室做研究之用。

在Osiris-Rex探测器降落在小行星上之前，劳雷塔（Lauretta）介绍说：“这次任务的目的主要就是要了解我们的起源，解决了一些我们作为人类要问自己的最基本的问题，那就是我们来自哪里？我们在宇宙中是孤独的吗？”

在开始阅读英文原文之前，请先复习下列核心词汇：

asteroid - n. 小行星

land on - 着陆

turn out - 结果是

hollow - adj. 中空的，空心的

void - n. 真空，空虚

spin - n. 旋转，自转

spacecraft - n. 航空器

sample - n. 样品

probe - n. 探测器

landscape - n. 景观

boulder - n. 巨石，砾石

touch-and-go - 刚接触到地面就立刻拉升

scoop up - （敏捷地）抱起，捡起

smoothly - adv. 平稳地

nitrogen - n. 氮气

dust - n. 尘埃

swirl - v. 旋动

measure - v. 测量

gravity - n. 重力

pull - v. 拉

fling - v. 扔，抛

track - v. 追踪

strength - n. 强度

bulging - adj. 鼓起的，凸出的

equator - n. 赤道

hazardous - adj. 危险的

primordial - adj. 原生的，原始的

pile - n. 堆

coalesce - n. 合并，结合

capsule - n. 太空舱，胶囊

parachute - v. 伞降，空投

address - v. 处理，从事

在复习了以上词汇后，请将下面的英文原文一口气读完，不要在中途停下来去查那些不认识的单词。有了上面的核心单词打底，你完全可以将整篇文章读完并且理解里面的大致意思。记住，你只要做到大致明白就可以了。

阅读能力和阅读量成正比，要提高阅读量，必须是大量的泛读，如果要对每个不懂的单词都去查字典，那么就不可能通过大量的泛读来提高你的阅读量。

这篇英语原文是《涂博士原版听读写辅导课》直播班上用来训练学员快速阅读的文章之一。能够快速阅读各个领域的原版文章并找出文中的核心内容，是真正学好英语的最最基础的技能之一，另一个最最基础的技能就是听得懂原版的广播。有了这两个最最基础的技能打底，学员就可以利用好网上大量的原版英语文章和听力资源，不出国就可以把自己沉浸在英语的环境当中。在建立起强大的语感之后，口语和写作能力都会自然成长起来。

如果你对某篇泛读文章特别喜欢，可以在泛读一遍以后再慢慢地精读。如果在精读的过程中对某些句子不是太明白需要讲解，或者你希望以后多看到哪方面的双语阅读，请直接联系涂博士。

The asteroid NASA just landed on turns out to be hollow, with a large 'void' at its center. It may be spinning itself to death.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Business Insider

The asteroid Bennu just keeps getting more bizarre.

When NASA decided to send a probe to land on a space rock and bring back samples, it picked Bennu for its seemingly smooth surface — perfect landing ground. But once the Osiris-Rex spacecraft had made the 200-million-mile journey to Bennu, the images it beamed back revealed a landscape covered in boulders and rock fields.

NASA eventually chose the flattest spot it could find to land, and the touch-and-go operation to scoop up material went smoothly last month. But then came the next surprise: Bennu's rock turned out to be incredibly soft, crumbling under the spacecraft as it touched the surface.

The probe fired a blast of nitrogen to send rock and dust swirling — that way it could catch some in its sample-collection tool. But yet again, scientists were caught off-guard when the maneuver turned out to have yielded so much material that dust and rock were propping the sample-collection tool open, allowing precious alien dust to leak into space.

They managed to stow the sample before losing too much, but that wasn't the last of the shocks. Recently, University of Colorado researchers concluded based on data Osiris-Rex has collected in the two years it's been circling Bennu that the asteroid is probably hollow.

"It's as if there is a void at its center, within which you could fit a couple of football fields," Daniel Scheeres, a professor in the university's Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences who led the research, said in a press release.

What's more, Bennu could be spinning itself to pieces.

'The whole thing flying apart'

While Osiris-Rex has been orbiting Bennu, the probe has measured how much the asteroid's gravity pulled on it. At the same time, Bennu was also flinging marble-sized bits of rock away from its surface. Those crumbs entered orbit around the asteroid, then some of them fell back to its surface. By tracking their motions, mission managers were able to make calculations about the strength of Bennu's gravity.

Since gravity comes from mass, these two sets of data allowed Scheeres' team to calculate how material is distributed through the inside of the asteroid.

Their findings, published in the journal Science Advances on October 8 (before Osiris-Rex's brief landing), show that it's far from even. The force of the Bennu' spinning seems to be pushing its material outward towards the surface. Some of the thinnest parts of the asteroid are at its bulging equator.

Bennu completes one rotation every four hours, and it's only getting faster.

"You could imagine maybe in a million years or less, the whole thing flying apart," Scheeres said.

Bennu could hold secrets about the origins of life

Bennu is one of the most potentially hazardous asteroids in our solar system, according to Osiris-Rex principal investigator Dante Lauretta, since it has a "non-negligible chance" of crashing into Earth during the 22nd century. Its fragility could be good news, though.

Studying Bennu could help future scientists make a plan to pert the asteroid if it ever threatens to impact Earth. The research could also reveal new details about the lives of asteroids — primordial piles of rock that coalesced from the leftover bits that didn't make it into planets. Such objects could hold secrets to how our solar system formed and how life arose on Earth.

"We were hoping to find out what happened to this asteroid over time, which can give us better insight into how all of these small asteroids are changing over millions, hundreds of millions, or even billions of years," Scheeres said. "Our findings exceeded our expectations."

Osiris-Rex has collected heaps of data that scientists have yet to comb through. The sample it collected is expected back on Earth in 2023.

Assuming that the capsule holding the sample safely parachutes into the Utah desert as planned in a few years, NASA has said it will preserve a portion of the alien rock for future study with technologies not yet developed. The agency will ship the rest to laboratories all over the world.

"This is all about understanding our origins, addressing some of the most fundamental questions that we ask ourselves as human beings," Lauretta said before Osiris-Rex landed on the asteroid. "Where did we come from? And are we alone in the universe?"

试译江西2011年高考阅读D篇文章

Why should mankind explore space? 人类为何要探索太空呢？Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? 为什么时间、金钱、和精力会被花在探索一些没有显著的好处的事情上呢？Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．为何资源会被花在太空而不是地球山的人与环境上呢？，这些不可理喻的为题常常被人问及。

Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup（基因构成）as human beings．也许最好的答案隐藏在我们骨子里。What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? 是什么驱使我们的先主从树上移动到地上，到所有可能的地域与环境的呢？The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival．越是广泛分布的种族，越有机会幸存下来。Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible．或许人们探索宇宙最好的理由就是基因里驱使着向任何可能的地方扩展。

Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified （鉴定、辨别）and prepared for．几乎每一个文化中都会因探寻和鉴定周边环境中的任何威并为之做准备而成功。Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger．With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．没有知识，我们可能会被危险所毁灭。有了知识，我们才能减小灾难的作用。

Exploration also allows minerals and other potential （潜在的）resources to be found．探索会让我们发现矿产和其他潜在资源。Even if we have no immediate （立刻adj.）need of them, they will perhaps be useful later．就算我们不是急着要用到那些，可能以后也会用得上。Resources may be more than physical possessions．资源不仅仅是指矿物。Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．知识和技术通过探索而取得。The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives． 这些科技可能会有医学价值而有助于提高人们的寿命和健康质量。We have already benefited from other improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems．我们已经从其他地震预测、卫星天测气预测以及循环系统的改进中受益 Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products （副产品）of technological developments in the space industry!甚至是不粘锅和反光太阳镜也宇宙工业科技发展的是副产品。

While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us．虽然许多的资源看起来是花在了回报很小的事情上，太空探索中所需要的我们种族中创造性、勇敢、智慧的成员会集中注意力在拯救我们上。While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers．虽然宇宙中有许多奇迹和解释了宇宙是如何形成和演变的，但宇宙也存在着危险。The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive．虽然有危险的存在，但知识能帮助人类生存。Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．没有能力达到宇宙空间，就没有拯救自己的机会。

While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets．虽然地球是唯一已知有生命存在的行星，无疑的人类适应能力会允许我们在其他行星上生存。It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．毋庸置疑的，那里的生活方式将会不同从前，但人类适应了过去的生活和文化也能适应未来。