SpaceX为什么买下了一整座村庄：英语精读讲义

In the summer of 2012,

2012 年夏天，

SpaceX were looking to expand their rocket launching business outside Florida.

SpaceX 正寻求在佛罗里达州之外扩展其火箭发射业务。

At the time,

当时，

the company had only flown their Falcon 9 rocket a handful of times. 短語搭配

该公司仅发射过几次 Falcon 9 火箭。

But with a rapidly increasing launch schedule,

但随着发射计划急剧增加，

an additional launch site was required to meet their needs.

他们需要一个额外的发射场来满足需求。

They started looking at a small village in Texas called Boca Chica,

他们开始考察德克萨斯州一个名叫 Boca Chica 的小村庄，

where they could start building their own private spaceport.

打算在那里建立自己的私人太空港。

Boca Chica is a tiny community in Cameron County

Boca Chica 是 Cameron County 的一个微型社区，

made up of just 35 houses. 短語動詞

仅由 35 栋房屋组成。

For years,

多年来，

it has been the dream spot for retirees and vacationers

这里一直是退休人员和度假者的理想胜地，

with waterfront properties far away from civilization.

拥有远离城市喧嚣的滨水房产。

The village is located on such a quiet and untouched piece of land 語法

这个村子坐落在如此宁静、未受破坏的土地上，

that water must be trucked into the community once a month.

以至于每个月都必须用卡车把水运进社区。

Basic errands like grocery shopping require a 40-minute commute

像买菜这样的基本差事都需要通勤 40 分钟，

into the nearest city of Brownsville.

去往最近的城市 Brownsville。

This raises the question, 表達脈絡

这就引出了一个问题：

why would SpaceX choose such a poor and desolate part of the country

SpaceX 为什么会选择在这个国家如此贫穷和荒凉的地方

to start building their future spaceport.

开始建设未来的太空港呢？

Despite the lack of basic infrastructure or a skilled workforce, 語法

尽管缺乏基础设施和熟练劳动力，

the quiet town of Boca Chica actually had a lot to offer SpaceX.

但宁静的 Boca Chica 实际上有很多值得 SpaceX 看重的地方。

Along with the abundance of cheap land and nearby access to the sea, 語法

除了大量廉价土地和靠近大海的优势外，

Boca Chica also had a low population density,

Boca Chica 的人口密度也很低，

making it the perfect location to launch and land rockets. 語法

使其成为发射和降落火箭的绝佳地点。

The state of Texas was also offering a 15 million dollar incentive

德克萨斯州还提供了 1,500 万美元的奖励，

for them to build their spaceport in Texas.

鼓励他们在德州建造太空港。

So SpaceX chose Boca Chica as their future spaceport

因此 SpaceX 选择 Boca Chica 作为未来的太空港，

and broke ground in 2014. 習語

并于 2014 年动工。

Although the Falcon 9's launch schedule was at an all-time high, 短語搭配

尽管 Falcon 9 的发射计划达到了历史最高水平，

several years went by without any construction at the site. 短語動詞

但好几年过去了，该场地却没有任何建设进展。

By this point,

此时，

many assumed that SpaceX had changed their mind 短語搭配

许多人以为 SpaceX 已经改变了主意，

about building their new spaceport in Boca Chica.

不打算在 Boca Chica 建造新太空港了。

But life in the little town of Boca Chica

但是，Boca Chica 这个小镇的生活

was about to change forever. 語法

即将永远改变。

In December 2018,

2018 年 12 月，

a local resident shared an image of a new structure at the SpaceX site.

一位当地居民分享了 SpaceX 场地上一座新建筑的照片。

These images quickly spread around the space community

这些照片迅速在航天界传开，

and many suggested that the structure could in fact be the beginnings 表達脈絡

许多人猜测，这个建筑实际上可能是

of SpaceX's new Starship rocket.

SpaceX 新型 Starship 火箭的雏形。

At the time,

当时，

this seemed like a crazy theory

这听起来像是个疯狂的理论，

and most people assumed that this was simply a new water tower

大多数人认为这不过是新建的一个水塔，

being built for the site.

是专门为该场地建造的。

But after rounds of speculation,

但在几轮猜测之后，

SpaceX revealed that this structure really was the beginnings

SpaceX 透露，这个建筑确实是

of a rocket called Starhopper,

一枚名为 Starhopper 的火箭的雏形，

designed as an early test bed for Starship. 用詞

它是为 Starship 设计的早期测试平台。

As the months went on, 表達脈絡

随着几个月过去，

SpaceX's presence in the community grew

SpaceX 在社区中的存在感越来越强，

and soon they were ready to test Starhopper.

很快他们就准备好测试 Starhopper 了。

With local residents documenting every move,

在当地居民记录着每一个举动的情况下，

Starhopper took to the sky in a spectacular show, 習語

Starhopper 在一场壮观的表演中升上天空，

coming back down to land under its own propulsion.

然后依靠自身动力降落回地面。

While this test was a major achievement for SpaceX,

虽然这次测试是 SpaceX 的一项重大成就，

it didn't come without its disturbances. 表達脈絡

但并非没有造成干扰。

During the test,

在测试期间，

residents had to remain outside their homes

居民们不得不待在屋外，

to avoid getting injured by shattering windows.

以免被震碎的窗户玻璃弄伤。

As the weeks went on,

几个星期过去后，

it was clear that SpaceX couldn't increase the scale

很明显 SpaceX 无法在扩大

of their tests without putting the residents in danger. 短語搭配

其测试规模的同时，不让居民陷入危险。

So,

因此，

SpaceX began the process of buying out the entire town 短語動詞

SpaceX 开始了买下整个小镇的程序，

and sent letters to residents offering to buy their homes

并向居民发送信件，提出要收购他们的房屋，

at three times the market value. 語法

价格为市场价值的三倍。

Although many residents accepted the offer,

尽管许多居民接受了这个提议，

many understandably declined and refused to give up their dream life 短語動詞

但许多人理所当然地拒绝了，他们不愿放弃自己梦想中的生活，

to a company that could easily offer so much more.

尤其是卖给一家本可轻易出价更高的公司。

With an average property value of around $80,000,

按照大约 80,000 美元的平均房产价值计算，

SpaceX would have spent at least $8.5 million

SpaceX 至少要花费 850 万美元

to buy out every house.

才能买下每一栋房子。

But for the residents who were being pressured to move,

但对于那些被迫搬迁的居民来说，

even a triple value offer wouldn't be enough 語法

即使是三倍的估价也不足以

to find a similar home in a different location.

让他们在其他地方找到类似的家。

While SpaceX doesn't have the right to kick residents out of their homes, 短語動詞

虽然 SpaceX 没有权利把居民赶出家门，

the county does. 語法

但县政府有。

And while the county wants to avoid evicting people

尽管县政府想要避免强行驱逐

from their homes,

居民离开他们的家园，

they have an opportunity to create a thriving industry

但他们有机会创造一个繁荣的产业，

and provide high-paying jobs

并提供高薪工作，

to one of the most economically depressed regions of the country. 用詞

为全国经济最萧条的地区之一注入活力。

This is where eminent domain comes in. 文化背景

这就是土地征收权起作用的地方。

Texas law states that private property may only be taken 語法

德克萨斯州法律规定，私人财产只能

by a government or private entity that is authorized to do so,

由政府或有授权的私人实体征用，

meaning that Cameron County could give SpaceX the right to seize the properties.

这意味着 Cameron County 可以赋予 SpaceX 征用财产的权利。

However,

然而，

these legal requirements also state that seizing any property

这些法律要求也规定，征用任何财产

must only occur for a purpose that benefits the general public. 用詞

都必须出于造福公众的目的。

While Texas does not allow eminent domain for the benefit

虽然德克萨斯州不允许为私人土地所有者的利益

of private landowners,

而行使征收权，

there is an alternative which would involve SpaceX giving the land 短語動詞

但还有个变通办法，即 SpaceX 将土地

over to the government.

移交给政府。

This would not be ideal for SpaceX

这对 SpaceX 来说并不理想，

since they would risk losing control over their first privately-owned spaceport. 語法

因为他们将面临失去对其首个私营太空港控制权的风险。

SpaceX decided to extend their deadline and increase offers

SpaceX 决定延长最后期限并提高报价，

for some of the remaining residents.

提供给部分留守居民。

Some residents were able to get their homes reevaluated

一些居民得以让他们的房屋被重新估价，

since SpaceX hadn't taken into account the loss of business 習語

因为 SpaceX 之前没有考虑到由于房屋作为 Airbnb 出租而产生的

for residents that were using their homes as an Airbnb.

业务损失。

As of March, 短語搭配

截至 3 月，

seven houses remain unsold to SpaceX

仍有七栋房屋未卖给 SpaceX，

and the negotiations could continue to go on for much longer.

并且谈判可能会继续进行很长一段时间。

SpaceX will likely do everything they can do

SpaceX 可能会尽其所能

to purchase the remaining properties and claim the village to themselves.

去购买剩余的房产并将该村庄据为己有。

SpaceX recently hired hundreds of new workers

SpaceX 最近雇用了数百名新员工，

to create a constant 24-hour production line.

以建立一条连续 24 小时的生产线。

Although the residents of Boca Chica were essentially forced

尽管 Boca Chica 的居民基本上被迫

to give up their dream life,

放弃梦想的生活，

it will hopefully be an important sacrifice 表達脈絡

但这有望成为一项重要的牺牲，

for the exciting future that SpaceX are trying to create for everyone.

为了 SpaceX 努力为每个人创造的激动人心的未来。

Thank you very much for watching

非常感谢您的观看，

and I'll see you in the next video.

我们下期视频再见。