航天飞机最幸运的逃生：英语精读讲义

This is the space shuttle lifting off on what was about to become one of its most dangerous journeys into space. 語法

这是航天飞机正在发射升空，它即将开启其最危险的太空之旅之一。

Almost immediately, fuel started leaking out of its right engine.

几乎就在同时，右侧发动机开始泄漏燃料。

And just 5 seconds later,

仅仅5秒钟后，

an electrical supply failed,

供电系统发生故障，

knocking its engine control computers offline. 短語搭配

导致发动机控制计算机掉线。

Unaware of what was really going on beneath them, 短語動詞

对于脚下真实发生的情况一无所知，

the space shuttle crew spent the next 8 minutes just moments away from a catastrophic failure, 短語搭配

航天飞机的机组人员在接下来的8分钟里，离灾难性的故障只有一步之遥，

when suddenly

突然间，

they ran out of liquid oxygen.

他们的液氧耗尽了。

The shuttle had experienced two major problems that should have ended the mission, 語法

这架航天飞机经历了两个本该导致任务失败的重大问题，

but miraculously,

但奇迹般的是，

they happened in such a way that actually ended up saving the crew from complete disaster. 短語動詞

它们的发生方式实际上最终拯救了机组人员，避免了彻底的灾难。

We modeled the entire thing to show you the tiny objects that led to these huge problems

我们对整个事件进行了建模，向你展示导致这些巨大问题的微小物体，

and how sheer luck and miraculous circumstances ended up saving the space shuttle.

以及纯粹的好运和奇迹般的环境最终是如何拯救这架航天飞机的。

In order to understand why this flight was so dangerous in the first place, 短語搭配

为了理解这次飞行究竟为何如此危险，

we need to look inside the shuttle's payload bay. 文化背景

我们需要看看航天飞机的有效载荷舱内部。

It was carrying the Chandra Observatory telescope,

它搭载了钱德拉天文台望远镜，

which was the largest and heaviest thing shuttle ever launched.

这是航天飞机发射过的最大、最重的物体。

This combination put the mission over the shuttle's weight limit.

这种组合使任务超出了航天飞机的重量限制。

It had to shave off several tons before the flight, 短語動詞

它必须在飞行前减掉几吨的重量，

and so the crew was limited to five people.

因此机组人员被限制为5人。

A lighter external tank was used and all three main engines were swapped out for lighter ones. 短語動詞

使用了更轻的外部储箱，并且三台主发动机也都换成了更轻的。

One of these was engine 2019,

其中之一是2019号发动机，

which had already flown on 18 missions,

它已经执行过18次任务，

making it one of the most used space shuttle engines.

是使用最频繁的航天飞机发动机之一。

Over time,

随着时间的推移，

cracks had started to show in a couple of its liquid oxygen posts.

它的几个液氧注入管开始出现裂纹。

These are the thin pipes that carry liquid oxygen into the combustion chamber.

这些是将液氧输送到燃烧室的细管。

If one of these failed mid-flight,

如果其中一根在飞行途中发生故障，

it would rip the engine apart and destroy the entire vehicle.

就会撕裂发动机并摧毁整个飞行器。

Instead of replacing these,

相比于更换这些管子，

NASA simply deactivated them by placing a small metal pin at the top,

NASA只是在顶部放置了一个小金属销来停用它们，

which stopped the liquid oxygen from flowing through.

阻止了液氧流过。

This was common practice for NASA,

这对NASA来说是常规操作，

and it saved the engine from going through a lengthy refurbishment. 語法

它免去了发动机进行漫长翻修的麻烦。

But as space shuttle Columbia ignited its engines,

但是当哥伦比亚号航天飞机点燃其发动机时，

one of these metal pins worked its way loose and shot itself into the combustion chamber at over 30 m/s. 習語

其中一个金属销松动了，并以超过30米/秒的速度射入燃烧室。

In the blink of an eye, 習語

眨眼之间，

it bounced off the chamber walls and punctured a hole in the delicate engine nozzle.

它从燃烧室壁上反弹，在脆弱的发动机喷管上刺出了一个洞。

This part of the engine is made up of over 1,000 thin tubes,

发动机的这个部分由1000多根细管组成，

which circulate the ultra-cold liquid hydrogen to stop the nozzle from melting.

这些细管中循环着超冷的液氢，以防止喷管熔化。

From here,

氢气从这里

the hydrogen makes its way into the combustion chamber, 習語

进入燃烧室，

where it ignites and produces thrust.

在那里点燃并产生推力。

When the pin collided with the nozzle,

当金属销撞击喷管时，

it ripped a hole in three of the pipes,

它在其中三根管子上撕开了一个洞，

and liquid hydrogen began pouring out of the engine.

液氢开始从发动机中涌出。

If just two more of these pipes had been damaged, 語法

如果再多两根管子受损，

the nozzle would have melted,

喷管就会熔化，

causing a chain reaction that would have completely destroyed the vehicle.

引发连锁反应，彻底摧毁这架飞行器。

The space shuttle was just barely hanging on, 習語

航天飞机在勉强支撑着，

but all of this went completely unnoticed, 短語搭配

但所有这一切都完全没有被注意到，

since none of the sensors could detect the leak.

因为所有的传感器都无法检测到泄漏。

What the sensors did detect was a lower chamber pressure, 語法

传感器检测到的是燃烧室压力降低，

since less hydrogen was making its way into the combustion chamber.

因为进入燃烧室的氢气变少了。

In order to fix this,

为了修复这个问题，

the on-board computers automatically started pumping more liquid oxygen into the engine,

机载计算机自动开始向发动机泵入更多液氧，

which brought the pressure back up to the correct amount.

使压力恢复到了正确的水平。

This meant that the shuttle was now burning through its liquid oxygen too quickly, 短語動詞

这意味着航天飞机现在消耗液氧的速度太快，

and if it continued like this,

如果继续这样下去，

it would run out way before reaching orbit. 語法

它会在到达轨道之前很久就耗尽燃料。

But while all this was going on,

但就在这一切发生的同时，

a completely unrelated electrical problem had occurred in the vehicle,

飞行器内发生了一个完全无关的电气问题，

which put the shuttle offline,

使航天飞机断网了，

and it was no longer vulnerable to hackers.

它不再容易受到黑客攻击。

Just kidding,

开玩笑的，

that isn't what happened.

并不是这样的。

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但你知道吗，Incogni，

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本期节目的赞助商，

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可以保护你免受黑客和垃圾邮件的侵害？

We all get pointless spam emails and phone calls from things we never signed up for.

我们都会收到毫无意义的垃圾邮件和根本没注册过的推销电话。

This is because data brokers sell our personal information to marketing agencies,

这是因为数据经纪人将我们的个人信息卖给了营销机构，

who then make it their life goal to fill our inboxes with spam.

然后这些机构将塞满我们的收件箱作为他们的人生目标。

The problem is even worse,

问题甚至更糟，

since the databases that your info is stored on can easily be leaked or stolen by criminals.

因为存储你信息的数据库很容易被犯罪分子泄露或窃取。

Incogni reaches out to these marketing agencies on your behalf and gets them to delete any data they have about you. 講解

Incogni代表你联系这些营销机构，让他们删除关于你的任何数据。

All you need to do is sign up,

你只需注册，

sit back,

坐下来，

and watch Incogni do their work.

看着Incogni为你工作。

Since signing up with Incogni,

自从注册Incogni以来，

my info is no longer in the hands of any of these companies, 習語

我的信息不再掌握在任何这些公司手中，

and my inbox is much cleaner.

我的收件箱也干净多了。

To protect your personal information and get rid of spam in your life, 短語動詞

为了保护你的个人信息并摆脱生活中的垃圾信息，

visit incogni.com/primalspace

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Space shuttle Columbia had just left the launch pad and was already on the verge of a complete disaster. 短語搭配

哥伦比亚号航天飞机刚刚离开发射台，就已经濒临一场彻底的灾难。

Its right engine was burning through too much liquid oxygen,

其右侧发动机消耗了过多的液氧，

and if it ran out,

如果耗尽，

the shuttle might not have made it into orbit, 語法

航天飞机可能无法进入轨道，

or even worse,

甚至更糟，

the engines could have ripped themselves apart.

发动机可能会四分五裂。

Amazingly,

令人惊讶的是，

a completely separate problem was about to save the day. 習語

一个完全不相干的问题即将拯救局面。

Inside the payload bay were a series of electrical wires that carried power to instruments all over the vehicle. 語法

有效载荷舱内有一系列将电力输送到飞行器各处仪器的电线。

One of these wires ran alongside a small screw that had been overtightened and had a very sharp edge.

其中一根电线紧挨着一颗被拧得过紧且边缘非常锋利的螺丝。

Over the course of many flights, 短語搭配

在多次飞行中，

this wire had rubbed against the screw,

这根电线与螺丝摩擦，

and its insulation had been slowly worn away. 短語動詞

其绝缘层被慢慢磨损。

5 seconds into the flight,

飞行进行到5秒时，

the exposed wire arced onto the screw, 用詞

裸露的电线与螺丝产生电弧，

causing a short circuit and setting a number of instruments offline.

导致短路并使一些仪器下线。

This immediately set off all kinds of warnings inside the cockpit, 短語動詞

这立即引发了驾驶舱内的各种警告，

one of which was a fuel cell warning.

其中之一是燃料电池警告。

The fuel cells aboard shuttle used hydrogen and oxygen to produce all of the electricity for the vehicle.

航天飞机上的燃料电池使用氢气和氧气为飞行器产生所有电力。

If one of these went wrong,

如果其中一个出了问题，

the results would be catastrophic.

后果将是灾难性的。

Luckily,

幸运的是，

this was just a faulty reading,

这只是一个错误读数，

and there was nothing wrong with the fuel cells.

燃料电池没有任何问题。

The real problem was lurking down below. 習語

真正的问题潜伏在下方。

Two computers in charge of controlling the shuttle's engines had been knocked offline thanks to the electricity shortage.

负责控制航天飞机发动机的两台计算机因电力短缺而下线。

Each engine had a main computer and a backup computer,

每台发动机都有一台主计算机和一台备份计算机，

which would take over if something went wrong. 短語動詞

备份计算机在出问题时接管。

The right engine,

右侧发动机，

which was leaking fuel,

也就是正在泄漏燃料的那台，

had just lost its backup computer,

刚刚失去了备份计算机，

and the center engine lost its main computer.

而中央发动机失去了主计算机。

This caused a unique problem that actually turned into a solution.

这导致了一个独特的问题，实际上变成了一个解决方案。

You see, 表達脈絡

你看，

under normal circumstances,

在正常情况下，

both computers run simultaneously.

两台计算机同时运行。

The data from both computers is compared and averaged out, 短語動詞

比较两台计算机的数据并取平均值，

and this is what is used to control the engines.

这被用来控制发动机。

This means that if a sensor on one of the computers is reading abnormally high or low,

这意味着如果其中一台计算机上的传感器读数异常高或低，

it won't have such a big effect on the engine.

它对发动机的影响不会那么大。

As it turned out, 表達脈絡

事实证明，

the pressure sensor on the backup computer was reading incorrectly

备份计算机上的压力传感器读数不正确

and it was sending back an abnormally high pressure reading.

它传回了异常高的压力读数。

Since the main computer wasn't there to cancel this out,

因为没有主计算机来抵消这个数值，

it tricked the engine into thinking the pressure was too high. 語法

它欺骗了发动机，让它以为压力太高了。

Because of this,

因为这样，

the engine started pumping less liquid oxygen into the engine to reduce the pressure.

发动机开始泵入较少的液氧以降低压力。

This now meant that although the right engine was guzzling through too much oxygen,

这现在意味着尽管右侧发动机消耗了过多的氧气，

the center engine was using less than normal,

但中央发动机的用量比正常情况少，

and so the problems canceled each other out.

因此问题相互抵消了。

If the center engine didn't have a faulty sensor,

如果中央发动机没有传感器故障，

or if the electrical supply hadn't failed,

或者如果供电没有中断，

the whole shuttle would have run out of liquid oxygen much sooner. 短語動詞

整个航天飞机的液氧就会更早耗尽。

And it wouldn't have reached orbit.

它也就无法到达轨道了。

Had this actually happened, 語法

如果真的发生这种情况，

the crew would have had to make an aborted landing back on Earth, 語法

机组人员就不得不中止任务并降落返回地球，

still carrying the enormous telescope on their backs.

此时他们身上仍然背负着那个巨大的望远镜。

By sheer coincidence, 短語搭配

出于纯粹的巧合，

two completely separate problems occurred that perfectly canceled each other out, 短語動詞

两个完全不相干的问题发生并完美地相互抵消了，

allowing shuttle to reach orbit just 5 m/s off its desired speed.

使航天飞机在仅仅偏离目标速度5米/秒的情况下到达了轨道。

In the end,

最终，

the shuttle was able to make up for this by using its OMS engines, 講解

航天飞机能够通过使用其OMS发动机来弥补这一偏差，

and the Chandra telescope was successfully deployed.

钱德拉望远镜被成功部署。

Since its main engines weren't needed for the rest of the mission,

由于任务的剩余部分不再需要主发动机，

the shuttle and its crew safely made it back to Earth without any issues.

航天飞机及其机组人员安全地返回了地球，没有发生任何意外。

Now,

现在，

time for the Primal Space giveaway.

是Primal Space抽奖时间。

The winner of the previous giveaway is Eric.

上次抽奖的获胜者是Eric。

Congrats.

恭喜。

In the next video,

在下一个视频中，

we'll be giving away this custom Primal Space design shuttle poster,

我们将赠送这张由Primal Space定制设计的航天飞机海报，

available in our store.

在我们的商店有售。

All you need to do is sign up at the link below,

你只需在下方链接注册，

like the video,

点赞视频，

and leave a comment saying what you think about the space shuttle.

并留言说说你对航天飞机的看法。

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。