建立火星基地是个糟糕的主意：那我们开始吧！：英语精读讲义

From hostile deserts to lonely islands and the highest mountains,

从恶劣的沙漠到孤立的岛屿和最高的山峰，

wherever there is space to expand into,

只要有可以扩张的空间，

humans do so. 語法

人类就会涉足。

So, it's hardly surprising

所以，这并不令人惊讶：

that we're already making preparations to set foot on Mars 習語

我们已经开始准备涉足火星，

and to create the first permanent colony outside of Earth,

并建立地球以外的首个永久殖民地，

maybe even terraform another planet and turn it into a second blue home.

甚至可能对另一颗行星进行地球化改造，将其变成第二个蓝色家园。

But wait, before we can get to the nice future stuff,

但是等等，在迎来这些美好的未来之前，

we first have to complete the second phase of colonization,

我们首先必须完成殖民的第二阶段：

creating a semi-permanent outpost

建立一个半永久前哨站，

to prepare the ground for a larger human presence. 習語

为更多人类的到来铺平道路。

But doing so will be gruesome.

但这过程将极其残酷。

Even for an expansionist species like us,

即使对于像我们这样喜欢扩张的物种来说，

Mars is extreme.

火星也太过极端。

At first glance, 表達脈絡

乍看之下，

Mars seems familiar.

火星似乎很熟悉。

Polar ice caps, large valleys,

极地冰盖、巨大的峡谷、

liquid water under its surface,

地表下的液态水，

and a day barely longer than Earth's.

还有只比地球长一点点的一天。

The ideal place for us to go.

是我们前往的理想去处。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

Mars is actually a cold radioactive desert

火星实际上是一个寒冷、充满辐射的沙漠，

where the ground is poisonous and breathing is impossible.

那里的土地有毒，而且无法呼吸。

Mars is awful.

火星糟透了。

You almost certainly don't want to go there.

你绝对不想去那儿。

The pioneers doing the hard work on Mars

在火星上从事艰苦工作的先驱们

will have an intensely stressful life

将过着压力极大的生活，

filled with incredibly challenging problems never encountered before. 語法

充满了前所未见的极大挑战。

But there are plenty of people willing to do that work,

但有很多人愿意做这项工作，

and we have the technology to enable them to do it. 語法

而我们也有技术让他们去完成。

For this video, 表達脈絡

在本视频中，

we will assume there have been prior missions to Mars

我们假设已经有过前往火星的早期任务，

to scout out a good place for an outpost, 短語動詞

勘探了一个适合建前哨站的好地方，

store resources and equipment,

储备了资源和设备，

and that there's already a moon base that serves as a hub for Mars missions. 短語搭配

并且已经有一个月球基地作为火星任务的枢纽。

The first major challenge for our outpost is the fact that Mars is very energy poor. 用詞

我们的前哨站面临的首个重大挑战是，火星非常缺乏能源。

Because of its distance from the sun,

因为它距离太阳较远，

solar power is only 40% as effective as on Earth. 語法

太阳能的效率只有地球上的40%。

But even this weakened sunlight is often obscured for days by enormous dust storms.

但即便如此微弱的阳光，也经常被巨大的沙尘暴遮蔽数天。

Solar power alone will probably not be enough.

单靠太阳能恐怕是不够的。

Alternatives such as wind power and geothermal energy

风能和地热能等替代能源

are also unfeasible as there's hardly any atmosphere, 語法

也行不通，因为几乎没有大气层，

and Mars's interior is much too cold.

而且火星的内部太冷了。

Initially,

起初，

nuclear technology might be the only option.

核技术可能是唯一的选择。

Since Mars doesn't have easily accessible radioactive elements,

既然火星上没有容易获取的放射性元素，

the nuclear fuel needs to come from Earth along with the reactor.

核燃料就需要连同反应堆一起从地球运来。

If we do set it up, 講解

如果我们确实建好了，

it could power our small outpost for the first few years.

它能在最初几年为我们的小型前哨站供电。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

all that energy won't be very useful if we can't breathe.

如果无法呼吸，那么多能源也没多大用处。

Mars's atmosphere is only 1% as dense as Earth's, and mostly made up of CO2. 短語動詞

火星大气密度只有地球的1%，且主要由二氧化碳组成。

So, our habitats need to be pressurized

所以，我们的居住区必须进行加压，

and filled with an artificial atmosphere

并注满人造大气，

made of nitrogen and oxygen,

即由氮气和氧气组成，

which comes with more problems. 短語動詞

这又会带来更多问题。

Corners and flat walls are weak points,

拐角和平直的墙壁是薄弱点，

so the habitats will have rounded and smooth shapes

所以居住区需要是圆形且光滑的形状，

to handle the stress of great pressure differences between the interior and exterior. 用詞

以承受内外巨大压力差带来的应力。

The airlocks need to be very airtight and work perfectly every time.

气闸必须绝对气密，并且每次都要完美运行。

Without an extensive magnetosphere or a dense atmosphere,

由于没有广阔的磁层或稠密的大气层，

half of all radiation coming from space reaches the ground.

来自太空的辐射有一半会到达地面。

A person on the surface would be subjected to 50 times the radiation 用詞

表面上的人将承受50倍的辐射，

that they would be on

相当于在

Earth.

地球上的情况。

Three years on the surface of Mars exceeds the radiation dose limits

在火星表面待三年，就会超过辐射剂量限制，

imposed on NASA astronauts for their entire career.

这超过了NASA对其宇航员整个职业生涯的限制。

This increases cancer risks significantly.

这会大大增加患癌风险。

To prevent that,

为了防范这一点，

we could shield our habitats with a thick layer of frozen CO2

我们可以在居住区外覆盖一层厚厚的冷冻二氧化碳作为屏障，

that can be harvested directly from the atmosphere.

这是直接从大气中提取的。

Covering the dry ice with a meter of dirt would further increase the level of protection.

在干冰上再覆盖一米厚的泥土，将进一步提高保护水平。

Sadly,

遗憾的是，

this means almost no windows.

这意味着几乎不能有窗户。

From the inside, 表達脈絡

从内部看，

most living spaces will be windowless tunnels.

大多数生活空间将是无窗的隧道。

From the outside,

从外部看，

they'll look like burial mounds.

它们会像坟包一样。

All of this would still not hold back all the radiation, 短語動詞

所有这些仍然无法阻挡全部辐射，

but reduce it just enough to be survivable for long periods of time. 語法

但能将其减少到刚好足以长期生存的水平。

It won't however,

然而，这无法

protect anyone who ventures outside.

保护任何冒险去室外的人。

So, remote controlled robots will be used for routine work on the surface,

因此，表面的日常工作将由遥控机器人来完成，

while our crew stays inside.

而我们的船员则留在室内。

Staying inside is a good idea for another reason,

留在室内也是个好主意，因为另一个原因：

Mars dust.

火星尘埃。

It's much finer than dust on Earth,

它比地球上的灰尘细得多，

so it could find its way into the gears or electronics of our machines. 習語

可能会钻进我们机器的齿轮或电子元件中。

Because it's also very dry,

因为它也非常干燥，

it's electrostatically charged,

它带有静电，

sticking to everything,

会附着在所有东西上，

like spacesuits.

比如宇航服。

It will be impossible to avoid carrying lots of Mars dust into our habitats 語法

将大量火星尘埃带入居住区是不可避免的，

and into the lungs of our crew.

甚至进入船员的肺部。

To make this even worse, 表達脈絡

更糟糕的是，

Mars's soil is filled with very toxic perchlorate salts. 文化背景

火星的土壤里充满了非常有毒的高氯酸盐。

Constant exposure could be deadly.

持续接触可能会致命。

This problem can still be overcome though. 表達脈絡

不过，这个问题仍然可以克服。

Spacesuits,

比如宇航服，

for example,

举例来说，

could be made in a way that they never truly enter the base,

可以设计成永远不会真正进入基地，

but stay attached to the outside of the habitats.

而是贴在居住区的外部。

Okay,

好吧，

great.

很好。

Now we've safely isolated humans in terms of energy and air 短語搭配

现在我们在能源和空气方面安全隔离了人类，

and protected them from cancer,

保护了他们免受癌症困扰，

we just need to feed them.

我们只需要解决他们的食物问题。

Water is easy to come by if a settlement is positioned near the Martian poles 短語動詞

如果定居点设在火星两极附近，凭借厚厚的冰层，水是很容易得到的。

with their thick layers of ice.

那里有厚厚的冰层。

Growing food is a different kind of challenge though.

不过，种植食物是另一项挑战。

Mars's soils are alkaline and lack the vital nitrogen compounds

火星土壤呈碱性，且缺乏重要的含氮化合物，

that plants need to grow.

这些都是植物生长所必需的。

Before we can grow anything, 語法

在种植任何东西之前，

we will have to decontaminate the soil,

我们必须要对土壤进行去污处理，

which is difficult and expensive.

既困难又昂贵。

Then the soil can be fertilized using recycled biological waste.

然后可以使用回收的生物废物对土壤进行施肥。

All of this will take a lot of time and is very energy intensive. 短語搭配

这所有一切都需要耗费大量时间，并且极度消耗能源。

So,

所以，

we might use aquaponics to raise fish and plants together, 文化背景

我们可能会利用鱼菜共生系统将鱼和植物一起养殖，

making the astronauts' diets more varied and tasty at the same time.

同时让宇航员的饮食更加多样化且美味。

This will be an important psychological boost for our over-worked crew. 短語搭配

这将对我们劳累过度的船员产生重要的心理安慰作用。

All of these things don't solve one fundamental problem though.

然而，这一切并不能解决一个根本问题。

Mars has only 38% of Earth's surface gravity,

火星表面重力仅有地球的38%，

which could cause muscle wasting,

这可能导致肌肉萎缩、

bone loss,

骨质流失、

and cardiovascular problems.

和心血管问题。

While this might be solved in the future by setting up rotating living spaces, 表達脈絡

虽然这在未来可能通过建立旋转生活空间来解决，

for now our crew has to live with low gravity 短語動詞

但目前，我们的船员必须在低重力环境下生活，

and exercise a lot to slow the degradation down. 短語動詞

并进行大量锻炼以减缓身体机能的衰退。

The crews will probably have to rotate every few years 用詞

船员们可能必须每隔几年轮换一次，

after being stuck indoors in tight spaces without windows

在被困于没有窗户的狭小室内空间，

with the same people performing the same routines

与相同的人一起执行相同的日常任务，

day in day out with little contact from the outside world 習語

日复一日，与外界几乎没有联系，

and a lot to worry about.

并且有许多值得担忧的事情之后。

Like Antarctic scientists or submarine staff, 表達脈絡

就像南极科学家或潜艇工作人员一样，

they will undergo intense psychological screening 短語搭配

他们将接受严格的心理筛查，

to make sure they're mentally resilient enough to handle this lifestyle for several years.

以确保他们在心理上有足够的韧性，能应付几年这样的生活方式。

Establishing the first real infrastructure on Mars will be extremely taxing work 用詞

在火星建立第一个真正的基础设施将是一项极其费力的工作，

that only a group of very determined and competent people can do.

只有一群非常坚定和有能力的人才能做到。

Luckily,

幸运的是，

we have enough of these on Earth.

我们地球上有足够多这样的人。

And there you have it. 短語搭配

所以，你看到了：

A small Mars base that will survive for at least a few decades.

一个能存活至少几十年的小型火星基地。

As long as it's getting a constant supply of resources, 講解

只要能源源不断地获得资源、

parts, nuclear fuel,

零件、核燃料，

and crews from Earth.

和来自地球的船员的补给。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

Mars and Earth are separated by millions of kilometers

火星和地球之间相隔数百万公里，

and orbital periods that leave only a narrow travel window every 2 years. 文化背景

以及轨道周期，使得每两年才有一次狭窄的旅行窗口。

If there's an emergency in the colony,

如果殖民地发生紧急情况，

Earth wouldn't be able to help until the next travel window opens. 語法

地球要等到下一个旅行窗口开启才能提供帮助。

Helpers may arrive on a planet filled with corpses.

救援人员抵达时，可能面对的是一个满地尸体的星球。

Settling Mars will be the toughest challenge we have ever faced. 語法

定居火星将是我们面临的最艰难挑战。

It will be gruesome work to establish the infrastructure we need.

建立我们需要的基础设施将是艰苦卓绝的工作。

But we're stubborn,

但我们很固执，

and we like extreme challenges.

而且我们喜欢极端的挑战。

If we push through phase 2 of colonization, 短語動詞

如果我们坚持挺过殖民的第2阶段，

anything is possible.

一切皆有可能。

Cities illuminating the dark Martian night,

照亮黑暗火星之夜的城市、

a hub for travel between the planets,

星际旅行的枢纽、

industry setting foot in orbit, 習語

涉足轨道的工业、

terraforming,

地球化改造、

a true multi-planetary future.

一个真正的多行星未来。

Going to Mars is hard,

尽管去火星很难，

but worth it. 短語搭配

但值得一去。

And if we're lucky,

如果我们够幸运的话，

we might be around long enough to see it happening 用詞

我们或许能活得足够久，亲眼看到它的发生，

and cheer on the people who take on these challenges 短語動詞

并且为那些迎接这些挑战的人们加油打气，

for the benefit of us all. 短語搭配

他们是为了造福我们所有人。