阿波罗12号神秘的30年太空之旅：英语精读讲义

In September 2002,

2002年9月，

astronomers discovered this asteroid in an unusual orbit around the Earth.

天文学家发现这颗小行星正以不寻常的轨道绕地球运行。

This surprised the astronomers because,

这让天文学家们感到非常惊讶，因为，

as far as they knew, 表達脈絡

据他们所知，

the only natural object that orbited Earth was the Moon.

唯一绕地球运行的自然天体是月球。

And so,

因此，

this strange object couldn't be an asteroid.

这个奇怪的物体不可能是一颗小行星。

It had to be something that was made by us. 語法

它肯定是我们人类制造的东西。

As it turned out,

结果证明，

this was in fact the Saturn V third stage,

这其实是土星5号火箭的第三级，

which launched the Apollo 12 astronauts to the Moon.

也就是将阿波罗12号宇航员送上月球的那枚火箭。

This rocket left Earth in 1969 and went on a crazy journey unknown to everyone

这枚火箭于1969年离开地球，开始了一段无人知晓的疯狂旅程，

before returning to Earth 30 years later.

然后在30年后又回到了地球。

But what happened to this rocket?

那么，这枚火箭到底经历了什么？

And why did it end up on such a weird journey?

为什么它最终会踏上如此离奇的旅程？

In this video,

在本期视频中，

we're going to look at how a tiny error in the Apollo 12 mission sent this rocket stage on a 30-year trip through space,

我们将一起来看，阿波罗12号任务中的一个小失误，是如何让这枚火箭级在太空中漂泊了30年，

only to mysteriously reappear around Earth. 語法

最后又神秘地重新出现在地球附近的。

We'll also be giving away this awesome space shuttle canvas print.

我们还将送出这幅超赞的航天飞机帆布画。

So, stick around to the end of the video to see how you could win. 短語動詞

所以，请一定要看到视频最后，看看你该如何赢取这份奖品。

The Saturn V rocket had three stages.

土星5号火箭共有三级。

The first stage burned for about 2 and 1/2 minutes and got them to an altitude of 61 km.

第一级燃烧了约2.5分钟，将它们推升到了61公里的高空。

From there,

随后，

the second stage would burn for around 6 minutes,

第二级会燃烧大约6分钟，

taking them higher and faster.

带着它们飞得更高、更快。

It was then up to the third and final stage to do a short burn and get the spacecraft into orbit. 語法

接下来就轮到第三级也是最后一级进行短暂燃烧，将航天器送入轨道。

Once it was in a stable orbit,

一旦进入稳定的轨道，

the third stage would be fired up again to perform the trans-lunar injection burn, 講解

第三级就会再次点火，执行地月转移轨道注入燃烧，

sending the rocket and crew on a trajectory to intersect the Moon.

将火箭和乘组送入与月球交汇的轨道。

Once the Apollo crew were safely on their way to the Moon,

当阿波罗乘组安全踏上登月之旅后，

the third stage would separate and NASA would try to discard it.

第三级就会分离，NASA会尝试将其废弃。

On previous Apollo missions,

在之前的阿波罗任务中，

they aimed to place it into an orbit around the Sun,

他们的目标是将其送入绕太阳运行的轨道，

where it would remain for thousands of years.

在那里它可以停留数千年。

In order to get into this orbit,

为了进入这条轨道，

NASA aimed to meet the Moon on its trailing side,

NASA计划让它在月球的后方与月球相遇，

where the Moon's gravity would slingshot the rocket away from Earth and into a solar orbit.

利用月球的引力将火箭从地球甩向太阳轨道。

For NASA,

对NASA来说，

an orbit like this is a good investment because it means the object won't get in the way of future missions. 習語

这样的轨道是一项不错的投资，因为这意味着该物体不会阻碍未来的任务。

But things didn't quite work out for Apollo 12.

但对于阿波罗12号来说，事情并没有那么顺利。

An investment that definitely won't get in your way is Masterworks.

一项绝对不会成为你阻碍的投资就是Masterworks。

Masterworks has been featured in financial publications like Business Insider and Financial Times and was recently awarded one of LinkedIn's top 50 startups.

Masterworks曾登上过《商业内幕》和《金融时报》等财经刊物，最近还入选了领英50大初创公司。

Because from Masterworks office in downtown Manhattan,

因为在曼哈顿市中心的Masterworks办公室里，

their team is opening the door to art investing. 習語

他们的团队正在开启艺术投资的大门。

Masterworks doesn't do NFTs or crypto.

Masterworks不涉足NFT或加密货币。

You're investing in real physical paintings,

你投资的是真实的实体画作，

qualified with the SEC.

并且拥有美国证券交易委员会(SEC)的资质认证。

And I've linked to that sec.gov page in the description.

我已将那个sec.gov的页面链接放在了简介里。

To date, 短語搭配

迄今为止，

Masterworks has filed over 200 paintings with the SEC,

Masterworks已向SEC备案了200多幅画作，

ranging from $500,000 to $25 million. 語法

价值从50万美元到2500万美元不等。

Masterworks has paid out over $25 million in the last 12 months alone. 短語動詞

仅在过去12个月里，Masterworks就已派发了超过2500万美元。

That includes three sales just in the last 60 days,

其中包括过去60天内的三次出售，

which returned 10, 13, and 35% net to their investors.

分别为投资者带来了10%、13%和35%的净收益。

With every investment,

每一次投资

there is capital risk involved.

都伴随着资本风险。

But with over 60,000 users and $600 million invested,

但这里已有超过6万名用户和6亿美元的投资，

check out the link below where you can join the Masterworks community.

点击下方链接，加入Masterworks社区吧。

In order to get rid of Apollo 12's third stage, 短語動詞

为了处理掉阿波罗12号的第三级，

NASA had to set it on a path to meet the Moon around here. 短語搭配

NASA必须将其设定在这一带与月球相遇的轨道上。

But the initial trajectory had it headed toward this side of the Moon.

但最初的轨道却让它朝向了月球的这一侧。

And so,

因此，

the third stage needed to do one final maneuver to change its trajectory.

第三级需要进行最后一次机动来改变其轨道。

In order to complete this maneuver,

为了完成这次机动，

the third stage used its auxiliary propulsion systems.

第三级使用了其辅助推进系统。

These were two sets of thrusters at the bottom of the stage that provided yaw, pitch, and roll during flight. 文化背景

这是位于该级底部的两组推进器，在飞行过程中提供偏航、俯仰和滚转控制。

Despite having to change its position by thousands of kilometers, 語法

尽管需要改变数千公里的位置，

it actually took very little energy since changing its trajectory so early in the journey would have a big effect once it reached the Moon.

它实际上只消耗了很少的能量，因为在旅途这么早的阶段改变轨道，在到达月球时就会产生巨大的影响。

At the time of separation,

在分离时，

the third stage was traveling at around 20,000 km/h.

第三级的速度约为20,000公里/小时。

In order to change its trajectory,

为了改变轨道，

it had to slow down by about 140 km/h.

它需要减速约140公里/小时。

This would delay its approach to the Moon,

这将推迟它接近月球的时间，

making it arrive at the opposite side.

使其到达月球的另一侧。

NASA completed the maneuver,

NASA完成了这次机动，

but, unknown to them,

但他们不知道的是，

it didn't to plan.

事情并没有按计划进行。

The entire Saturn V rocket was controlled by the instrument unit located above the third stage.

整个土星5号火箭由位于第三级上方的仪器单元控制。

This had its own internal guidance unit on board, 短語搭配

它上面有自己内部的制导单元，

which was used to plot the rocket's trajectory.

用于绘制火箭的飞行轨迹。

It also had two C-band transponders,

它还有两个C波段应答器，

which would send signals back to ground stations on Earth,

可以将信号发回地球的地面站，

giving NASA more accurate trajectory data.

为NASA提供更准确的轨迹数据。

Once the rocket was safely in orbit,

一旦火箭安全入轨，

NASA could compare this data with the rocket's own data and see if it was following the desired flight path.

NASA就能将这些数据与火箭自身的数据进行对比，看看它是否在按照预定的飞行路线前进。

If anything was off, 用詞

如果有任何偏差，

they could send a command up to the rocket to correct it.

他们就可以向火箭发送指令来进行修正。

What NASA didn't know was that the tracking system was out by a tiny amount,

NASA不知道的是，追踪系统出现了一点微小的误差，

which led them to believe the rocket was traveling faster than it really was.

导致他们以为火箭的飞行速度比实际速度快。

And so,

因此，

in order to get it to the target velocity,

为了让它达到目标速度，

NASA ended up slowing it down too much. 短語動詞

NASA最终让它减速过度了。

They overcorrected by just 40 km/h.

他们矫枉过正了区区40公里/小时。

But this was enough to drastically delay its arrival to the Moon,

但这足以大大推迟它到达月球的时间，

causing it to miss by thousands of kilometers. 語法

导致它偏离了数千公里。

And so,

因此，

instead of being thrown out into a solar orbit,

第三级非但没有被甩入太阳轨道，

the third stage ended up in a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth.

反而进入了一条绕地球运行的极度椭圆轨道。

Over the next 15 months,

在接下来的15个月里，

the orbit was constantly stretched and pulled in different directions by the Earth and Moon's gravity.

这个轨道被地球和月球的引力不断拉扯，朝着不同的方向延伸。

It got stretched all the way out to Lagrange point 1. 講解

它一直被拉伸到了拉格朗日L1点。

This is a point between Earth and the Sun where the gravitational forces of both bodies cancel out. 短語動詞

这是地球和太阳之间的一个点，两个天体的引力在这里相互抵消。

Once the third stage passed beyond this point,

一旦第三级越过这个点，

the Sun started to have more of an influence.

太阳的影响就开始占据上风。

Imagine a steep hill with a car trying to reach the top. 表達脈絡

想象一个陡峭的山坡，一辆汽车正试图冲上山顶。

If the car doesn't have enough velocity to reach the top,

如果汽车没有足够的速度到达山顶，

the hill will drag it back down to the bottom.

山坡就会把它拉回到坡底。

If it has enough velocity to move past the top,

如果它有足够的速度越过山顶，

it will start to get pulled down by the other side.

它就会开始被另一侧拉下去。

This is exactly what happened to the third stage.

第三级遭遇的情况正是如此。

It passed the Lagrange point 1 hill and was now being dragged into an orbit around the Sun.

它越过了拉格朗日L1点这座山，如今正被拉入绕太阳运行的轨道。

In a way,

从某种意义上说，

it finally achieved what it was meant to achieve. 語法

它终于实现了它本该实现的目标。

But this orbit around the Sun was far from stable. 習語

但这条绕太阳运行的轨道远非稳定。

Instead of being accelerated to a solar orbit on the outside of Earth, 語法

它并没有加速进入地球外侧的太阳轨道，

it had been slowed down into an orbit on the inside of Earth.

而是减速进入了地球内侧的轨道。

Because of this,

正因为如此，

the third stage was now completing its lap around the Sun a little bit quicker than the Earth.

第三级现在绕太阳跑一圈的时间比地球稍快了一点。

This meant it was slowly pulling away. 短語動詞

这意味着它在慢慢拉开距离。

But it was only a matter of time before the third stage would catch back up. 講解

但第三级追赶上地球只是时间问题。

This actually happened in 1986,

这种情况其实在1986年就发生过，

but it wasn't quite close enough to the L1 point,

但当时它离L1点还不够近，

and so it never got pulled into Earth's orbit.

所以并没有被拉回地球轨道。

The third stage carried on racing around the Sun for another 16 years before the inevitable finally happened. 短語動詞

于是第三级继续绕着太阳奔跑了16年，直到不可避免的事情最终发生。

In 2002,

2002年，

the third stage reached its apoapsis just as the Earth came onto the scene. 講解

第三级到达远星点，恰逢地球也来到了这里。

This time,

这一次，

the third stage crossed beyond Earth's L1 point,

第三级越过了地球的L1点，

and for the first time in 32 years,

这是32年来，

the Earth now had more pull on the object than the Sun.

地球对该物体的引力首次超过了太阳。

Over the course of 2 months, 短語搭配

在短短两个月内，

Earth pulled the third stage into a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth,

地球将第三级拉回了一条绕地球运行的极度椭圆轨道，

just like the one it was in before.

就和它以前所处的那条轨道一样。

At this point, though, 表達脈絡

但在此时，

astronomers still had no idea what this object was.

天文学家仍然不知道这个物体是什么。

And so,

因此，

in order to confirm the identity of the object,

为了确认该物体的身份，

astronomers did spectroscopy observations to determine what it was made of. 文化背景

天文学家进行了光谱观测，以确定其构成材料。

Every material reflects light in slightly different ways.

每种材料反射光的方式都会略有不同。

More specifically, 表達脈絡

具体来说，

the amount of light that is reflected will differ at each wavelength.

在每个波长下反射的光量都不一样。

And so,

因此，

to determine the material of this object,

为了确定这个物体的材料，

astronomers took light measurements of the third stage at many different wavelengths,

天文学家在许多不同的波长下测量了第三级的光，

which gave them a spectroscopy graph.

从而得到了一张光谱图。

With this,

借此，

they could compare it to other spectroscopy graphs and see if it matched any other materials.

他们可以将它与其他光谱图进行比对，看看是否与任何其他材料相匹配。

It turned out that it was very similar to the spectroscopy graph of white titanium oxide paint,

结果发现，它与白色氧化钛涂料的光谱图非常相似，

the exact kind that was used on the Saturn V.

这正是土星5号所使用的那种涂料。

Astronomers were also able to trace the object's trajectory back and found that it left Earth's orbit in 1971. 短語搭配

天文学家还能追溯该物体的运行轨迹，发现它是于1971年离开地球轨道的。

And so,

于是，

with this information,

有了这些信息，

astronomers could confidently say that this really was the long-lost third stage from Apollo 12.

天文学家就可以自信地断言，这真的是阿波罗12号那枚失踪已久的第三级火箭。

Astronomers continued to track the orbit,

天文学家继续追踪其轨道，

and after just a year,

短短一年后，

it was once again thrown out into an orbit around the Sun.

它再次被甩出，进入了绕太阳运行的轨道。

Calculations made by astronomers showed that it will return to Earth in the mid-40s. 用詞

天文学家的计算显示，它将在21世纪40年代中期重返地球。

This object will spend many more years racing through space,

这个物体还将在太空中继续穿梭很多年，

but the laws of physics will always make sure it returns home every now and then. 習語

但物理定律始终会确保它时不时地回趟家。

And now,

而现在，

time for something really special.

到了真正的特别环节。

In the next video,

在下一期视频中，

we'll be giving away this awesome space shuttle canvas print.

我们将送出这幅超赞的航天飞机帆布画。

All you have to do is sign up at the link below and leave a comment about the thing that got you interested in spaceflight. 語法

你只需要在下方的链接注册，并留言说说是什么让你对航天产生了兴趣即可。

We will announce the winner in next month's video.

我们将在下个月的视频中公布获奖者。

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。