“筷子”夹火箭，创造历史

近日，美国太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）的“星舰”（Starship）火箭进行第五次试飞，发射塔的机械臂（“筷子”）成功夹住了返回地面的超级重型火箭。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What can be inferred about the importance of the "chopsticks" mechanism?

A. It is designed to reduce the cost of manufacturing new boosters.

B. It ensures the safe landing of astronauts returning from space.

C. It plays a critical role in SpaceX's goal of fully reusable rockets.

D. It is primarily used for capturing rockets in orbit.

无注释原文：

SpaceX launches Starship rocket and catches booster in giant metal arms

From: The Guardian

Elon Musk's SpaceX achieved a significant milestone on Sunday by catching the massive booster stage from its Starship rocket in a pair of robotic arms as it fell back to the company's launchpad in southern Texas.

The historic feat, which drew praise from astronauts and space experts, topped a successful fifth test flight for the uncrewed Starship, which blasted off from the Boca Chica starbase at 7.25am local time (1325 BST) on Sunday.

As the rocket's 71-metre (233ft) Super Heavy booster separated 40 miles (65km) above the Earth, the upper stage pushed on to an altitude of nearly 90 miles, looping around the planet at 17,000 mph before splashing down in the Indian Ocean as planned.

SpaceX staff erupted in cheers and applause as the falling booster reignited three of its Raptor engines, slowed its rapid descent and swung towards the “mechazilla” launch tower, where it was held fast by the mechanical arms, labelled “chopsticks”.

It is the first time SpaceX has attempted the bold manoeuvre, one it sees as crucial to its goal of developing fully reusable rockets capable of ferrying humans, scientific equipment and supplies to the moon and onwards to Mars.

“Are you kidding me?” said Dan Huot, SpaceX's communications manager, who was left shaking at the spectacle. “What we just saw, that looked like magic.”

“This is a day for the engineering history books,” added Kate Tice, a quality systems engineer at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

The rest of Starship re-entered Earth's atmosphere horizontally, with onboard cameras showing a smooth, pinkish-purple plasma covering the ship's Earth-facing side. The ship's hot side is coated with 18,000 heat-shielding tiles that were improved since SpaceX's last test in June, when Starship completed its first full test flight to the Indian Ocean but suffered tile damage that made its re-entry difficult.

This time, Starship appeared more intact upon reigniting one of its six engines to position itself upright for the ocean landing. The SpaceX live stream showed the rocket splashing down in the night-time waters off Australia's coast, then toppling on its side, concluding its test mission.

A separate camera view from a vessel near the splashdown site then showed the ship exploding into a vast fireball. It was unclear whether the explosion was a controlled detonation or the result of a fuel leak. Musk said the ship landed “precisely on target!”

Commenting on SpaceX's successful capture of the Starship booster, Chris Hadfield, a Canadian former astronaut, wrote on X: “There was an enormous step forward in human capability today. Makes me even more excited for our collective future. Congratulations to all at SpaceX!”

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

SpaceX launches Starship rocket and catches booster in giant metal arms

From: The Guardian

Elon Musk's SpaceX achieved a significant milestone on Sunday by catching the massive booster stage from its Starship rocket in a pair of robotic arms as it fell back to the company's launchpad in southern Texas.

周日，埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）的太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）实现了一个重要的里程碑，该公司在得克萨斯州南部的发射台上成功地用一双机械臂接住了其“星舰”（Starship）火箭上的巨大助推器。

milestone /ˈmaɪl.stəʊn/ 表示“里程碑；重大事件；转折点”，英文解释为“an important event in the development or history of something or in someone's life”举个🌰：He felt that moving out of his parents' home was a real milestone in his life. 他感到搬出父母家是他一生中一个真正的转折点。

booster /ˈbuː.stər/ 1）表示“（航天器的）推进器”，英文解释为“an engine on a spacecraft that gives extra power for the first part of a flight”如：a rocket booster 火箭推进器。

2）表示“（增强药效的）辅助药剂”，英文解释为“a small amount of a substance that is given to increase the effect of the same substance given some time before, to continue to protect a person from illness”如：a polio booster 小儿麻痹症辅助药剂。

📍booster / booster shot / booster dose用来指加强针（疫苗）。

stage /steɪdʒ/ 作名词，表示“（火箭的）级”，英文解释为“one of the separate parts of a rocket, each part having its own engine”举个🌰：Once its fuel supply runs out, each stage separates from the main part of the rocket and falls back to earth. 每一级在燃料燃尽后，就会从火箭主体上脱落，落回到地球上。

stage /steɪdʒ/ 作动词，1）表示“上演；举办；举行；组织；筹划”，英文解释为“to organize and present a play or an event for people to see”，如：to stage a ceremony/an event/an exhibition 举行仪式/活动/展览，举个🌰：The local theatre group is staging a production of ‘Hamlet’. 当地剧团在上演《哈姆雷特》。

2）表示“使发生；使出现”，英文解释为“to make sth happen”举个🌰：After five years in retirement, he staged a comeback to international tennis. 退役五年之后，他又复出国际网坛。

🎬电影《无罪的罪人》（Presumed Innocent）中的台词提到：Your opinion is that this was... a staged rape? 你的看法是这是…有预谋的强奸？

区分：

📍wage 作名词，表示“工资，工钱，报酬”，作动词，表示“发动（战争）；组织，筹备（活动）”，英文解释为“to fight a war or organize a series of activities in order to achieve something”举个🌰：They've been waging a long campaign. 他们已组织发起了一场持久的运动。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇介绍拉美电商平台美卡多的文章中提到：The biggest is Amazon, against which his firm has waged a costly battle in Mexico. 最大的威胁来自亚马逊，美卡多与它在墨西哥展开了一场较量，代价高昂。

launch pad /ˈlɔːntʃ ˌpæd/ 表示“（火箭）发射台，发射架；出发点；跳板”，英文解释为“a special area from which spacecraft or missiles are sent into the sky; something that provides you with the opportunity to follow a particular plan of action”举个🌰：Soap operas have long been a launch pad for film actors. 长期以来，肥皂剧一直都是电影演员走红的跳板。

The historic feat, which drew praise from astronauts and space experts, topped a successful fifth test flight for the uncrewed Starship, which blasted off from the Boca Chica starbase at 7.25am local time (1325 BST) on Sunday.

这一历史性的壮举赢得了宇航员和太空专家的高度赞誉，标志着无人驾驶飞船“星舰”成功完成了第五次试飞。该火箭于周日当地时间上午7点25分从博卡奇卡（Boca Chica）星际基地发射升空。

feat /fiːt/ 表示“功绩；技艺；武艺；功绩；英勇事迹”，英文解释为“If you refer to an action, or the result of an action, as a feat, you admire it because it is an impressive and difficult achievement.”如：to perform / attempt / achieve astonishing feats 表演惊人的技艺；争取/取得惊人的功绩，举个🌰：The tunnel is a brilliant feat of engineering. 这条隧道是工程方面的光辉业绩。

📍be no easy feat 不容易，非易事。类似的还有be no small feat/ be no mean feat可以理解为“是了不起的成就，绝非易事”，英文解释为：to be a great achievement，举个🌰：Getting the job finished in under a week was no mean feat. 一周内就把这项任务完成了，真了不起。

🎬电影《惊天魔盗团2》（Now You See Me 2）中的台词提到：by performing what he calls an impossible feat. 在这里上演他所谓不可能的奇迹。

表示“（火箭）点火起飞，发射升空”，英文解释为“If a rocket blasts off, it leaves the ground to go into space.”

🎬电影《海啸奇迹》（The Impossible）中在放“孔明灯”时大家就狂喊：Blast off.

As the rocket's 71-metre (233ft) Super Heavy booster separated 40 miles (65km) above the Earth, the upper stage pushed on to an altitude of nearly 90 miles, looping around the planet at 17,000 mph before splashing down in the Indian Ocean as planned.

当火箭71米（233英尺）高的超重型助推器在地球上空40英里（65千米）处分离后，上层火箭继续推进，到达近90英里的高度，以每小时17000英里的速度绕绕行地球，然后按计划在印度洋溅落。

altitude /ˈæl.tɪ.tʃuːd/ 表示“海拔；海拔高度；高程”，英文解释为“the height above sea level”举个🌰：We are flying at an altitude of 6 000 metres. 我们的飞行高度是6 000米。

区分：

📍latitude：the distance of a place north or south of the equator (= the line around the world dividing north and south) , measured in degrees 纬度;

📍longitude：the distance of a place east or west of the Greenwich meridian , measured in degrees 经度。

loop /luːp/ 表示“圆圈，环形”，英文解释为“the curved shape made when something long and thin, such as a piece of string, bends until one part of it nearly touches or crosses another part of it”如：belt loops 腰带。

补充：📍in/on a loop 表示“循环，循环方式”，英文解释为“If something runs in a loop, or is on a loop, it runs continuously, so that the same things are repeated again and again.”举个🌰：The tape ran in a continuous loop, repeating the same songs over and over. 这盘磁带处于循环播放状态，反反复复地播放那几首歌曲。

📍闭环管理（制度）The closed-loop management system

作动词，1）表示“缠绕；弯曲”，英文解释为“If something runs in a loop, or is on a loop, it runs continuously, so that the same things are repeated again and again”举个🌰：Loop the rope over the bar. 用绳子在栏杆上缠一圈。

2）表示“成环形运动”，英文解释为“to move in a way that makes the shape of a loop”举个🌰：The river loops around the valley. 那条河顺着山谷绕了个大弯儿。

splashdown /ˈsplæʃ.daʊn/ 作名词，表示“溅落（指航天器坠入海里）”，英文解释为“a landing by a spacecraft in the sea”；动词短语splash down表示“降落在水中/海上”，英文解释为“(of a spacecraft) land on water.”

splash /splæʃ/ 本身表示“（使）（液体）洒，溅，泼”，英文解释为“If a liquid splashes or if you splash a liquid, it falls on or hits something or someone.”举个🌰：Water was splashing from a hole in the roof. 水从屋顶的洞里泼溅下来。

SpaceX staff erupted in cheers and applause as the falling booster reignited three of its Raptor engines, slowed its rapid descent and swung towards the “mechazilla” launch tower, where it was held fast by the mechanical arms, labelled “chopsticks”.

在助推器重新点燃三台 “猛禽”（Raptor）发动机，减缓其快速下降的速度，向“机械怪兽”（mechazilla）发射塔的方向摆动，并被机械臂牢牢接住时，SpaceX的工作人员现场响起了欢呼声和掌声。这对机械臂被形象地称为“筷子”（chopsticks）。

reignite /ˌriː.ɪɡˈnaɪt/ 1）表示“（使）重新燃烧；再点燃”，英文解释为“to start burning again; to make sth start burning again”举个🌰：The oven burners reignite automatically if blown out.烤炉的火如果吹灭了会自动再点燃。

2）表示“重新激起”，英文解释为“to make something such as a disagreement or worry that was disappearing grow stronger”举个🌰：Their passion was reignited by a romantic trip to Venice. 去威尼斯的浪漫之旅重新燃起了他们的激情。

raptor /ˈræp.tər/ 表示“肉食鸟，猛禽”，英文解释为“a bird, such as an eagle or a hawk, that kills and eats small birds and animals”或者表示“猛龙（一种小型恐龙）”，英文解释为“a type of small dinosaur”

descent /dɪˈsent/ 作名词，表示“血缘关系，家族关系；祖先；出身，血统”，英文解释为“the state or fact of being related to a particular person or group of people who lived in the past”如：of Asian descent 亚裔，举个🌰：She's a woman of mixed/French descent. 她是一个混血/法裔女人。

📍descent 还有“下降，下落；下沉”的意思，可以作名词也可作动词，英文解释为“a movement down”举个🌰：The plane began (to make) its final descent into the airport. 飞机开始（做）最终下降，准备在机场着陆。

📍还可以表示“不期而至，突然到达”，英文解释为“an occasion when a group of people arrive somewhere, usually suddenly or unexpectedly”，举个🌰：We weren't prepared for the descent of thousands of journalists on the town. 我们没想到数千名记者会突然来到镇上。

作动词，swing /swɪŋ/ 1）表示“挥动（拳头或器物）打击”，英文解释为“to move an object or your fist in an attempt to hit something or someone”举个🌰：I swung (the bat) and missed. 我挥动（球棒）击球，但是没有打中。

2）表示“摆动，摇摆，摇晃”，英文解释为“to move easily and without interruption backwards and forwards or from one side to the other, especially from a fixed point, or to cause something or someone to do this”举个🌰：He walked briskly along swinging his rolled-up umbrella. 他摇着收起的伞步履轻快地走在路上。

作名词，1）表示“秋千”，英文解释为“a seat for swinging on, hung from above on ropes or chains”；

2）表示“摆动；挥动；转动；强劲节奏”，英文解释为“a swinging movement or rhythm”举个🌰：He took a wild swing at the ball. 他对准球猛地挥拍一击。

3）表示“改变；改变的程度”，英文解释为“a change from one opinion or situation to another; the amount by which sth changes”举个🌰：Voting showed a 25% swing to him. 投票显示25%的人转而支持他。

4）在体育赛事的背景下，它可以指一系列赛事或比赛阶段。这个用法常见于体育报道和评论中。此处，swing指的是比赛或赛季中一个特定的阶段或时段，尤其是指赛季中连续进行的一系列比赛。例如，North American hard court swing是指北美硬地赛季的一系列赛事。通常用来描述某项运动（尤其是网球）中的一段时间，运动员参加不同的赛事，通常是不同地点的同一类型比赛。

“Mechazilla”是SpaceX为其发射塔（launch tower）起的一个昵称，该发射塔配备了巨大的机械臂，用于在助推器返回地面时将其接住。这个昵称由 “mecha”（机械）和 “Godzilla”（哥斯拉）组合而成，形象地比喻了发射塔如同巨型机械怪兽一般的外观和功能。

“Mecha”：指机械或机器人，常用于描述大型机械装置或科幻中的机甲。“Godzilla”（哥斯拉）：日本著名的怪兽形象，巨大而强大。将两者结合，“Mechazilla”生动地形容了发射塔巨大的机械结构和抓取助推器的功能。

It is the first time SpaceX has attempted the bold manoeuvre, one it sees as crucial to its goal of developing fully reusable rockets capable of ferrying humans, scientific equipment and supplies to the moon and onwards to Mars.

这是SpaceX公司首次尝试这种大胆的操作，SpaceX公司认为这对于实现开发可完全重复使用火箭的目标至关重要，这种火箭能够将人类、科学设备和物资运往月球及火星。

英式 manoeuvre /məˈnuːvə/ 美式 maneuver /məˈnuːvə/ 1）作名词，表示“细致巧妙的移动；机动动作”，英文解释为“a movement performed with care and skill”；也可以表示“策略；手段；花招；伎俩”，英文解释为“a clever plan, action or movement that is used to give sb an advantage“

2）作动词，表示“（使谨慎或熟练地）移动，运动；转动”，英文解释为“to move or turn skilfully or carefully; to move or turn sth skilfully or carefully”举个🌰：There was very little room to maneuver. 几乎没有什么活动空间。

ferry /ˈfer.i/ 作名词，表示“（尤指定期的）渡船，轮渡”，英文解释为“a boat or ship for taking passengers and often vehicles across an area of water, especially as a regular service”如：a car ferry 汽车渡轮。

作动词，表示“（尤指定期）渡运；运送”，英文解释为“to transport people or goods in a vehicle, especially regularly and often”举个🌰：I spend most of my time ferrying the children around. 我大部分时间都用在把孩子们送来送去上了。

“Are you kidding me?” said Dan Huot, SpaceX's communications manager, who was left shaking at the spectacle. “What we just saw, that looked like magic.”

“你在开玩笑吗？”SpaceX的通讯经理丹·胡特（Dan Huot）在目睹这一壮观场面后激动地说道。“我们刚刚看到的，简直像魔法一样。”

spectacle /ˈspɛktəkəl/ 1）表示“壮观场面；壮观景象”，英文解释为“a public event or show that is exciting to watch; an exciting appearance”举个🌰：The carnival was a magnificent spectacle. 嘉年华场面十分壮观。

2）表示“不寻常的事；出人意料的情况”，英文解释为“an unusual or unexpected event or situation that attracts attention, interest, or disapproval”举个🌰：It was a strange spectacle to see the two former enemies shaking hands and slapping each other on the back. 见到两个宿敌握手言欢，拍着彼此的背部，真是一幅奇怪的场景。

“This is a day for the engineering history books,” added Kate Tice, a quality systems engineer at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

位于加利福尼亚州霍索恩市的SpaceX公司总部的质量系统工程师凯特·泰斯（Kate Tice）补充说：“这是载入工程史册的一天。”

The rest of Starship re-entered Earth's atmosphere horizontally, with onboard cameras showing a smooth, pinkish-purple plasma covering the ship's Earth-facing side. The ship's hot side is coated with 18,000 heat-shielding tiles that were improved since SpaceX's last test in June, when Starship completed its first full test flight to the Indian Ocean but suffered tile damage that made its re-entry difficult.

“星舰”的其余部分以水平姿态重新进入地球大气层，机载摄像头显示飞船面向地球的一侧覆盖着光滑的粉紫色等离子体。飞船的受热面覆盖着1.8万块隔热瓦，这些隔热瓦在SpaceX于今年6月进行的上一次测试后得到了改进。当时，“星舰”完成了首次完整的印度洋试飞，但由于隔热瓦损坏，难以重返大气层。

horizontally /ˌhɒr.ɪˈzɒn.təl.i/ 表示“水平地”，英文解释为“in a way that is parallel to the ground or to the bottom or top edge of something”举个🌰：Slice the carrots in half horizontally. 将胡萝卜水平切成两半。

pinkish /ˈpɪŋ.kɪʃ/ 表示“浅粉红色的”，英文解释为“slightly pink in colour”如：a pinkish blue 略带粉色的蓝色。

plasma /ˈplæz.mə/ 表示“等离子体（一种几乎没有电荷的气体，发现于太阳和其他星球上）”，英文解释为“a type of gas with almost no electrical charge, found in the sun and other stars”如：solar plasma 太阳等离子体流，另一个含义表示“血浆”，英文解释为“the pale yellow liquid that forms 55% of human blood and contains the blood cells”

coat作名词，表示“大衣，外套”大家都比较熟悉，此处作动词，因为穿衣服的时候实际上也是在给身体表面“盖上”东西，所以可以引申为“给…涂上一层；（用…）覆盖”的意思，相当于cover，英文解释为“to cover sth with a layer of a substance”如：cookies thickly coated with chocolate 外面涂有厚厚一层巧克力的曲奇，举个🌰：A film of dust coated the table. 桌上覆盖着一层灰尘。

🎬电影《天伦之旅》（Stanno Tutti Bene）中的台词提到：l protected it with PVC coating. 但我用聚氯乙烯涂料做保护。

补充：

📍此处film也是熟词僻义，表示“薄薄的一层；薄膜”（a thin layer of sth, usually on the surface of sth else），如：a film of dust 一层灰尘。

heat shield /ˈhiːt ˌʃiːld/ 表示“（宇宙飞船的）隔热屏，隔热罩”，英文解释为“the part of a spacecraft's structure that prevents it from getting too hot as it returns to earth”

shield作名词，表示“保护人；保护物；掩护物；屏障”，英文解释为“a person or thing used to protect sb/sth, especially by forming a barrier”举个🌰：Water is not an effective shield against the sun's more harmful rays. 水不能有效阻挡太阳中更有害的射线。

shield本身有“盾（牌）”的意思（a large piece of metal or leather carried by soldiers in the past to protect the body when fighting）。

🎬《太阳浩劫》（Sunshine）中提到：If the shield is intact, 如果护盾完好无损。

tile /taɪl/ 表示“瓦片；瓷砖”，英文解释为“a thin, usually square or rectangular piece of baked clay, plastic, etc. used for covering roofs, floors, walls, etc.”如：roof tiles 屋顶瓦。

This time, Starship appeared more intact upon reigniting one of its six engines to position itself upright for the ocean landing. The SpaceX live stream showed the rocket splashing down in the night-time waters off Australia's coast, then toppling on its side, concluding its test mission.

这一次，“星舰”重新点燃其六台发动机中的一台，以垂直姿态准备在海洋中着陆时，显得更加完好无损。SpaceX的直播显示，火箭在澳大利亚海岸附近的夜色中溅落，然后侧翻，完成了本次试飞任务。

intact /ɪnˈtækt/ 表示“完好无损；完整”，英文解释为“ complete and not damaged”举个🌰：Most of the house remains intact even after two hundred years. 虽然过了两百年，这房子的大部分还保持完好。He emerged from the trial with his reputation intact. 他受审获释，名誉丝毫未受损害。

🎬《奇异博士》（Doctor Strange）中提到的：Cranial nerves intact. 脑神经完好无损。

livestream/live-stream 表示“互联网直播，线上直播，流直播”，英文解释为“to broadcast video and sound of an event over the internet as it happens, or to be broadcast in this way”

1）表示“打倒；推翻；颠覆”，英文解释为“to make sb lose their position of power or authority”

2）表示“（使）倒下；（使）倒塌”，英文解释为“to (cause to) lose balance and fall down”举个🌰：The statue was toppled (over) by the crowds. 雕像被众人推倒了。

A separate camera view from a vessel near the splashdown site then showed the ship exploding into a vast fireball. It was unclear whether the explosion was a controlled detonation or the result of a fuel leak. Musk said the ship landed “precisely on target!”

来自溅落地点附近船只的另一个摄像头视角显示，飞船随后爆炸成一个巨大的火球。目前尚不清楚爆炸是受控引爆还是燃料泄漏所致。马斯克表示，飞船“精确地降落在目标上！”

vessel /ˈvɛsəl/ 1）表示“（盛液体的）容器，器皿”，英文解释为“a container used for holding liquids, such as a bowl, cup, etc.”如：a Bronze Age drinking vessel 青铜器时代的饮具。

2）表示“船，舰”，英文解释为“a large boat or a ship”如：a cargo / fishing / naval / patrol / sailing / supply vessel 货船 / 渔船 / 海军舰艇 / 巡逻艇 / 帆船 / 补给船。

📍词源和词根：来自拉丁语的vasellum，意为“小船或容器”，来自更早的词vas，意为“容器”。

detonation /ˌdet.ənˈeɪ.ʃən/ 表示“引爆，起爆”，英文解释为“the act of exploding something, or the fact of being exploded”举个🌰：Underground nuclear detonations are believed to have been carried out. 据信已经进行了地下核引爆。

Commenting on SpaceX's successful capture of the Starship booster, Chris Hadfield, a Canadian former astronaut, wrote on X: “There was an enormous step forward in human capability today. Makes me even more excited for our collective future. Congratulations to all at SpaceX!”

加拿大前宇航员克里斯·哈德菲尔德（Chris Hadfield）在X上评论SpaceX成功接住“星舰”助推器时写道：“今天人类的能力取得了巨大进步。这让我对我们共同的未来更加期待。祝贺SpaceX的所有员工！”

- 词汇盘点 -

- 词汇助记 By ChatGPT -

LearnAndRecord

2015年2月8日

2024年10月14日

第3537天

每天持续行动学外语