科學(xué)探索篇

The Space Shuttle

by Ronald Regan^[76]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’d planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger^[77]. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we’ve never lost an astronaut in flight. We’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we’re thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, “Give me a challenge, and I’ll meet it with joy.” They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage^[78] of the shuttle’s take-off. I know it’s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.

I’ve always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish^[79] it. We don’t hide our space program. We don’t keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That’s the way freedom is, and we wouldn’t change it for a minute.

We’ll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.

I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA^[80], or who worked on this mission and tell them: “Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.”

There’s a coincidence^[81] today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, “He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.” Well, today, we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake’s, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly^[82] bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”

Thank you.

[點(diǎn)評(píng)] 這是一篇紀(jì)念“挑戰(zhàn)者號(hào)”航天飛機(jī)的文章。文章開(kāi)始，作者懷著沉痛的心情回顧往昔。接下來(lái)，作者用堅(jiān)定的語(yǔ)氣表示人類(lèi)向未知太空探索的決心。盡管在科學(xué)探索的道路上，犧牲是不可避免的。但前進(jìn)的步伐是永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)停止的。最后，點(diǎn)明主題，我們將永遠(yuǎn)記住那些為人類(lèi)探索外太空而獻(xiàn)身的英雄們。

The Spread of HIV^[83] And Will We Ever Cure AIDS?

by David Ho^[84]

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning!

Predicting the future is risky business for a scientist. It is safe to say, however, that the global AIDS epidemic will get much worse before it gets any better. Sadly, this modern plague will be with us for several generations, despite major scientific advances.

As of January 2000, the AIDS epidemic has claimed 15 million lives and left 40 million people living with a viral infection that slowly but relentlessly erodes^[85]the immune system. According for more than 3 million deaths in the past year alone, the AIDS virus has become the deadlines microbe in the world, more lethal than even TB^[86] and malaria. There are 34 developing countries where the prevalence of this infection is 2% or greater. In Africa nearly a dozen countries have a rate higher than 10%, including four southern African nations in which a quarter of the people are infected. And the situation continues to worsen; more than 6 million new infections appeared in 1999. This is like condemning 16,000 people each day to a slow and miserable death.

Fortunately, the AIDS story has not been all gloom and doom^[87]. Less than two years after AIDS was recognized, the guilty agent—human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV—was identified. We now know more about HIV than about any other virus, and 14 AIDS drugs have been developed and licensed in the U.S. and Western Europe.

The epidemic continues to rage, however, in South America, Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. By the year 2025, AIDS will be by far the major killer of young Africans, decreasing life expectancy to as low as 40 years in some countries and single-handedly erasing the public health gains of the past 50 years.

It is Asia, with its huge population at risk, which will have the biggest impact on the global spread of AIDS. The magnitude of the pandemic^[88]could range from 100 million to 1 billion, depending largely on what happens in India and China. Four million people have already become HIV-positive in India, and infection is likely to reach several percent in a population of 1 billion. Half a million Chinese are now infected; the trajectory^[89] of China’s epidemic, however, is less certain.

An explosive AIDS epidemic in the U.S. is unlikely. Instead, HIV infection will continue to fester in about 0.5% of the population. But the complexion of the epidemic will change. New HIV infections will occur predominately in the underclass, with rates 10 times as high in minority groups. Nevertheless, American patients will live quality lives for decades, thank to advances in medical research. Dozens of powerful and well-tolerated AIDS drugs will be developed, as will novel means to restore the immune system.

A cure for AIDS by the year 2025 is not inconceivable. But constrained by economic reality, these therapeutic advances will have only limited benefit outside the U.S. and Western Europe.

A vaccine is our only real hope to avert disaster unparalleled in medical history. A large, concerted effort of research was launched three years ago in the U.S. and hints of promising strategies are emerging from experiments in monkeys. But even if an AIDS vaccine is developed before 2025, it will require an extraordinary effort of political will among our leaders to get to the people who need it most.

Thank you!

[點(diǎn)評(píng)] 這是一篇有關(guān)艾滋病問(wèn)題的文章，作者通過(guò)大量的數(shù)據(jù)理性地分析了艾滋病的發(fā)展?fàn)顩r和人類(lèi)所面臨的嚴(yán)峻問(wèn)題，同時(shí)也對(duì)目前的科學(xué)研究成果和人類(lèi)戰(zhàn)勝疾病所做出的努力進(jìn)行了肯定。作為一篇科技文章，它沒(méi)有修辭的大量運(yùn)用和情感的抒發(fā)，只有客觀地陳述實(shí)際情況和未來(lái)的發(fā)展。通過(guò)科學(xué)的方法收集數(shù)據(jù)，探究問(wèn)題出現(xiàn)的原因，制定相應(yīng)解決問(wèn)題的對(duì)策，通過(guò)反復(fù)地試驗(yàn)進(jìn)行驗(yàn)證，最終攻克難關(guān)。

How Hot Will It Get?

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning!

In the past decade we have experienced seven of the ten warmest years on record. In the last Ice Age, about 18,000 years ago, glaciers^[90] came as far south Pittsburgh.

Not so long ago, people talked about global warming in apocalyptic^[91] terms—imagine the Statue of Liberty up to its chin in water, for example. Recently, however, advances in our understanding of climate have moved global warming from a subject for a summer disaster movie to a serious but manageable scientific and policy issue.

Here’s what we know. Since sunlight is always falling on the earth, the laws of physics decree that the planet has to radiate the same amount of energy back into space to keep the books balanced. The earth does this by sending infrared radiation out through the atmosphere, where an array^[92] of molecules the best known is carbon dioxide form a kind of blanket, holding outgoing radiation for a while and warming the surface. The molecules are similar to the glass in a greenhouse, which is why the warming process is called the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is nothing new; it has been operating ever since the earth formed. Without it, the surface of the globe would be a frigid—20℃, the oceans would be frozen, and no life would have developed. So the issue we face in the next millennium is not whether there will be a greenhouse effect, but whether humans, by burning fossil fuels, are adding enough carbon dioxide to the atmosphere to change it and our climate in significant and dangerous ways.

Scientists agree that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing steadily. It is near 360 parts per million p.p.m. today, vs. 315 p.p.m. in 1958 when modern measurements started and 270 p.p.m. in pre-industrial times as measured by air bubbles trapped in the Greenland ice sheet.

An analysis of temperature records indicates that the world’s average temperature has gone up about 0.5℃ in the past century, with the 90s being the hottest decade in recent history. This fact is quoted widely, although there are doubts even among researchers. Recent satellite records, using different kinds of instrumentation, fail to show a warming trend.

If we accept that there has been warming, we turn to computer models to see if humans are to blame and what will happen to the earth’s climate in the future. These models are complex because climate depends on thousands of things, from Antarctic sea ice to sub-Saharan soil conditions. They have difficulty handling factors like clouds and ocean currents two major influences on climate. Like everything else in this frustrating field, the model’s limitations force us to make important decisions in the face of imperfect knowledge.

The most authoritative predictions about future warming come from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), a worldwide consortium^[93] of more than 2,000 climate scientists. The current forecast is that by 2100 the earth’s temperature will go up 1℃ to 3.5℃, with the best guess being an increase of 2℃.

It makes no sense to overreact to the prospect of global warming, but it makes no sense to ignore it either. A prudent^[94] policy that stresses conservation and alternate energy sources seems to be wise insurance in an uncertain age. After all, our grandchildren will thank us for developing high-mileage cars, energy-efficient appliances and cheap solar energy, no matter how the future of global warming plays out.

[點(diǎn)評(píng)] 目前全球變暖問(wèn)題已成為世界共同關(guān)心的重大問(wèn)題。作者在開(kāi)始提出論點(diǎn)，問(wèn)題雖然存在，但隨著對(duì)氣候認(rèn)識(shí)的不斷加深，全球轉(zhuǎn)暖已經(jīng)從災(zāi)難影片的主題轉(zhuǎn)為一個(gè)嚴(yán)肅但可控制的科學(xué)與政策問(wèn)題。接著，作者理性地分析了溫室效應(yīng)產(chǎn)生的原因，氣候變化的背后潛藏的巨大的危險(xiǎn)；客觀地陳述了先進(jìn)科技手段的運(yùn)用對(duì)問(wèn)題的解決所起的作用。最后，進(jìn)一步強(qiáng)調(diào)，只要采取積極有效的措施保護(hù)自然環(huán)境，人類(lèi)的未來(lái)一片光明。此外，大量數(shù)字的運(yùn)用使文章更具科學(xué)性和說(shuō)服性。

【注釋】

[1]　economize: [i(:)5kCnEmaiz]v.節(jié)約, 節(jié)省, 有效地利用

[2]　 assault [E5sC:lt]n.攻擊, 襲擊v.襲擊

[3]　 degrade [di5^reid]v.(使)降級(jí), (使)墮落, (使)退化

[4]　 revive [ri5vaiv]v. (使)蘇醒, (使)復(fù)興, (使)復(fù)活, (使)再生效, 回想

[5]　sewage [5sju(:)idV]n.下水道, 污水v.用污水灌溉, 裝下水道于

[6]　badge: [bAdV]n.徽章, 證章

[7]　本文選自1996年“21世紀(jì)杯全國(guó)大學(xué)生英語(yǔ)演講比賽”二等獎(jiǎng)獲得者徐義成的作品。

[8]　evade: [i5veid]v.規(guī)避, 逃避, 躲避

[9]　shoddy: [5FCdi]adj.翻制的, 以次充好的, 假冒的n.贗品

[10]　aggravate: [5A^rEveit]vt.使惡化, 加重

[11]　factual :[5fAktjuEl]adj.事實(shí)的, 實(shí)際的

[12]　cite: [sait]vt.引用, 引證, 提名表?yè)P(yáng)

[13]　morality : [mR5rAliti]adj.道德的n.道德

[14]　marginalize : [`mB:dVinElaiz] vt. (1)使處于社會(huì)邊緣,使脫離社會(huì)發(fā)展進(jìn)程 (2)忽視,排斥

[15]　vice versa: [5vaisi5vE:sE]adv.反之亦然

[16]　Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) 美國(guó)短篇小說(shuō)家、教育家、詩(shī)人和散文家。畢業(yè)于普林斯頓大學(xué)神學(xué)院，后成為長(zhǎng)老會(huì)牧師。曾在普林斯頓大學(xué)任英國(guó)文學(xué)教授。作品有《第一棵圣誕樹(shù)》 《激情》 《金鑰匙》等。

[17]　tribulation:[7tribju5leiFEn]n.苦難, 憂(yōu)患, 磨難

[18]　trample[5trAmpl]n.踩踏, 蹂躪v.踐踏, 踩壞, 輕視

[19]　brood:[bru:d]n.(動(dòng)物中鳥(niǎo)或家禽的)一窩, (同種或同類(lèi)的)一伙vt.孵, 沉思

[20]　sullen:[5sQlEn]adj.慍怒的, 沉沉不樂(lè)的, (天氣等)陰沉的

[21]　sprinkle:[5spriNkl]v.撒(某物)于(某物之表面), 灑, 噴撒

[22]　Samuel Smiles: 塞繆爾·斯邁爾斯，英國(guó)19世紀(jì)著名的社會(huì)改革家和十分多產(chǎn)的人生隨筆作家。他寫(xiě)過(guò)許多膾炙人口的人生隨筆作品，如《自己拯救自憶》《品格的力量》《人生的職責(zé)》《金錢(qián)與人生》《信仰的力量》《命運(yùn)之門(mén)》等，這些作品在全球暢銷(xiāo)一百多年而不衰，改變了億萬(wàn)人的命運(yùn)，對(duì)近代以來(lái)西方社會(huì)的道德風(fēng)尚產(chǎn)生了很大的影響。

[23]　bond : [bCnd]n.結(jié)合(物), 粘結(jié)(劑), 聯(lián)結(jié), 公債, 債券, 合同v.結(jié)合

[24]　enshrine: [in5Frain]vt. 入廟祀奉, 銘記

[25]　avail: [E5veil]vi.有益于, 有幫助, 有用, 有利vt.有利于n.效用, 利益

[26]　 mutual: [5mju:tjuEl, 5mju:tFuEl]adj.相互的, 共有的

[27]　 expertise : [7ekspE5ti:z]n.專(zhuān)家的意見(jiàn), 專(zhuān)門(mén)技術(shù)

[28]　diaper: [5daiEpE]n.尿布

[29]　這篇短文寫(xiě)于25年前，那時(shí)作者被卡內(nèi)基基金會(huì)(Carnegie Foundation)和教育發(fā)展與促進(jìn)協(xié)會(huì)(Council for Advancement and Support of Education) 提名為當(dāng)年最佳教授 (Professor of the Year)。獲獎(jiǎng)后，《校友聯(lián)合雜志》(Alumni Magazine Consortium) 的編輯邀請(qǐng)他為他們的雜志寫(xiě)篇文章。

[30]　enmity: [5enmiti]n.敵意, 憎恨

[31]　criterion : [krai5tiEriEn]n.(批評(píng)判斷的)標(biāo)準(zhǔn), 準(zhǔn)據(jù), 規(guī)范

[32]　predominate : [pri5dCmineit]vt.掌握, 控制, 支配vi.統(tǒng)治, 成為主流, 支配, 占優(yōu)勢(shì)

[33]　jade : [dVeid]n.碧玉, 翡翠adj.綠色的, 玉制的

[34]　vessel : [5vesl]n.船, 容器, 器皿, 脈管, 導(dǎo)管

[35]　sensational : [sen5seiFEnEl]adj.使人感動(dòng)的, 非常好的

[36]　conversely : [5kRnv\:sli]adv.倒地,逆地

[37]　adolescence : [9AdEJ5lesEns]n.青春期（一般指成年以前由13至15歲的發(fā)育期）

[38]　candidly : [5kAndidli]adv.率直地, 坦白地

[39]　deride : [di5raid]vt.嘲弄, 嘲笑

[40]　preoccupied: [pri:5CkjJpaid]adj.被先占的, 全神貫注的

[41]　inherit : [in5herit]vt.繼承, 遺傳而得

[42]　impressionable :[im5preFEnEb(E)l]adj.容易受感動(dòng)的, 敏感的

[43]　wedge: [wedV]n.楔vt.楔入, 楔進(jìn)

[44]　sorrow : [5sCrEu]n.悲哀, 悲痛

[45]　capacity : [kE5pAsiti]n.容量, 生產(chǎn)量, 容量, 智能, 才能, 能力, 接受力, 地位

[46]　安德魯·卡內(nèi)基(Andrew Carnegie，1835–1919)，美國(guó)鋼鐵大王。

[47]　salutary : [5sAljutEri]adj.有益的

[48]　be exposed to遭受, 暴露于……

[49]　be qualified for（1）有……的資格（2）適于擔(dān)任……

[50]　apprentice: [E5prentis]n.學(xué)徒v.當(dāng)學(xué)徒

[51]　proficiency: [prE5fiFEnsi]n.熟練, 精通, 熟練程度

[52]　soever: [sEu5evE]adv.無(wú)論, 不論何種

[53]　EL Nino: 厄爾尼諾

[54]　La Nina : 尼娜

[55]　preen: [pri:n] vt.(鳥(niǎo))用嘴整理, 打扮, 贊揚(yáng)vi.把(自己)打扮漂亮

[56]　daffodil : [5dAfEdil]n.水仙花adj.水仙花色的

[57]　inexorably : [in5eksErEbli]adv.無(wú)情地, 冷酷地

[58]　magnitude : [5mA^nitju:d]n.大小, 數(shù)量, 巨大, 廣大, 量級(jí)

[59]　unabated : [5QnE5beitid]adj.不衰退的, 不減弱的

[60]　colonial : [kE5lEunjEl]adj.殖民的, 殖民地的 n.殖民地居民

[61]　feudal : [5fju:dl]adj.世仇的, 封建制度的, 封地的, 領(lǐng)地的

[62]　resort : [ri5zC:t]n. 常去之地, 勝地

[63]　Nancy M. Peterson:美國(guó)著名短篇小說(shuō)家，其小說(shuō)以清新、優(yōu)美著稱(chēng)。

[64]　marshmallow : [mB:F5mAlEJ]n.藥屬葵, 藥屬葵蜜餞

[65]　grumble : [5^rQmbl] vi.抱怨, 發(fā)牢騷, 咕噥, 嘟囔, 隆隆響vt.喃喃地說(shuō)出

[66]　plink : [pliNk]v.(使)發(fā)出叮玲聲n.叮玲聲

[67]　assault : [E5sC:lt]n.攻擊, 襲擊v.襲擊

[68]　streak : [stri:k]v.飛跑, 加上條紋

[69]　saturate: [5sAtFEreit]v.使飽和, 浸透, 使充滿(mǎn)

[70]　John Boynton Priestley (1894-1984) 英國(guó)小說(shuō)家、評(píng)論家和劇作家。早期從事傳記和評(píng)論的撰寫(xiě)，代表作有《英國(guó)小說(shuō)》《好伙伴》等；中期開(kāi)始創(chuàng)作劇本，作品有《危險(xiǎn)的角落》《明天到家》等；晚年主要從事對(duì)英國(guó)社會(huì)的調(diào)查與研究，作品有《維多利亞的鼎盛時(shí)期》等。

[71]　contrive[kEn5traiv]v.發(fā)明, 設(shè)計(jì), 圖謀

[72]　sinister:[5sinistE]adj.險(xiǎn)惡的

[73]　weathercock[5weTEkRk]n.風(fēng)標(biāo), 隨風(fēng)倒的人

[74]　hypochondriasis:[9haipEJkCn5draiEsis]n.疑病(癥狀)

[75]　prank[prANk]n.胡鬧, 開(kāi)玩笑, 惡作劇vt.裝飾, 打扮vi.打扮得漂亮

[76]　本文選自1986年1月28日，“挑戰(zhàn)者號(hào)”升空7秒鐘爆炸后，美國(guó)總統(tǒng)里根專(zhuān)門(mén)發(fā)表的演說(shuō)。

[77]　shuttle Challenger：“挑戰(zhàn)者號(hào)”航天飛機(jī)。1986年1月28日，作為美國(guó)第二架航天飛機(jī)在進(jìn)行第10次飛行時(shí)，從發(fā)射架上升空70多秒后發(fā)生爆炸，價(jià)值12億美元的航天飛機(jī)化作碎片，墜入大西洋，7名機(jī)組人員全部遇難，造成了世界航天史上最大的慘劇。這是美國(guó)進(jìn)行25次載人航天飛行中首次發(fā)生在空中的大災(zāi)難。

[78]　coverage:[5kQvEridV]n.覆蓋

[79]　diminish:[di5miniF]v.(使)減少, (使)變小

[80]　NASA:[5nAsE]abbr. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (美國(guó))國(guó)家航空和宇宙航行局

[81]　coincidence[kEu5insidEns]n.一致, 相合, 同時(shí)發(fā)生或同時(shí)存在(尤指偶然)的事

[82]　surly[5sE:li]adj.粗暴的, 乖戾的, 陰沉的, 無(wú)禮的, 板面孔的

[83]　HIV n. =Human Immunodeficiency Virus 人類(lèi)免疫缺陷病毒

[84]　David Ho：何大一，著名國(guó)際艾滋病研究專(zhuān)家，1952年出生于臺(tái)灣，在臺(tái)中度過(guò)了12年的童年生活之后，隨家人移居美國(guó)。二十多年來(lái)，何大一一直致力于攻克艾滋病的研究，他始創(chuàng)“雞尾酒療法”，雞尾酒療法可以將艾滋病患者的死亡率降低到20%，同時(shí)他使用多種藥物有效抑制早期感染的艾滋病毒。他也因此成為《時(shí)代》周刊1996年度風(fēng)云人物。雖然有人對(duì)藥物治療艾滋病的有效性持懷疑態(tài)度，但《時(shí)代》周刊對(duì)何大一的評(píng)價(jià)——他是為人類(lèi)對(duì)抗艾滋病扭轉(zhuǎn)乾坤的真正英雄。

[85]　erode: [i5rEud]vt.侵蝕, 腐蝕, 使變化vi.受腐蝕, 逐漸消蝕掉

[86]　TB =tuberculosis [tju7bE:kju5lEusis]n. 肺結(jié)核

[87]　gloom and doom : （成語(yǔ)）黑暗和絕望

[88]　pandemic : [pAn5demik]adj.全國(guó)流行的

[89]　trajectory : [5trAdViktEri, trE5dVekEtEri]n.[物](射線(xiàn)的) 軌道, 彈道, 軌線(xiàn)

[90]　glacier:[5^lAsjE, 5^leiFE]n.冰河

[91]　apocalyptic: [E7pRkE5liptik]adj.啟示錄的, 天啟的

[92]　array:[E5rei]n.排列, 編隊(duì), 軍隊(duì), 衣服, 大批vt.部署, 穿著, 排列

[93]　consortium[kEn5sC:tjEm]n.社團(tuán), 協(xié)會(huì), 聯(lián)盟, (國(guó)際)財(cái)團(tuán), [律]配偶的權(quán)利,＜美＞大學(xué)聯(lián)盟協(xié)定

[94]　prudent[5pru:dEnt]adj.謹(jǐn)慎的