09 August, 2013

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

This week marks the first anniversary of a major exploration effort on Mars. It has been 12 months since the exploration device called "Curiosity" landed on the distant planet. Curiosity is named for the human condition of wanting to learn or know something.

The United States space agency, NASA, says Curiosity has driven more than 1.6 kilometers on Mars. The device, called a "rover," is about the size of a car.

Curiosity has found evidence of an ancient riverbed and other signs of wet conditions. NASA scientists say that with these discoveries, Curiosity has answered the question of whether conditions on ancient Mars could have supported life.

Jim Green leads the planetary division at NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

"We found all the ingredients of life as measured in this material that's deposited in this ancient riverbed. Mars was habitable in its past."

Curiosity is a traveling laboratory that contains 10 scientific instruments. The rover has found hydrogen, oxygen and other elements necessary for life.

The space agency says Curiosity has fired more than 75,000 laser shots. The laser turns rocks and soil into gas. The equipment on Curiosity then examines and identifies the materials on the Martian surface.

Curiosity has sent back more than 70,000 images that give a new understanding of Earth's neighboring planet.

Curiosity's findings will help set future Mars exploration. NASA's Jim Green says the next mission will be launched in 2020.

"Knowing that Mars was an environment that was habitable in its past, we're going to start seeking the signs of potential life that could have existed on Mars. And that, if we could answer that question, will change everything."

Space scientists chose to explore Mars instead of other planets because of the Red Planet's similarities with our own. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system.

"If life exists beyond Earth, and I am one who believes that it may very well, Mars, for me, is the most likely place that that life will be found."

Mr. Bolden spoke at an event to mark Curiosity's first year of exploring Mars.

Curiosity is traveling in the low area called Gale Crater, where it landed last year. The crater was formed by an asteroid that hit Mars long ago. It is a deep, 150-kilometer-wide area similar to a valley or canyon on Earth.

Curiosity is moving toward the area called Mount Sharp. NASA scientists plan for the device to study the lower levels of that Martian mountain. It will search for clues about how the planet has changed over time. The rover will also search for a type of soil called "clay." Curiosity has found clay minerals on Mars. Clay is evidence of once wet conditions on the planet.

Curiosity was designed to work for two years, but it could go on exploring and sending information back to Earth much longer. NASA scientists and engineers say that in the years to come they hope to work on ways to send people to Mars.

And that's In the News from VOA Learning English. For more reports, videos and lessons in American English, please visit us at chinavoa.com. I'm Steve Ember.

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道。

This week marks the first anniversary of a major exploration effort on Mars. It has been 12 months since the exploration device called "Curiosity" landed on the distant planet. Curiosity is named for the human condition of wanting to learn or know something.

本周是一项重大火星探测计划的一周年纪念，好奇号探测器登陆遥远的火星已经过去了12个月。它被命名为好奇号，体现了人类希望求知的这样一种状态。

The United States space agency, NASA, says Curiosity has driven more than 1.6 kilometers on Mars. The device, called a "rover," is about the size of a car.

美国宇航局(简称NASA)表示，好奇号在火星上已经行驶超过1.6公里。好奇号的大小近似于一辆汽车，它也被称为漫游者。

Curiosity has found evidence of an ancient riverbed and other signs of wet conditions. NASA scientists say that with these discoveries, Curiosity has answered the question of whether conditions on ancient Mars could have supported life.

好奇号已经发现古河床的证据和湿润环境的其它迹象。美国宇航局的科学家说，通过这些发现，火星号已经回答了远古火星环境是否适合生命生存的这个问题。

Jim Green leads the planetary division at NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

吉姆·格林负责美国宇航局科学项目理事会的行星部门。

"We found all the ingredients of life as measured in this material that's deposited in this ancient riverbed. Mars was habitable in its past."

他说，“我们在分析这块沉积在古河床的材料时发现了生命的所有成分。火星过去曾经适合居住。”

Curiosity is a traveling laboratory that contains 10 scientific instruments. The rover has found hydrogen, oxygen and other elements necessary for life.

好奇号是一个携带了10种科学仪器的移动实验室，它已经发现了氢，氧和生命所必需的其它元素。

The space agency says Curiosity has fired more than 75,000 laser shots. The laser turns rocks and soil into gas. The equipment on Curiosity then examines and identifies the materials on the Martian surface.

美国宇航局表示，好奇号已经发射了超过7.5万次激光。这些激光将岩石和土壤变成气体。随后好奇号上的设备就能检测并确定火星表面的物质。

Curiosity has sent back more than 70,000 images that give a new understanding of Earth's neighboring planet.

好奇号已经发回了7万多张照片，让我们对地球的这个近邻有了全新的认识。

Curiosity's findings will help set future Mars exploration. NASA's Jim Green says the next mission will be launched in 2020.

好奇号的发现将有助于制定未来的火星探测计划。美国宇航局的格林表示，下一轮任务将在2020年推出。

"Knowing that Mars was an environment that was habitable in its past, we're going to start seeking the signs of potential life that could have existed on Mars. And that, if we could answer that question, will change everything."

他说，“知道了火星过去的环境曾经适合居住，我们将开始寻找火星上可能已经存在的潜在生命的迹象。如果我们能够确定这个问题将改变一切。”

Space scientists chose to explore Mars instead of other planets because of the Red Planet's similarities with our own. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system.

空间科学家选择探索火星而不是其它行星，是因为火星和地球有相似之处。美国宇航局局长查尔斯·博尔登(Charles Bolden)说，火星是太阳系中最像地球的行星。

"If life exists beyond Earth, and I am one who believes that it may very well, Mars, for me, is the most likely place that that life will be found."

他说，“如果地球之外有生命存在，我也认为这点可能很好。对我来说，火星是最有可能发现生命的地方。”

Mr. Bolden spoke at an event to mark Curiosity's first year of exploring Mars.

博尔登在好奇号探索火星一周年的纪念活动上做出上述表示。

Curiosity is traveling in the low area called Gale Crater, where it landed last year. The crater was formed by an asteroid that hit Mars long ago. It is a deep, 150-kilometer-wide area similar to a valley or canyon on Earth.

好奇号正行驶在被称为盖尔陨石坑的低洼地区，它去年在这里降落。该陨石坑是很久以前小行星撞击火星形成的，这是一块有着150公里宽的很深的区域，类似于地球上的山谷或峡谷。

Curiosity is moving toward the area called Mount Sharp. NASA scientists plan for the device to study the lower levels of that Martian mountain. It will search for clues about how the planet has changed over time. The rover will also search for a type of soil called "clay." Curiosity has found clay minerals on Mars. Clay is evidence of once wet conditions on the planet.

好奇号正朝着夏普山这一区域移动。美国宇航局的科学家计划使用该设备研究这座火星山的低海拔位置。它将寻找火星随时间改变的有关线索。好奇号还将寻找一种名为“粘土”的土壤。好奇号在火星上找到了粘土矿物，粘土是火星曾经是湿润环境的证据。

Curiosity was designed to work for two years, but it could go on exploring and sending information back to Earth much longer.

好奇号设计工作寿命为2年，但它可以坚持更长时间，继续探索和向地球发回信息。