Lesson 61 Trouble with the Hubble哈勃望远镜的困境
First listen and then answer the question.听录音,然后回答以下问题。
What is the special importance of a telescope in space?
The Hubble telescope was launched into space by NASA on April 20,1990 at a cost of over a billion dollars. Right from the start there was trouble with the Hubble. The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty! NASA is now going to put the telescope right, so it will soon be sending up four astronauts to repair it. The shuttle Endeavour will be taking the astronauts to the Hubble. A robot-arm from the Endeavour will grab the telescope and hold it while the astronauts make the necessary repairs. Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that we have ever seen. The Hubble will tell us a great deal about the age and size of the universe. By the time you read this, the Hubble's eagle eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of wonderful pictures.
参考译文
哈勃望远镜于1990年4月20日由国家航空航天局发射升空,耗资10多亿美元。从最开始哈勃望远镜就有问题。它传送给我们的图 像很令人失望,因为它 的主要镜子有误差。国家航天局准备纠正这一错误,为此将把4名宇航员送入太空修复望远镜。“奋进”号航天飞机将把宇航员送上哈勃。当宇航员进行必要的修复 工作时,“奋进”号上的一只机器手将抓住望远镜并托住它。当然,哈勃位于地球的大气层之外,因此,它很快就会给我们传送我们所见到过的、有关行星和远距离 星系的最清晰的照片。哈勃将告诉我们有关宇宙的年龄和大小的许多事情。等到你读到这篇文章时,敏锐的哈勃望远镜已经为我们送来了成千上万张精彩的照片。
New words and Expressions生词和短语
Hubble
n. 哈勃
telescope
n. 望远镜
launch
v. 发射
space
n. 空间
NASA
n.(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) 国家航空和航天局
billion
n. 10亿
faulty
adj. 有错误的
astronaut
n. 宇航员
shuttle
n. 航天飞机
Endeavour
n. “奋进”号
robot-arm
n. 机器手
grab
v. 抓
atmosphere
n. 大气层
distant
adj. 遥远的
galaxy
n. 星系
universe
n. 宇宙
eagle eye
鹰眼
Lesson 61 自学导读First things first
课文详注 Further notes on the text1.at a cost of,造价为……,耗资,以……的价格/费用。
He has just built a new house for his family at a cost of £10,000.
他刚为他的家庭盖了一座新房子,耗资1万英镑。
2.Right from the start there was trouble with the Hubble. 从最开始哈勃望远镜就有问题。
(1)start为名词,表示“开始”、“开端”,from the start表示“从开始时”,副词right起强调作用:
He didn't want to work at the firm(right) from the start.
他从最开始就不想在这家公司上班。
(2)trouble在这里指“(机器等的)故障”、“问题”:
There is (engine) trouble with my car.
我的汽车(发动机)有问题。
(3)the Hubble代指 the Hubble telescope。由于上下文中没有其他以 Hubble命名的东西,前面又提到过一次Hubble telescope,所以用 the Hubble既简洁又不会引起误解。
3.NASA is now going to put the telescope right…国家航天局准备纠正这一错误……
put right表示“修好(故障等)”、“校正”、“纠正”等:
Have you put the watch/clock right?
你把表/钟对好了吗?
Remember to put the lights right tomorrow.
明天记得把灯修好。
4.…the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that we have ever seen.……哈勃位于地球的大气层之外,因此,它很快就会给我们传送我们所见到过的、有关恒星和远距离星系的最清晰的照片。
(1)关系从句that we have ever seen修饰pictures。
(2)由于哈勃望远镜位于大气层之外,它照相便不受大气的阻挡,因此照片清晰。
(3)形容词最高级后面的关系从句常用…ever heard, met, read,seen等完成式:
This is the longest book (that) I have ever read.
这是我所看过的书中最长的一部。
Ian is the most interesting man (that/whom) I have ever met.
伊恩是我所遇见的最有趣的人
。
5.…the Hubble's eagle eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of wonderful pictures.……敏锐的哈勃望远镜将已经为我们送来了成千上万张精彩的照片。
(1)eagle eye的含义是“鹰眼”、“锐利目光”:
His father's eagle eye is always on him.
他父亲的锐利目光总是盯着他。
(2)在表示“几千”、“数千”、“许许多多”、“成千上万”这些数字概念时可用thousands(of…):
There are hundreds of thousands/thousands and thou
sands of cars in this city.
这座城市里有成千上万辆汽车。
语法 Grammar in use
将来完成进行时(The future perfect progressive tense)与其他形式的将来时
将来完成进行时的构成: will have been+现在分词
(1)在第13课的语法中,我们学习了将来进行时。它表示将来某个时候正在进行的动作或表示计划好的事。它不像一般将来时中的will,不表达“蓄意为之”的含义,只陈述将来的事实:
They will be arriving here tomorrow.
他们明天就要到达此地。
在第37课的语法中,我们学习了将来完成时。它用于表示到将来某一时刻已经完成的动作,必须和某个时间状语连用:
Workers will have completed the new roads by the end of this year.
工人们将在今年年底前把新路铺好。
(2)将来完成进行时表示某种状况一直持续到说话人所提及的时间:
By this time next week, I will have been working for this firm for twenty years.
到下星期此刻,我就已经为这家公司工作了20年了。
在时间状语从句中,要用现在完成时代替将来完成时(cf.第60课语法):
Have you been writing books for long?
你写书已经很长时间了吗?(现在完成进行时,表示现在仍在写)
By the time I've completed this one,I'll have been writing for six years.
到我写完这本书时,我将已经写了6年书了。(时间状语从句中用现在完成时,主句用将来完成进行时)
词汇学习 Word study
1.cost(n.), price(n.)与value(n.)
cost和price都可以表示“价格”、“价钱”,但price侧重于指某个具体东西或商品的价钱,cost侧重指某项服务、工程等的费用:
What's the price of the dress, please?
请问这件衣服多少钱?(询问价钱时,price与what连用,不用 how much)
They built the bridge at a cost of over £600,000.
他们造这座桥的费用是六十多万英镑。
cost的复数表示“成本”:
I don't know the costs of these cars.
我不知道这些车的成本是多少。
price的复数表示“物价”:
Prices are going up again.
物价又上涨了。
value可以表示抽象的价值或重要性:
This book is of great value to me.
这本书对我来说很有价值/重要。
This newspaper has little value.
这份报纸没什么价值。
value的复数形式表示“价值观”:
His values are different from those of mine.
他的价值观与我的不一样。
2.cost(v.), price(v.)与value(v.)
cost为及物动词,表示“价钱为”、“(使)花费”(不用于被动语态):
The new car cost him £5,000.
那辆新车花了他5,000英镑。
How much did it cost to launch the Hubble telescope into space?
将哈勃望远镜发射升空花费了多少钱?
price作动词用时在口语中表示“问……的价钱”、“查明/查询……的价格”:
They priced cars for two days before they bought one.他们在询问了两天车价后才买了一辆车。
price还可以表示“给……定价/标价”:
The dress is priced at £50, but you can have it at £40.这件衣服标价为50英镑,不过你可以花40英镑买下它。value作及物动词时可以表示“尊重”、“重视”等:
If you don't value my advice, I'll speak no more.如果你不重视我的建议,那我就什么也不再说了。