如何在火星上生存
How to Survive on Mars
原文阅读
We've come so far from that very first "small step for a man". But not as far as our dreams will take us. Within a decade or two, Mars will be our next destination. But, are we ready to survive it? This is how to survive on Mars.
This red planet is our neighbor in the Solar System. But it has none of the components that make life possible here on Earth. It's full of radiation and too cold for liquid water. It has an atmosphere we can't breathe, and soil that we can't grow anything in. Its gusts of wind come close to what we classify as hurricanes here on Earth. And now we want to make it our new home. How can you prepare for this mission? What should you bring with you? And, what's your best strategy for coming back alive?
I honestly doubt Matt Damon could have survived being stuck on Mars all by himself. Luckily for you, we've put together a list of five tips that'll help you to get through it.
No.1, come prepared. Before you can even board the spaceship, NASA will be testing and training you for months. And I'm not just talking about your physical strengths. Your mental health is just as important. You're going on a very long trip, where you'll be stuck in small quarters with the same people. If NASA's tests have shown anything, it's that you'll get irritated with your crew members. So you better have a high degree of agreeableness, a strong desire to work together, and good humor. And if you lied on your resume about how well you handle high-pressure situations, the tests will show it.
No.2, pack up your gear. Mars isn't going to welcome you with open arms. Its atmosphere pressure is so low that it'll make your blood boil inside your body. Its night temperatures drop from a comfortable 20℃ to -153℃. Its surface is coated with dust so finely-grained that it would damage your lungs if you inhaled it. Top that all off with the winds rampaging at 97 km/h, and a whole lot of cosmic radiation. You get the picture. If you just crash on Mars with only your spacecraft and a single suit on your back, you won't last longer than one hour. If you want to survive on Mars, you'll need multiple spacesuits that will reflect all the radiation, keep you warm and provide you with oxygen and sufficient pressure. You'll also need a craft you'll live in until a bigger habitat is constructed, and vehicles to take you on your Martian adventures.
No.3, bring your food. The soil on Mars is a very fine, powder-like dust covering the basalt rock. That's precisely the opposite of fertile. If you want to grow anything on the red planet, you'll need a ton of solid biomass waste. Yeah, you'll be collecting all your poop, and all your crew members' poop. And then you'll plant potatoes, or whatever it is you want to grow in that mass of poop. You could eventually start growing some lettuce, garlic, and even potatoes. But you'd better stock up with supplies before you go on the mission. And make sure those supplies will last you at least a year. That's how long it takes for another crew to arrive to Mars.
No.4, don't forget about water. Mars is too cold to have liquid water. Instead, it has its water frozen as the polar ice caps. Of course, you can't bring a year-long supply of water with you all the way to Mars. But here's what you can do. Some initiatives suggest ways that you could extract water in Martian conditions. One of them being an aerogel developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This silica substance is meant to warm the surface of Mars by 65℃. That's a way to melt Martian water ice, and have a supply of drinking water, as well as water for irrigation. Or you could filter your pee, as astronauts on the International Space Station do.
No.5, be useful. This should really be the number one tip on this list, but I wanted to leave this hard truth to the end. You can't go to Mars simply because you won some contest, or paid big bucks to join the crew. You'll have to be a trained astronaut with at least one master's degree in engineering, biological or physical science, computer science, or mathematics. You could have a masters in botany, but you can't be a tourist. If you fit the description, your typical day on Mars will include tending to plants, maintenance checks, and repairs to all the water, electrical and filtration system, that keep your habitation operational. And some light exploration of the planet. You'll be sending updates to Earth-based agencies, and you'll most likely be missing Earth very much.
Mars isn't for everybody. It's just hostile. The process of making Mars our new home will be very slow, but theoretically, it's doable.
生词统计
| 单词 | 音标 | 翻译 |
|---|---|---|
| gust of wind | -- | 阵风 |
| irratate | ˈɪrɪteɪt | v. 刺激、使兴奋、激怒 |
| inhale | ɪnˈheɪl | v. 吸入、吸气、猛吃猛喝 |
| rampage | ˈræmpeɪdʒ | v. 横冲直撞、狂暴、发怒 |
| cosmic | ˈkɑːzmɪk | adj. 宇宙的 |
| habitat | ˈhæbɪtæt | n. 栖息地、产地 |
| fertile | ˈfɜːrtl | adj. 富饶的、肥沃的、能生育的 |
| lettuce | ˈletɪs | n. 生菜、莴苣 |
| garlic | ˈɡɑːrlɪk | n. 大蒜、蒜头 |
| aerogel | ˈerəˌdʒel | n. [物化]气凝胶 |
| Jet Propulsion Laboratory | -- | 喷气推进实验室 |
| silica | ˈsɪlɪkə | n. 二氧化硅、硅土 |
| irrigate | ˈɪrɪɡeɪt | v. 灌溉、冲洗、使清新 |
| botany | ˈbɑːtəni | n. 植物学、地区植物总称 |
| hostile | ˈhɑːstaɪl | n. 敌对； adj. 敌对的、敌方的、怀敌意的 |
翻译
We've come so far from that very first "small step for a man". But not as far as our dreams will take us. Within a decade or two, Mars will be our next destination. But, are we ready to survive it? This is how to survive on Mars.
我们已经从“那个人的一小步”走了那么远，但并不是梦想中的距离。10年或20年内，火星将是我们的下一个目的地。但是，我们准备好了吗？这就是如何在火星上生存。
This red planet is our neighbor in the Solar System. But it has none of the components that make life possible here on Earth. It's full of radiation and too cold for liquid water. It has an atmosphere we can't breathe, and soil that we can't grow anything in. Its gusts of wind come close to what we classify as hurricanes here on Earth. And now we want to make it our new home. How can you prepare for this mission? What should you bring with you? And, what's your best strategy for coming back alive?
这颗红色的星球是我们在太阳系的邻居。但它并没有如地球上使生命存在成为可能的成分。它充满了辐射，冷的没有液态水。它的大气层我们不能呼吸，它的土壤不能种植。它的阵风接近于我们地球上的飓风。现在我们想把它变成我们的新家，你将如何为这个任务做准备？你应该带些什么？能让你活着回来的最佳策略是什么？
I honestly doubt Matt Damon could have survived being stuck on Mars all by himself. Luckily for you, we've put together a list of five tips that'll help you to get through it.
老实说，我很怀疑马特·达蒙（火星救援电影的男主名）一个人被困在火星上是否还能活下来。对你来说幸运的是，我们整理了5条建议来帮助你度过难关。
No.1, come prepared. Before you can even board the spaceship, NASA will be testing and training you for months. And I'm not just talking about your physical strengths. Your mental health is just as important. You're going on a very long trip, where you'll be stuck in small quarters with the same people. If NASA's tests have shown anything, it's that you'll get irritated with your crew members. So you better have a high degree of agreeableness, a strong desire to work together, and good humor. And if you lied on your resume about how well you handle high-pressure situations, the tests will show it.
第一点：做好一切准备。在你登上飞机之前，美国航天局将对你进行数月的测试和训练。不仅仅是你的身体素质，你的心理健康也同样重要。你将会进行一次漫长的旅行，和同样的人呆在一个小房间里。如果NASA的测试显示了什么，比如你对你的宇航员队友发火。所以你最好有高度的亲和力，强烈的愿望在一起工作和良好的幽默感。如果你在简历上谎称自己能很好地应对高压情况，那么测试就会显示出来。
No.2 pack up your gear. Mars isn't going to welcome you with open arms. Its atmosphere pressure is so low that it'll make your blood boil inside your body. Its night temperatures drop from a comfortable 20℃ to -153℃. Its surface is coated with dust so finely-grained that it would damage your lungs if you inhaled it. Top that all off with the winds rampaging at 97 km/h, and a whole lot of cosmic radiation. You get the picture. If you just crash on Mars with only your spacecraft and a single suit on your back, you won't last longer than one hour. If you want to survive on Mars, you'll need multiple spacesuits that will reflect all the radiation, keep you warm and provide you with oxygen and sufficient pressure. You'll also need a craft you'll live in until a bigger habitat is constructed, and vehicles to take you on your Martian adventures.
第二点：收拾好你的装备。火星不会张开双臂欢迎你。它的大气压很低，会让你体内的血液沸腾。夜间温度从舒适的20℃下降到-153℃。它的表面覆盖着一层非常细的尘埃，如果你吸入就会损害你的肺。除此之外，还有高达97公里每小时的大风，以级大量的宇宙辐射。你明白了吧，如果你只带着你的飞船和一件宇航服坠落在火星，根本坚持不了1小时。如果你想在火星上生存，你需要多种宇航服来反射所有辐射，保暖、提供足够的氧气和压力。在建造一个更大的栖息地之前，你还需要一艘飞船，以级载你去火星探险的交通工具。
No.3, bring your food. The soil on Mars is very fine, powder-like dust covering the basalt rock. That's precisely the opposite of fertile. If you want to grow anything on the red planet, you'll need a ton of solid biomass waste. Yeah, you'll be collecting all your poop, and all your crew members' poop. And then you'll plant potatoes, or whatever it is you want to grow in that mass of poop. You could eventually start growing some lettuce, garlic, and even potatoes. But you'd better stock up with supplies before you go on the mission. And make sure whose supplies will last you at least a year. That's how long it takes for another crew to arrive to Mars.
第三点：带上你的食物。火星上的土壤是一种非常细的分装尘埃，覆盖在玄武岩上。这与肥沃土地正好相反。如果你想火星上种植任何东西，你将需要一吨的固体生物废料。是的，你需要收集你所有的排泄物，还有你队员的。然后你可以种土豆或者任何你想在那堆排泄物中种植的东西。你可以种一些莴苣、打算甚至土豆。但你最好在执行任务前储备一些物资，确保这些物资能维持一年，这是另一艘宇宙飞船到达火星的时间。
No.4, don't forget about water. Mars is too cold to have liquid water. Instead, it has its water frozen as the polar ice caps. Of course, you can't bring a year-long supply of water with you all the way to Mars. But here's what you can do. Some initiatives suggest ways that you could extract water in Martian conditions. One of them being an aerogel developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This silica substance is meant to warm the surface of Mars by 65℃. That's a way to melt Martian water ice, and have a supply of drinking water, as well as water for irrigation. Or you could filter your pee, as astronauts on the International Space Station do.
第四点：不要忘记水。火星太冷，不可能有液态水。相反，它的水冻结成了极地冰盖。当然，你不可能带着一年的水去火星。但你可以这样做。一些积极的提议在火星条件下提取水的方法。其中一种是NASA喷气推进实验室开发的气凝胶。这种硅质物质可以使火星表面升温65℃。这是一种融化火星冰提供饮水及灌溉用水的方法。或者你可以过滤你的尿液，就像国际空间站的宇航员那样。
No.5, be useful. This should really be the number one tip on this list, but I wanted to leave this hard truth to the end. You can't go to Mars simply because you won some contest, or paid big bucks to join the crew. You'll have to be a trained astronaut with at least one master's degree in engineering, biological or physical science, computer science, or mathematics. You could have a masters in botany, but you can't be a tourist. If you fit the description, your typical day on Mars will include tending to plants, maintenance checks, and repairs to all the water, electrical and filtration system, that keep your habitation operational. And some light exploration of the planet. You'll be sending updates to Earth-base agencies, and you'll most likely be missing Earth very much.
第五点：发挥作用。这应该是清单上的第一条建议，但我想把这个残酷的事实留在最后。你不能仅仅因为赢了竞赛或者花很多钱就去火星。你必须是一名训练有素的宇航员，至少有一个工程、生物或物理科学、计算机科学、数学方面的硕士学位。你可以拥有植物学硕士学位，但你不能成为一名游客。如果你符合上述条件，你在火星上的典型一天将包括照料植物、维护检查维修所有的水、电和过滤系统，以保持你的居所运行。以及对行星的一些光线探索。你需要想地球的中心发送更新数据，你很可能会非常想念地球。
Mars isn't for everybody. It's just hostile. The process of making Mars our new home will be very slow, but theoretically, it's doable.
火星并不适合所有人。它充满了敌意。在火星上建造我们的新家园过程将会非常缓慢，但从理论上讲，这是可行的。