肯尼迪于1962年在赖斯大学关于航天事业的演讲
肯尼迪于1962年在赖斯大学关于航天事业的演讲 英文版
Houston, Texas, September 12, 1962President Pitzer, Mr. Vice President, Governor, Congressman Thomas, Senator Wiley, and Congressman Miller, Mr. Webb, Mr. Bell, scientists, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen:
I appreciate your president having made me an honorary visiting professor, and I will assure you that my first lecture will be very brief.
I am delighted to be here and I'm particularly delighted to be here on this occasion. We meet at a college noted for knowledge, in a city noted for progress, in a State noted for strength, and we stand in need of all three, for we meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance. The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds.
Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this Nation’s own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole, despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far outstrip our collective comprehension.
No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, but condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man’s recorded history in a time span of but a half a century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals to cover them. Then about 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power. Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America’s new spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight.
This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old, new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward.
So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward—and so will space.
William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.
If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.
Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolutions, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it—we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.
Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world's leading space-faring nation.
We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.
There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.
In the last 24 hours we have seen facilities now being created for the greatest and most complex exploration in man's history. We have felt the ground shake and the air shattered by the testing of a Saturn C-1 booster rocket, many times as powerful as the Atlas which launched John Glenn, generating power equivalent to 10,000 automobiles with their accelerators on the floor. We have seen the site where five F-1 rocket engines, each one as powerful as all eight engines of the Saturn combined, will be clustered together to make the advanced Saturn missile, assembled in a new building to be built at Cape Canaveral as tall as a 48 story structure, as wide as a city block, and as long as two lengths of this field.
Within these last 19 months at least 45 satellites have circled the earth. Some 40 of them were "made in the United States of America" and they were far more sophisticated and supplied far more knowledge to the people of the world than those of the Soviet Union.
The Mariner spacecraft now on its way to Venus is the most intricate instrument in the history of space science. The accuracy of that shot is comparable to firing a missile from Cape Canaveral and dropping it in this stadium between the the 40-yard lines.
Transit satellites are helping our ships at sea to steer a safer course. Tiros satellites have given us unprecedented warnings of hurricanes and storms, and will do the same for forest fires and icebergs.
We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public.
To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.
The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.
And finally, the space effort itself, while still in its infancy, has already created a great number of new companies, and tens of thousands of new jobs. Space and related industries are generating new demands in investment and skilled personnel, and this city and this State, and this region, will share greatly in this growth. What was once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space. Houston, your City of Houston, with its Manned Spacecraft Center, will become the heart of a large scientific and engineering community. During the next 5 years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects to double the number of scientists and engineers in this area, to increase its outlays for salaries and expenses to $60 million a year; to invest some $200 million in plant and laboratory facilities; and to direct or contract for new space efforts over $1 billion from this Center in this City.
To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money. This year’s space budget is three times what it was in January 1961, and it is greater than the space budget of the previous eight years combined. That budget now stands at $5,400 million a year—a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year. Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United Stated, for we have given this program a high national priority—even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us. But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun—almost as hot as it is here today—and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out—then we must be bold.
I'm the one who is doing all the work, so we just want you to stay cool for a minute.
However, I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don't think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job. And this will be done in the decade of the sixties. It may be done while some of you are still here at school at this college and university. It will be done during the term of office of some of the people who sit here on this platform. But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.
I am delighted that this university is playing a part in putting a man on the moon as part of a great national effort of the United States of America.
Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."
Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.
Thank you.
肯尼迪于1962年在赖斯大学关于航天事业的演讲 中文版
得克萨斯州休斯敦，1962年9月12日
匹兹校长、副校长、州长、汤姆斯议员、威利参议员、米勒议员、韦伯先生、贝尔先生、科学家们、尊贵的来宾、女士们、先生们：
我非常感谢你们的校长授予我名誉客座教授的头衔。我向你们保证，我的第一个演讲将会很简洁。
我很高兴来到这里，特别是在这个时候来到这里。我们在这个以知识而闻名的大学相会，在这个以进步而闻名的城市相会，在这个以实力而闻名的州相会。并且我们需要这三者，因为我们处于一个变化与挑战的时期，希望与失望的10年，知识与无知并存的时代。我们获得的知识越多，我们显露出的无知也就越多。
尽管存在一个惊人的事实，世界上绝大多数科学家都在努力奋斗;尽管我国的科研力量以每12年翻一番的速率增长，超过了人口增长速率的3倍;尽管这样，未知、未解和未尽的探索仍如漫漫长路，仍然远远超出了我们所有人的理解力。
没有人知道我们能走多远，能走多快。但是，如果你愿意把人类有史以来的5万年浓缩成半个世纪的时间跨度。在这个时间跨度下，我们对于开始的40年知之甚少，除了知道在这40年的最后出现了学会用兽皮遮体的人类。在这个标准下，大约数年前人类走出洞穴建造新的家园。仅仅在5年前人类才学会了写字和使用有轮子的车辆。基督教诞生于不到2年之前。印刷出版今年才出现。在人类历史的整个50年跨度中，在最近不到两个月的时间之前，蒸汽机为我们提供了新的动力。牛顿发现了引力的意义，上个月出现了电灯、电话、汽车和飞机。仅仅在上周我们才发明了青霉素、电视与核动力。如果现在美国新的飞船能够成功抵达金星，那么我们真正算得上在今天午夜抵达别的星球了。
这是激动人心的一步。但是这样的一步在驱散旧的痛苦、无知和问题的同时，不得不创造新的痛苦、新的无知和新的问题。毫无疑问，航天事业的回报高，花费和风险也高。
因此，不难理解有些人要我们在原地止步不前继续等待。但是休斯敦市、德克萨斯州，美利坚合众国并不是由那些止步不前的人建立的。这个国家是由不断前进的人征服的，航天事业也是这样。
威廉·布拉德福德在1630年普利茅斯湾殖民地建立仪式上说，所有伟大而光荣的举动都伴随着巨大的困难，而两者都应该被有责任感的勇气所克服。
如果说这个人类进步的浓缩历史给了我们什么启示，那就是在寻求知识和进步的过程中的人类是坚定而不能被阻止的。空间探索将会继续，不论我们是否加入它。无论在什么时候，它都是一项重大的冒险，没有任何一个期望成为世界领袖的国家希望在这场空间竞赛中停步。
我们的前辈让这个国家掀起了工业革命的第一波浪潮、现代发明的第一波浪潮、核动力的第一波浪潮。而我们这一代并不希望在即将到来的太空时代的浪潮中倒下。我们要参与其中，我们要领导潮流。为了全世界注视太空、月球和其他行星的人们，我们发誓我们不会看到太空代表敌意的旗帜，而应该是代表自由与和平的旗帜。我们发誓我们不会看到太空充满了大规模杀伤性武器，而应该是充满获取知识的工具。
然而，我国的承诺只有在我国领先(因为我们想要领先)的情况下才能得以履行。简而言之，我们在科学和工业上的领导地位，我们对于和平和安全的渴望，我们对于自身和他人的责任，所有这一切要求我们做出努力，为了全人类的利益解决这些谜团，成为世界领先的航天国家。
我们踏上新的航程，为了获取新的知识，为了赢得新的权利，获取并运用权利，应该是为了全人类的进步。空间科学正如核科学以及其他技术一样，本身没有道德可言，它成为善或者恶的力量取决于人类。并且只有当美利坚合众国取得了卓越的地位，才能帮助决定这片新的领域是和平还是成为战争的威胁。我不认为我们应该对敌人滥用太空比对敌人滥用陆地和海洋更加无动于衷，但是我确实认为太空能够在非战争的目的下开发和利用，再不重复人类曾经犯过的错误的情况下开发和利用。
在太空上还没有竞争、偏见和国家冲突。太空的危险是我们所有人面对的。太空值得全人类尽最大的努力去征服，而且和平合作的机会可能不会重来。但是有些人问，为什么是月球?为什么选择登月作为我们的目标?他们也许会问为什么我们要登上最高的山。35年前，为什么要飞越大西洋?为什么赖斯大学要与德克萨斯大学比赛?
我们决定登月，我们决定在这个10年间登月，并且做其他的事，不是因为它们简单，而是因为它们困难，因为这个目标将有益于组织和分配我们的优势能力和技能，因为这个挑战是我们乐于接受的，因为这个挑战是我们不愿推迟的，因为这个挑战是我们打算赢得的，其他的挑战也是一样。
正是因为这些理由，我把去年关于提升航天计划的决定作为我在本届总统任期内最重要的决定之一。
在过去的24小时里，我们看到一些设施已经为人类历史上最复杂的探险而建立起来。我们感受到了土星C-1助推火箭试验产生的震动和冲击波，它比把约翰·伦格送入太空的大力神火箭还要强大好几倍，产生相当于10万辆汽车的功率。我们看到了5个F-1火箭发动机，每一个都相当于8个土星火箭发动机的功率，它们将会用于更先进的土星火箭，在卡纳维拉尔角即将兴建的48层大楼中组装起来。这幢建筑宽一个街区，长度超过这个体育场的两倍。
在过去的19个月中至少有45颗卫星进入了太空，其中大约40颗标着“美国制造”的标记，它们比苏联的卫星更加精密，更能为世界人民提供更多的知识。
正在飞向金星的水手号飞船是空间科学史上最复杂的装置。其精确程度比得上在卡纳维拉尔角发射的一枚火箭击中这个体育场的40码线之间。
海事卫星让海上的船只航行更安全，气象卫星给我们对于飓风和风暴空前的警告，它同样也能用于森林火灾和冰山的预警。
我们经历过失败，但是别人也经历过，即使他们不承认失败。因此它们可能不为人所知。
很显然我们落后了，并且在载人航天方面继续落后一段时间。但是我们并不打算一直落后，在这个10年间我们将会迎头赶上。
我们获得的关于宇宙和环境的新知识，新的学习、绘图和观测技术，用于工业、医学和家庭的新工具和计算机，所有这些都将促进科学和教育的发展。像赖斯大学这样的技术院校将会因此而得益。
最终，尽管航天事业本身仍然处于童年，但是，它已经催生了很多公司和数以千计的工作机会。航天和其他相关工业对投资和有特殊技能的人力产生了新的需求，并且这个城市、这个州、这个地区将会极大的分享这种增长。西部曾经的旧疆域将会成为空间科学的新疆域。休斯敦，你们的休斯敦市，以及它的载人飞行器中心，将会成为一个大的科学与工程共同体的心脏。在接下来的5年中，宇航局期望这个地区的科学家和工程师数量加倍，期望把工资和开支提高到每年6千万美元，期望在工厂和实验室设施上得到2亿美元的投资，期望指导或与这个城市的航天中心签订超过10亿美元的合同。
很显然，这将会花去我们一大笔钱。今年的航天预算是1961年1月的3倍，比过去8年的总和还要多。预算现在保持在每年54亿美元——一个令人吃惊的数目，尽管还稍微小于我们在香烟和雪茄上的消费额。航天支出很快就会从平均每人每周40美分上升到50美分的程度，因为我们赋予了这个计划很高的国家优先权，即使我觉得它稍微有点信念与幻想的意味，因为我们不知道会有什么样的好处等待着我们。但是我说，我的同胞们，我们应该登上月球，那个距离休斯敦控制中心24万英里的天体。建造一个超过300英尺高的火箭，和这个橄榄球场的长度相同，由新的合金制成，其中一些我们还没有发明出来，能够承受数倍于以前的材料所能承受的热和压力。装配的精密程度媲美最精巧的手表，携带有用于推进、导航、控制、通讯、食品和维生的全部设备。执行一个没有先例的使命，登上那个未知的天体，然后安全的返回地球，以超过每小时25000英里的速度重返大气层，产生的温度大约是太阳温度的一半，就像今天这里这样热——我们要达到全部这些目标，要顺利达到这个目标，要在这个10年达到，因此我们必须勇于面对。
我一个人做了所有这些工作，所以我们想让你们冷静一会儿。
然而，我认为我们正在付诸实践，我们必须付出应该付出的。我不认为我们应该浪费金钱，但是我认为我们应该付诸实践。这些应该在20世纪60年代实现，它有可能在你们还在中学、这所学院和大学的时候实现，它将会在台上诸位任期之内实现。但是它应该完成，它应该在这10年末之前完成。
我很高兴这所大学在登月计划中扮演着一个角色，作为美利坚合众国的国家事业的一部分。
很多年之前，伟大的英国探险家乔治·马洛里(他死于攀登珠穆朗玛峰)被人问到他为什么要攀登珠穆朗玛峰。他回答说：“因为它就在那儿。”
因此，太空就在那儿，而我们将要登上它，月球和其他行星在那儿，获得知识与和平的新希望在那儿。因此，当我们启程的时候，我们祈求上帝保佑这个人类有史以来所从事的最危险和最伟大的冒险。
谢谢。
