VOA慢速英语:NASA Launching Balloons Over Saint Louis to Study Ozone

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

Students at Saint Louis University are launching weather balloons into the sky above St. Louis, Missouri. The United States space agency NASA is paying for this activity. It's a part of a study to improve our understanding of air pollution and climate.

圣路易斯大学的学生们在向密苏里州圣路易斯市上空放飞气象气球。美国太空总署(NASA)为这项活动出资。该活动是一项提高我们对空气污染和气候认识的研究的一部分。

[VOICE]

[操作时的声音]

A group of students surround a laptop computer and a radio receiver outside the Saint Louis Science Center. They're getting ready to take part in a NASA project to measure ozone. The students hear the sound of information.

在圣路易斯大学科学中心外，一群学生围着一台笔记本电脑和一台无线接收器。他们正准备参加一个美国太空总署项目来测量臭氧。学生们倾听着声音信息。

Inside container made of Styrofoam material are small instruments, they measure direction, temperature, humidity, air pressure and ozone. The students tested all the instruments. When they are certain everything is operating correctly, they attach the container to a weather ballon.

泡沫塑料材料制成的容器中是小型仪器，它们能测量方向、温度、湿度、气压和臭氧。学生们测试了所有仪器。当他们确认一切就绪时，就将该容器附加到一个气象气球上。

The ballon will carry it into the atmosphere three times higher than jets airplane. But first, the students need to fill the ballon with helium gas, so it can rise. They need a lot of helium, fully blown up, the ballon will be 2 to 3 meters in diameter.

该气球将携带它进入大气层，它能达到的高度是喷气飞机的三倍。但首先学生们需要用氦气填充气球，这样气球才能上升。他们需要大量氦气。当气球被充满后，它的直径将达到2至3米。

A voice announces the launch time.

以下是宣布放飞时间的声音。

"This is Gary Morris with the Saint Louis University weather balloon launch team at the St. Louis planetarium. We're five minutes from a weather balloon launch."

“我是圣路易斯大学大学气象气球放飞组的加里·莫里斯(Gary Morris)，我们现在在圣路易大学天文馆。距离气象气球放飞时间还有5分钟。”

Gary Morris is a professor at Valparaiso University in Indiana. He is the lead trainer for the nationwide study. The professor says NASA wants more information on ozone because * affects our atmosphere ― both good and bad.

莫里斯是印第安纳州瓦尔帕莱索大学的一名教授。他是这项全国性研究的首席培训师。莫里斯教授表示，美国宇航局希望获得更多有关臭氧的信息，因为它对我们大气的影响有好有坏。

High up in what is called the stratosphere, the ozone layer keeps harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth. But near the ground, emissions from cars and petrochemical plants form ozone pollution and smog, the unhealthy air condition that affects breathing.

在上方所谓的平流层中，臭氧层能阻隔有害的紫外线到达地球。但在地面附近，汽车和石化厂的排放会形成臭氧污染和烟雾。这种有害空气状况会影响呼吸。

Jack Fishman leds the ozone study at Saint Louis University. He says new requirements that decrease pollution have lowered ozone levels in American cities, but he notes that pollution in remote areas continues to increase. He blames industrial activity in eastern Asia for that pollution.

杰克·菲什曼(Jack Fishman)负责圣路易斯大学的臭氧研究。他说，减污新规定已经降低了美国城市的臭氧污染水平。但他指出，偏远地区的污染仍在上升。他将该污染归咎于亚洲东部的工业活动。

Mr Fishman says polluted air is being blown across the Pacific by currents in the upper atmosphere. He says ozone pollution has slown the growth of farm crops and forests.

费什曼先生表示，污染空气被上层大气中的气流吹过了太平洋。

And now, at the Saint Louis Science Center, is time for the balloon launch. OK, comes a voice, ready...

现在在圣路易斯大学科学中心，是时候放飞气球了。来，准备好。。。

"Five, four, three, two, one, lift-off! Alright!"

“5，4，3，2，1，升空!好!”