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

11 September, 2013

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

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.

[VOICE]

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

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.

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.

A voice announces the launch time.

"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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

[VOICE]

And that's the VOA Education Report. I'm Jerilyn Watson.

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語教育報道。

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.

圣路易斯大學(xué)的學(xué)生們在向密蘇里州圣路易斯市上空放飛氣象氣球。美國太空總署(NASA)為這項活動出資。該活動是一項提高我們對空氣污染和氣候認識的研究的一部分。

[VOICE]

[操作時的聲音]

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.

在圣路易斯大學(xué)科學(xué)中心外，一群學(xué)生圍著一臺筆記本電腦和一臺無線接收器。他們正準備參加一個美國太空總署項目來測量臭氧。學(xué)生們傾聽著聲音信息。

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儀器，它們能測量方向、溫度、濕度、氣壓和臭氧。學(xué)生們測試了所有儀器。當(dāng)他們確認一切就緒時，就將該容器附加到一個氣象氣球上。

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.

該氣球?qū)y帶它進入大氣層，它能達到的高度是噴氣飛機的三倍。但首先學(xué)生們需要用氦氣填充氣球，這樣氣球才能上升。他們需要大量氦氣。當(dāng)氣球被充滿后，它的直徑將達到2至3米。

A voice announces the launch time.

以下是宣布放飛時間的聲音。

"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."

“我是圣路易斯大學(xué)大學(xué)氣象氣球放飛組的加里·莫里斯(Gary Morris)，我們現(xiàn)在在圣路易大學(xué)天文館。距離氣象氣球放飛時間還有5分鐘。”

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.

莫里斯是印第安納州瓦爾帕萊索大學(xué)的一名教授。他是這項全國性研究的首席培訓(xùn)師。莫里斯教授表示，美國宇航局希望獲得更多有關(guān)臭氧的信息，因為它對我們大氣的影響有好有壞。

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.

在上方所謂的平流層中，臭氧層能阻隔有害的紫外線到達地球。但在地面附近，汽車和石化廠的排放會形成臭氧污染和煙霧。這種有害空氣狀況會影響呼吸。

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)負責(zé)圣路易斯大學(xué)的臭氧研究。他說，減污新規(guī)定已經(jīng)降低了美國城市的臭氧污染水平。但他指出，偏遠地區(qū)的污染仍在上升。他將該污染歸咎于亞洲東部的工業(yè)活動。

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.

費什曼先生表示，污染空氣被上層大氣中的氣流吹過了太平洋。

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

現(xiàn)在在圣路易斯大學(xué)科學(xué)中心，是時候放飛氣球了。來，準備好。。。

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

“5，4，3，2，1，升空!好!”