考研英语#2016考研究生英语经济学人热点#卫星 下一个太空

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Leaders Satellites Space: the next startup frontier
社论精粹 卫星 太空咨询QQ、微信：2544906，这使得他们比目前的大卫星便宜成千上万倍。不可否认的，这些卫星有许多办不了的事儿，但是在那种价格差下，加以巧妙使用他们已有的功能，他们可以在许多方面出乎意料地成为有竞争力的选手。在接下来的五年，还有1000颗微型卫星有望被发射出去。
Two trends are setting up nanosats for further success. Like people working on everythingfrom robots to 3D printers, nanosat builders are harvesting the benefits of ever better, evercheaper components built for smartphones and other consumer electronics. Some nanosatseven contain complete smartphones, making use of the clever operating systems, radios andcameras which phones now contain. For as long as phones go on getting cheaper and morecapable, so will nanosats. The cheapest so far—a tiny chipsat—was assembled for just $25,though it has yet to be successfully launched.
两个趋势为微型卫星进一步的成功奠定了基础。就像从研究机器人到3D打印的人们一样，微型卫星的制造者从智能手机和其他家用电子产品中获得了更廉价更好的元件。有些微型卫星甚至装有整个手机装置，利用手机目前现有的智能的操作系统、电台和照相机功能。只要手机在一直降价并且越来越智能化，微型卫星也会同样变便宜并且更智能。目前最便宜的——微型芯片卫星——只花了25美元进行配置，尽管它暂时还没有被成功发射出去。
The launch systems too are getting much cheaper. SpaceX, the innovative rocket-makerfounded by Elon Musk, has already brought down the costs of getting into space; it and itscompetitors could reduce them a lot further. The biggest beneficiaries will at first be people whomake big satellites. But more big satellites will mean more opportunities for small satellites topiggy-back on their launches. And some companies are looking at cheap little launch systemstailored specifically to the needs of the nanosatellite. One reason space engineers arenotoriously conservative is that the costs of failure are high. As making and launchingsatellites gets cheaper, it will be ever easier for innovative, risk-taking nanosat-makers to orbitaround the lumbering incumbents.
发射系统也越来越便宜了。伊隆?马斯克创办的创新火箭制造公司太空探索技术公司已经降低了发射卫星到太空的成本了，该公司及其竞争对手可以进一步降低发射成本。最大的受益人首先就是制造大型卫星的人。但是越多大型卫星发射就意味着越多的机会给小卫星。一些公司在研究廉价小型发射系统专用于满足微型卫星的需求。太空工程师出了名的保守一个原因是失败的代价太高。随着制造和发射卫星越来越便宜，微型卫星制造者就越容易进行创新和冒险环绕XX运行。
Size does impose limits. Nanosats cannot peer as closely at the Earth or carry out as manyexperiments as big satellites. But for some jobs that does not matter. The plans thatcompanies already have include using nanosats for monitoring crops, studying the sun andtracking ships and aircraft. Such a system might have been able to track Malaysian Airlinesflight MH370, which went missing in March.
体积确实会产生限制。微型卫星不能像大型卫星一样把地球看得那么仔细，也不能像大型卫星一样进行那么多实验。但是对有些工作来说，体积并不重要。公司现有的计划包括用微型卫星监控农作物，研究太阳和追踪船只和飞机。这种系统可能可以追踪三月份失踪的马航MH370。
Nano can do
微型卫星可以做到
Yet not everyone is thrilled. One worry is that constellations of nanosats will mean a big increasein space junk; but, operating in low-Earth orbit, they burn up on re-entry after a year or so.And being cheap, they can soon be replaced with newer models. A more serious concern is thatthey are a “dual-use” technology: they could be used for military purposes. In America thishas led to onerous restrictions.
但是没有人很兴奋。其中一个担忧是一群微型卫星就意味着太空垃圾大量增加，但是，如果在近地轨道运行，这些卫星就会烧掉或者一年后重新进入轨道。因为便宜，这些卫星可以很快被更新的型号取代。更应该关注的是他们是“军民两用”的技术：这些卫星也可以用于军事用途。在美国，这个引发了麻烦的限制。
Barack Obama's administration has sensibly repealed a law of 1999 that required all satellitesto be licensed by the State Department as munitions under the International Traffic in ArmsRegulations (ITAR). This could mean that most commercial satellites will be removed from ITARby the end of the year and their export administered by the Commerce Department. But somesatellite systems and spacecraft—including anything that can carry people into space—willremain under ITAR.
巴拉克?奥巴马的政府明智地撤销了1999年的一项法规，这项法规规定所有的卫星都要遵循《国际武器贸易条例》，作为军需品通过国务院授权。这可能意味着嘴商业化的卫星将于今年年底从国际武器贸易条例中去除，并且他们的出口受商务部管理。但是一些卫星系统和飞机——包括一切可以载人进入太空的东西—还是要遵循《国际武器贸易条例》。
Care needs to be taken with military kit, but America's regulations still seem excessive. Aregular review to distinguish between systems that pose a real threat and ones that don'twould be a help, as would better intelligence. Tight restrictions on new technologies will notwork, and will damage America's interests: exciting new ventures like nanosats will simply moveto countries from which they can be launched with greater ease.
军用装备需要小心，但是美国的条例看起来还是过分了。定期检查区分形成真正威胁的系统和没有形成威胁的系统会有效，还会更明智。对新技术的严格限制不会有用，还会损害美国的利益：像微型卫星那样令人兴奋的新冒险只会转移到发射更容易的国家去。
【重点讲解】
1.only to 仅仅为了;结果是
例句:They are there only to satisfy their ghoulishcuriosity.
他们去那里纯粹是为了满足其病态的好奇心。
2.a number of 许多;若干
例句:And a number of African countries, too, areslipping through the net.
并且一些非洲国家也被漏掉了。
3.expect to 期许
例句:I do expect to have some time to myself in the evenings.
我确实希望晚上能有些属于自己的时间。
4.make use of 利用;使用
例句:Not all nursery schools make use of the opportunities open to them.
并不是所有的托儿所都能抓住他们面临的机会。