选自经济学人20190817期61页科学和技术板块
Nuclear propulsion
Chernobyl with wings
A nuclear accident in Russia points to the risks of atomic aviation
带着问题读文章：
1. 太阳系行星用英语怎么说，分别有什么含义？
2. 牛郎星、织女星、天狼星、星座怎么表达？
3. 氢弹，原子弹如何表达？
4. 美国1957年的冥王星计划是什么？
5. 俄罗斯海燕计划的一次事故造成了什么后果？
6. 文章说“nuclear propulsion can work in two ways”，请问核推进可以通过哪两种方式工作？
7. 俄罗斯最长射程的巡航导弹是？
8. 军备控制专家Pranay Vaddi对俄罗斯开展海燕计划的看法是？
①In 1957 work began on Project Pluto, a treetop-skimming American missile loaded with hydrogen bombs. Nothing odd about that, except that the missile itself was also to be propelled by nuclear energy. A reactor on board would suck in air, heat and thus expand it, and then hurl it out of the back to provide thrust. Unfortunately, this also spewed out radioactive particles— which would hardly matter in war, but meant the missile could not be tested safely, and so the project was cancelled.
Pluto: 冥王星
Neptune: 海王星；罗马神话中的海神尼普顿。在希腊神话中为Poseidon
Uranus: 天王星；乌拉诺斯，天空的拟人化身，掌管宇宙，被其子克洛诺斯推翻
Saturn: 土星；罗马农业和植物神萨杜恩
Jupiter：木星（最大）；罗马神话中的奥林匹亚的众神之主。在希腊神话中为Zeus
Mars：火星；罗马战神马耳斯，罗姆拉斯和雷姆斯之父。在希腊神话中为Ares
Earth: 地球
Venus: 金星；罗马爱神维纳斯。在希腊神话中为Aphrodite(阿弗洛狄特)
Mercury: 水星；上帝的信使墨丘利。在希腊神话中为Hermes
Altair: 牛郎星，天鹰座中最亮的一颗星
Vega：织女星，天琴座中最亮的一颗星
Sirius: 天狼星，日落后天空中最亮的一颗星
constellation: 星座
hydrogen bomb：氢弹
atomic bomb：原子弹
1957年，冥王星计划开始，这是一个掠过树梢的装满氢弹的美国导弹。它没有什么奇特之处，除了导弹本身也将由核能推动。导弹上的反应堆会吸入空气，加热，从而使其膨胀，然后把它从后面甩出去提供推力。不幸的是，它同时会释放出放射性粒子——这在战争中没什么关系，但意味着导弹无法安全测试，因此该计划被取消。
②America’s experience has not, however, deterred Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president. In March 2018 he announced the development of a Pluto-like missile called Burevestnik (“petrel”, a bird regarded by sailors of old as a harbinger of storms). This has since been tested in Novaya Zemlya, and has crashed several times.
petrel: 海燕
然而，美国的经验并没能阻止俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京。2018年3月，他宣布开发一种类似冥王星计划的导弹，名为“海燕”，一种被老水手视为暴风雨前兆的鸟。在诺瓦亚·泽姆利亚进行了试验，并已坠毁数次。
③On August 8th there was another accident ascribed by many observers to Burevestnik. Seven scientists perished in a rocket explosion on an oshore platform near Arkhangelsk. The damage was widespread. Some reports suggest that on August 13th Nyonoksa, a village 40km away, was almost evacuated after radiation there exceeded background levels.
8月8日，许多观察家将另一次事故归咎于Burevestnik。七名科学家死于Arkhangelsk附近离岸平台的火箭爆炸。危害蔓延。一些报告显示，8月13日，40公里外的Nyonoksa村，在辐射超过背景值后，基本疏散完毕。
④As Michael Elleman, a missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think-tank, observes, nuclear propulsion can work in two ways. One is fission reaction—the sort used in power stations. But, as Project Pluto’s designers found, that is tricky to fit in a missile.
fission: 裂变
正如智囊团国际战略研究所（International Institute for Strategic Studies）的导弹专家迈克尔·埃勒曼（Michael Elleman）所观察到的，核推进可以通过两种方式工作。一种是核裂变反应，这是发电厂使用的一种反应。但是，正如冥王星计划的设计者所发现的，这很难安装在导弹上。
⑤The other option is radioisotope decay, which uses a substance such as polonium-218 to heat and evaporate a liquid. The gas generated might be employed to propel probes through the vacuum of space, but because it produces less thrust than fission the process has not been thought suitable for missiles. Mr. Elleman hypothesizes, however, that Russia may use it for another purpose: to create a long-lasting thermal battery which can provide unlimited electrical power for tasks such as missile guidance and warhead initiation.
radioisotope: 放射性同位素
thermal battery：热电池
另一种选择是放射性同位素衰变，它使用诸如钋-218这样的物质来加热和蒸发液体。产生的气体可以用来推动探测器穿过太空真空，但由于它产生的推力比裂变少，这个过程被认为不适用于导弹。然而，埃勒曼先生假设俄罗斯可能将其用于另一个目的：创造一个持久的热电池，为导弹制导和弹头启动等任务提供无限的电力。
⑥Russia has admitted that an “isotope power source” was being tested, and Rosatom, the country’s atomic-energy agency, has said a “nuclear battery” was involved. Some Russian sources suggest it was this— rather than a reactor—which failed, exploding when it was pulled from the water.
Rosatom: 俄罗斯联邦原子能机构
俄罗斯已经承认正在测试一种“同位素能源”，俄罗斯原子能机构称，其中涉及一种“核电池”。一些俄罗斯消息人士认为就是这个东西，而不是核反应堆试验失败，当它从水中被拉出来时发生了爆炸。
⑦Why go to such trouble in the first place? Russia has ballistic missiles that can reach any part of the world, but it is worried that they may be vulnerable to current or future American defenses. Cruise missiles can y along low, erratic paths capable of skirting those defenses. But Russia’s longest-range cruise missile, Kalibr, can travel only a few thousand kilometers, so hitting America would require launching it from planes, ships or submarines. Burevestnik, by contrast, could be fired from deep inside Russian territory, and would thus be a more credible threat.
erratic: 不稳定的，不确定的，不可靠的，不规则的；漂石，漂砾
为什么一开始就会遇到这样的麻烦？俄罗斯拥有能够到达世界任何地方的弹道导弹，但它担心这些导弹可能会受到当前或未来美国防御系统的攻击。巡航导弹可以沿低矮、不稳定的路径飞行，能够绕过这些防御系统。但俄罗斯最长射程的巡航导弹Kalibr只能飞行几千公里，因此打击美国需要从飞机、船只或潜艇上发射。相比之下，Burevestnik可以从俄罗斯领土腹地发射，因此是一个更可靠的威胁。
⑧Pranay Vaddi, an arms-control expert at the Carnegie Endowment, a think-tank, suggests it might also serve as a bargaining chip. “This may be an eort to gain leverage in arms-control negotiations, to force the United States to the table,” he says. New Start, a treaty that limits American and Russian nuclear forces, covers only ballistic missiles. America does not seem keen on renewing it when it expires in 2021. The Russians may hope that Burevestnik will change America’s attitude—if they can make it work.
the Carnegie Endowment：卡耐基基金会
expire:失效，终止，到期；届满；逝世
When does your driving license expire? 你的驾照什么时候到期？
His term of office expires at the end of June. 他的任期六月底届满。
Your ID card has expired. 你的身份证过期了。
智囊团卡内基基金会的军备控制专家Pranay Vaddi认为，这也可以作为谈判的筹码。他说:“这可能是为了在军备控制谈判中获得影响力，迫使美国坐到谈判桌前。”限制美俄核力量的《新削减战略武器条约》只涵盖弹道导弹。当2021年到期时，美国似乎并不热衷于续期。俄罗斯人可能希望Burevestnik能改变美国的态度——如果他们能做到的话。
读完文章回答问题：
1. 太阳系行星用英语怎么说，分别有什么含义？
2. 牛郎星、织女星、天狼星、星座怎么表达？
3. 氢弹，原子弹如何表达？
4. 美国1957年的冥王星计划是什么？
5. 俄罗斯海燕计划的一次事故造成了什么后果？
6. 文章说“nuclear propulsion can work in two ways”，请问核推进可以通过哪两种方式工作？
7. 俄罗斯最长射程的巡航导弹是？
8. 军备控制专家Pranay Vaddi对俄罗斯开展海燕计划的看法是？
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