VOA慢速英语2019 夏威夷巨型望远镜遭民众抗议（在线收听）

Protesters Object to Huge Telescope on Hawaiian Mountain

Hundreds of people on the island of Hawaii are demonstrating this week against building a telescope on the top of the mountain Mauna Kea.

本周，夏威夷岛上数百人举行示威，反对在莫纳克亚山顶建造望远镜。

The protesters say the land at the top of the mountain is holy. Scientists say it is perfect for a huge telescope that will help them answer basic questions about the universe.

抗议者表示，山顶那片土地是神圣的。科学家称，这里是建造巨型望远镜的理想之所，有助于解答有关宇宙的基本问题。

This week’s demonstrations came after state officials said they would close the road to the top of Mauna Kea. Workers planned to use the road to start bringing construction equipment for the telescope.

本周的示威活动发生前，政府官员表示将关闭通往莫纳克亚山顶的道路。工人们计划利用这条路开始运输望远镜的施工设备。

As a result, a group of protesters began blocking the road early Monday morning. Some elders sat on chairs and tied themselves together with rope. Other protesters lay on the ground and chained themselves to metal bars. They stayed until police went home in the afternoon. No one was arrested. Work on the telescope did not begin.

因此，一群抗议者周一一早封锁道路。一些老人坐在椅子上，用绳子将他们捆绑在一起。其他抗议者躺在地上，用铁链把自己锁起来。他们一直抗议到下午警察回家。没有人被捕。建设望远镜的工作还没有开始。

One activist said lying on the road for 11 hours was difficult. “It was so cold at 4 o’clock in the morning,” said Walter Ritte. “It was a test of our fortitude. This mountain is like our last stand.”

一名活动人士表示，在路上躺11个小时很痛苦。“凌晨4点的时候太冷了，”沃尔特·里特(Walter Ritte)说道。“这是对我们毅力的考验。这座山就像是我们最后的阵地。”

While the protesters blocked the road, officials put up barriers to keep them safe from speeding cars.

当抗议民众封锁道路时，官员们竖起了路障，防止他们被高速行驶的汽车撞到。

The Honolulu Star Advertiser newspaper reported that government officials spoke about keeping the situation peaceful. Some asked the public to “drive with aloha” in the area, the newspaper reported. Mayor Harry Kim said in a statement, “We are all ohana of this island community.” “Ohana” means family.

《檀香山星广报》报道称，政府官员谈到要保持和平状态。据报道，一些人要求民众在该地区“和平抗议”。市长哈利·金在一份声明中说：“我们都是这座岛上的奥哈纳人。”“Ohana”指的是家族。

The project has been approved by the state’s Supreme Court, and the state has said the company behind the telescope can begin building. The company is made up of a group of universities in California and Canada, with partners from China, India and Japan.

该项目已经得到了该州最高法院的批准，该州表示，望远镜背后的公司可以开始建造。该公司由加利福尼亚和加拿大的几所大学组成，合作伙伴来自中国、印度和日本。

Protesters say they will continue objecting to the project. Their efforts have already delayed it for several years. Scholars note that ancient Hawaiians consider the mountaintop “kapu,” or forbidden. Only the highest-ranking chiefs were permitted to climb to Mauna Kea’s summit above the clouds.

抗议者表示，他们将继续抗议这一项目。他们的努力已经让该项目推迟了数年。学者们注意到，古代夏威夷人认为山顶是“圣地（kapu）”，或者说禁地。只有最高级别的酋长才被允许登上莫纳克亚山的云层之上。

Today, the land belongs to the state government. It leases the area to the University of Hawaii for telescopes and observatories.

今天，这片土地属于州政府。政府将该地区租给夏威夷大学做望远镜和天文台之用。

The proposed telescope would have a mirror 30 meters across, making it the largest telescope of its kind in the world. It is expected to cost 1.4 billion dollars to build.

拟建的望远镜有一面直径为30米的镜子，使其成为世界上同类望远镜中最大的一个。预计将耗资14亿美元。

Supporters of the new telescope say the instrument will not only make important scientific discoveries. It will also bring educational and economic opportunities to Hawaii.

支持建设望远镜的民众表示，该仪器不仅将做出重要的科学发现。它还将为夏威夷带来教育和经济机会。

Words in This Story

fortitude –n. mental strength and courage that lets someone face danger

construction –n. the act or process of building something ?

chain –n. to fasten, hold, or connect (someone or something) with a chain?

forbidden –adj. not permitted or allowed?

highest-ranking –adj. highest-level

summit –n. the highest point of a mountain

opportunity –n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done?; chance