VOA标准英语2009年-Astronaut Armstrong Remembers Historic Apo

The first man to set foot on the moon has hailed the space race of the 1950s and '60s as an example of peaceful competition between rival superpowers. Legendary¹ U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke² at Washington's Air and Space Museum Sunday on the eve of the 40th anniversary of his landing on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission.

Apollo 11 Mission Commander Neil Armstrong will forever be remembered for setting foot on the moon and uttering the immortal³ words: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In the four decades since, Armstrong has rarely spoken at length in public about the historic space voyage.

And so it was with great anticipation⁴ that hundreds of dignitaries gathered at the Air and Space Museum to hear presentations by Armstrong, along with crewmates Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.
　
Neil Armstrong's first photo after landing on the moon

Armstrong paid tribute to American physicist⁵ Robbert Goddard, who pioneered liquid-fueled rocketry in the 1920s. As for the space race between the United States and the former-Soviet Union that began in the 1950s and culminated⁶ with the Apollo missions of the late 1960s and early 70s, he said the rivalry⁷ served a valuable purpose.

Armstrong said, "It was the ultimate peaceful competition: USA versus⁸ USSR. It was intense. It did allow both sides to take the high road, with the objectives of science and learning and exploration. Eventually, it provided a mechanism⁹ for engendering¹⁰ cooperation between former adversaries¹¹. In that sense, among others, it was an exceptional national investment for both sides."
　
In this July 20, 1969 file photo, Astronaut Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin Jr. poses for photograph beside US flag deployed¹² on moon during Apollo 11 mission

Images of Armstrong and Aldrin on the moon were seen by more than half a billion enraptured¹³ viewers on Earth. To this day, the Apollo 11 mission remains¹⁴ one of humanity's greatest and most-celebrated technological¹⁵ achievements.

But while NASA relives its past glory, critics say America's space program has been adrift and unable to live up to the promise it demonstrated 40 years ago. The Space Shuttle program is outdated¹⁶ and slated¹⁷ to be retired¹⁸ next year. So far, no successor-vehicle has been built. A planned return mission to the moon is years away. NASA's budget, which accounted for four percent of federal spending in the 1960s, stands at less than one percent today. And, the United States is no longer the world's top producer of mathematicians¹⁹ and engineers, leading some to question whether the nation possesses the brain power necessary to propel the next chapter of human space exploration.
　
A close-up view of astronaut Buzz Aldrin's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with the 70mm lunar surface camera during Apollo 11's sojourn²⁰ on the moon

Buzz Aldrin delivered an impassioned plea to revitalize America's space program and commit to sending humans to Mars.

The astronaut said, "America, do you still dream great dreams? Do you still believe in yourself? Are you ready for a great national challenge? I call on the next generation and our political leaders to give this answer: Yes We Can!"

Aldrin will have an opportunity to make his case to President Barack Obama Monday when he and his Apollo 11 crewmates meet with the president at the White House.

1 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

4 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

5 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

6 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

8 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

9 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

10 engendering   

v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Certain soluble extracts of B pertussis may prove to be effective without engendering serious side effects. 某些可溶性百日咳杆菌提取物，可证明用之有效，也不产生严重副作用。 来自辞典例句
• The engendering, classification, path and control of environmental pollution transference were discussed. 对环境污染转嫁的产生、分类、途径及其控制与防范进行了分析。 来自互联网

11 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

12 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

13 enraptured   

v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was enraptured that she had smiled at him. 她对他的微笑使他心荡神驰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were enraptured to meet the great singer. 他们和大名鼎鼎的歌手见面，欣喜若狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

15 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

16 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

17 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

18 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

19 mathematicians   

数学家( mathematician的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do you suppose our mathematicians are unequal to that? 你以为我们的数学家做不到这一点吗？ 来自英汉文学
• Mathematicians can solve problems with two variables. 数学家们可以用两个变数来解决问题。 来自哲学部分

20 sojourn   

v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留

参考例句：

• It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。
• I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。