VOA标准英语2010年-International Space Station Now Has Ne

Africa's Sahara Desert, as seen from the International Space Station's new seven-windowed cupola

Crew members of the U.S. space shuttle Endeavour opened the shutters¹ on the International Space Station's new observation deck Wednesday, revealing a spectacular view of Earth.

This is Africa's Sahara Desert, as seen from the International Space Station's new seven-windowed cupola. 

Astronauts opened the shutters of this new picture window in space before dawn Wednesday.

Endeavour blasted off from Florida to the Space Station last week, carrying the cupola, attached to the new module² called Tranquility.

Spacewalkers bolted the cupola to its permanent Earth-facing position earlier this week. 

But the shutters stayed closed until after astronauts removed the windows' protective covers during a nearly six-hour spacewalk Wednesday.

Bob Dempsey, at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, is the lead International Space Station flight director for this mission.

"Sitting in my chair in mission control, looking out at the view was just spectacular," he said.  "Astronauts who are accustomed to views that you and I cannot really describe were moved to tears when they looked out the windows of the cupola for the first time tonight."

Others at mission control shared similar sentiments.

Dempsey said the cupola conjured³ up images of the spacecraft in the famed Star Wars movies. 

"It looks a little bit like the Millennium⁴ Falcon⁵, but an incredible view," Dempsey said. "I know we have already had one photo tweeted from the International Space Station on Twitter." 

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi sent that image. NASA says more panoramic⁶ pictures from inside the cupola should be available this week.

 

1 shutters   

百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门

参考例句：

• The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
• The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。

2 module   

n.组件，模块，模件；(航天器的)舱

参考例句：

• The centre module displays traffic guidance information.中央模块显示交通引导信息。
• Two large tanks in the service module held liquid oxygen.服务舱的两个大气瓶中装有液态氧。

3 conjured   

用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• He conjured them with his dying breath to look after his children. 他临终时恳求他们照顾他的孩子。
• His very funny joke soon conjured my anger away. 他讲了个十分有趣的笑话，使得我的怒气顿消。

4 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

5 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

6 panoramic   

adj. 全景的

参考例句：

• Most rooms enjoy panoramic views of the sea. 大多数房间都能看到海的全景。
• In a panoramic survey of nature, speed is interesting because it has a ceiling. 概观自然全景，速率是有趣的，因为它有一个上限。