VOA标准英语2015--太阳能飞机准备环游世界

Solar Plane Prepares for Global Circumnavigation 太阳能飞机准备环游世界

Pilots of the sun-powered plane Solar Impulse¹ 2 completed two successful test flights Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, in preparation for the first attempt to fly around the world. Officials say the plane performed flawlessly and that, weather permitting, it may start its journey as soon as March 3.

A test pilot took Solar Impulse 2 on its first flight, which lasted four hours. Then, project co-founder Andre Borschberg took off and stayed in the air for a full day.

These test flights are crucial because flying a four-engine plane powered only by sunlight, which charges its batteries at a cruising² speed between 50 and 100 kilometers an hour, requires a lot of special skills

Solar Impulse 2 is a single-seater so Borschberg and his co-founder and fellow pilot, Bertrand Piccard, will take turns during 25 flying days stretched over five months.

But both men are determined³ to show the world that sustainable energy sources are ready for everyday use.

“To fly with a solar airplane [you] need an airplane which is extremely energy efficient and we have technologies which you could use in your home, that people could use in ground transportation and that's what we want to show around the world,” said Borschberg.

In order to be efficient, the plane must be light so pilots sacrificed not only cockpit space but pressurization. They had to practice yoga and self-hypnosis to endure long periods with little sleep, such as the five-day non-stop flight over the Pacific.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard, who also was the first to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, is a clean-energy enthusiast⁴, as well.

“We want to show that clean technologies and renewable energies can achieve the impossible, like flying day and night in an airplane with no fuel, and this is the way to encourage governments and societies and corporations to reduce their energy consumption⁵ to be more energy efficient like we are,” said Piccard.

Solar Impulse 2 will be followed by a team of 80 dedicated⁶ technicians making sure that it performs without flaws⁷ until it returns to Abu Dhabi by early August.

1 impulse   

n.（一时的）冲动，冲力，脉冲，神经冲动

参考例句：

• She wrote that letter on impulse.她一时冲动写了这封信。
• I don't know how to resist my impulse.我不知道怎样抑制自己的感情冲动。

2 cruising   

adj.巡航的v.乘船巡游( cruise的现在分词 )；以快而平稳的速度长距离行驶；巡航；轻而易举赢得（或获得）

参考例句：

• The car was cruising along at 100 kilometres an hour. 这辆汽车平稳地以每小时100公里的速度行驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They will go cruising in the Mediterranean. 他们将在地中海上巡游。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

5 consumption   

n.消费，消耗，消费额，消耗量，结核病

参考例句：

• Consumption of oil has declined in recent years.石油消耗量在最近几年下降了。
• The meat was condemned as unfit for human consumption.这种肉已被宣布不适宜人们食用。

6 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

7 flaws   

n.缺点( flaw的名词复数 )；错误；裂痕

参考例句：

• The argument is full of fundamental flaws. 这段论述充满根本性的错误。
• His remark is full of contradictions and flaws. 他的话前后矛盾，破绽百出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》