Who won the space race? - Jeff Steers

誰贏了太空競賽？- Jeff Steers

譯者: Wei Tsung Huang 審譯者: Tingting Feng

On October 4, 1957,

西元1957年，十月四號

the world watched in awe and fear

在驚訝與恐懼中，全球目睹了

as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik,

蘇聯成功發射史普尼克號

the world's first man-made satellite,

這是世界第一個發射到太空中的

into space.

人造衛星

This little metal ball,

這個小金屬球

smaller than two feet in diameter,

直徑不到兩英呎

launched a space race

標誌著美國與蘇聯之間的

between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.

太空競賽的開始

that would last for eighteen years

這場競賽一共延續18年之久

and change the world as we know it.

並徹底改變了我們所熟知的這個世界

Sputnik was actually not the first piece

史普尼克號不是第一個

of human technology to enter space.

登上太空的人造科技

That superlative goes to the V-2 rocket

早在那之前，V-2火箭

used by Germany in missile attacks

被用於納粹德國展開的飛彈攻擊

against Allied cities as a last-ditch effort

來最後對抗同盟軍城市

in the final years of World War II.

這發生在第二次世界大戰的最後幾年

It wasn't very effective,

但並不十分成功

but, at the end of the war,

相反的，戰爭結束後

both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. had captured

美國與蘇聯各接收了其相關技術

the technology and the scientists that had developed it

與研究人員

and began using them for their own projects.

並開始各自展開其研究計畫

And by August 1957,

於是於西元1957年，八月

the Soviet's successfully tested

蘇聯成功試射了

the first intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7,

史上第一枚洲際彈道飛彈 R-7

the same rocket that would be used

並運用了相同的火箭技術

to launch Sputnik two months later.

於兩個月後成功發射史普尼克號

So, the scary thing about Sputnik

關於史普尼克號，最令人驚恐的

was not the orbiting ball itself,

不在於人造衛星本身

but the fact that the same technology

而是這項科技

could be used to launch a nuclear warhead at any city.

也可用來發射核子彈頭攻擊任何城市

Not wanting to fall too far behind,

美國希望能急起直追

President Eisenhower ordered the Navy

艾森豪總統命令海軍

to speed up its own project

加快腳步，完成計畫

and launch a satellite as soon as possible.

並在最短時間內完成發射人造衛星的目標

So, on December 6, 1957,

因此，於西元1957年，十二月六號

excited people across the nation

全國人民興奮的

tuned in to watch the live broadcast

觀看實況轉播

as the Vanguard TV3 satellite took off

先鋒三號衛星緩緩起飛

and crashed to the ground two seconds later.

但卻於兩秒後墜毀，掉落地面

The Vanguard failure was a huge embarassment

先鋒三號發射失敗

for the United States.

帶給美國很大的羞辱

Newspapers printed headlines like,

報紙頭版標題紛紛

"Flopnik" and "Kaputnik."

大肆嘲諷失敗的衛星發射

And a Soviet delegate at the U.N. mockingly suggested

蘇聯駐聯合國大使甚至嘲諷似的

that the U.S. should receive foreign aid

建議美國應該接受外援

for developing nations.

來發展國家

Fortunately, the Army had been working

值得稱幸的是，美國陸軍同時也在發展另一個計畫

on their own parallel project, The Explorer,

探險家號

which was successfully launched in January 1958,

並成功於西元1958年一月發射

but the U.S. had barely managed to catch up

雖然美國幾乎要趕上蘇聯了

before they were surpassed again

隨即又被拉開進度

as Yuri Gargarin became the first man in space

那是在蘇聯太空人-尤里加加林 成為第一位登上太空的人類

in April 1961.

時間是西元1961年四月

Almost a year passed

約莫一年之後

and several more Soviet astronauts

在許多蘇聯太空人

completed their missions

都已登上太空，成功返航

before Project Mercury succeeded

美國的水星計畫

in making John Glenn the first American

才成功的於西元1962年二月

in orbit in February 1962.

將太空人約翰•葛倫送上太空

By this time, President Kennedy had realized

經由這次事件，美國總統甘迺迪明白一點

that simply catching up

如果只是單純的追趕

to each Soviet advance a few months later

蘇聯的成就，並在幾個月後達成

wasn't going to cut it.

是不足以停熄這場太空軍備競賽

The U.S. had to do something first,

美國必需在某些目標拔得頭籌

and in May 1961, a month after Gargarin's flight,

因此，於西元1961年五月 就在俄國太空人加加林登上太空一個月後

he announced the goal

他宣布了一個計畫

of putting a man on the moon

要於1960年前

by the end of the 1960s.

將人類送上月球

They succeeded in this through the Apollo program

最後，在西元1969年，七月二十號

with Neil Armstrong taking his famous step

隨著尼爾.阿姆斯壯踏出那有名的一步

on July 20, 1969.

阿波羅計劃宣告成功

With both countries' next turning their attention

接著，雙方都將目標轉向

to orbital space stations,

發展太空站

there's no telling how much longer

沒有人能預測

the space race could have gone on.

太空競賽還會延續多久

But because of improving relations

但由於雙方關係趨於和緩

negotiated by Soviet Premier Leonid Breshnev

在蘇聯總理布里茲涅夫

and U.S. President Nixon,

與美國總統尼克森持續溝通下

the U.S.S.R. and U.S. moved toward cooperation

美蘇兩國由原本競爭關係

rather than competition.

改為合作

The successful joint mission,

成功的合作任務是

known as Apollo-Soyuz,

衆所周知的阿波羅-聯合測試計劃

in which an American Apollo spacecraft

美國阿波羅太空船

docked with a Soviet Soyuz craft

與蘇聯聯合號太空船在太空中接合

and the two crews met,

兩國太空人會面

shook hands,

握手

and exchanged gifts,

並交換禮物

marked the end of the space race in 1975.

這項任務的成功，在1975年宣告終止了太空競賽

So, in the end, what was the point

到頭來

of this whole space race?

這整個太空競賽的重點是什麼？

Was it just a massive waste of time?

難道只是單純的浪費時間？

Two major superpowers trying to outdo each other

兩大強權試圖於某些指標性任務

by pursuing symbolic projects

壓倒對方的過程

that were both dangerous and expensive,

常常是昂貴且危險的

using resources that could have been

難道，資源不能投入其他地方

better spent elsewhere?

作更有效的運用？

Well, sure, sort of,

在某方面來說，也許

but the biggest benefits of the space program

但是，太空競賽所帶來最大收穫

had nothing to do with one country beating another.

不在於一個國家打敗了另一個國家

During the space race,

而是在於太空競賽期間

funding for research and education, in general,

通常來說，所投入的教育研究

increased dramatically,

都會急遽增加

leading to many advances

這也帶來很多收穫

that may not have otherwise been made.

是其他方面無法達到的

Many NASA technologies developed for space

美國太空總署在太空競賽時所發展的科技

are now widely used in civilian life,

現在正廣泛的運用於我們日常生活

from memory foam in mattresses

從記憶床墊

to freeze-dried food,

到冷凍食品

to LEDs in cancer treatment.

甚至是有機發光二極體運用於癌症治療

And, of course, the satellites that we rely on

更不用說，衛星被用來

for our GPS and mobile phone signals

提供全球定位系統與手機通訊

would not have been there

若不是有太空計劃

without the space program.

這些科技不可能會產生

All of which goes to show

種種證據顯示

that the rewards of scientific research and advancement

投入科技研究與創新帶來的回饋

are often far more vast

往往是相當龐大

than even the people pursuing them can imagine.

甚至遠超過當初研究的人們所能預期