David Hoffman: Catch Sputnik mania!

譯者: 張新永 Davidchang 審譯者: Marie Wu

Fifty years ago in the old Soviet Union,

在50年以前, 前蘇聯

a team of engineers was secretly moving a large object

有一組工程師秘密地搬運一個龐大的物體，

through a desolate countryside.

通過荒野。

With it, they were hoping to capture the minds of people everywhere

他們要用這個龐大的物體來吸引世人的注意，

by being the first to conquer outer space.

讓世人知道蘇聯是征服外太空的第一人。

The rocket was huge.

這火箭體積龐大，

And packed in its nose was a silver ball

在火箭的頂端載有一個銀色球體，

with two radios inside.

球體內有兩組無線電機組。

On October 4, 1957, they launched their rocket.

蘇聯在1957年10月4日發射了這火箭，

One of the Russian scientists wrote at the time:

其中一位俄羅斯科學家寫下當時心裡的感覺：

"We are about to create a new planet

「我們即將創造一個新的行星，

that we will call Sputnik.

我們將其命名為“Sputnik”（蘇聯人造衛星史潑尼克一號）

In the olden days, explorers

在過去,探險者

like Vasco da Gama and Columbus

如瓦斯科．達伽馬和哥倫布

had the good fortune to open up the terrestrial globe.

都曾經幸運地開拓了地球的陸地疆界，

Now we have the good fortune to open up space.

現在我們何其有幸地有機會開拓太空，

And it is for those in the future to envy us our joy."

謹將這個成果獻給未來將欽羨我們的人們。」

You're watching snippets from "Sputnik," my fifth documentary feature,

你們現在看到的是由我第五部紀錄片"人造衛星史潑尼克一號"所剪輯的片段，

which is just about completed.

這部紀錄片即將完成。

It tells the story of Sputnik,

這部片描述的是人造衛星史潑尼克一號的故事，

and the story of what happened to America as a result.

以及這事情發生之後對美國產生的影響。

For days after the launch,

在該火箭發射後的前幾天，

Sputnik was a wonderful curiosity.

史潑尼克一號引起世人對其美好一面的好奇心，

A man-made moon visible by ordinary citizens,

一個人造的、大家都看得見的月亮，

it inspired awe and pride

激發了人們敬畏及崇敬之心，

that humans had finally launched an object into space.

人類終於可以發射一個物體進入太空了。

But just three days later, on a day they called Red Monday,

但是三天過後, 在一個世人稱為紅色星期一的日子裡，

the media and the politicians told us,

媒體及政客們告訴我們，

and we believed, that Sputnik was proof

而且我們也相信，史潑尼克一號證明，

that our enemy had beaten us

我們的敵人

in science and technology,

已經在科學及科技領域裡打敗我們了。

and that they could now attack us with hydrogen bombs,

所以蘇聯人現在有能力用氫彈來攻擊我們，

using their Sputnik rocket as an IBM missile.

只要蘇聯把史潑尼克一號火箭當作洲際彈導飛彈來用就行了。

All hell broke loose.

不好的批評接踵而來，

Sputnik quickly became one of the three great shocks to hit America --

史潑尼克一號很快就成為震驚美國人的三大事件之一，

historians say the equal of Pearl Harbor or 9/11.

歷史學家說這件事對美國人的影響，和珍珠港事件及911恐怖攻擊一樣。

It provoked the missile gap.

這事件激起防衛上有飛彈缺口的爭議，

It exploded an arms race.

並引發了武器競賽

It began the space race.

及太空競賽。

Within a year, Congress funded huge weapons increases,

在一年內，國會增加預算資助大型武器計劃，

and we went from 1,200 nuclear weapons

所以美國的核子武器由原先的一千二百件，

to 20,000.

一下就增加到二萬件。

And the reactions to Sputnik went far beyond weapons increases.

史潑尼克一號所引起的反應遠超過武器增加而已，

For example, some here will remember

例如，在座的各位有一些人還會記得，

this day, June 1958,

在1958年六月的某一天，

the National Civil Defense Drill,

國家民防訓練就要求

where tens of millions of people in 78 cities went underground.

78個城市中數千萬人躲到地下室；

Or the Gallup Poll that showed that seven in 10 Americans

另外蓋洛普民調顯示，十分之七的美國人

believed that a nuclear war would happen,

相信核戰終將發生，

and that at least 50 percent of our population

而最少有一半的美國人

was going to be killed.

將在這核戰中喪生。

But Sputnik provoked wonderful changes as well.

但是史潑尼克一號也引發一些美好的改變，

For example, some in this room went to school on scholarship

例如，在座有一些人在求學過程中獲得獎學金，

because of Sputnik.

就是因為史潑尼克一號的緣故。

Support for engineering, math and science --

支持工程、數學及科學

education in general -- boomed.

的教育計劃如雨後春筍的暴增。

And Vint Cerf points out that Sputnik

Vint Cerf（Google副總裁）就指出史潑尼克一號事件

led directly to ARPA, and the Internet,

直接導致ARAP（美國國防部高級研究計劃署） 及網際網路的產生，

and, of course, NASA.

當然NASA（美國太空總署）的設立也和這事件有關。

My feature documentary shows how a free society

我的紀錄影片顯示，熟知媒體運作的人，

can be stampeded by those who know how to use media.

即可操弄一個自由社會，讓大家失去理性。

But it also shows how we can turn

但是它同時也顯示，我們可以將

what appears at first to be a bad situation,

一個一開始看起來不好的情況，轉變為

into something that was overall very good for America.

對美國整體而言非常好的結果。

"Sputnik" will soon be released.

史潑尼克一號這部紀錄片即將發行。

In closing, I would like to take a moment to thank

最後，我想用一點時間謝謝

one of my investors:

我的投資者之一：

longtime TEDster, Jay Walker.

Jay Walker，他也是資深的TED成員，

And I'd like to thank you all.

我也想謝謝各位聽眾。

(Applause).

(掌聲響起)

Thank you, Chris.

謝謝你，克利斯。