Paul MacCready: Flying on solar wings

223,033 views ・ 2007-10-11

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譯者: kane tan 審譯者: Geoff Chen
00:27
I am known best for human-powered flight,
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大部分的人因為人力飛機而認識我,
00:32
but that was just one thing that got me going
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但那只是讓我進行
00:37
in the sort of things that I'm working in now.
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現在這工作的起因而已。
00:41
As a youngster, I was very interested in model airplanes,
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小時候,我很喜歡飛機模型,
00:47
ornithopters, autogyros, helicopters, gliders, power planes,
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撲翼飛機、旋翼機、直昇機、滑翔機、螺旋槳飛機,
00:53
indoor models, outdoor models, everything,
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室內的模型、室外的模型 -- 包含這一切,
00:56
which I just thought was a lot of fun,
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對我來說真的很好玩,
00:59
and wondered why most other people didn't share my same enthusiasm with them.
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但疑惑著為什麼大部分其他人不喜歡和我一起玩這些。
01:07
And then, navy pilot training, and, after college,
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之後接受海軍的飛機駕駛訓練,在大學畢業後,
01:13
I got into sailplane flying, power plane flying,
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我開始駕駛滑翔機和螺旋槳飛機,
01:17
and considered the sailplanes as a sort of hobby and fun,
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滑翔機對我來說只是一種嗜好和娛樂,
01:25
but got tangled up with some great professor types,
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但是我遇到了一些很棒的教授們,
01:29
who convinced me and everybody else in the field
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他們說服我和其他在這領域的人們,
01:34
that this was a good way to get into really deep science.
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關於滑翔機是用來深入了解科學理論的好方法。
01:39
While this was all going on, I was in the field of weather modification,
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與此同時,我正在學習改變天氣的領域,
01:45
although getting a Ph.D. in aeronautics.
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雖然後來在航空學取得博士學位。
01:49
The weather modification subject was getting started,
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起初是學習改變天氣這個題目,
01:53
and as a graduate student,
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當我還是碩士生的時候,
01:55
I could go around to the various talks that were being given,
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我藉由搭便車的方式,
01:59
on a hitchhiker ride to the East Coast,
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在東岸到處去聽演講,
02:01
and so on. And everybody would talk to me,
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藉此和很多人聊天,
02:04
but all the professionals in the field hated each other,
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但是這個領域的每個專家都彼此討厭著對方,
02:07
and they wouldn't communicate. And as a result,
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他們是互不交流的。結果呢,
02:10
I got the absolutely unique background in that field,
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我在這個領域變成獨創一格的背景,
02:15
and started a company, which did more research
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接著成立了一家公司,對於改變天氣的研究,
02:19
in weather modification than anybody,
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做得比任何人都還要多,
02:23
and there are a lot of things that I just can't go into.
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但是有許多方面的東西我無法深入去了解。
02:29
But then, 1971 started AeroVironment, with no employees --
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但之後在1971年成立了AeroVironment這家公司, 從沒有員工開始 --
02:35
then one or two, three,
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之後變為一個、兩個、三個,
02:37
and sort of fumbled along on trying to get interesting projects.
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算是在摸索前進,試著找到有趣的案子。
02:41
We had AirDynamisis,
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我們有一些空氣動力學家,
02:43
who, like I, did not want to work for aerospace companies
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他們和我一樣,不喜歡在飛機製造公司裡工作
02:48
on some big, many year project,
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進行那種歷時許多年的大案子,
02:52
and so we did our small projects, and the company slowly grew.
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所以我們只做自己的小案子,於是公司緩慢成長。
03:01
The thing that is exciting was, in 1976,
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在 1976 年時,出現了一件令人興奮的事情,
03:06
I suddenly got interested in the human-powered airplane
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我突然對人力飛機感到興趣,
03:11
because I'd made a made a loan to a friend of 100,000 dollars,
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因為我貸款10萬美金來借給一個朋友,
03:15
or I guaranteed the money at the bank.
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或該說我在銀行幫他當保人。
03:17
He needed them -- he needed the money for starting a company.
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他需要一筆錢來成立一家公司。
03:21
The company did not succeed, and he couldn't pay the money back,
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那家公司並不賺錢,結果他還不出錢,
03:24
and I was the guarantor of the note. So, I had a $100,000 debt,
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因為我是保證人,所以我背負了10萬美金的債務,
03:29
and I noticed that the Kramer prize for human-powered flight,
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我注意到 Kramer 的人力飛機比賽獎金,
03:35
which had then been around for -- (Laughter) --
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那在當時已經持續進行了 17 年,
03:39
17 years at the time, was 50,000 pounds,
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那筆獎金有 5 萬英鎊,
03:42
which, at the exchange rate, was just about 100,000 dollars.
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換算起來,大概差不多就是 10 萬美金。
03:46
So suddenly, I was interested in human-powered flight --
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於是,我突然被人力飛機給吸引了。
03:49
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
03:52
and did not -- the way I approached it, first,
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然而並不如我一開始接觸時所想,
03:58
thinking about ways to make the planes,
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我以為跟製造飛機一樣,
04:01
was just like they'd been doing in England, and not succeeding,
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就像他們在英國做的一樣,結果沒有成功,
04:06
and I gave it up. I figured, nah, there isn't any simple, easy way.
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我放棄了,我發現這並沒有簡單的捷徑,
04:10
But then, got off on a vacation trip, and was studying bird flight,
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接著跑去度個假,順便學習鳥怎麼飛,
04:16
just for the fun of it,
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這純粹只是好玩,
04:18
and you can watch a bird soaring around in circles,
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你看著一隻鳥在天空盤旋飛行,
04:21
and measure the time, and estimate the bank angle,
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然後量時間,估算轉彎的角度,
04:25
and immediately, figure out its speed,
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就立刻可以算出飛行速度,
04:28
and the turning radius, and so on,
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以及迴轉半徑等等,
04:31
which I could do in the car, as we're driving along on a vacation trip --
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這是我度假時,在路上開車時所做的事。
04:36
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
04:38
with my three sons, young sons, helping me,
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還有我三個年輕兒子們協助我做這些事,
04:42
but ridiculing the whole thing very much.
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但他們也覺得這件事挺搞笑的。
04:46
But that began thinking about how birds went around,
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但因此開始思考鳥類如何飛行,
04:51
and then how airplanes would, how hang gliders would fly,
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以及飛機 -- 懸式滑翔機如何飛行的,
04:58
and then other planes,
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以及其他的飛機怎麼飛,
05:00
and the idea of the Gossamer-Condor-type airplane quickly emerged,
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於是,戈薩默‧康德爾號的概念很快出現了,
05:06
was so logical, one should have thought of it in the first place,
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相當合乎邏輯,早該想到才對,
05:09
but one didn't. And it was just, keep the weight down --
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不過之前沒想到,另外必須要將重量壓低。
05:13
70 pounds was all it weighed -- but let the size swell up, like a hang glider,
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它的重量是70磅,不過尺寸要放大一點,像是懸式滑翔翼,
05:20
but three times the span, three times the cord.
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長度寬約三倍,繩索用量也多三倍,
05:22
You're down to a third of the speed, a third of the power,
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速度大概會下降到1/3,動力也下降到1/3,
05:25
and a good bicyclist can put out that power, and that worked,
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於是一個好的單車手就可以提供足夠的能量,結果成功了,
05:32
and we won the prize a year later.
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一年之後我們贏得了那筆獎金。
05:37
We didn't -- a lot of flying, a lot of experiments, a lot of things that didn't work,
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我們進行了很多次的飛行實驗,失敗了很多次,
05:43
and ones that did work, and the plane kept getting a little better, a little better.
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其中一次成功了,於是那一台飛機被改良得越來越好。
05:48
Got a good pilot, Brian Allen, to operate it,
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然後找了一個好駕駛,Brian Allen,來操縱它,
05:51
and finally, succeeded. But unfortunately,
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最後終於成功了,但是很不幸地,
05:55
about 65,000 dollars was spent on the project.
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大概有6萬5千美元花在這個計畫上。
05:59
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
06:01
And there was only about 30 to help retire the debt.
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大概只有3萬美元用來償還債務。
06:05
But fortunately, Henry Kramer, who put up the prize for --
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不過幸好,Henry Kramer,這位舉辦一英哩飛行比賽的人,
06:09
that was a one-mile flight -- put up a new prize
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他又舉辦了另一個比賽,
06:11
for flying the English Channel, 21 miles.
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是要飛越英吉利海峽,大約21英哩,
06:14
And he thought it would take another 18 years for somebody to win that.
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他認為18年之後才會有人贏得獎金。
06:18
We realized that if you just cleaned up our Gossamer Condor a little bit,
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我們知道,如果把戈薩默‧康德爾號重量壓低一點,
06:24
the power to fly would be decreased a little bit,
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飛行需要的動力就會下降一點,
06:28
and if you decrease the power required a little,
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如果能把動力需求下降一點,
06:31
the pilot can fly a much longer period of time.
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駕駛就可以讓它飛行更久一點的時間。
06:34
And Brian Allen was able, in a miraculous flight,
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於是 Brian Allen成功地進行了一項驚人的飛行,
06:38
to get the Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel,
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將戈薩默‧康德爾號飛越了英吉利海峽,
06:42
and we won the 100,000-pound, 200,000-dollar prize for that.
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於是我們贏得了10萬英鎊,約20萬美金的獎金,
06:49
And when all expenses were paid, the debt was handled, and everything was fine.
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然後扣除花費之後,債務問題就被解決了,一切都很順利。
06:57
It turned out that giving the planes to the museum
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之後我們將這架飛機捐給博物館,
07:00
was worth much more than the debt,
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這比用來償還債務有價值多了,
07:04
so for five years, six years, I only had to pay one third income tax.
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之後5~6年之間,我只需要支付三分之一的所得稅。
07:11
So, there were good economic reasons for the project, but --
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所以這個計畫有個相當好的經濟利益,不過 --
07:16
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
07:19
that's not, well, the project was done entirely for economic reasons,
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這並不是 -- 嗯,這個計畫原本只是為了經濟因素才進行的,
07:26
and we have not been involved in any human-powered flight since then --
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在這之後,我們不再進行任何關於人力飛機的飛行。
07:30
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
07:32
because the prizes are all over.
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因為沒有任何獎金了,
07:36
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
07:37
But that sure started me thinking about various things,
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不過這確實讓我開始思考一些事情,
07:41
and immediately, we began making a solar-powered plane
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於是,我們開始製造太陽能飛機,
07:46
because we felt solar power was going to be so important
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因為我們覺得太陽能對於我國以及全世界
07:49
for the country and the world,
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將會變得很重要,
07:51
we didn't want the small funding in the government to be decreased,
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我們不希望政府提供的那筆小額資金減少,
07:56
which is what the government was trying to do with it.
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政府一直想減少資助金額,
07:58
And we thought a solar-powered plane wouldn't really make sense,
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我們不認為太陽能飛機會真的有用,
08:03
but you could do it and it would get a lot of publicity for solar power
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但是可以試試看,因為太陽能會替我們打知名度,
08:07
and maybe help that field.
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而且說不定對這個領域有所貢獻。
08:09
And that project continued, did succeed,
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於是這個計畫持續進行,也成功了,
08:13
and we then got into other projects in aviation
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之後我們進行了其它像是飛機製造,
08:19
and mechanical things and ground devices.
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結構問題以及地面儀器的一些計畫。
08:27
But while this was going on,
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但在這些進行的同時,
08:30
in 1982, I got a prize from the Lindbergh Foundation --
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我在 1982 年獲得了Lindbergh基金會的獎 --
08:35
their annual prize --
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他們的年度獎項 --
08:37
and I had to prepare a paper on it,
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我必須準備一篇論文來發表,
08:41
which collected all my varied thoughts
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當我整理我的一些想法,
08:44
and varied interests over the years.
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以及這幾年來感興趣的題目。
08:46
This was the one chance that I had to focus on what I, really, was after,
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這是一個機會,讓我專注於我真正應該要追尋的,
08:51
and what was important. And to my surprise,
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這很重要。令我驚訝的是,
08:55
I realized the importance of environmental issues,
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我發覺環境問題的重要性,
09:00
which Charles Lindbergh devoted the last third of his life to,
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這是 Charles Lindbergh 投入最後 1/3 人生進行的事,
09:05
and preparing that paper did me a lot of good.
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所以對我而言,準備這篇論文是件好事。
09:11
I thought back about if I was a space traveler,
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我想著,如果我是一個星際旅者,
09:14
and came and visited Earth every 5,000 years.
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每隔 5 千年會來參訪地球一次,
09:17
And for a few thousand visits, I would see the same thing every time,
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在幾千次的參訪中,我每次看見的都一樣,
09:24
the little differences in the Earth.
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地球幾乎沒什麼改變。
09:26
But this last time, just coming round, right now,
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但是最近這一次,來到地球時,就是現在,
09:30
suddenly, there'd be huge changes in the environment,
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突然環境有了很大的變化,
09:35
in the concentration of people,
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因為人類數量遽增,
09:38
and it was just unbelievable, the amount of -- all the change in it.
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這很不可思議,這個數量 -- 這麼大的變化。
09:50
I wanted to -- well, one of the biggest changes is, 200 years ago,
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我希望 -- 嗯,其中最大的變化是,在 2 百年之前,
09:55
we began using coal from underground, which has a lot of pollution,
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我們開始使用地底下的煤礦,那會帶來大量的污染,
10:01
and 100 years ago, began getting gasoline from underground,
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在 1 百年前,開始使用地底下的汽油,
10:05
with a lot of pollution. And gasoline consumption, or production,
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也帶來大量污染,接著汽油或相關產品的耗用量 --
10:11
will reach its limit in about ten years, and then go down,
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也將在十年內接近極限,然後被用光,
10:16
and we wonder what's going to happen with transportation.
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我們將不知道交通會變成什麼樣。
10:22
I wanted to show the slide --
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我想展示一張投影片 --
10:25
this slide, I think, is the most important one any of you will see, ever, because --
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這張投影片,我想,是你曾看過最重要的一張,因為
10:34
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
10:36
(Applause) --
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(掌聲)
10:39
it shows nature versus humans, and goes from 1850 to 2050.
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這顯示從 1850 到 2050 年間,自然和人類的關係,
10:46
And so, the year 2000, you see there.
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然後,2000 年的時候,看看那邊,
10:49
And this is the weight of all air and land vertebrates.
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這是空中和地上脊椎動物的重量。
10:54
Humans and muskrats and giraffes and birds and so on, are --
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人類、麝鼠、長頸鹿和鳥類等等都是。
10:59
the red line goes up. That's the humans and livestock and pets portion.
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這個向上的紅線,是人類、家畜和寵物的部分。
11:06
The green line goes down. That's the wild nature portion.
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這個向下的綠線,是野生自然的部分。
11:10
Humans, livestock and pets are, now, 98 percent of the total world's mass
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人類、家畜和寵物的重量,現在,佔了地上和空中
11:16
of vertebrates on land and air.
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所有脊椎動物 98% 的比例。
11:19
And you don't know what the future will hold,
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然而你不知道未來會持續多久,
11:22
but it's not going to get a lower percentage.
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但這比例不會往下降。
11:26
Ten thousand years ago, the humans and livestock and pets
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在 1 萬年前,人類、家畜和寵物們
11:30
were not even one tenth of one percent
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甚至佔不到千分之1,
11:32
and wouldn't even have been visible on such a curve.
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在這個曲線上根本看不見,
11:36
Now they are 98 percent, and it, I think, shows human domination of the Earth.
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現在已經達到 98%了,我想這表示人類主宰了地球。
11:47
I give a talk to some remarkable high school students each summer,
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我每年都會對一些卓越的高中生進行演講,
11:54
and ask them, after they've asked me questions,
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當他們問完問題之後,我會問他們問題,
11:57
and I give them a talk and so on. Then I ask them questions.
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之後我再進行演講。於是,我問了他們這些問題,
12:01
What's the population of the Earth?
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地球上的人口有多少?
12:03
What's the population of the Earth going to be
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當你為人父母時,
12:05
when you're the age of your parents?
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地球上的人口會變成多少?
12:07
Which I'd never, really -- they had never, really, thought about
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這是我不曾認真 -- 他們不曾認真思考的問題。
12:09
but, now, they think about it.
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不過現在,他們正在想。
12:11
And then, what population of the Earth would be an equilibrium
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接著,地球的人口到何時會到達平衡點?
12:18
that could continue on, and be for 2050, 2100, 2150?
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然後一直持續到2050、2100或2150年?
12:24
And they form little groups, all fighting with each other,
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接著他們組成小組,互相進行辯論,
12:27
and when I leave, two hours later,
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兩個小時後,我要離開時,
12:29
most of them are saying about 2 billion people,
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大部分的人說,大約會有 20 億的人口,
12:33
and they don't have any clue about how to get down to 2 billion,
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他們不知道該如何讓人口少於 20 億,
12:38
nor do I, but I think they're right and this is a serious problem.
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我也不知道,不過我想他們是對的,這是很嚴重的問題。
12:46
Rachel Carson was thinking of these, and came out with "Silent Spring," way back.
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Rachel Carson 曾經想過這些事情,於是有了沈寂的春天(Silent Spring)這本書的出現。
12:53
"Solar Manifesto" by Hermann Scheer, in Germany,
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德國也有 Hermann Scheer 所寫的太陽的宣言(Solar Manifesto)這本書,
12:57
claims all energy on Earth can be derived, for every country,
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宣稱地球上所有國家所需的能源都可以從
13:02
from solar energy and water, and so on.
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太陽能或水力等發電方式來提供,
13:10
You don't need to dig down for these chemicals,
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你不需要再去挖掘這些化學物質(石油、燃煤),
13:13
and we can do things much more efficiently.
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我們可以做一些更有效率的事情。
13:17
Let's have the next slide.
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接著看下一張投影片。
13:19
So this just summarizes it. "Over billions of years,
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這張是總結,「經歷了數十億年,
13:22
on a unique sphere, chance has painted a thin covering of life --
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在這個獨特的星球上,偶然間畫上了淡淡的生命色彩,
13:25
complex and probable, wonderful and fragile.
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各種複雜的、可能的、奇妙的和精細的生命。
13:28
Suddenly, we humans, a recently arrived species,
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突然之間,我們人類,最近才出現的物種,
13:31
no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature,
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不再隸屬於被自然間原生物種所抑制或制衡的物種,
13:35
have grown in population, technology and intelligence
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開始在人口、技術與智慧上發展,
13:38
to a position of terrible power. We, now, wield the paintbrush."
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到達具有可怕力量的地位。現在我們正掌握著那把畫筆。」
13:42
We're in charge. It's frightening.
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我們是主宰者。這是很可怕的事情。
13:46
And I do a painting every 20 or 25 years. This is the last one.
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我每隔 20 或 25 年會畫一次畫。這是最後一次了,
13:51
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
13:53
And [it] shows the Earth in a time flag: on the right,
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這是地球,在右邊用三葉蟲、恐龍以及其他生物
13:57
in trilobites and dinosaurs and so on;
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作為一種時間的標示,
14:00
and over the triangle, we now get to civilization and TV
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而在這三角形之上,我們有著現代文明,以及電視,
14:05
and traffic jams and so on.
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還有塞車之類的東西。
14:07
I have no idea of what comes next,
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我不知道在這之後會有什麼出現,
14:10
so I just used robotic and natural cockroaches as the future,
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所以我用機械蟑螂和自然的蟑螂代表未來,
14:15
as a little warning.
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用來當作一種警訊,
14:17
And two weeks after this drawing was done,
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在畫完這張圖兩週後,
14:20
we actually had our first project contract, at AeroVironment,
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我們公司 AeroVironment 確實收到了我們第一個案子的合約書,
14:24
on robotic cockroaches, which was very frightening to me.
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製作機械蟑螂,這倒是嚇了我一跳。
14:29
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
14:31
(Paper rustling)
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(紙張摩擦聲)
14:34
Well, that'll be all the slides.
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好了,這是所有的投影片了,我們 --
14:41
As time went on, we stopped our environmental programs.
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隨著時間經過,我們停止了我們環保的計畫,
14:44
We focused more on the really serious energy problems
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我們更加針對關於未來真正嚴重的能源問題,
14:49
of the future, and we produced products for the company.
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我們開始替這家公司製造一些產品,
14:56
And we developed the impact car that General Motors made,
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我們開發出撞擊測試車,
15:01
the EV1, out of --
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這讓通用汽車製造出 EV1 --
15:04
and got the Air Resources Board to have the regulations
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並且讓空氣資源局制訂出規範,
15:11
that stimulated the electric cars, but they've since come apart.
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這刺激了電動車的發展,不過這些測試車後來都被拆掉了,
15:15
And we've done a lot of things, small drone airplanes and so on.
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之後我們作了許多測試,例如小型無人飛機之類的。
15:22
I have a Helios. We have the first video.
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我做了一架太陽神號 -- 我們來看今天的第一段影片 --
15:29
(Video) Narrator: With a wingspan of 247 feet, this makes her larger than a Boeing 747.
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解說員:它的翅膀長達247英尺,這比波音747還要更長。
15:34
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
15:43
Her designers' attention to detail and her construction
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它的細部與架構設計,
15:46
gives Helios' structure the flexibility and strength
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讓它擁有足夠的彈性與韌性
15:49
to deal with the turbulence encountered in the atmosphere.
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去面對大氣層中的亂流。
15:52
This enables her to easily ride through the air currents
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這讓它在海洋上空飛行時
15:55
as if she's sliding along on the ocean waves.
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可以輕易乘著氣流滑行。
15:58
Paul MacCready: The wings could touch together on top and not break. We think.
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Paul Macready:那對翅膀即使在上方接觸都不會斷,我們覺得啦。
16:03
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
16:06
Narrator: And Helios now begins the process of turning her back to the sun,
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解說員:太陽神號現在正在將它的背部轉向太陽,
16:09
to maximize the power from her solar array.
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讓太陽能板能夠產生最大的能量。
16:12
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
16:20
As the sky gets darker, and the outside air temperatures drop
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當夜晚來臨時,
16:24
below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit,
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氣溫下降至華氏零下100度,
16:27
the most environmentally hostile segment of Helios's journey
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太陽神號的旅程
16:30
has gone by without notice,
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並不會因為環境改變有任何影響,
16:32
except for being recorded by specially designed data acquisition systems
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只有特殊設計的資料紀錄系統與輔助感應器
16:36
and their associated sensors.
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所記錄的資料會改變。
16:39
Approaching a peak radar altitude of 96,863 feet,
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抵達海拔96863英尺高度,
16:44
at 4:12 p.m., Helios is standing on top of 98 percent of the Earth's atmosphere.
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在下午4:12,太陽神號正站在大氣層上緣98%的高度位置。
16:49
This is more than 10,000 feet higher
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這已經比之前
16:52
than the previous world's altitude record held by the SR-71 Blackbird.
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SR-71黑鳥所創下的世界紀錄還要高出10000英尺高。
16:57
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
17:06
PM: That plane has many purposes, but it's aimed for communications,
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PM:這架飛機有許多的功用,不過它主要用於通訊,
17:11
and it can fly so slowly that it'll just stay up at 65,000 feet.
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它可以保持在65000英尺高空慢慢飛行,
17:18
Eventually, it will be able to have to stay up day, night, day, night,
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它可以連續六個月不分晝夜的飛行,
17:21
for six months at a time, acting like the synchronous satellite,
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就像是一個同步衛星一樣,
17:25
but only ten miles above the Earth.
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只是高度只在地表10英哩處。
17:27
Let's have the next video. This shows the other end of the spectrum.
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接著看下一段影片,這是另一類飛機。
17:30
(Video) Narrator: A tiny airplane, the AV Pointer serves for surveillance.
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解說員:一架小型飛機,AV Pointer,正在進行監視任務,
17:33
In effect a pair of roving eyeglasses,
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事實上,是用那一對巡迴的眼鏡,
17:35
a cutting-edge example of where miniaturization can lead
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讓操作員在車輛上遙控時,
17:38
if the operator is remote from the vehicle.
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能夠用這小東西去看見前線的狀況。
17:41
It is convenient to carry, assemble, and launch by hand.
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攜帶方便,容易組裝,手動升空。
17:44
Battery-powered, it is silent and rarely noticed.
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因為用電池動力,所以很安靜,不容易被發現。
17:48
It sends high-resolution video pictures back to the operator.
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它可以傳回高解析度的影像照片給操作員。
17:51
With on-board GPS, it can navigate autonomously,
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只要加裝GPS,它就可以自動巡航,
17:55
and it is rugged enough to self-land without damage.
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它的結構強韌,即使掉落也不會損壞。
17:59
PM: Okay, and let's have the next.
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PM:好了,我們看看下一段 --
18:01
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
18:05
That plane is widely used by the military, now, in all their operations.
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這架飛機現在很廣泛的被陸軍用於任務之中。
18:10
Let's have the next video.
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我們接著看下一段影片。
18:14
(Video) (Music)
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(音樂聲)
18:28
Alan Alda: He's got it, he's got it, he's got it on his head.
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Alan Alda:他辦到了,他辦到了,他讓它保持在頭上。
18:30
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
18:32
We're going to end our visit with Paul MacCready's flying circus
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最後 Paul MacCready 的兒子 Tyler,
18:35
by meeting his son, Tyler, who, with his two brothers,
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他在25年前曾經和兩個兄弟協助製造戈薩默‧康德爾號,
18:38
helped build the Gossamer Condor, 25 years ago.
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他的飛行表演將作為今晚的總結。
18:42
Tyler MacCready: You can chase it, like this, for hours.
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Tyler Macready:你可以追著它跑幾個小時,像這樣。
18:44
AA: When they got bored with their father's project,
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AA:當他們對老爸的案子厭倦時,
18:47
they invented an extraordinary little plane of their own.
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他們靠自己發明了一架特別的飛機。
18:49
TM: And I can control it by putting the lift on one side of the wing, or on the other.
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TM:我可以藉由對某一邊或另一邊的翅膀施以上升氣流,來控制它。
18:54
AA: They called it their Walkalong Glider.
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AA:他們稱這個叫陪你散步的滑翔機。
18:56
(Music)
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(音樂聲)
18:58
I've never seen anything like that.
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我從來都沒看過任何類似的東西。
18:59
How old were you when you invented that?
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你幾歲時發明這個的?
19:01
TM: Oh, 10, 11. (AA: Oh my God.)
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TM:喔,10、11 -- ( AA:我的天啊。)
19:04
TM: 12, something like that. (AA: That's amazing.)
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TM:12歲左右吧。( AA:真是不可思議。)
19:06
PM: And Tyler's here to show you the Walkalong.
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PM:今天 Tyler 來到現場為大家示範它的玩法。
19:09
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
19:14
TM: All right. You all got a couple of these in your gift bags,
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TM:好的。你們的贈品袋裡應該都有一架這個,
19:18
and one of the first things,
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首先呢 --
19:21
the production version seemed to dive a little bit,
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量產的版本這邊有點朝下,
19:23
and so I would just suggest you bend the wing tips up a little bit
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所以我建議大家在試飛之前
19:26
before you try flying it.
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先把翅膀兩端往上折一點點。
19:28
I'll give you a demonstration of how it works.
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我示範一下要怎麼玩,
19:30
The idea is that it soars on the lift over your body, like a seagull soaring on a cliff.
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它的原理是靠你身體旁邊的上升氣流來飛行,就像海鷗在懸崖邊飛行一樣。
19:36
As the wind comes up, it has to go over the cliff, so
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當風靠近懸崖時,它會往上吹,
19:39
as you walk through the air, it goes around your body, some has to go over you.
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所以當你走路時,空氣會在你身旁流過,有些會從你上方流過。
19:44
And so you just keep the glider positioned in that up current.
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所以你只是要讓滑翔機的位置保持在這些向上的氣流中。
19:47
The launch is the difficult part: you've got to hold it high up, over your head,
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起飛是比較困難的部分,你要把它放在高過頭頂的位置,
19:50
and you start walking forward, and just let go of it, and you can control it like that.
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然後你開始往前走,放開手,接著你就可以這樣控制它。
19:56
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
19:58
And then also, like it said in the video,
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另外,像影片中所說,
20:01
you can turn it left or right
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你可以讓它左轉或右轉,
20:03
just by putting the lift under one wing or another.
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只要在一邊或另一邊翅膀下面稍微提高一點,
20:05
So I can do it -- oops, that was going to be a right turn.
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所以我可以這樣 -- 唉啊,我本來要右轉的。
20:10
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
20:11
Okay, this one will be a left turn.
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好,接下來是左轉。
20:15
Here, but --
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像這樣,不過 ...
20:17
(Applause) --
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(掌聲)
20:18
anyway.
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無論如何 --
20:20
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
20:23
And that's it, so you can just control it, wherever you want,
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就這樣,你可以隨心所欲去控制它,
20:26
and it's just hours of fun. And these are no longer in production,
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可以玩上幾個小時,另外這些已經停止量產了,
20:30
so you have real collector's items.
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所以你們拿到的是珍藏版。
20:32
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
20:34
And this, we just wanted to show you --
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還有,我們想讓大家看看這個 --
20:39
if we can get the video running on this, yeah --
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如果上面裝一台攝影機的話,
20:41
just an example of a little video surveillance.
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只是一個示範影片 -- 一個小型攝影監視器。
20:47
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
20:49
This was flying around in the party last night, and --
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這東西昨晚在舞會上飛來飛去 --
20:53
(Laughter) --
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(笑聲)
20:55
you can see how it just can fly around,
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如你所見它可以到處飛,
20:58
and you can spy on anybody you want.
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你可以偷看任何人。
21:00
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
21:06
And that's it. I was going to bring an airplane,
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就是這樣。我本來打算帶一台飛機來,
21:08
but I was worried about hitting people in here,
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不過我擔心會撞到人,
21:10
so I thought this would be a little bit more gentle.
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3000
所以我想這個可能會比較安全一點。
21:14
And that's it, yeah, just a few inventions.
309
1274000
3000
就是這樣,嗯,一些新發明。
21:17
(Applause)
310
1277000
8000
(掌聲)
21:25
All right.
311
1285000
2000
謝謝。
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