“It’s my Hubble!” shouted Albert Ringier, clapping his palms together. The tears brimming in his eyes reflected the distant blazing ball of fire that rumbled for a few seconds before passing on. He and the cheering crowd of astronomers and physicists behind him ought to have been watching the launch from a VIP platform closer in, but a damn NASA official said they lacked proper qualifications for access, because the object being sent heavenward did not belong to them. Then the official had turned back to the group of uniformed, ramrod-straight generals and, groveling like a dog, had led them past the sentry post to the viewing platform. Ringier and his colleagues were forced to remain at this far-off spot where, in the previous century, a countdown clock had been built across a lake from the launch site. It was open to the public, but on this late night, there were no other observers apart from scientists.

“啊，我的哈勃！”

艾伯特·林格雙手合十喊道，他兩眼盈滿的淚水映照著遠(yuǎn)方突現(xiàn)的那團(tuán)耀眼的巨焰，轟鳴聲幾秒鐘后才傳過來。本來，他與身后這群發(fā)出歡呼的天文學(xué)和物理學(xué)同事們應(yīng)該在更近的貴賓看臺(tái)上看發(fā)射的，但那個(gè)狗娘養(yǎng)的NASA官員說他們沒資格去那兒了，因?yàn)檫@即將上天的東西已經(jīng)不屬于他們。然后那人轉(zhuǎn)向那群軍服筆挺的將軍，像狗似的獻(xiàn)媚著，領(lǐng)他們通過崗哨走向看臺(tái)。林格和同事們只好來到這個(gè)遠(yuǎn)得多的地方，與發(fā)射點(diǎn)隔著一個(gè)湖泊，這里有一個(gè)上世紀(jì)就立好的很大的倒計(jì)時(shí)牌，向公眾開放，但現(xiàn)在是深夜，除了科學(xué)家們外，看的人也沒幾個(gè)。

Viewed from this distance, the blastoff looked like a sped-up sunrise. The floodlights did not follow the rocket as it lifted off, leaving its massive body indistinct except for the spurting flames. From its hiding place in the dark of night, the world burst forth into a magnificent light show, and golden waves whipped up on the inky black surface of the lake as if the flames had ignited the water itself. They watched the rocket ascend. When it passed through the clouds, it turned half the sky the kind of red only found in dreams before it disappeared into the Florida sky, the brief dawn once again swallowed up by the night.

從這個(gè)距離上看，發(fā)射的景象很像日出的快鏡頭，火箭上升后，聚光探照燈并沒有跟上，所以巨大的箭體看不太清，只見到那團(tuán)烈焰，隱藏在夜色中的世界突然在它那壯麗的光芒中顯現(xiàn)，本來如墨水般黑乎乎的湖面上蕩漾著一片燦爛的金波，仿佛湖水被那烈焰點(diǎn)燃了。他們看著火箭上升，當(dāng)它穿過薄云時(shí)，半個(gè)天空都變成了夢(mèng)幻里才能見到的那種紅色，然后，它消失在佛羅里達(dá)的夜空中，它帶來的短暫黎明也被漫長的黑夜所吞噬。

The Hubble II Space Telescope was a second-generation model, its diameter enlarged to 21 meters from its predecessor’s 4.27 meters, which enhanced its observational capability by a factor of fifty. It used a compound lens technology consisting of lens components manufactured on the ground and assembled in orbit. To put the whole lens into space required eleven launches, and this was the final one. The assembly of Hubble II in the vicinity of the International Space Station was nearing completion. In two months, it would be able to turn its gaze to the depths of the universe.

哈勃二號(hào)空間望遠(yuǎn)鏡是哈勃空間望遠(yuǎn)鏡的第二代，它的直徑由后者的4.27米擴(kuò)大到21米，其觀測能力提高了五十倍。它采用了鏡片組合技術(shù)，把在地面制造的鏡片組件在空間軌道上裝配成整鏡。要把整組鏡片送入太空，需進(jìn)行十一次發(fā)射，這是最后一次。與此同時(shí)，哈勃二號(hào)在國際空間站附近的裝配已接近完成。兩個(gè)月后，它就可以把自己的視野指向宇宙深處。

“You pack of thieves! You’ve stolen another thing of beauty,” Ringier said to the tall man beside him, the only one in the group unaffected by the sight before them. George Fitzroy had seen too many of the launches, and spent the entire process leaning against the countdown clock smoking a cigarette. He had become the military’s representative after Hubble II’s requisition, but since he wore civilian clothes most of the time, Ringier didn’t know his rank and never called him sir. Calling a thief by his name worked just fine.

“你們這群強(qiáng)盜，又奪走了一件美好的東西！”林格對(duì)旁邊那位身材高大的男人說，他是在場的人中唯一沒有被這景象打動(dòng)的，這類發(fā)射他見得多了，整個(gè)過程中他只是靠在倒計(jì)時(shí)牌上抽煙。喬治·斐茲羅是哈勃二號(hào)空間望遠(yuǎn)鏡被征用后的軍方代表，由于他大多數(shù)時(shí)間穿著便服，林格不知道他的軍銜，也從沒稱他為先生，對(duì)強(qiáng)盜直呼其名就行了。

“Doctor, in wartime the military has the right to requisition all civilian equipment. Besides, you people didn’t grind a single lens component or design a single screw of the Hubble II. You’re just there to enjoy its success, so it’s not your place to complain.” Fitzroy yawned, as if it was tiring work dealing with this pack of nerds.

“博士，戰(zhàn)時(shí)軍方有權(quán)征用一切民用設(shè)施。再說，你們這些人并沒有給哈勃二號(hào)研磨一塊鏡片組件、設(shè)計(jì)一顆螺釘，你們都是些坐享其成的人，要抱怨也輪不到你們?！膘称澚_打了個(gè)哈欠說，應(yīng)付這幫書呆子真是件苦差事。

“But without us, it wouldn’t have any reason to exist! Civilian equipment? It can see the edge of the universe, but you shortsighted types only want to use it to look at the nearest star!”

“可沒有我們，它就失去了存在的意義！民用設(shè)施？它能看到宇宙的邊緣，而你們這些鼠目寸光之輩，只打算用它盯著最近的恒星看！”

“Like I’ve said before, this is wartime. A war to defend all humanity. Even if you’ve forgotten that you’re an American, you at least remember you’re human, right?”

“我說過，這是戰(zhàn)時(shí)，保衛(wèi)全人類的戰(zhàn)爭，就算您忘了自己是美國人，至少還記得自己是人吧?！?/p>

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clap：

v.鼓掌;拍手(表示贊許或欣賞);拍(手);擊(掌);(常指友好地)輕拍某人的背(或肩)

n.鼓掌;淋病;掌聲;拍手聲;砰然巨響;霹靂聲

brim：

n.邊緣;帽檐;(杯、碗等的)口，邊沿;有…邊的

vi.(使)滿，盛滿

blaze：

n.火焰;火災(zāi);烈火;(光或色彩等的)展現(xiàn);（感情的）迸發(fā)，發(fā)泄;（動(dòng)物面部的）白斑

v.閃耀;熊熊燃燒;發(fā)亮光;怒視;(怒火)燃燒;大肆宣揚(yáng);連續(xù)射擊

rumble：

n.隆隆聲;持續(xù)而低沉的聲音;打群架

v.發(fā)出持續(xù)而低沉的聲音;發(fā)出隆隆聲;轟鳴著緩慢行進(jìn);發(fā)現(xiàn)…的真相;看穿(陰謀);打群架

NASA：

abbr.(美國)國家航空和航天局

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

proper：

adj.適當(dāng)?shù)?正確的;恰當(dāng)?shù)?符合規(guī)則的;真正的;像樣的;名副其實(shí)的;符合習(xí)俗(或體統(tǒng))的;正當(dāng)?shù)?規(guī)矩的;嚴(yán)格意義上的;完全的;獨(dú)具的

n.[宗教][常用P-]特定節(jié)日等用的儀式;彌撒（祈禱、禮儀等）書的章節(jié);特贊

adv.非常;好好地;完完全全地;徹底地

qualification： n.(通過經(jīng)驗(yàn)或具備技能而取得的)資格;資歷;學(xué)歷;限定條件;獲得資格

heavenward：

adv.朝天上;向天空

adj.向天上的；向天空的

grovel：

vi.卑躬屈膝;俯首帖耳;奴顏婢膝;爬行，匍匐(尤指找東西)

sentry： n.哨兵

blastoff： n. 爆炸;發(fā)射;升空;成功發(fā)射;發(fā)射升空

floodlight：

n.泛光燈，泛光照明燈(運(yùn)動(dòng)場、舞臺(tái)和建筑物外墻等用)

vt.用泛光燈照明

indistinct： adj.模糊的;模糊不清的;不清楚的

spurt：

v.噴發(fā);沖刺;噴出;冒出;(短暫地)加速前進(jìn)

n.涌出的液體;噴出的火舌;(速度、干勁、活動(dòng)或感情的)短時(shí)激增，迸發(fā)

whip：

n.鞭子;攪打奶油甜食

v.鞭打;鞭策;以鞭打責(zé)罰;鞭笞;(使朝某一方向)猛然移動(dòng);(突然迅速地)除去，拉動(dòng)，抽出;攪打（奶油等）;偷

whip sb/sth?up 激發(fā)；激勵(lì)；煽動(dòng)

inky： adj.墨黑的;漆黑的;沾有墨水的;被墨水弄臟的

ignite： v.(使)燃燒，著火;點(diǎn)燃;激起;激動(dòng)

ascend： v.上升;升高;登高

brief：

adj.簡明的;短暫的;簡單的;短時(shí)間的;簡潔的;過短的

n.任務(wù)簡介;指示;(向辯護(hù)律師提供的)案情摘要;委托辯護(hù);辯護(hù)狀;事務(wù)律師

vt.給(某人)指示;向(某人)介紹情況;向(辯護(hù)律師)提供案情摘要

swallow：

v.吞;咽下;(由于緊張等)做吞咽動(dòng)作;吞沒;淹沒;侵吞;用盡，耗盡，花光（錢等）;相信;不流露;默默忍受（侮辱、批評(píng)等）

n.吞;燕;咽;一次吞咽的量;一口

swallow up 吞并;兼并;用盡，耗光（金錢、資源）;吞沒;淹沒

diameter： n.直徑;對(duì)徑;放大率;放大倍數(shù)

predecessor： n.前任;原先的東西;被替代的事物

enhance： vt.增強(qiáng);提高;增進(jìn)

observational： adj.(尤指為獲得新知)觀察的，觀測的

compound：

n.復(fù)合物;化合物;混合物;復(fù)合詞;有圍欄（或圍墻）的場地（內(nèi)有工廠或其他建筑群）

adj.復(fù)合的

vt.使加重;使惡化;由…構(gòu)成(或形成);混合;摻和;拌和;支付，收取（復(fù)利）

manufacture：

vt.制造;(用機(jī)器)大量生產(chǎn);成批制造;編造;捏造;生成;產(chǎn)生(一種物質(zhì))

n.大量制造;批量生產(chǎn);工業(yè)品

vicinity： n.周圍地區(qū);鄰近地區(qū);附近

pack： n.包，包裹，捆;（尤指士兵或野外徒步者的）背包;（野獸、飛禽等的） 一群;一幫，一伙（尤含貶義）;（壓在傷口上止血用的）敷布，裹布，繃帶;面膜;裝罐量，包裝量;一捆，一包（尤指適于攜帶的東西）;大量;護(hù)膚霜，香脂，發(fā)乳;（海洋中的）流冰群，浮冰群

requisition：

n.正式要求;征用;需要

vt.(尤指戰(zhàn)時(shí)或緊急狀態(tài)時(shí))征用

grind：

v.磨碎;碾碎;把…磨成粉;磨(粉);使鋒利;磨快;磨光;用力擠壓，用力擦（入表層）;磨擦（發(fā)出刺耳聲）;搖動(dòng)手柄（操縱機(jī)器）

n.令人疲勞(或厭倦)的工作;苦差事;刺耳的摩擦聲

screw：

n.螺絲釘;螺絲;(對(duì)螺絲的)旋擰;性交;性交對(duì)象;螺旋槳;監(jiān)獄看守

v.用螺絲固定(或擰牢);旋緊;擰緊;擰上去;把（紙等）揉成一團(tuán);詐騙（錢財(cái)?shù)龋?/p>

it's not one's place to do sth 某人沒有 權(quán)利/責(zé)任 做某事

nerd： n.書呆子;令人厭煩的人;愚蠢的人