The Long March rocket carrying the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou 8 blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre
运载着神八的长征系列火箭从酒泉卫星发射中心的发射台发射升空
Photo: REUTERS
照片：路透社
By David Eimer in Beijing
大卫·埃默于北京
5:44PM GMT05 Nov 2011
2011年11月5日格林尼治时间5:44PM
Floating 200 miles above earth is the latest symbol of China's determination to become a true global superpower.
升空200英里，这是中国决心成为一个真正的全球超级大国的最新体现。
When the Tiangong 1 module docked successfully with the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft in the early hours of Thursday morning, China took a giant step towards its dream of becoming the pre-eminent power in space, a position some experts believe it may claim by 2040.
周三清晨，天宫1号飞行舱与神八成功对接，这意味着中国向着其成为太空强国的目标又迈进了一大步，而一些专家认为这个目标可能在2040年前得以实现。
For the millions of Chinese who stayed up to watch the rendezvous of the two unmanned craft live on television, its success wasn't just a matter of enormous pride that China had become only the third nation after the US and Russia to master orbital docking. It was also a message to the rest of the world of China's ever-growing reach and ambition, as each successive mission in the country's space programme narrows the technological gap with its rivals.
对于成百上千万坐在电视机前熬夜观看两架无人飞行器“约会”的中国人来说，这次对接的成功不只是一个巨大的荣耀，意味着中国成为继美俄之后，世界上第三个掌握轨道对接技术的国家。它还向世界的其它国家宣示了，随着一次次成功的太空任务不断缩小着中国与竞争对手的差距，中国所达到的高度及其雄心壮志，都在不断增加。
At a time when the US is mired in an economic downturn and both public and financial support for the space agency Nasa is at its lowest ebb ever, China is forging ahead with plans to have its own space station by the end of the decade.
And with the Russians also stating that manned space missions are no longer a priority, it is likely that - within 15 years or so - the next men to set foot on the moon will be Chinese.
在美国深陷经济衰退的泥淖，美国航天局（NASA）获得的公众与财政支持处于其历史最低谷之时，中国却在不断奋进，并计划在这个十年结束前拥有自己的空间站。 并且，随着俄国宣布载人航天不再是他们的首要之选，看起来，在15年左右的时间内，下一个登月的将会是中国人。
Nor is China looking merely at near space. Later this month, it will launch its first Mars probe, carried into space as part of the payload on a Russian rocket.
此外，中国不只着眼于近太空。这个月底，中国的第一个火星探测器，将作为运载设备的一部分，被一艘俄国火箭运载升空。
Just eight years since China put its first astronauts into space, and only three years after its astronauts took their first space walk, the latest accomplishment reveals with startling clarity the speed at which China is mastering the steps needed to become a superpower in space.
在将第一个宇航员送入太空八年之后，以及在实现太空行走仅3年之后，中国便实现了交会对接，而这项最新的成就则极其清晰的展示出中国正大步迈向太空强国之列。
"It's a huge technical leap forward," said Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space programme. Over the next 10 years, China plans to launch around 20 spacecraft to build its own space station. "We will do more two more rendezvous and docking flights next year. After that, we will begin the construction of a space laboratory and space station."
The space lab is expected to be operational by 2016 and the space station by 2020, the very year that the International Space Station (ISS) is set to be decommissioned.
中国载人航天计划发言人武平说道，“这是一次技术的巨大飞跃”。在下一个十年，中国计划再发射20台左右的航天器，以构建自己的太空站。“明年我们还会再做两次交会对接飞行，之后，我们将会开始建造自己的太空实验室和太空站”。
太空实验室将在2016年之前投入运行，而太空站将会在2020年之前投入运行，而这一年（2020年）也是国际空间站在计划中要退役的一年。
"The Chinese have momentum in their programme; they're closing the gap while the US is treading water," said Professor Michael Sheehan, an expert in space politics at Swansea University. "Ten years ago, China didn't have any reconnaissance satellites and it was 25 years behind the US. Now they have ones that are as good as the American satellites. It's been an incredible build-up in the last decade. If things continue as they are, China will be the number one power in space by 2040."
英国斯旺西大学的空间政治学专家迈克尔·希恩（音译）教授说道，“中国人在他们的太空计划中势头强劲；当美国为他们糟糕的经济而焦头烂额时（此处意译，非直译），中国却在不断缩小他们间的差距。10年前，中国没有一颗侦查卫星，落后美国25年之久，而现在他们拥有许多同美国一样先进的卫星，这简直是一个不可置信的成就。按照这种态势下去，到2040年，中国将成为头号太空强国。”
China did not even launch its first satellite until 1970, one year after Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon. Now, it rivals Russia in launching commercial satellites, sending 20 into orbit last year alone. Jiuquan, China's space city, in northwestern Gansu Province is the Chinese equivalent of Mission Control in Houston and the Cape Canaveral shuttle launch-pad rolled int one.
The launches themselves take place nearby on the edge of the Gobi Desert, part of a huge enterprise whose details - unlike Nasa's operation - are kept strictly secret.
直到1970年，亦即阿姆斯特朗首次登月后的一年，中国才发射了他们的第一颗卫星。而如今，仅在去年一年的时间内，中国就将20颗卫星送入轨道，足以与俄罗斯相匹敌。位于甘肃省西北的中国太空城酒泉，已经成为等同于休斯敦控制中心和卡纳维拉尔角发射台合成体的一个存在。
其发射任务在附近戈壁沙漠的边缘处进行，该沙漠作为计划的一部分严格保密，这点则与美国国家航空航天局的运作不同。
But it is the successful docking of the 33ft Tiangong 1, or "Heavenly Palace" 1, with the 30ft Shenzhou 8 that is set to prompt a massive acceleration in the country's space programme. It means China now has the ability to ferry its taikonauts, the Chinese name for their astronauts, and supplies back and forth from earth to a space station of its own.
但33英尺长的天宫1号同象征着中国航天计划飞速发展的30英尺长的神舟8号对接的实现，无疑是一个巨大成功。这意味着中国现在能够运送自己的”太空人”（这是中国对自己宇航员的称呼），并在地面和太空站之间来回运送补给。
At around 60 tons, China's space station will be far smaller than the 400 tons ISS and more like the cramped and basic former Russian Space Station Mir. Yet, having their own semi-permanent outpost in space at a time when no one else does will be sweet revenge for the Chinese, whose participation in the 16-country ISS was vetoed by Washington, as well as offering them the opportunity to further their space science.
与重达400吨的国家空间站相比，中国的空间站将小的多，只有60吨左右，更像俄国原先那个狭小初级的和平空间站。但是，在其它国家只能共用一个国际空间站时，拥有一个完全属于自己的太空前哨站，对中国人来说，将会是一个甜蜜的报复，因为华盛顿曾拒绝中国加入16国参与的国际空间站研制工作，也不给中国进一步提高其太空技术的机会。
"We cannot wait any longer to make our own scientific experiments in space. We have to build our own space station to satisfy the demands of China's development," said Jiao Weixin, a Professor at Peking University's School of Earth and Space Sciences.
北京大学地球与空间科学学院的焦维新教授说道，“我已迫不及待的想在太空中进行我们自己的科学实验了。我们必须建立我们自己的空间站以满足祖国发展的需要” 。
Some worry that science is not the only motivation behind China's space programme. "Chinese space efforts are largely managed by the People's Liberation Army and directed by the Central Military Commission," said Scott Pace, the director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University and a former senior Nasa official and White House adviser on space.
"Military space activities can be conducted for peaceful purposes, just as the US does, but there should be no mistaking the fact that China's space activities have military purposes."
有些人认为发展科技并非是中国太空计划的唯一动机。乔治华盛顿大学空间政策研究所负责人，前美国国家航空航天局高级官员及白宫太空问题顾问斯科特·佩斯说道，“中国太空方面的工作主要由中国人民解放军管理，中央军委领导”。 “就像美国所做(指NASA关注发展商业太空飞行)的那样，军队的太空活动可以向和平的方向引导，但中国的太空活动带有军事目的，这应该不是一个被歪曲的事实”。 Shenzhou 8's launch last week has already set alarms bells ringing, because the craft was delivered so precisely to its intended location. If China can send a rocket into space with such accuracy, it means it can destroy any object in near space as well.
上周，神八的发射已经敲响了警钟，这是因为飞行器被十分精确的送达了目的地。若中国能把一艘火箭以同样的精度送入太空，那这意味着中国可以摧毁近太空的任何物体。
China's new strides in its rocket guidance systems comes despite an embargo on US exports of sensitive hi-tech equipment to Beijing. Having relied on re-engineered Russian technology for much of its space programme, the docking system that brought Tiangong 1 and Shenzou 8 together was Chinese-designed.
尽管美国对北京实行了敏感高科技设备的禁运，中国还是在火箭制导系统上实现了新的飞跃。在原来，中国太空计划中的很多地方都有赖于对俄罗斯技术的重新设计，但将天宫一号与神八连接起来的对接系统却是如假包换的中国设计。
China is also preparing to launch the latest generation of its Long March rockets, which will be able to carry far heavier payloads into space.
同时，中国还在准备发射最新一代的长征系列火箭，它能够承载着更大的载荷量进入太空。
Professor Jiao says that Western suspicions of China's ambitions in space are unfounded. "It is costly and silly to use the space programme for military purposes. Why would we make such a big show and spend so much money if it was only for military use? Our goal is very simple; we want to make scientific discoveries in space. I am sure all mankind will benefit from Chinese achievements in space," he said.
焦维新教授说，西方怀疑中国在太空的野心是毫无根据的。“把太空计划用于军事目的是一种浪费和愚蠢的行为。若只为军用，我们为什么要这么不遗余力的宣传并花去这么多的钱？我们的目标很简单：我们想要在太空中搞科研。我相信全人类都会受益于中国在太空领域所做的贡献。”
What is clear that China seems able to meet its goals in space far more cheaply than Nasa. Exact figures are hard to come by, but it is estimated Beijing spends around £1.5 billion a year on its space programme, a fraction of Nasa's annual budget of £20 billion.
有一点很明确，那就是，中国看上去能以远小于美国的成本来实现其在太空中的目标。精确数字难以得到，但据估计，中国每年在太空计划上的花费为15亿英镑，远小于美国国家航空航天局每年200亿英镑的预算。
"I would suspect they are spending more than they admit. That's certainly true with their defence spending. But they are definitely getting value for money," said Professor Sheehan. "The Russians always spent less on their space programme than Nasa and they did OK, even though it wasn't as technologically advanced as Nasa's."
希恩（音译）教授说道，“我怀疑他们的花费实际比他们所说的要多。他们的国防支出实际上就是如此。但他们（中国）的钱确实都花在了刀刃上，尽管俄罗斯的技术并不比美国先进，但俄罗斯在太空计划上的花费总是比美国要少，同时他们做的也很好。”
For now, Nasa remains the world leader in space technology. But there seems to be little appetite amongst both the US's leaders and the American public for the bold missions which characterised Nasa's operations in its glory days of the 1960's and 70's.
现在，美国国家航空航天局在太空技术上仍处于世界领先地位。但无论是美国领导人还是公众，现在似乎都没有了对那些英勇使命的渴望，要知道在上世界六七十年代的光辉岁月里，这些使命正是航天局不断运转前进的表征。
"The question is whether the United States will proceed with its own long-term programme of space exploration and development, or drift," said Mr Pace.
佩斯先生说道，“现在的问题是，美国将制定自己的太空探险和发展长期计划并与之前行呢，还是漫无目的的随波逐流。”
That lack of enthusiasm is perhaps the reason why China's growing presence above the earth has so far not sparked a space race reminiscent of the battle between the US and the former Soviet Union for supremacy. "I believe the United States is largely indifferent at this point," said Mr Pace.
竞争热情的缺乏，或许是中国在太空的发展没能激起中美太空竞赛的原因，这样的竞赛若发生，又会让人们想起美国和前苏联之间为制霸而进行的军备竞赛。佩斯说道，“我相信美国对此很不感兴趣”。
More likely is the prospect of a regional space race in Asia. India is pushing ahead with plans for its first manned mission in 2016, while Japan has stepped up its programme of probes to asteroids and the moon.
而亚洲的区域性太空竞争则更可能发生。印度正在不断推动它的2016年载人航天计划，与此同时，日本也已开始了它的小行星和月球探测计划。
Some believe the US and China should start collaborating instead. On the same day that Tiangong 1 docked with Shenzhou 8, Nasa's chief Charlie Bolden raised the prospect of future cooperation with China when he appeared before a House of Representatives committee in Washington.Yet, China's lack of transparency over its intentions in space and the US's reluctance to give Beijing access to its technology remain barriers to any meaningful partnership.
一些人认为中美应该开始合作。天宫一号和神八对接的那一天，在华盛顿，美国宇航局主管查理·博尔顿在美国众议院委员会前提出了对中美合作前景的展望。但由于中国进军太空的意图尚不明了以及美国自身不情愿让中国接触自己的技术，中美合作仍是障碍重重。
More than anything, China's successes in space are helping to bolster the ruling communist party by boosting national pride and unity at a time when a slowing Chinese economy and a rising tide of protests are threatening stability.
比一切都重要的是，中国在太空上的成功，增强了民族自豪感和凝聚力，在国家经济增长逐渐减缓以及反对声音日益高涨的时候，巩固了共产党的执政地位。
Some 12 million people recorded their hopes and dreams for the future and just under 43,000 of them were selected to be stored on a computer chip and carried into space as part of the mission.
约有1200万人写下了他们对未来的期望和梦想，同时只有其中43000人的记录被选中并存储到电脑芯片中，然后作为这次任务的一部分，送上太空。
"It's a way to demonstrate what the communist party has achieved in the last 60 years," said Professor Sheehan. "It's big statement to the Chinese people that China is a great nation again and that after all the technological advances it made thousands of years ago, it is once more a technologically advanced country."
Ultimately, that may be more important to Beijing than assuming the US's mantle in space.
希恩教授说道，“这是展示共产党在过去60年中所取得的成果的一种方式，向中国人民表明了，中国再次成为一个伟大的国家，并且在经历了几千年前科技领先世界的辉煌之后，中国再次跻身科技大国之列。”
从根本上说，对于北京，这一点要比接过美国太空霸主的衣钵更重要。
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