外文翻译--穿越深渊的机器--新型的机器人可在数百公尺深的水底残骸间自由穿梭游览.doc
英文原文TheAbyssTransitSystem-JamesCameroncommissionsthemakingofrobotsforareturntotheTitanicByGaryStixAtthebeginningofthemoviethatmadeLeonardoDiCaprioamegastar,acamera-totingunmannedrobotventuredintoacavernousholeinthewreckthatsitsonthebottomoftheAtlantic,12,640feetfromthesurface.The500-poundvehicle,christenedSnoopDog,couldmoveonlyabout30feetalongalowerdeck,hamperedbyitsbulkytwo-inch-diametertetherhitchedtoasubmarinethatwaitedabove.Theamountofthrustneededtomoveitschunkyframestirredupathickcloud.“Thevehicleveryquicklysiltedouttheentireplaceandmadeimagingimpossible,”directorJamesCameronrecalls.ButtheeerievistarevealedbySnoopDogonthat1995expeditionmadeCameronhungerformore.HevowedtoreturnonedaywithtechnologythatcouldnegotiateanyplacewithintheTitanicsinterior.InthepastsixmonthstwodocumentariesoneforIMAXmovietheaterscalledGhostsoftheAbyss,theother,Expedition:Bismarck,fortheDiscoveryChanneldemonstratedthefruitsofathree-yeareffortthatCameronfinancedwith$1.8millionofhisownmoneytomakethisvisionmaterialize.Thepayoffwastwo70-poundrobots,namedafterBluesBrothersJakeandElwood,thathadthefullrunoftwooftheworldsmostfamouswrecks,theTitanicandtheBismarck,whichtheyvisitedonseparateexpeditions.ThepersonwhotookJakeandElwoodfromdreamtorobotisMikeCameron,Jamessbrother,anaerospaceengineerwhooncedesignedmissilesandwhoalsopossessesadiversebackgroundasahelicopterpilot,stuntphotographerandstuntman.(RememberthecorpseinthemovieTheAbyss,fromwhosemouthacrabemerges?)GivingtheremotelyoperatedvehiclesfreedomofmovementrequiredthattheybemuchsmallerthanSnoopDogandthatthetetherswidthbetapereddramaticallysoasnottocatchonverticalshipbeams.MikeCamerontookinspirationfromthewire-guidedtorpedoesusedbythemilitarythatcantravelformanymiles.Histeamcreatedvehiclesoperabletomorethan20,000feet(enoughtoreachasmuchas85percentoftheoceanfloor).Thedimensionsofthefrontoftherobotare16incheshighby17inchesacross,smallenoughtofitinaBdeckwindowoftheTitanic.Thebotshaveaninternalbatterysothattheydonotneedtobepoweredthroughatether.Insteadthetetherfifty-thousandthsofaninchindiametercontainsopticalfibersthatrelaycontrolsignalsfromamannedsubmersiblevehiclehoveringoutsideandthatalsosendvideoimagesintheotherdirection.Thetetherpaysoutfromtherobot,adesignthatpreventsitfromsnaggingonobjectsinthewreck.JamesCameronthoughttheprojectwouldbeastraightforwardengineeringtask,notmuchharderthandesigninganewcamerasystem.“Thisturnedouttobeawholedifferentorderofmagnitude,”hesays.“Therewasnocommercialoff-the-shelfhardwarethatwouldworkinthevehicles.Everythinghadtobebuiltfromscratch.”Iftheteamhadknownthisearlyon,headded,“wewouldnthavebothered.”Waterpressureonthecablethatcarriedtheopticalfiberscouldcreatemicroscopicbendsinthedatapipe,completelycuttingoffthecontrolsignalsfromthesubmersibles.DarkMatterinValencia,Calif.(MikeCameronscompany),hadtodeviseafluid-filledsheatharoundthefibertodisplacetheminusculeairpocketsinthecablethatcouldleadtothemicrobending.Tosaveweight,theframesimilartoamonocoquebodyofaracecarwasmadeupofsmallglasshollowspherescontainedinanepoxymatrix.Thethrustercontainedalarge-diameter,slowlyrotatingbladewithnozzlesthatdiffusedthepropulsiveflow,minimizingthechurningthatwouldotherwisedisturbthecakedsilt.Ahigh-resolutionvideocamera,alongwithaninfraredcamerafornavigation,wasplacedinthefrontofthecraftalongwiththreelight-emitting-diodearraysforfilllightingandtwoquartzhalogenlampsforspotlighting.Thewinterof2001markedacriticaljuncture.ItwassixmonthsbeforedivestotheTitaniccouldbesafelyattempted,andJameshadtodeterminewhethertoproceedorwaitanotheryear.“Mikewasreally,reallynegativeontheidea,butIdecidedtogoforit,”thedirectorsays.HefelthecouldntaffordtowaitlongerandthoughtthatafixeddeadlinewouldfocustheengineeringstaffatDarkMatter.Forhispart,Mikewascontendingwithanunendingseriesofdesignchallenges.“ItwassuchanoverwhelmingsetofproblemsthatIhadverylittleconfidencethatcertainpartswouldbesolvableinthetimewehad,”Mikesays.Afewweeksbeforethedivescommencedinthesummerof2001,therobotslithiumsulfurdioxode-basedbatteriescaughtfirewhilebeingtestedinapressuretank,destroyingwhatwastohavebeenathirdrobot.Mikewantedtodelaythedives,butJamesfoundasupplierofanothertypeoflithiumbatteryandpressedahead.Atthedivesite,JakeandElwoodtookstarringroleswiththeir2,000-foottethers,exploringforthefirsttimeinabout90yearsremotepartsoftheships,includingtheengineroom,thefiremensmesshallandthecabinsoffirst-classpassengersevenfocusinginonabowlerhat,abrassheadboardandanintact,uprightglassdecanter.Theimageslacktheresolutionandnovelqualityofthehigh-definition,three-dimensionalIMAXimages,theothermajortechnologicalinnovationofGhostsoftheAbyss.JakeandElwoodsdiscoveries,however,drawtheviewersinterestbecauseofwhattheyconveyoftheTitanicsmystique.“Youactuallyfeellikeyoureoutthereinthewreck,”Mikesays.HeremembershisbrotherpilotingtherobotswiththehelicopterstickthathadbeeninstalledintheRussiansubmersiblefromwhichtherobotswerelaunched.“Jimendedupbeingacowboypilot,”Mikesays.“HewasfarmoreaggressivewiththesystemthanIwas.”OnesceneinGhostsoftheAbyssrevealsthetensionthatsometimeseruptedbetweenthebrothers.Jamescontemplatesmovingoneoftherobotsthroughacabinwindowthatisstillpartiallyoccludedbyashardofglassthatcoulddamagethevehicleorcutthedatatether.WhenJamesdeclaresthatheisgoingtotakeJakein,moviegoerscanhearMikepleadingwithhisbrothernottodoit,ultimatelyrelentingoncethebothasnegotiatedtheopening.Thedecisiontoinstallanewtypeofbatteryatthelastminutecametohaunttheexpedition;Elwoodslithium-polymerbatteryignitedwhileinthebowelsoftheship.JamesmanipulatedtheremainingrobotintotheTitanictoperformarescueoperationbyhookingacordtothegrillofthedeadbotandtowingitout.AtthesurfaceonthedeckoftheRussianscientificvesseltheKeldysh,fromwhichthetwosubmarinescarryingJakeandElwoodtotheTitanicwerelaunchedMikerebuiltElwoodwithabackupbattery.Duringthenextdive,therobotcaughtfireagainwhileitwasstillmountedonthesubmarine,endangeringthecrew.Finally,Mikeworkedforan18-hourstretchtoadaptalead-acidgelbatteryusedfordevicesonboardthemothershipintoapowersourceforElwood,enablingtheexpeditiontocontinue.Thebots,nowfittedwithanew,nonflammablebatterythatMikedesigned,mayfindservicebeyondmotionpictures.TheU.S.NavyhasfundedDarkMattertohelpitassessthetechnologyforunderwaterrecoveryoperationsofshipsoraircraft.Thebotsalsohavepotentialforscientificexplorationofdeep-seatrenches.AftertravelingtotheTitanicandtheBismarck,theteamwentontoprobemid-Atlantichydrothermalvents,discoveringmollusksinaplacewherescientistshadneverencounteredthembefore.Asadventureaficionados,thebrothersspeculatethatadescendantofJakeandElwoodmightevenbetotedonamissiontoEuropa,oneofJupitersmoons,toinvestigatethewatersthataresuspectedtoexistbelowitsicyshell.TheCameronsiblings,whotinkeredwithhome-builtraftsandrocketsaschildreninOntarionearNiagaraFalls,hopetobearoundlongenoughtowitnesstheirrobotictwinsgofromthebottomoftheoceantothedepthsofspace.中文译文穿越深渊的机器-新型的机器人可在数百公尺深的水底残骸间自由穿梭游览作者斯蒂克斯(GaryStix)曾一举捧红超级巨星李奥纳多狄卡皮欧的电影铁达尼号中,片头是一台无人驾驶的遥控装置,携带着摄影机深入大西洋,在3852公尺深的铁达尼号残骸里冒险的画面。这台226.8公斤重的海底载具名为嗅犬(SnoopDog),它被一条直径达五公分的笨重绳索所牵制,由于其中一端系在上面等待的潜水艇上,所以只能沿着底层甲板移动约九公尺。为了移动它矮胖的身躯,需要用到大量的推进力,但是却因此扬起厚重的尘云。导演詹姆斯科麦隆(JamesCameron)回忆道:“这台海底载具很快就使整个地方充满淤泥,所以根本不可能取得影像。”但是,嗅犬在1995年这场探险所显示的迷人画面,却使科麦隆渴求得到更多发现。他发誓将来有一天会重回铁达尼号,届时的技术将可以顺利穿越这艘船内部的任何地方。为了实现这个梦想,科麦隆自己耗资180万美元。而就在过去六个月里,深渊游魂(GhostsoftheAbyss)和俾斯麦号长征(Expedition:Bismarck)这两支纪录片展示了他努力三年的成果;前者将于IMAX电影院上映,后者则