7月13日,就在“發(fā)現(xiàn)”號(hào)即將起飛的兩個(gè)小時(shí)前,美國(guó)航空航天局突然宣布推遲發(fā)射計(jì)劃。因?yàn)楣こ倘藛T監(jiān)測(cè)到航天飛機(jī)燃料傳感器出現(xiàn)問(wèn)題,由于傳感器是燃料箱和宇航員之間溝通的橋梁,通過(guò)它宇航員才能得知何時(shí)可以關(guān)掉引擎,以及航天飛機(jī)是否能正常運(yùn)作。外電報(bào)道如下:NASA
scrapped Wednesday's launch of the first shuttle flight in 2 1/2 years because of
a fuel gauge that mistakenly read full instead of empty, a
frustrating setback to the agency's bid to get back into space after
the Columbia tragedy.
"All I can say is shucks," deputy shuttle program manager Wayne Hale
said at a news conference of grim-faced NASA managers.
The launch was delayed until at least Saturday, and the postponement
could last much longer, depending on the repairs needed.
Shucks在此意為“表達(dá)歉意”。Shucks是美國(guó)俚語(yǔ),除了表示不滿或歉意時(shí)所發(fā)的聲音外,還有“呸!無(wú)聊!可惡!哪有這回事!”等含義,用來(lái)表示輕微的失望、厭惡或煩惱之意。和shucks有關(guān)的美俚還有no
great shucks(沒(méi)什么了不起);not to care shucks(一點(diǎn)不在乎)等。
據(jù)悉,造成傳感器失靈的原因有可能是零件生銹,由于傳感器位于燃料箱的內(nèi)部,因此更換傳感器的工作相當(dāng)費(fèi)時(shí)。
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