考研英語單詞是考研考生比較麻煩的一項工作，背了忘，忘了再背，而一個單詞還有很多詞義，在線小編整理了2023考研英語通過閱讀識單詞，希望大家能通過閱讀翻譯結合語境來牢記單詞意義。

　　Almost every day we see something in the papers about the latest exciting developments in the space race. Photographs are regularly flashed to the earth from thousands and even millions of miles away. They are printed in our newspapers and shown on our television screens as a visible proof of mans newest achievements. The photographs neatly sum up the results of these massive efforts to conquer space and at the same time they expose the absurdity of the undertaking. All we can see is an indistinguishable blob which is supposed to represent a planet seen from several thousand miles away. We are going to end up with a little moon-dust and a few stones which will be put behind glass in some museum. This is hardly value for money when you think that our own earth can provide countless sights which are infinitely more exciting and spectacular.

　　The space race is not simply the objective search for knowledge it is often made out to be. It is just an extension of the race for power on earth. Only the wealthiest nations can compete and they do so in the name of pure scientific research. But in reality, all they are interested in is power and prestige. They want to impress us, their spectators, with a magnificent show of strength. Man has played the power game ever since he appeared on earth. Now he is playing it as it has never been played before. The space race is just another aspect of the age-old argument that might is right.

　　We are often told that technological know-how, acquired in attempting to get us into orbit, will be utilized to make life better on earth. But what has the space race done to relieve the suffering of the earths starving millions? In what way has it raised the standard of living of any one of us? As far as the layman is concerned, the practical results of all this expenditure of money and effort are negligible. Thanks to space research, we can now see television pictures transmitted live half-way across the globe and the housewife can use non-stick frying-pans in the kitchen. The whole thing becomes utterly absurd when you think that no matter what problems man overcomes, it is unlikely that he will ever be able to travel even to the nearest star.

　　譯文

　　我們幾乎每天都在報章上讀到太空競爭方面最新、最激動人心的進展。不斷有照片從幾千英里、甚至幾百萬英里外發回地球。我們作為人類最新成就的明證登在報紙上，出現在電視屏幕上。這些照片充分反映了人類付出巨大的努力去征服太空所取得的結果，同時也揭示了這種做法的荒謬性。我們所看到的只是一個模糊不清的小圓塊，據說那便是一個從幾千英里以外看到的星球。我們最后的收獲將是一點月塵和幾塊石頭，把它們放在某個博物館的玻璃后面展覽。為這些東西花錢實在不值得，因為你知道，我們自己的地球就可以提供無數比這更壯觀、更激動人心的景觀。

　　太空競爭的目的不單單是客觀地探求知識，雖然它常常自命如此。它其實是在地球上進行的權利競爭的延伸。只有那些最富裕的國家才能參與競爭，并且他們總是打著純科學研究的旗號。實際上，他們感興趣的惟有權利和威望。他們希望他們對自己的力量所做的壯觀的展示會給我們，他們的觀眾，留下深刻的印象。人類自從在地球上出現以后就開始玩權利游戲。現在他們更是把這種游戲玩得史無前例。太空競爭只是強權即公里這一古老論點的另一方面。

　　我們被告知，我們在努力進入空間軌道的時候所獲得的技術竅門將有助于我們在地球上生活得更好。但是太空競爭又做了些什么來救濟地球上千百萬在饑餓中掙扎的人們呢?它在哪一方面提高了我們中間任何一個人的生活水平呢?照我們這些門外漢看，我們耗費那么多金錢和努力所取得的成就是微乎其微的。借助于太空研究，我們現在得以看到越過全球現場直播的電視畫面，廚房里的家庭主婦也用上了不粘鍋。但是不管人類征服了多少困難，他也不可能去最近的星球上旅行。想想這個，你就會覺得整個這件事情荒謬絕倫了。

　　人類最大的敵人是貧窮、饑餓、疾病和戰爭。如果世界上的強國把他們用于太空競爭的金錢和努力的一半用來解決這些問題，這個世界不知要變得比現在好多少。人類在自己的歷史上第一次擁有了和人類不幸作戰的強大技術力量，可是卻把它們浪費在毫無意義的追求上。

　　考研英語單詞是考研考生比較麻煩的一項工作，背了忘，忘了再背，而一個單詞還有很多詞義，在線小編整理了2023考研英語通過閱讀識單詞，希望大家能通過閱讀翻譯結合語境來牢記單詞意義。

　　Almost every day we see something in the papers about the latest exciting developments in the space race. Photographs are regularly flashed to the earth from thousands and even millions of miles away. They are printed in our newspapers and shown on our television screens as a visible proof of mans newest achievements. The photographs neatly sum up the results of these massive efforts to conquer space and at the same time they expose the absurdity of the undertaking. All we can see is an indistinguishable blob which is supposed to represent a planet seen from several thousand miles away. We are going to end up with a little moon-dust and a few stones which will be put behind glass in some museum. This is hardly value for money when you think that our own earth can provide countless sights which are infinitely more exciting and spectacular.

　　The space race is not simply the objective search for knowledge it is often made out to be. It is just an extension of the race for power on earth. Only the wealthiest nations can compete and they do so in the name of pure scientific research. But in reality, all they are interested in is power and prestige. They want to impress us, their spectators, with a magnificent show of strength. Man has played the power game ever since he appeared on earth. Now he is playing it as it has never been played before. The space race is just another aspect of the age-old argument that might is right.

　　We are often told that technological know-how, acquired in attempting to get us into orbit, will be utilized to make life better on earth. But what has the space race done to relieve the suffering of the earths starving millions? In what way has it raised the standard of living of any one of us? As far as the layman is concerned, the practical results of all this expenditure of money and effort are negligible. Thanks to space research, we can now see television pictures transmitted live half-way across the globe and the housewife can use non-stick frying-pans in the kitchen. The whole thing becomes utterly absurd when you think that no matter what problems man overcomes, it is unlikely that he will ever be able to travel even to the nearest star.

　　譯文

　　我們幾乎每天都在報章上讀到太空競爭方面最新、最激動人心的進展。不斷有照片從幾千英里、甚至幾百萬英里外發回地球。我們作為人類最新成就的明證登在報紙上，出現在電視屏幕上。這些照片充分反映了人類付出巨大的努力去征服太空所取得的結果，同時也揭示了這種做法的荒謬性。我們所看到的只是一個模糊不清的小圓塊，據說那便是一個從幾千英里以外看到的星球。我們最后的收獲將是一點月塵和幾塊石頭，把它們放在某個博物館的玻璃后面展覽。為這些東西花錢實在不值得，因為你知道，我們自己的地球就可以提供無數比這更壯觀、更激動人心的景觀。

　　太空競爭的目的不單單是客觀地探求知識，雖然它常常自命如此。它其實是在地球上進行的權利競爭的延伸。只有那些最富裕的國家才能參與競爭，并且他們總是打著純科學研究的旗號。實際上，他們感興趣的惟有權利和威望。他們希望他們對自己的力量所做的壯觀的展示會給我們，他們的觀眾，留下深刻的印象。人類自從在地球上出現以后就開始玩權利游戲。現在他們更是把這種游戲玩得史無前例。太空競爭只是強權即公里這一古老論點的另一方面。

　　我們被告知，我們在努力進入空間軌道的時候所獲得的技術竅門將有助于我們在地球上生活得更好。但是太空競爭又做了些什么來救濟地球上千百萬在饑餓中掙扎的人們呢?它在哪一方面提高了我們中間任何一個人的生活水平呢?照我們這些門外漢看，我們耗費那么多金錢和努力所取得的成就是微乎其微的。借助于太空研究，我們現在得以看到越過全球現場直播的電視畫面，廚房里的家庭主婦也用上了不粘鍋。但是不管人類征服了多少困難，他也不可能去最近的星球上旅行。想想這個，你就會覺得整個這件事情荒謬絕倫了。

　　人類最大的敵人是貧窮、饑餓、疾病和戰爭。如果世界上的強國把他們用于太空競爭的金錢和努力的一半用來解決這些問題，這個世界不知要變得比現在好多少。人類在自己的歷史上第一次擁有了和人類不幸作戰的強大技術力量，可是卻把它們浪費在毫無意義的追求上。