國發會與ICRT共同製播的時事英語廣播“The World in Brief”固定於每周三在雙語資源網更新，與大家一起聽時事學英文。

本周主題：未來產業—太空 Future of Taiwan’s Space Industry

世界各國也在美國星鏈計畫(Starlink)成功後，開始研究自己的低軌衛星(Low Earth Orbit satellites)，臺灣亦是如此。國家太空中心(TASA, Taiwan Space Agency)正在推行Beyond 5G計畫，希望能藉由臺灣先進的通訊產業而提升網路連線的能力、帶動金融及數據等其他產業。除此之外，國立中央大學(National Central University)所研發的深太空輻射探測儀，將有助於了解更多深太空輻射對技術帶來的影響。想知道更多嗎？讓我們用3分鐘一起跟著主持人了解更多吧！

您喜歡這則時事英語廣播嗎?進入表單與我們分享您對The World in Brief的喜好與看法吧！

 

Transcript

Voice: You’re listening to the World in Brief …

Crowd: … On tour! 

Marian: ‘Dear ICRT, I’ve always wanted to go to outer space! Is that possible?’

Host: Marian in Magong is reaching for the stars! Let’s see if we can help!

Host: We’re here! Oh gosh … it’s so dark in here, I can’t …

Announcer: “SPACE! …”

Host: Aaaah!

Announcer: “… The Final Frontier! …”

Host: Whoa! What is that up there? It’s so beautiful!

Announcer: “… Billions and billions of stars surround our …”

Expert: Hello? Are you OK in here?

Host: Hi! I think so … that voice gave me quite a fright!

Expert: Sorry about that. That’s an old recording … it’s a bit too loud for just one person, I think! Often, we have around 200 people in here.

Host: Where are we? This place is awesome! Just look at that huge, curved cinema screen above our heads. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Expert: You’re in the Taipei Astronomical Museum! That’s our 25-meter hemispherical dome screen, and it’s the largest in Taiwan!

Host: No doubt! It’s massive! What’s it for?

Expert: It’s for stargazing, of course! It’s for staring at the universe, and dreaming of the endless possibilities of space.

Host: Great, it sounds like I’m in the right place! My friend in Magong says she’d like to visit outer space someday.

Expert: Maybe she will! TASA is making some big waves right now …

Host: TASA?

Expert: That stands for Taiwan Space Agency. It’s like NASA in the United States.

Host: And, what big waves are they making? What’s happening in Taiwan’s space industry these days?

Expert: Let’s talk about the global space industry first. It is booming! Especially in terms of satellite development, which is great news for Taiwan!

Host: How so?

Expert: Thanks to our advanced foundational capabilities in the communications industry, Taiwan has a major advantage. Ever heard of Starlink?

Host: Yes, that’s the famous American chain of Low Earth Orbit satellites.

Expert: Well, Starlink has been so successful that countries all over the world are working on their own Low Earth Orbit satellites. Including here, in Taiwan.

Host: We are? That’s exciting!

Expert: Yes, it is! Over here we’re developing Beyond 5G Low Earth Orbit satellites. When they’re ready, they should significantly boost our internet connectivity. That will help our other industries grow too, like our finance and data sectors.

Host: OK! We are really making big waves!

Expert: That’s not all! Over at Taiwan’s National Central University, they’ve been independently developing a Deep Space Radiation Probe. It helps us to better understand the impact of deep space radiation on technology. It’s slated to launch to the moon later this year!

Host: Wow! To the moon, and then who knows?! I can’t wait to tell Marian in Magong the good news! Thanks, bye! 

 

Vocabulary

frontier 新領域，未完全開拓的領域；邊境，邊疆  (n.)

The total worldwide value of the space economy skyrocketed to $469 billion US in 2021, with over 90 countries employing over one million people to explore this final frontier.

 

fright 驚嚇，恐怖  (n.)

Don’t let news about a satellite falling back to Earth give you a fright; most of it will burn up on re-entering the atmosphere, and a new technique may control where debris falls.

 

make waves 引起騷動，掀起波瀾 (idiom)

Taiwan is making waves at home and internationally with a competition that supports students, start-ups, and other entities in innovating space industry technologies.

 

capability 能力，潛力  (n.)

With strong governmental support and its ecosystem of innovative universities, research institutes, and related industries, Taiwan’s space industry capabilities are rising fast.

 

radiation 輻射  (n.)

The electronics in satellites are designed to withstand the effects of radiation, but radiation from solar flares and solar wind is still a major cause of satellite malfunctions.