China launched its most ambitious space mission， including the program's first spacewalk， as this increasingly confident nation staked a claim on the heavens while impressing people on Earth.

中國啟動其最具雄心報負的太空任務(wù)，包括首次太空行走。當這個自信心日益增長的國家在太空分一杯羹時，地球上的人們對此留下了深刻的印象。

The Shenzhou 7 was slated to blast off from the Jiuquan launch pad in Gansu province on September，25 in the evening， with the walk scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday， ground operations head Cui Jijun said.

發(fā)射場系統(tǒng)總指揮崔吉俊稱，神州七號于9月25日在甘肅酒泉發(fā)射基地發(fā)射升空并于26日下午4：30進行艙外行走。

The nation's third manned mission carried three astronauts， or taikonauts; mission leader Zhai Zhigang made the 40-minute spacewalk， which was broadcasted live.

中國第三次載人航天飛行任務(wù)中載有三名宇航員或者說中國太空人。首要任務(wù)執(zhí)行者翟志剛進行長達40分鐘的太空行走，整個過程被直播。

Experts said this mission was the next logical step toward a Chinese space station and possible moon landing. Having put people in orbit and returned them safely， China made spacewalks， then will plan rendezvous and docking operations， and subsequently deployment of a relatively modest space lab， followed by a more permanent space station.

專家稱這次任務(wù)是中國建立太空空間站及實現(xiàn)登月可能的下一個邏輯步驟。將人成功送入軌道和平安返回后，中國進行太空行走，隨后將研究交會對接技術(shù)，再部署中等規(guī)模太空實驗室的工作，最后建立一個更永久的空間站。

\"It's a step-by-step development of their capability designed to have humans work in space， and this is a perfectly logical step，\" said John Logsdon， director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. \"The world is impressed by the spacewalk.\"

“中國一步步實現(xiàn)太空人工作業(yè)，這是邏輯上完美的一步，”喬治#8226;華盛頓大學空間政策研究所主任約翰#8226;勞格斯登說道，“世界為這一太空行走而震驚?！?/p>

Analysts said that though the mission has little obvious strategic or military benefit， it sends a signal to the world and particularly to regional space rivals Japan and India.

分析家稱雖然這次飛行沒有明顯的戰(zhàn)略意義及軍事利益，但給世界尤其是區(qū)域太空競爭對手日本及印度發(fā)出警示。

\"It's mainly for prestige，\" said James Andrew Lewis， a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. \"And regionally， China is wiping the field. India and Japan not only haven't gotten their first guy in space， now China is doing a walk.\"

“這主要是為了威望”，華盛頓國際戰(zhàn)略研究中心的資深人員詹姆斯#8226;安德魯#8226;路易斯說道，“就地域上來講，中國在這一領(lǐng)域正處于領(lǐng)先地位。印度和日本均沒有將人送入太空，而現(xiàn)在中國就已經(jīng)做到太空行走了。”

China has made much of the fact that the spacesuit its taikonauts used， dubbed the Feitian after a mythological flying god， is made completely with Chinese technology. But experts say the suit， reportedly developed at a cost of $23 million over a seven-year period， resembles the Orlan model Beijing bought from Russia.

中國高度重視完全由中國研制的太空航天服，它以一位神話中的飛天女神而命名為“飛天?！钡菍＜艺f，這套據(jù)報道稱用了7年的時間、耗資2300萬美元才得以完成的航天服與從俄國購買的“海鷹”相似。

In fact， both garments played a role. According to the official New China News Agency， the mission's second in command， Liu Boming， donned the Orlan and was on call as the Feitian-clad Zhai walked in space.

事實上，兩套航天服都被用上。據(jù)中國新聞社官方人員稱，當身著“飛天”的翟志剛進行太空行走時，待命宇航員劉伯明穿“海鷹”在艙內(nèi)待命。

U.S. and European Union export restrictions on sensitive technology mean China has often had to adapt Russian technology or develop homegrown solutions.

美國及歐盟限制敏感技術(shù)出口意味著中國只能借鑒俄國技術(shù)或研究本土解決方案。

Zhai tethered to the spacecraft rather than used a self-propelled jet pack of the sort employed in U.S. missions. He did not perform any complex tasks. Chinese media refered to his \"tightening bolts，\" but this was to provide him with something to do while the camera rolls.

翟志剛用系繩與飛船相連，而不是使用美國采用過的自行式噴氣推進器。他不會執(zhí)行任何復雜的任務(wù)。中國媒體提到的他的“緊固螺栓”在攝像機搖晃時對他有所幫助。

Compared with NASA， which has been hurt by lackluster public support， pinched budgets and high-profile accidents， the Shenzhou program enjoys broad horizons. The program is a source of enormous pride among ordinary Chinese. And China's leadership sees it as an important way to unify the people and strengthen support for the ruling Communist Party， according to some political analysts.

與歷經(jīng)公眾支持慘淡、預算緊縮及發(fā)生高調(diào)事故的NASA相比，神州計劃擁有更為廣闊的前景。這個計劃是中國普通民眾驕傲的源泉。據(jù)一些政治分析家稱，中國領(lǐng)導層將這視為團結(jié)民眾與穩(wěn)固共產(chǎn)黨領(lǐng)導權(quán)的重要方式。

China's program has often been shrouded in secrecy.

中國工程總是被裹得嚴實，如此保密。

\"We still need to work on transparency，\" said JiaoWeixin， Earth and space sciences professor at Peking University. \"I don't think it's necessary to make it so secretive.\"

“在透明度方面我們還需繼續(xù)努力，”北京大學地球與空間科學系教授說，“我認為沒必要保守得這樣嚴密?！?/p>

However， as China has met or exceeded expectations with its space program， its confidence has increased. Launches are now routinely televised live.

然而，因為中國在太空計劃上有所實現(xiàn)或超出期望，中國更加自信?，F(xiàn)在發(fā)射情況通常都會在電視里直播。

Although spacewalks are not a new feat -- Russia and the United States first performed them decades ago-the maneuver remains risky given the complexity of air locks and the harsh space environment.

雖然太空行走不是一個新壯舉，俄國和美國早在幾十年前便實現(xiàn)了，但考慮到復雜的隔氣室及惡劣的太空環(huán)境，這項任務(wù)的風險仍然很大。

One of the more interesting aspects of the mission was the launch of a small satellite designed to travel alongside the Shenzhou 7 and transmit images of the craft back to Earth. This is a potentially tricky operation given the proximity of the two objects and may be a warmup for future rendezvous and docking missions.

此次飛行中更有看點的一方面是環(huán)繞神州7號的一顆小型衛(wèi)星的發(fā)射，它將飛船的圖像發(fā)射回地球?？紤]到兩個物體間的近距離，這是個潛在的棘手行動，但對將來交會對接技術(shù)是一個熱身運動。

\"At that speed in space， it's not easy to do，\" said Eric Hagt， China program director with the Washington-based World Security Institute.

“就太空領(lǐng)域能達到這種發(fā)展速度是很不容易的”，位于華盛頓世界安全研究所的中國項目部主任埃里克#8226;亥說道。

\"This is the first time they really take pictures of a Chinese astronaut in space，\" he added. \"You can imagine the flags everywhere… Post-Olympics， this is another accomplishment. It's a public relations event.\"

“這是他們首次真正在太空拍攝宇航員照片，”他繼續(xù)說道，“你可以想象遍地的旗幟……這是繼奧運會之后又一次輝煌，是一個重要的公共大事。”

China has been methodical in crafting the building blocks of its increasingly ambitious Shenzhou program and has never suffered a fatality. But the danger of live broadcasts and enhanced public relations strategies， as NASA has learned the hard way， is that all the attention can backfire if something goes wrong.

中國在精心壘砌日益遠大的神州計劃的基石時有條不紊，從未發(fā)生惡性事故。但直播和加強公共關(guān)系的危險是，一旦出了差錯，所有的關(guān)注將產(chǎn)生事與愿違的結(jié)果，NASA就是前車之鑒。

China's eventual goal of building a space station dovetails with a bid to expand its influence on the world stage， signaling that it is playing in the big leagues with Russia and the United States.

中國最終建立空間站的目標與其致力于擴大國際影響力所做的努力相吻合，標志著中國正同俄國和美國共同躋身于大國之列。

\"A lot of countries have satellites，\" Hagt said. \"But if you have a space station， it says， 'We have a serious claim in space.' \"

“很多國家都有人造衛(wèi)星，”亥說道，“但是如果你有個空間站，可以說‘我們在太空獲有一席之地?！?/p>