Two pilots recently set a new altitude world record for gliders.
近日，两名飞行员为滑翔机的创下了世界最新滑翔高度纪录。
A glider is an aircraft that does not have an engine.
所谓滑翔机，就是没有发动机的飞机。
They are pulled into the air by powered airplanes and then released.
它们由有发动机支持的飞机带入空中，然后在空中释放飞行。
They are designed to ride warm, rising air to gain altitude.
这样做的目的是让他们乘着上升的暖风，不断向上滑翔。
The Perlan II glider reach an altitude of 15,902 meters on September 3.
9月3日，普兰II滑翔机实现了15902米的高度。
The two pilots flew their aircraft above mountains in southern Argentina.
这两名飞行员将飞机开往阿根廷南部的群山之上。
The pilots beat the earlier world record for gliders by 441 meters.
这两名飞行员创下的世界纪录比之前多了441米。
The pilots hope the ability of their plane to reach the edge of outer space will influence young people to follow careers in science and engineering.
他们希望他们飞机抵达外太空边缘的能力能够影响到年轻人跟随科学工程事业的脚步。
The glider was pulled into the air by a small plane.
这架滑翔机由一只小型飞机带往天空之中。
At about 3,000 meters, the plane released the connecting cable
在大约3000米的时候，这架飞机松开了导引线，
and started looking for strong updrafts of air, called the mountain waves, to take them higher.
并开始寻找强劲的上升气流--也叫地形波，将之带往更高的地方。
According to chief pilot Jim Payne it took eleven flights to reach the altitude record.
正驾驶员吉姆表示，试了11次才达到这个高度纪录。
Basically, we take steps of certain amount of altitude and airspeed, gather data, analyze that data
总体而言，我们会在一定的高度、空速中采取行动，收集数据，分析数据。
and if those data conform to our theory and the model we have for the airplane - then we can safely go on to the next step.
如果分析后发现这些数据符合我们的滑翔机的理论模型，条件才足够安全，我们才能进行下一步。
A glider flight at high altitude is very difficult.
要让滑翔机在高海拔飞行是十分困难的。
The glider has no engine to fight turbulence they may encounter.
因为滑翔机没有发动机，所以不足以对抗可能遇到的波流不稳的情况。
Also, although the airspeed instrument shows the speed of only 80 to 90 kilometers per hour,
此外，虽然空速仪器显示的速度可能仅有80-90km/h，
the true airspeed can be much higher. 但真实的空速可能更高。
At those high speeds, the wings may flutter to the point of breaking.
在这样的高空速之下，机翼可能会在不断震动之下断裂。
Also, it is very cold said pilot and project manager Morgan Sandercock.
而且，驾驶员兼该项目经理摩根表示，气温也极低。
We have electric socks on the pilots, we literally could not fly without those electric socks, we would get frostbite.
我们会让飞行员穿戴电子袜，没有这种袜子就没法飞行，就会生冻疮。
And heated vests and we're looking at upgrading our heating systems for next year
此外，还会穿戴加热背心。而且我们现在也在研究着升级加热系统，为明年做准备，
because cold is the big issue that we've been dealing with this year.
因为气温低是我们今年一直在与之周旋的大问题。
The Perlan II glider is made of special kind of light carbon fiber material.
普兰II滑翔机是由一种特殊轻碳纤材料制成，
It also has improved mechanical properties.
此外还提升了其机械性能。
The company Airbus helped build the glider and transport it to Argentina.
空客公司助力建造了这种滑翔机，并将其运送到了阿根廷。
Ken McKenzie, an employee with Airbus, says the company hopes the project will attract young people to science and technology.
肯恩是空客的一名员工，他表示，空客公司希望该项目能够吸引年轻人投入到科学工程中来。
We want to actually grab the next group of pilots, engineers, mechanics, airport operators, flight attendants,
其实，我们是想吸引下一批飞行员、工程师、机械师、机场操作员、空姐，
basically kids that are in high school and university right now
他们现在大多数可能还在上高中或者大学，
that may not have considered aerospace as a career and we want to inspire them.
可能并没有将宇航作为一项事业来看，所以我们想要激发他们的念头。
In the future, the pilots hope to break the world altitude record for level flight of 25,929 meters,
这两名飞行员希望将来能够打破25929米的水平飞行世界纪录，
set in 1979 by the U.S. spy plane called the SR-71 Blackbird.
该纪录是1979年由美国的SR-71黑鸟式侦察机创下的。
The pilots also plan to turn their aircraft into a non-polluting research vehicle for the stratosphere.
这两名飞行员还计划将他们的滑翔机改造为无污染的科研机，用于平流层飞行。
I'm Phil Dierking.
Phil Dierking为您播报。
【词汇解析】
1.altitude n.海拔，高度
We’re flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet.
我们的飞行高度为四万英尺。
2.conform vt.遵照，符合
Students can be expelled for refusing to conform to school rules.
学生不遵守校规可能会被开除。
3.frostbite n.冻疮，冻伤
I nearly got frostbite.
我险些冻伤。
4.turbulence n.动荡，不稳气流
A period of political turbulence followed the civil war.
内战结束之后紧接着的是一段政治动荡时期。
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