中國擬在月球背面種花養蠶 打造“微型生態圈”

China hopes to create a 'mini biosphere' on the dark side of the Moon, with flowers and silkworms sustaining each other as they grow on the lifeless lunar surface.
中國希望在月球背面打造一個“微型生態圈”，讓花和蠶“相依爲命”，在沒有生命的月球表面生長。

The uNPRecedented plan to create life in outer space is the most intriguing part of China's lunar probe mission later this year, and could be a major boost for dreams that humans will one day live on the Moon.
這項史無前例的外太空生命培育計劃是中國今年年底探月任務中最引人入勝的一部分，也將大力推進人類在月球居住夢想的實現。

The insects, plants, potato seeds and arabidopsis—a small flowering plant belonging to the mustard family - will be taken to the Moon on board the Chang'e-4 lander and rover in December.
昆蟲、植物、馬鈴薯種子和擬南芥——一種屬於十字花科的小型開花植物——將於今年12月搭乘嫦娥四號探測器前往月球。

They will be placed in an 18cm tall bucket-like tin made from special aluminum alloy materials, together with water, a nutrient solution, and a small camera and data transmission system.
它們將和水、營養液、微型照相機和信息傳輸系統一道，被放置在一個高18釐米由特殊鋁合金材料製成的桶狀罐子裏。

A small tube will direct natural sunlight into the tin to help the plants and potato seeds grow. Although known figuratively as the "dark side" as it is unseen, the far side of the moon receives almost equal sunlight to the near side.
一個小導管會把自然光線導入罐子裏，幫助這些植物和土豆種子生長。雖然人類看不見的月球背面被形象地稱爲“暗面”，但月球背面和正面所受到的太陽光照幾乎是相等的。

The next stage of the mini-ecological system will see the plants emitting oxygen, which will feed the silkworms hatching from their cocoons.
在“微型生態圈”的下一個階段中，植物會產生氧氣，供蠶蛹孵化時使用。

The silkworms will create carbon dioXide and produce waste that will allow the plants to grow, Chinese scientists say.
中國科學家說，蠶會產生植物生長所需的二氧化碳和糞便。

"Our experiment might help accumulate knowledge for building a lunar base and long-term residence on the Moon," Professor Liu Hanlong, chief director of the experiment and vice president of Chongqing University, told Xinhua news agency.
擔任實驗項目總體負責人的重慶大學副校長劉漢龍教授對新華社記者說：“我們的實驗將爲人類在月球上建立基地和長期居住積累知識。”

Astronauts have previously grown plants in the International Space Station, while Chinese "taikonauts" grew rice and arabidopsis in China's Tiangong-2 space lab.
此前，航天員曾在國際空間站種過植物，而中國的航天員也曾在天宮二號空間實驗室裏培養過水稻和擬南芥。

But those experiments were conducted in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometres.
但那些實驗都是在離地面約400公里的近地軌道中進行的。

"The environment on the Moon, 380,000 kilometres from the Earth, is more complicated," Xinhua said.
新華社的報道稱：“距離地球38萬公里的月球環境要複雜得多。”

The moon's gravity is only about 16 percent of the earth's - which is considered a major barrier to the success of the project.
月球引力只相當於地球引力的16%左右，這被認爲是該項目取得成功面臨的主要障礙。

The development of living organisms would also be at risk from the harsh climate on the Moon, where temperatures range from lower than -100 °C to higher than 100 °C.
生物體的生長還將受到月球上惡劣氣候的威脅，因爲月球表面的溫度既可以低於零下100攝氏度，也可以高於零上100攝氏度。

Xie Gengxin, chief designer of the experiment, said: "We have to keep the temperature in the 'mini biosphere' within a range from 1 degree to 30 degrees, and properly control the humidity and nutrition.
實驗項目的總設計師謝更新說：“我們必須將‘微型生態圈’內的溫度保持在1至30攝氏度之間，並控制好溼度和養分。”

"We will use a tube to direct the natural light on the surface of Moon into the tin to make the plants grow."
“我們將用一根導管把月球表面的自然光線導入罐子，以使植物生長。”

Potato and arabidopsis were chosen for the experiment because they grow quickly and can be easily observed by scientists.
選擇馬鈴薯和擬南芥作爲實驗物種是因爲它們的生長週期短且便於科學家觀察。

"And potato could become a major source of food for future space travellers," said Professor Liu.
劉漢龍教授說：“同時，馬鈴薯還可作爲未來空間旅行者的主要食物來源。”

China's plans to become the first country to softly land a probe to the dark side of the moon will represent the country's latest milestone in space.
中國計劃成爲第一個實現探測器在月球背面軟着陸的國家。這將成爲中國太空探索事業最新的里程碑。

In 2003, it became the third country to put a man in space with its own rocket after the former Soviet Union and the United States.
2003年，中國成爲繼蘇聯和美國之後第三個用自行研製的飛船將人送入太空的國家。

Ten years later it became the third country to carry out a lunar rover mission.
10年後，它又成爲第三個實現月球探測器軟着陸的國家。

China aims to land a man on the moon sometime after 2030, most observers say, while last year an official said that it would “not take long” before Beijing approved a manned lunar project.
大多數觀察人士認爲，中國計劃在2030年後的某個時候實現載人登月，但去年一位官員說，載人登月計劃獲得中國政府批准的“時間不會太長”。