反重力跑鞋讓你體驗月球漫步
Thanks to these new sneakers, you don’t need to wait for space tourism to take off to experience walking on the moon. Aptly named ‘MoonWalker’, these shoes rely on magnets to allegedly simulate walking in a low-gravity environment.
多虧有這款新型運動鞋，現在你不必排隊等待太空旅行就能體驗月球行走。據稱，這款名爲“月球漫步者”的運動鞋據稱可以用磁鐵模擬太空的低重力環境。
On their Indiegogo campaign page, startup Moonshine Crea reveals that the ingenious shoes are made from an “incredibly durable yet soft and breathable” synthetic fabric on the outside, while the inside is made of a DuPont Tyvek synthetic polyethylene used by NASA in space station modules. The sole, made of memory foam, is designed to perfectly fit the unique shape of each wearer’s foot.
創業公司Moonshine Crea在IndieGoGo衆籌網站上發佈了這款鞋。它設計巧妙，鞋面的合成纖維非常耐用，舒適度和透氣性都很好，鞋子內部的DuPont Tyvek合成聚乙烯材料則與NASA空間站模塊上的材料相同；鞋底的記憶海綿能完美契合每個人的腳形。
So far the shoes seem like regular sneakers, but what sets the MoonWalkers apart are the two special layers hidden beneath the memory foam, which are embedded with the world’s most powerful magnets. According to the company, “each layer is made up of powerful N45 magnets that are strategically placed so the north poles face each other. This creates a repellant force, which leaves you light on your feet and happy as an astronaut.”
“月球漫步者”跑鞋的外觀與普通跑鞋並無不同，它的獨特之處在於藏在記憶海綿下的兩層特殊材料，嵌入了世界最強力的磁鐵。據該公司介紹，“每層材料裏都有強力N45磁鐵，嵌入的位置正好使上下兩層磁鐵的N極相對，產生的互斥力使人們腳步變輕，可以像宇航員一樣輕鬆愉快地行走。”
Speaking to Live Science, mechanical engineer Patrick Jreijiri, the brains behind MoonWalker, explained that the strength of a magnet depends on its composition – a mix of neodymium, iron, and boron. So he chose N45, which is not only the strongest but also cheaper than most magnets. The pieces he chose for the shoe range from 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter, and are capable of moving 12 to 24 kilograms of material each.
“月球漫步者”運動鞋的創意來自機械工程師帕特里克·傑吉里。在接受生命科學網採訪時，他解釋說磁鐵的磁力由磁鐵的構成決定，包括釹、鐵和硼，因此他選擇使用N45磁鐵，既有最強磁力，也比多數磁鐵便宜。他選擇使用的磁鐵片直徑在2.5~5釐米之間，每片磁鐵都能承受12~24公斤的重量。
The two special layers, embedded with 12 to 13 magnets each are arranged in such a way that the north poles of the magnets face each other. These poles repel each other, creating a gap, or force field, between the layers. So when the wearer’s foot pushes against the combined strength of the magnets, the gap will act as a cushion, keeping the wearer suspended in space. Of course, there’s a limit to how much weight the magnets can withstand and in the case of MoonWalkers that limit is 183 kilograms.
在這兩層特殊材料中，每層都嵌入了12~13個磁鐵片，嵌入的位置正好使上下兩層磁鐵的N極相對，同級相斥使兩層材料中形成力場空隙。因此，當腳踩在磁鐵上時，力場空隙就像墊子一樣托起穿鞋者懸在空中。當然，磁鐵的承重是有限的，“月球漫步者”跑鞋最大可承載183公斤的重量。
If the Indiegogo campaign is any indication, the idea of levitating shoes is extremely popular. The company managed to raise a whopping $212,177, which is 990% of their original goal. Shipping will begin later this summer, in a variety of colors and adult sizes, priced between $89 and $139. One version will come with an e-ink display similar to the ShiftWear sneakers.
本次IndieGoGo網衆籌活動說明懸浮鞋創意特別火爆。Moonshine Crea公司籌得212,177美元，是原定籌款目標的990%。“月球漫步者”運動鞋有多種顏色和成人型號，價格在89~139美元間，今年夏天就會發貨。有一款還配有電子墨水顯示屏，與能隨意變換圖案的ShiftWear跑鞋有些相似。
MoonWalkers sound great, but we’re kind of disappointed that Moonshine Crea hasn’t released a live demo of the sneakers in action. We’ll just have to hope that they actually work as promised.
“月球漫步者”運動鞋的介紹聽起來很棒，但Moonshine Crea公司沒有發佈動態演示片，這有些遺憾。我們只希望實物同介紹的一樣功能強大。
Vocabulary
levitate: 使輕輕浮起；使飄浮空中
demo: 演示
