外文翻譯--穿越深淵的機(jī)器--新型的機(jī)器人可在數(shù)百公尺深的水底殘骸間自由穿梭游覽.doc

英文原文TheAbyssTransitSystem-JamesCameroncommissionsthemakingofrobotsforareturntotheTitanicByGaryStixAtthebeginningofthemoviethatmadeLeonardoDiCaprioamegastar,acamera-totingunmannedrobotventuredintoacavernousholeinthewreckthatsitsonthebottomoftheAtlantic,12,640feetfromthesurface.The500-poundvehicle,christenedSnoopDog,couldmoveonlyabout30feetalongalowerdeck,hamperedbyitsbulkytwo-inch-diametertetherhitchedtoasubmarinethatwaitedabove.Theamountofthrustneededtomoveitschunkyframestirredupathickcloud.“Thevehicleveryquicklysiltedouttheentireplaceandmadeimagingimpossible,”directorJamesCameronrecalls.ButtheeerievistarevealedbySnoopDogonthat1995expeditionmadeCameronhungerformore.HevowedtoreturnonedaywithtechnologythatcouldnegotiateanyplacewithintheTitanicsinterior.InthepastsixmonthstwodocumentariesoneforIMAXmovietheaterscalledGhostsoftheAbyss,theother,Expedition:Bismarck,fortheDiscoveryChanneldemonstratedthefruitsofathree-yeareffortthatCameronfinancedwith$1.8millionofhisownmoneytomakethisvisionmaterialize.Thepayoffwastwo70-poundrobots,namedafterBluesBrothersJakeandElwood,thathadthefullrunoftwooftheworldsmostfamouswrecks,theTitanicandtheBismarck,whichtheyvisitedonseparateexpeditions.ThepersonwhotookJakeandElwoodfromdreamtorobotisMikeCameron,Jamessbrother,anaerospaceengineerwhooncedesignedmissilesandwhoalsopossessesadiversebackgroundasahelicopterpilot,stuntphotographerandstuntman.(RememberthecorpseinthemovieTheAbyss,fromwhosemouthacrabemerges?)GivingtheremotelyoperatedvehiclesfreedomofmovementrequiredthattheybemuchsmallerthanSnoopDogandthatthetetherswidthbetapereddramaticallysoasnottocatchonverticalshipbeams.MikeCamerontookinspirationfromthewire-guidedtorpedoesusedbythemilitarythatcantravelformanymiles.Histeamcreatedvehiclesoperabletomorethan20,000feet(enoughtoreachasmuchas85percentoftheoceanfloor).Thedimensionsofthefrontoftherobotare16incheshighby17inchesacross,smallenoughtofitinaBdeckwindowoftheTitanic.Thebotshaveaninternalbatterysothattheydonotneedtobepoweredthroughatether.Insteadthetetherfifty-thousandthsofaninchindiametercontainsopticalfibersthatrelaycontrolsignalsfromamannedsubmersiblevehiclehoveringoutsideandthatalsosendvideoimagesintheotherdirection.Thetetherpaysoutfromtherobot,adesignthatpreventsitfromsnaggingonobjectsinthewreck.JamesCameronthoughttheprojectwouldbeastraightforwardengineeringtask,notmuchharderthandesigninganewcamerasystem.“Thisturnedouttobeawholedifferentorderofmagnitude,”hesays.“Therewasnocommercialoff-the-shelfhardwarethatwouldworkinthevehicles.Everythinghadtobebuiltfromscratch.”Iftheteamhadknownthisearlyon,headded,“wewouldnthavebothered.”Waterpressureonthecablethatcarriedtheopticalfiberscouldcreatemicroscopicbendsinthedatapipe,completelycuttingoffthecontrolsignalsfromthesubmersibles.DarkMatterinValencia,Calif.(MikeCameronscompany),hadtodeviseafluid-filledsheatharoundthefibertodisplacetheminusculeairpocketsinthecablethatcouldleadtothemicrobending.Tosaveweight,theframesimilartoamonocoquebodyofaracecarwasmadeupofsmallglasshollowspherescontainedinanepoxymatrix.Thethrustercontainedalarge-diameter,slowlyrotatingbladewithnozzlesthatdiffusedthepropulsiveflow,minimizingthechurningthatwouldotherwisedisturbthecakedsilt.Ahigh-resolutionvideocamera,alongwithaninfraredcamerafornavigation,wasplacedinthefrontofthecraftalongwiththreelight-emitting-diodearraysforfilllightingandtwoquartzhalogenlampsforspotlighting.Thewinterof2001markedacriticaljuncture.ItwassixmonthsbeforedivestotheTitaniccouldbesafelyattempted,andJameshadtodeterminewhethertoproceedorwaitanotheryear.“Mikewasreally,reallynegativeontheidea,butIdecidedtogoforit,”thedirectorsays.HefelthecouldntaffordtowaitlongerandthoughtthatafixeddeadlinewouldfocustheengineeringstaffatDarkMatter.Forhispart,Mikewascontendingwithanunendingseriesofdesignchallenges.“ItwassuchanoverwhelmingsetofproblemsthatIhadverylittleconfidencethatcertainpartswouldbesolvableinthetimewehad,”Mikesays.Afewweeksbeforethedivescommencedinthesummerof2001,therobotslithiumsulfurdioxode-basedbatteriescaughtfirewhilebeingtestedinapressuretank,destroyingwhatwastohavebeenathirdrobot.Mikewantedtodelaythedives,butJamesfoundasupplierofanothertypeoflithiumbatteryandpressedahead.Atthedivesite,JakeandElwoodtookstarringroleswiththeir2,000-foottethers,exploringforthefirsttimeinabout90yearsremotepartsoftheships,includingtheengineroom,thefiremensmesshallandthecabinsoffirst-classpassengersevenfocusinginonabowlerhat,abrassheadboardandanintact,uprightglassdecanter.Theimageslacktheresolutionandnovelqualityofthehigh-definition,three-dimensionalIMAXimages,theothermajortechnologicalinnovationofGhostsoftheAbyss.JakeandElwoodsdiscoveries,however,drawtheviewersinterestbecauseofwhattheyconveyoftheTitanicsmystique.“Youactuallyfeellikeyoureoutthereinthewreck,”Mikesays.HeremembershisbrotherpilotingtherobotswiththehelicopterstickthathadbeeninstalledintheRussiansubmersiblefromwhichtherobotswerelaunched.“Jimendedupbeingacowboypilot,”Mikesays.“HewasfarmoreaggressivewiththesystemthanIwas.”O(jiān)nesceneinGhostsoftheAbyssrevealsthetensionthatsometimeseruptedbetweenthebrothers.Jamescontemplatesmovingoneoftherobotsthroughacabinwindowthatisstillpartiallyoccludedbyashardofglassthatcoulddamagethevehicleorcutthedatatether.WhenJamesdeclaresthatheisgoingtotakeJakein,moviegoerscanhearMikepleadingwithhisbrothernottodoit,ultimatelyrelentingoncethebothasnegotiatedtheopening.Thedecisiontoinstallanewtypeofbatteryatthelastminutecametohaunttheexpedition；Elwoodslithium-polymerbatteryignitedwhileinthebowelsoftheship.JamesmanipulatedtheremainingrobotintotheTitanictoperformarescueoperationbyhookingacordtothegrillofthedeadbotandtowingitout.AtthesurfaceonthedeckoftheRussianscientificvesseltheKeldysh,fromwhichthetwosubmarinescarryingJakeandElwoodtotheTitanicwerelaunchedMikerebuiltElwoodwithabackupbattery.Duringthenextdive,therobotcaughtfireagainwhileitwasstillmountedonthesubmarine,endangeringthecrew.Finally,Mikeworkedforan18-hourstretchtoadaptalead-acidgelbatteryusedfordevicesonboardthemothershipintoapowersourceforElwood,enablingtheexpeditiontocontinue.Thebots,nowfittedwithanew,nonflammablebatterythatMikedesigned,mayfindservicebeyondmotionpictures.TheU.S.NavyhasfundedDarkMattertohelpitassessthetechnologyforunderwaterrecoveryoperationsofshipsoraircraft.Thebotsalsohavepotentialforscientificexplorationofdeep-seatrenches.AftertravelingtotheTitanicandtheBismarck,theteamwentontoprobemid-Atlantichydrothermalvents,discoveringmollusksinaplacewherescientistshadneverencounteredthembefore.Asadventureaficionados,thebrothersspeculatethatadescendantofJakeandElwoodmightevenbetotedonamissiontoEuropa,oneofJupitersmoons,toinvestigatethewate