President Bush addresses Nation on space shuttle Columbia tragedy
My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.
On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.
In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more.
美國同胞們,今天我們接到噩耗,全國沉浸在巨大的悲痛中。今天早上九點,休斯頓控制中心失去了同我們的“哥倫比亞號”航天飛機的聯(lián)系。此后不久,人們看到殘骸從得克薩斯州上空落下。“哥倫比亞號”失事了;無一人生還。
機上的七名機組成員是:里克·赫斯本德(Rick Husband)空軍上校;邁克爾·安德森(Michael Anderson)空軍中校;勞雷爾·克拉克(Laurel Clark)海軍中校;戴維·布朗(David Brown)海軍上校;威廉·麥庫爾(William McCool)海軍中校;卡爾帕納·舒拉(Kalpana Chawla)博士和以色列空軍上校伊蘭·拉蒙(Ilan Ramon)。這些男女宇航員為造福全人類而承擔(dān)了巨大的風(fēng)險。
在太空飛行似乎已基本成為常規(guī)作業(yè)的時代,人們易于忽視乘坐火箭飛行的危險和在險惡的地球外層空間飛行的難度。這些宇航員懂得這些危險,而且甘心情愿地面對這些危險,因為他們知道生命中有著遠大而崇高的目標(biāo)。正是因為他們的勇氣、膽識和理想主義精神,我們會更加懷念他們。
今天,所有美國人的思緒也都伸向經(jīng)受了這種突如其來的震驚和悲傷的宇航員的家人。你們不是孤獨的。我們整個國家和你們一同哀悼。你們所愛的人將永遠得到美國的尊敬和感激。
他們?yōu)橹I身的事業(yè)將繼續(xù)下去。人類是在探索精神和求知欲望的引導(dǎo)下,超越我們的世界,進入黑暗的未知空間。我們的太空之旅將繼續(xù)下去。
今天,我們在空中看到的是毀滅和悲劇。但在我們的視野之外存在著安慰和希望。先知以賽亞說:"你們向上舉目,看誰創(chuàng)造這萬象?他逐一領(lǐng)出爍爍繁星,一一稱其名。因為他的大力全能,一個都不缺。"
這位唱名群星的造物主也知道我們今天悼念的七個亡靈的名字?!父鐐惐葋喬枴购教祜w機的機組人員未能平安地返回地球;但我們可為他們的安息而祈禱。
愿上帝保佑悲傷的家人,愿上帝繼續(xù)保佑美國。
All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude of this country.
The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.
In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."
The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.
May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America.