Some people think governments should spend as much money as possible exploring outer space (for example, traveling to the Moon and to other planets). Other people disagree and think governments should spend this money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
When we see photographs of starving children, it's hard to say that we should spend billions of dollars on space exploration. But that's just what we should do. Children don't need to be starving, but we do need to explore space. Right now, we have enough money to feed every person on Earth. Children are starving because of mismanagement of resources and simple human greed. Those are problems we can solve right here on earth. That shouldn't stop our need to find out what's beyond our own solar system.
当我们看到饥饿儿童的照片时，很难说我们应该在太空探索上花费数十亿美元。但这正是我们应该做的。孩子们不需要挨饿，但我们确实需要探索空间。现在，我们有足够的钱养活地球上的每一个人。由于对资源的管理不善和人类的贪婪，儿童正在挨饿。这些问题我们可以在地球上解决。这不应该阻止我们发现太阳系以外的东西的需要。
We may never make contact with whatever other species there may be out there in space. Even so, there are still two very practical and positive consequences of space exploration. One is a certainty and the other is a possibility. The certainty is medical research. Yes, we can conduct research here on earth. But much of the research done in space, for example, on the effects of gravity on bone marrow, is making a difference in medicine here on Earth. When we do research in space, we also learn more about space exploration. Also, many of the inventions that were developed for space travel have been adapted to good use on Earth.
我们可能永远不会接触到太空中可能存在的其他物种。即便如此，太空探索仍有两个非常实际和积极的后果。一个是确定的，另一个是可能的。确定无疑的是医学研究。是的，我们可以在地球上进行研究。但在太空中进行的许多研究，例如重力对骨髓的影响，在地球上的医学上正在发挥作用。当我们在太空进行研究时，我们也会学到更多关于太空探索的知识。此外，许多为太空旅行而开发的发明已经被改编成在地球上的好用途。
The possible consequence of space exploration is finding another planet human beings can colonize. Overpopulation is a huge problem on our planet. People are living longer, more healthful lives, and that's a good thing. But it means there are fewer people dying and more people being born. Eventually we'll have less space, fewer resources, and major distribution problems. If we can find another planet to live on, we can relieve the problems of overpopulation on our planet.
太空探索的可能结果是发现人类可以殖民的另一个星球。人口过剩是我们星球上的一个大问题。人们活得更长，更健康，这是件好事。但这意味着死亡的人越来越少，出生的人越来越多。最终，我们将拥有更少的空间、更少的资源和主要的分布问题。如果我们能找到另一个星球居住，我们就能缓解地球人口过剩的问题。
It's a tragedy that there are human beings suffering on Earth. However, if we wait until everyone has a perfect life, we will never explore space—and that , too, would be a kind of tragedy.
地球上有人类受苦是一个悲剧。然而，如果我们等到每个人都过上完美的生活，我们就永远不会探索太空，这也是一种悲剧