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濡れる宇宙探査
濡れる宇宙探査
宇宙ステーション関係のニュースを見るたびに
宇宙飛行士をうらやましく思っていた筆者は、
最近、宇宙飛行士と同じような活動を
自分でも経験できることに気付いた—。
Wet Space Exploration
By SCOTT T. HARDS
The International Space Station and Russia's Mir are creating plenty of news about space these
days. And now Japan has been playing a bigger role in the global effort, with several of the country's
scientists flying on the U.S. space shuttle and being selected for future Space Station missions.
Since my youth, I've always been fascinated by space. Star Trek and Star Wars were huge parts of
my growing up. Thus, I've always been jealous of those lucky and talented enough to actually fly in
space. The idea of putting on a strange suit and floating weightless in a place where you might meet
new life forms has always seized my imagination.
Well, imagine my joy to learn that, for the most part, one can do just that without ever having to
go through a rigorous selection process, or even board a rocket ship!
As I write these words, I'm still trying to clear my mouth of the last traces of salt from this
morning's dive. That's right, about six months ago I discovered scuba diving, and my life hasn't been the
same since!
When you think about it, the parallels to space exploration are amusing. You need a special suit
to stay warm, and your air tank and regulator to breathe,
just like an astronaut in space. You become almost weightless as you balance yourself to achieve
"neutral buoyancy" in the water. You can roll upside down, stand on your head, position yourself
almost any way you want! You almost feel like you are flying!
The biggest difference between actual space exploration and scuba diving is that your odds of
meeting strange new life forms in the ocean are about 100 percent. I've met many creatures in the seas
around Japan that I could not believe were from the same planet I am!
Most of the alien species in Star Trek are far closer to humans than some of the round, multiarmed
life forms I frequently bump into while diving. Believe me, when you're in their territory it's quite
different from seeing them behind glass in an aquarium!
I didn't discover scuba diving until I was 35 years old, but there was one benefit of starting late:
the price. Over the last 15 years, the price of scuba gear has fallen by over one half. If you don't
want to rent your equipment, you can now buy everything you need for well under ¥150,000. The main
reason is simple supply and demand. Scuba has soared in popularity recently, thanks to a piece of
equipment known as the "BC."
The "buoyancy compensator" is an inflatable vest that allows you to easily adjust your buoyancy
in the water to neutral — that is, neither floating up nor sinking down. Before the BC, it required a
good amount of physical strength to stay under control, but now scuba can be enjoyed by virtually
anyone in good health. In fact, I have met many senior citizens enjoying the sport in my trips to Izu
and the islands around Japan.
So what are you waiting for? With just 2 to 3 days of simple training, you, too, can become a wet
astronaut exploring the fascinating "space" that surrounds Japan. You won't regret it!
The International Space Station and Russia's Mir are creating plenty of news about space these
days. And now Japan has been playing a bigger role in the global effort, with several of the country's
scientists flying on the U.S. space shuttle and being selected for future Space Station missions.
Since my youth, I've always been fascinated by space. Star Trek and Star Wars were huge parts of
my growing up. Thus, I've always been jealous of those lucky and talented enough to actually fly in
space. The idea of putting on a strange suit and floating weightless in a place where you might meet
new life forms has always seized my imagination.
Well, imagine my joy to learn that, for the most part, one can do just that without ever having to
go through a rigorous selection process, or even board a rocket ship!
As I write these words, I'm still trying to clear my mouth of the last traces of salt from this
morning's dive. That's right, about six months ago I discovered scuba diving, and my life hasn't been the
same since!
When you think about it, the parallels to space exploration are amusing. You need a special suit
to stay warm, and your air tank and regulator to breathe,
just like an astronaut in space. You become almost weightless as you balance yourself to achieve
"neutral buoyancy" in the water. You can roll upside down, stand on your head, position yourself
almost any way you want! You almost feel like you are flying!
The biggest difference between actual space exploration and scuba diving is that your odds of
meeting strange new life forms in the ocean are about 100 percent. I've met many creatures in the seas
around Japan that I could not believe were from the same planet I am!
Most of the alien species in Star Trek are far closer to humans than some of the round, multiarmed
life forms I frequently bump into while diving. Believe me, when you're in their territory it's quite
different from seeing them behind glass in an aquarium!
I didn't discover scuba diving until I was 35 years old, but there was one benefit of starting late:
the price. Over the last 15 years, the price of scuba gear has fallen by over one half. If you don't
want to rent your equipment, you can now buy everything you need for well under ¥150,000. The main
reason is simple supply and demand. Scuba has soared in popularity recently, thanks to a piece of
equipment known as the "BC."
The "buoyancy compensator" is an inflatable vest that allows you to easily adjust your buoyancy
in the water to neutral — that is, neither floating up nor sinking down. Before the BC, it required a
good amount of physical strength to stay under control, but now scuba can be enjoyed by virtually
anyone in good health. In fact, I have met many senior citizens enjoying the sport in my trips to Izu
and the islands around Japan.
So what are you waiting for? With just 2 to 3 days of simple training, you, too, can become a wet
astronaut exploring the fascinating "space" that surrounds Japan. You won't regret it!
Shukan ST: Feb. 16, 2001
(C) All rights reserved
chu.htm
- International Space Station
- 国際宇宙ステーション
- Mir
- ミール
- plenty of 〜
- 多くの 〜
- has been playing a bigger role in 〜
- 〜 でより大きな役割を果たしている
- (have)been fascinated by 〜
- 〜 に魅了されてきた
- 〜 lucky and talented enough to 〜
- 〜 できるだけの運と才能に恵まれた 〜
- floating weightless
- 無重力で浮遊する
- life forms
- 生物形態
- (has)seized 〜
- 〜 を捕らえた
- can do just that without ever having to 〜
- 全く 〜 しなくてもそれと同じことができる
- rigorous selection process
- 厳しい選考過程
- board
- 乗り込む
- clear my mouth of 〜
- 〜 を口の中から除く
- last traces of 〜
- 最後に少し残った 〜
- parallels to 〜
- 〜 との類似点
- amusing
- 面白い
- regulator
- 空気調整器(スキューバ器具の呼吸装置に取り付け、水中深度に比例して呼吸管から送る圧搾空気の量を調節する)
- breathe
- 呼吸する
- astronaut
- 宇宙飛行士
- "neutral buoyancy"
- 無重力環境
- roll upside-down
- ひっくり返る
- stand on your head
- 逆立ちする
- odds of meeting 〜
- 〜 に遭遇する確率
- creatures
- 生物
- alien species
- 異星人
- multiarmed
- 複数の手を持つ
- bump into
- ばったり出合う
- their territory
- それら生物のなわばり(海中のこと)
- aquarium
- 水族館
- gear
- 用具
- has fallen by over one half
- 半値以下になった
- equipment
- 装置
- well under 〜
- 〜 よりずいぶん低く
- supply and demand
- 需要と供給
- has soared in popularity
- 人気が急上昇した
- "BC"(=buoyancy compensator)
- 浮力調整具(膨らませて水中での浮力を調節する胴衣)
- inflatable
- ふくらませることのできる
- adjust 〜 to 〜
- 〜 を 〜 に調節する
- stay under control
- 自分の思い通りに動く
- virtually
- 事実上
- senior citizens
- 高齢者