China is about to take the first step towards building its own space station with the launch of Tiangong 1, or Heavenly Palace, in a further sign of its race to catch up with the US and Russia.

　　中國即將發射“天宮一號”，向建造自己的空間站邁出第一步，此舉進一步表明中國在追趕美國和俄羅斯。

　　State media on Tuesday reported that China would next week launch an unmanned craft from the Chinese western Gobi desert that will be used to practise operations at a future space station.

　　中國官方媒體周二報道稱，中國將于下周從西部戈壁沙漠發射一艘無人駕駛飛行器。該飛行器將用于為未來的空間站演練操作。

　　The launch comes as the US is cutting funding for its space programme, having retired its space shuttle fleet after a last flight of the Atlantis in July.

　　中國即將發射“天宮一號”之際，美國正在削減空間項目資金，在今年7月“亞特蘭蒂斯號”航天飛機最后一次升空后，讓其航天飛機退役。

　　Although space experts warn of huge technological challenges ahead for the country’s space station plans, the programme would make China the world’s only nation with a space station.

　　盡管航天專家們警告中國的空間站計劃面臨巨大的技術挑戰，但該項目將讓中國成為世界上唯一一個擁有空間站的國家。

　　The China Manned Space Engineering Office has said it plans to complete the space station in 2020, just as the International Space Station is scheduled to retire.

　　中國載人航天工程辦公室(CMSEO)表示，計劃在2020年完成空間站，正好是國際空間站(ISS)計劃退役的時間。

　　While China’s foreign policy doctrine tries to avoid trumpeting the country’s “rise”, many citizens feel such technological prestige projects are part of a renaissance that will return the nation to its rightful place as a global power.

　　盡管中國外交政策方針努力避免宣揚本國“崛起”，但許多民眾覺得此類技術上的面子工程是中國復興的一部分，將讓中國重新獲得其應有的全球大國地位。

　　In July, China joined the club of the few nations with deep-sea submersibles capable of diving deeper than 5,000 metres. Last October, it ousted the US as the maker of the world’s fastest supercomputer.

　　今年7月，中國成為少數幾個擁有能夠下潛5000米以下的深海潛水器的國家之一。去年10月，中國超越美國，制造出全球最快的超級計算機。

　　These achievements all contrast sharply with Beijing’s huge challenges in modernising a still poor and technologically weak country.

　　這些成就都與中國政府面臨的巨大挑戰形成鮮明反差，中國仍是一個貧窮和技術上薄弱的國家，中國政府正致力于讓國家現代化。

　　The crash of two high-speed trains in July, which killed 40 people, triggered soul searching among many middle-class Chinese who questioned their government’s relentless race for faster development.

　　今年7月中國發生的造成40人死亡的動車追尾事故，促使中國許多中產人士開始反省，對政府一味追求加快發展提出質疑。

　　The nine-metre-long space capsule has become another symbol of how China, backed by the wealth accumulated in its three-decade economic boom, a state-led research push and a patriotic nation, is starting to close the gap on technologies once exclusive to the cold war rivals.

　　天宮一號9米長的太空艙已成為另一個象征，表明中國在30年經濟繁榮積累的財富、政府主導的研發努力和愛國民族的支持下，在一度只有冷戰對手掌握的技術領域開始縮小差距。

　　According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the space station will focus on scientific purposes.

　　中國載人航天工程辦公室表示，空間站將致力于科研目的。

　　However, it is part of a space programme largely controlled by the military which US experts say is helping China to acquire advanced satellite, sensor and propulsion capabilities, which are also useful for its missile programme.

　　然而，這是主要由中國軍方控制的航天項目的一部分。美國專家表示，航天項目正幫助中國獲得先進的衛星、遙感和推進能力，這一切對中國的導彈項目也是有用的。

　　If Tiangong 1 successfully arrives and stays in space, China plans to use it to practise docking.

　　如果天宮一號發射成功并進入預定軌道，中國計劃利用它演練空間對接。

　　Later this year a first unmanned docking mission is scheduled, followed by two manned docking exercises next year.

　　中國計劃在今年晚些時侯實施首次無人對接任務，并在明年實施兩次載人對接實驗。

　　Later Tiangong versions will go on longer missions to prepare for the launch of the space station in parts.

　　隨后天宮系列將執行時間更長的任務，為分期分批發射空間站的各部分做準備。

　　Last month a Long March rocket, similar to that earmarked to carry the Tiangong into space, malfunctioned in a reminder of the huge challenges ahead.

　　上月，與將要運載“天宮一號”進入太空的火箭類似的“長征3號”火箭發生故障，提醒中國未來面臨的巨大挑戰。

　　But a long delay was not an option; the launch had to happen ahead of October 1, China’s National Day.

　　但長時間推遲發射不是一個選擇；“天宮一號”必須在10月1日中國國慶之前發射升空。