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.

　　中国即将发射“天宫一号”，向建造自己的空间站迈出第一步，此举进一步表明中国在追赶美国和俄罗斯。

　　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.

　　中国官方媒体周二报道称，中国将于下周从西部戈壁沙漠发射一艘无人驾驶飞行器。该飞行器将用于为未来的空间站演练操作。

　　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.

　　中国即将发射“天宫一号”之际，美国正在削减空间项目资金，在今年7月“亚特兰蒂斯号”航天飞机最后一次升空后，让其航天飞机退役。

　　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.

　　尽管航天专家们警告中国的空间站计划面临巨大的技术挑战，但该项目将让中国成为世界上唯一一个拥有空间站的国家。

　　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.

　　中国载人航天工程办公室(CMSEO)表示，计划在2020年完成空间站，正好是国际空间站(ISS)计划退役的时间。

　　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.

　　尽管中国外交政策方针努力避免宣扬本国“崛起”，但许多民众觉得此类技术上的面子工程是中国复兴的一部分，将让中国重新获得其应有的全球大国地位。

　　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，中国成为少数几个拥有能够下潜5000米以下的深海潜水器的国家之一。去年10月，中国超越美国，制造出全球最快的超级计算机。

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

　　这些成就都与中国政府面临的巨大挑战形成鲜明反差，中国仍是一个贫穷和技术上薄弱的国家，中国政府正致力于让国家现代化。

　　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月中国发生的造成40人死亡的动车追尾事故，促使中国许多中产人士开始反省，对政府一味追求加快发展提出质疑。

　　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.

　　天宫一号9米长的太空舱已成为另一个象征，表明中国在30年经济繁荣积累的财富、政府主导的研发努力和爱国民族的支持下，在一度只有冷战对手掌握的技术领域开始缩小差距。

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

　　中国载人航天工程办公室表示，空间站将致力于科研目的。

　　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，这是主要由中国军方控制的航天项目的一部分。美国专家表示，航天项目正帮助中国获得先进的卫星、遥感和推进能力，这一切对中国的导弹项目也是有用的。

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

　　如果天宫一号发射成功并进入预定轨道，中国计划利用它演练空间对接。

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

　　中国计划在今年晚些时侯实施首次无人对接任务，并在明年实施两次载人对接实验。

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

　　随后天宫系列将执行时间更长的任务，为分期分批发射空间站的各部分做准备。

　　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，与将要运载“天宫一号”进入太空的火箭类似的“长征3号”火箭发生故障，提醒中国未来面临的巨大挑战。

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

　　但长时间推迟发射不是一个选择；“天宫一号”必须在10月1日中国国庆之前发射升空。