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It's a dirty job, but two NASA spacecraft are ready to do it.
這個工作很臟，但兩艘美宇航局航天器已準備好去做這事。
On August 23rd, NASA plans to launch two spacecraft into the radiation belts around Earth. The twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes will investigate high-energy particles held in place by Earth's magnetic field. Those fast-moving protons and electrons form two bands known as the Van Allen radiation belts, after physicist James Van Allen, who discovered them in 1958.
8月23日，美宇航局計劃發射兩艘航天器到地球周圍的輻射帶。雙輻射帶風暴探測器將會調查被地球磁場吸引住的高能粒子。那些快速移動的質子和電子形成兩個輻射帶，被稱為范艾倫輻射帶，以物理學家詹姆士·范·艾倫的名字命名，他于1958年發現這個輻射帶。
The two NASA probes will study how the belts formed, and what makes them swell up from time to time. The outer radiation belt in particular can change quickly in response to the sun's outbursts of charged particles, also known as solar storms.
這兩個航天探測器會研究這些輻射帶是如何形成，以及是什么讓它們時不時膨脹。太陽突然迸發帶電粒子（也稱之為太陽風暴）時，外輻射帶變化得尤其快。
The Van Allen Belts are a nuisance to some spacecraft, and they could pose a hazard to future manned missions as well. But the Radiation Belt Storm Probes will call those harsh environs home. The spacecraft will fly through the belts for two years, measuring charged particles, plasma waves and magnetic fields in Earth's vicinity.
范艾倫輻射帶是航天器的克星，它們也能毀傷未來的人類計劃。但是輻射帶風暴探測器則要把環境惡劣的“地球近郊”稱為家。航天器將會花兩年時間飛越輻射帶，同時測量帶電粒子，等離子體波以及地球附近的磁場。
NASA hopes that the mission will help illuminate the complex physics of the stormy near-Earth environment. And, perhaps, help future spacecraft weather that storm.
美航空局希望這次任務會幫助闡明多風暴的近地環境的復雜物理現象。也許還能幫助未來的航天器經受這樣的風暴。
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