If it wasn't blinking, then you've had the distinct pleasure of seeing one of mankind's greatest collaborative feats with your own eyes:

要是那光點沒有不停閃爍著，那麼你擁有截然不同的榮幸能親眼目睹到人類最了不起的豐功偉業：

The International Space Station.

「國際太空站 ／ISS」

Roughly the size of a six-bedroom house, and weighing more than 320 cars, the International Space Station is so large that no single rocket could have lifted it into orbit.

大概像配有六間臥房的房子一般大，計重超過 320 輛車子，國際太空站是如此巨大，無法只靠單一火箭載它升起進入軌道。

Instead, it was assembled piece by piece while hurtling through space at 28,000 kilometers per hour, lapping the Earth once every 90 minutes.

相反地，它是在時速 28,000 公里急速劃越外太空下被一截一截組裝起來，並且每 90 分鐘繞地球一圈。

It all started when sixteen nations signed the Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement,

國際太空站源於 16 個國家簽訂了 「太空站跨國協議」，

laying out each partner's expected contributions to the ISS,

詳列出各國對國際太空站將做出的貢獻，

from modules and maintenance to sharing information and finances.

從模組、保養到共享資料與財務支出。

At an estimated 100 billion U.S. dollars, the Space Station would be the most expensive object ever built.

國際太空站是至今為止人類所打造過最昂貴的物件，預估約 1,000 億美元。

The whole world watched as a Russian rocket launched the first module of the ISS into the sky.

當俄羅斯火箭發送國際太空站的第一套模組進太空中時，全世界都在看。

Zarya, meaning sunrise, was equipped with two solar panels and a propulsion system that had the important task of keeping the young station from crashing into the Earth by staying a safe 400 kilometers away.

「Zarya」意即黎明，配載著兩片太陽能電板以及一組負有重大任務的推進系統，防止初期的太空站墜落地球，停留在安全的 400 公里外 。

The U.S. Space Shuttle Endeavour followed two weeks later, carrying Unity, a node module to which other modules could be connected, and an international six-person assembly crew.

美國的奮進號太空梭在隨後兩個禮拜帶來了 Unity／團結號，一套節點模組，讓其他模組可以被接連起來，以及一批六人國際組裝小組。

Then came Zvezda, which brought communications and living accommodations.

隨後 Zvezda／星辰號來到，帶來通訊系統以及起居室。

Ever since the International Space Station's first tenants arrived, it's been continually occupied with more than 200 visitors, spending an average of six months onboard.

自從國際太空站的第一批太空人到來後，一直有人在那駐守著，有 200 多名訪客到訪過，平均逗留 6 個月。

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti holds the record for the longest single space flight by a woman at 199 days on the ISS.

太空人 Samantha Cristoforetti 創下女性停留在國際太空站上 199 天的最長紀錄。

2001 saw the arrival of Destiny, the first of four research modules, where astronauts spend approximately 36 hours a week conducting extraordinary experiments in microgravity.

2001 年四個研究模組裡的頭一個 Destiny／命運號抵達了，在那裡，太空人們每星期花上近 36 個小時在微重力下進行特別實驗。

Their schedules are packed with exercise, two hours a day to fend off muscle atrophy, station maintenance and repair, and connecting with family or awe-inspired minds around the world.

他們的作息表包含了運動、每天兩小時防止肌肉萎縮、太空站的保養與維修、與家人或是與來自世界各地的優秀人才互相切磋。

But they still find time for fun, with regular movie nights and even shooting the first music video in space.

他們仍然有休閒時間，比如說定期的電影之夜，甚至還在外太空拍了第一支音樂影片。

Destiny also controls the seven-jointed robotic Canadarm2.

命運號亦控制著 7 段式的 Canadarm2／加拿大機器臂二號，

Capable of moving more than 100,000 kilograms, it's perfect for unloading new arrivals from shuttles.

足以搬動超過 10 萬公斤的重物，非常適合從太空梭上卸載新到貨件。

2001 was a busy year for the Space Station with the addition of Quest, the main airlock for strolls outside, and Pirs, a pier for Russian spacecraft to dock including the ever-ready emergency escape vehicle, Soyuz.

2001 年對多出 Quest／尋求號的國際太空站來說是個忙碌的一年，尋求號是用來太空漫步的主要氣閥鎖艙，以及 Pirs／碼頭號 ，為俄羅斯太空船所停泊的船塢，包括常備緊急逃生太空船 Soyuz／聯合號。

Then, on February 1st, 2003, after delivering research modules to the ISS, the space shuttle Columbia exploded during reentry tragically killing the seven-member crew on board.

後來在 2003 年 2 月 1 日在載送研究模組到國際太空站之後，太空梭哥倫比亞號在回程時爆炸了，悲慘地奪走了船上七名組員的性命 。

After a four-year hiatus, work quickly picked up pace with the addition of more hubs, airlocks, docks, and an observation cupola for stunning 360-degree views of our world and beyond.

歷經四年的中斷以後，工作很快地趕上了腳步，多出更多的樞紐、氣閥鎖艙、船塢、以及觀看地球與地球以外之天地迷人的 360 度視景觀測圓拱臺。

Other critical components included platforms and trusses to support radiators that direct all the heat generated by the station's electronics into space,

其他重要的構造包括了支撐散熱器的平台和托臂，散熱器能將太空站上電子設備產生的熱力導入外太空，

and solar panels that are efficient enough to power 55 homes.

以及效率好到足以供電給 55 個家庭的太陽能板。

It took ten years and over 30 missions, but finally, the International Space Station was complete, coinciding with the U.S. Space Shuttle Program's retirement.

費時十年以及超過三十次任務，最後國際太空站完工了，與美國太空梭計劃的撤回同步進行。

The Space Station continues to serve as an incredible model for international collaboration.

該太空站則持續服役充當國際合作的絕佳典範。

This year, two people began a one-year stay on the ISS, allowing scientists to study the long-term physical and psychological effects of being in space,

今年有兩位太空人在國際太空站上展開為期一年的停留，讓科學家得以研究身處外太空時的長期生理及心理影響，

which would prove useful for increasingly ambitious space travel, like trips to Mars.

對我們日漸奢望的太空之旅將會是很有用的－就像火星之旅。

Over its lifetime, we've learned an immense amount scientifically, but also about our capacity to work together and accomplish truly remarkable acts.

在太空站存續期間我們不但已經在科學上學到極多，而且有關我們共事的能耐以及做到發人醒目的作為上也學到極多東西。