Tianwen will begin its first mission to Mars this year. XINHUA
Fifty years ago, China successfully launched its first satellite, Dongfanghong 1, and started a new chapter in space exploration. To mark its 50th anniversary, the China National Space Administration announced the name for the country’s Mars planetary exploration program on April 24.
五十年前，我国成功发射了第一颗人造地球卫星 —— “东方红一号”，开启了探索浩瀚太空的新篇章。在“东方红一号”卫星成功发射五十周年之际，国家航天局于4月24日公布了我国火星探测任务的名字。
The mission, Tianwen, or Quest for Heavenly Truth, got its name from a long poem Tianwen written by Qu Yuan, a famous poet of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). In the poem, Qu raised a series of questions concerning the sky, stars, natural phenomena, myths and the real world, reflecting his doubts on traditional ideas and his pursuit of truth.
任务名“天问”源于战国时代著名诗人屈原的长诗《天问》。诗中，屈原对苍穹星辰等自然现象，到神话传说，乃至现实世界发出了一连串的追问，表现了他对某些传统观念的大胆怀疑，以及追求真理的探索精神。
China has been making remarkable progress in space exploration. As early as 1970, China launched its first man-made Earth satellite, becoming the fifth country in the world to launch man-made satellites independently. Over the past few years, China’s missions, including the Shenzhou and Chang’e series were designed to explore outer space, expanded mankind’s understanding of Earth and the universe.
我国在太空探索方面已经取得了显著的进步。早在1970年，我国便成功发射首颗人造地球卫星，成为世界上第五个自行研制和发射人造卫星的国家。在过去的几年间，我国的“神舟”、“嫦娥”等探索外太空的系列工程，加深了人类对地球及宇宙的了解。
This time, the Tianwen series will carry out the first Mars exploration mission in 2020. Experts consider it the start of China’s exploration of Mars, representing a milestone for China’s move toward deep space.
这一次，“天问”系列将于2020年执行首次火星探索任务。专家表示，我国首次火星探测任务，是中国航天走向深空的里程碑工程。
“Tianwen represents Chinese people’s relentless pursuit of truth, the country’s cultural inheritance to explore nature and the universe, as well as the unending explorations in science and technology,” Ge Xiaochun, chief engineer of the National Space Administration, told China Daily.
“‘天问’表达了中华民族追求真理的坚韧与执着；体现了对自然和宇宙空间探索的文化传承；寓意追求科技创新永无止境，”国家航天局总工程师葛小春在接受《中国日报》采访时如此表示。
Indeed, with the name’s deep roots in Chinese traditional culture, it has been widely accepted among the public. Tianwen demonstrates the determination and perseverance of Chinese people to move further into deep space.
的确，以“天问”作为工程名称，厚植于中华民族传统文化精髓，易于广大群众接受。“天问”也彰显了中国人迈向更远深空的决心和毅力。
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