本集內容
Strandbeests 荷蘭藝術家建造 “風力仿生獸”
學習要點
和 “力學 mechanics” 有關的詞彙
邊看邊答
Why can’t Nasa use normal motors on Venus?
文字稿
Scheveningen on the Dutch coast and a summer spectacle, the Strandbeests. Windblown mechanical artworks.
這是荷蘭的席凡寧根海岸，還有夏季的奇觀 — “風力仿生獸”。它們是被風吹動的機械藝術作品。
Theo Jansen, artist
My name is Theo Jansen, and I try to make new forms of life on the beach where I was born 70 years ago.
泰奧·揚森 藝術家
“我叫泰奧·揚森，我嘗試在七十年前我出生的這片沙灘上建造新的生命體。”
Theo Jansen is an engineer and artist, and we joined him as he brought out his latest beasts for his summer experiments.
泰奧·揚森是一位工程師兼藝術家，我們親眼目睹了他展示他為夏季實驗建造出的一批最新機械怪獸。
Theo Jansen, artist
These animals, they give me sleepless nights, because I’m thinking it is really addiction, you could say.
泰奧·揚森 藝術家
“這些動物陪我度過了很多不眠之夜，因為你甚至可以說做這個事情很上癮。”
The puzzle: how to make something move and survive on the beach, powered only by the wind.
謎題是：如何讓事物單靠風力驅動就能在沙灘上移動並存活下來。
What you are looking at is 28 years of trial and error. Expertise at creating mechanical movement – almost a mechanical brain, which is what has attracted the attention of Nasa.
這是28年反覆試驗、不斷摸索的產物。他在製造機械運動方面的專業知識和他幾乎機械的大腦正是吸引美國國家航空暨太空總署注意的原因。
This animation shows how their meeting with Theo has influenced their thinking for a Venus rover – an environment where pressure and heat is just too much for normal motors. However, he had doubts that legs could cope with the rocky surfaces, so he showed them this: his caterpillar, inspiration for a more robust design.
這段動畫展現了美國國家航空暨太空總署和泰奧見面後對金星探測器的思考有了怎樣的改變，因為在這個環境中，壓力和熱量對普通車輛來說過高。然而，這位藝術家懷疑這樣的支撐部件不能應對金星上崎嶇不平的地表，所以他給美國國家航空暨太空總署展示了這個 “毛毛蟲仿生獸”，以給建造更結實的設計提供了靈感。
Nasa is still working on a final design, but whatever they come up with, it will owe something to Theo’s strange, beautiful windborne creatures.
美國國家航空暨太空總署仍在改善最終的設計，但不論成品如何，多少都應感謝泰奧創造的奇異而美麗的風力 “生物”。
詞彙
engineer 工程師
powered by 由…驅動
trial and error 反覆試驗，不斷摸索
mechanical 機械的
robust design 結實、耐久的設計
你知道嗎？
The wind-powered speed record is held by a land yacht called Greenbird. On March 26, 2009 it reached a peak speed of 126.1 mph (202.9 km/h).
一輛名為 “綠鳥” 的快艇車曾創下風力驅動行駛速度的最高紀錄。2009年3月26日，這輛車創造了每小時126.1英里（202.9千米/時）的行駛時速。
問題答案
On Venus, the pressure and heat are too much for normal motors.
