全通翻譯/翻譯社

留著摩霍克髮型的火星探測車工程師轟動網路

◎俞智敏

While dozens of rocket scientists packed NASA’s mission control room during a much-vaunted landing of the Mars rover Curiosity, no one made a bigger impression on viewers glued to live TV and Internet coverage of the event than spike-haired Bobak Ferdowsi.

在火星探測車「好奇號」進行受到大肆宣傳的登陸過程中，雖然NASA的任務控制室裡擠滿了數十位火箭科學家，卻沒有任何人比留著刺蝟頭的費多西讓緊盯著電視實況轉播和網路報導不放的觀眾留下更深刻的印象。

The 32-year-old flight engineer, better known to Mars-struck fans as the NASA Mohawk Guy, became an overnight Internet sensation and helped generate online buzz for Curiosity, thanks largely to his stars-and-stripes punk-rock hairdo and his hunky good looks.

這位32歲的飛行工程師，火星迷或許更熟知他是「NASA摩霍克人」，一夜之間就變成轟動網路的風雲人物，並在網路上引發了關於「好奇號」的熱烈討論，而這多半都是拜他頭上的星條旗龐克搖滾髮型及英俊外貌所賜。

Ferdowsi, a native of Oakland, California, with a graduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology （MIT）, has worn eccentric hairstyles for big missions and projects throughout his nine-year tenure at NASA, as a kind of good-luck tradition.

在加州奧克蘭市長大的費多西畢業於麻省理工學院，他在NASA工作9年期間，經常在重大任務和計畫進行期間頂著古怪髮型，當成是祈求好運的傳統。

For the occasion of Curiosity’s landing, colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena held a vote to choose a special new look -- a Mohawk dyed red and blue and adorned with stars and stripes. The look transformed Ferdowsi into an instant aerospace rock star among legions of Mars enthusiasts.

為了好奇號登陸火星此一重要時刻，加州帕沙迪納噴射推進實驗室的同事們特地票選出一種特殊的新髮型，也就是染成紅色與藍色的摩霍克頭，再加上星星與條紋的裝飾。這個髮型讓費多西立刻變身為航太界搖滾巨星，引來大批火星愛好者青睞。

The team’s successful landing and subsequent celebrations were streamed across the world, and since then, Ferdowsi said his sudden fame has elicited considerable good-natured ribbing from co-workers.

該團隊操作探測車成功登陸及隨後的慶功畫面被傳送到全球各地，從那時起，費多西說他突如其來的名聲，已引來同事們用各種無惡意的方式嘲弄他。

"I wouldn’t work here if I thought it was the stodgy NASA of yore. We’re still nerds and geeks here. There’s no doubt about it. We’re just a little more comfortable expressing ourselves," Ferdowsi said.（Reuters）

「假如我認為這裡還是過去那種老古板的NASA，我就不會在這裡工作。我們這裡的人還是書呆子跟宅男，這點毫無疑問。但我們已經比較能夠自在地展現自我，」費多西說。

（路透）

新聞辭典

vaunted：形容詞，指誇耀的、自吹自擂的、備受吹捧的，如Their much-vaunted security procedure hadn’t worked.（他們那套大肆吹噓的安全程序並未發揮作用。），動詞為vaunt。

buzz：名詞，單數用法，指興奮的討論或關注，如 There’s been quite a buzz about the new movie. （這部新片已經引發了相當熱烈的討論。）

ribbing：名詞，非正式用語，指無傷大雅、沒有惡意的笑話，如They gave him a ribbing about his accent.（他們拿他的口音開玩笑。）

資料來源：自由時報電子報