When NASA was preparing for the Apollo Project, it took the astronauts to a Navajo reservation¹ in Arizona for training. One day, a Navajo elder and his son came across the space crew², who were walking among the rocks.

 

The elder, who spoke³ only Navajo, asked a question. His son translated for the NASA people: 

 

"What are these guys in the big suits doing?"

 

One of the astronauts said they were practicing for a trip to the moon. When his son relayed（中继，转发） this comment, the Navajo elder got all excited and asked if it would be possible to give the astronauts a message to deliver to the moon.

 

A NASA official said, "Why certainly!" and told an underling（下属） to get a tape recorder. The Navajo elder's comments were brief. The NASA official asked the son if he would translate what his father had said. But he refused.

 

Finally, an official government translator was summoned⁴. The translator relayed the message:

 

"Watch out for these fellows! They have come to steal your land."

 

在美国国家航天局准备阿波罗航天计划时，他们让宇航员们去亚利桑那州纳瓦伙族保留区进行训练。某天，一位纳瓦伙族老人和他儿子遇见正在岩石间穿行的航空工作人员。

 

老人问了航天局人员一个问题，但他只会说纳瓦伙族语，儿子帮他进行了翻译：

 

“这些穿着厚重衣服的家伙在干嘛？”

 

一个宇航员说他们正为去月球进行训练。当儿子传达给老人后，老人非常兴奋地问道能否请宇航员们为他向月球传递一条讯息。

 

航天局官员回答：“当然可以啦！”并吩咐下属拿来录音机。老人的留言非常简短，航天局官员问老人的儿子可否告诉他们老人说了什么，但他拒绝了。

 

最后，他们请来了一位政府翻译员，他转述道：

 

“小心这些家伙！他们来抢你们的领土了。”

点击收听单词发音