American Inventors: Rocket Scientist Robert Goddard

Today rocket launches and space missions are common.

如今，火箭发射和太空任务已经很常见。

But in the early 1900s, space travel seemed like a dream.

但在20世纪初，太空旅行似乎只是一个梦想。

One of the most influential people in the field of rocket science was American Robert Goddard.

火箭科学领域最具影响力的人物之一是美国人罗伯特·戈达德。

The American space agency NASA describes Goddard as “the father of modern rocket propulsion.”

美国航天局NASA称戈达德为“现代火箭推进之父”。

Robert Goddard once said that "the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."

罗伯特·戈达德曾说：“昨天的梦想是今天的希望，也是明天的现实。”

His scientific work gave hope to many dreams about space travel.

他的科学工作为许多关于太空旅行的梦想带来了希望。

He turned some of those dreams into reality.

他把其中一些梦想变成了现实。

More than one hundred years ago, Goddard carried out studies and tests of rocket engines.

一百多年前，戈达德就开展了火箭发动机的研究和试验。

He developed and flew many rockets that got their power from solid fuels: chemicals that formed a hard substance.

他研制并发射了许多以固体燃料（即形成坚硬物质的化学品）为动力的火箭。

Many historians consider liquid-fuel rocket flight to be as important as the first airplane flight by the American brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright.

许多历史学家认为，液体燃料火箭的飞行与美国奥维尔和威尔伯·莱特兄弟的首次飞机飞行同样重要。

Goddard's work proved that machines could travel outside of Earth's atmosphere and into space.

戈达德的工作证明，机器能够飞出地球大气层，进入太空。

During his early research, he received money and support from the U.S. Smithsonian Institution.

在早期研究期间，他获得了美国史密森学会的资金和支持。

The Smithsonian published several reports about his efforts.

史密森学会发表了几份关于他研究工作的报告。

In that report, Goddard also suggested the possibility of a rocket someday reaching the moon.

在那份报告中，戈达德还提出火箭有朝一日可能到达月球。

At the time, there was a big dispute in the press about this claim.

当时，新闻界对这一说法展开了激烈争论。

Many people thought he was foolish for suggesting something that seemed so impossible.

许多人认为他提出如此不可能的事情很愚蠢。

Many of Goddard's ideas are still used in rocket development.

戈达德的许多构想至今仍用于火箭研发。

So, in a way, every rocket that flies today could be considered a Goddard rocket.

所以从某种意义上说，今天飞行的每一枚火箭都可以被视为戈达德火箭。