放大圖片
據說在太陽神登月前,太空人曾到一處酷似月球環境的印第安納瓦伙族人保護區進行特訓。一天,一對納瓦伙父子路經該處,老人對奇裝異服的太空人產生莫大好奇,便指使兒子去問個究竟。太空署人員便解釋他們正訓練太空人到月球探險。老人獲悉真相後,顯得非常興奮,要求太空人替他把一段訊息帶到月球去。太空署人員見此難得的宣傳機會,便即時取出錄音機把老人的訊息錄下來。不過老人卻不諳英語,只能以納瓦伙語說出他的訊息。可是當太空署人員向老人的兒子查詢訊息內容時,年輕人無論如何也不肯回答。太空署人員唯有到鎮上找當地人翻譯,但當這些人聽過錄音後都笑荌拒了。最後,在重賞下,訊息終被翻譯過來,訊息這樣說:「小心這班人,他們此行是來掠取你們的土地。」
Message to the moon(An American joke)
In the 1960s, some Apollo astronauts were being trained at the Navajo(an American Indian tribe)Reservation where the terrain looked pretty much like the lunar surface. One day, a native Navajo elder and his son came across. The elder was interested in the strangely clothed "creatures" and inquired what they were. The NASA personnel told him that they were astronauts being trained to explore the moon. The Navajo elder got very excited and asked if it was possible for the astronauts to deliver a message to the moon. Recognising a promotional opportunity the NASA people complied willingly and taped the man's message which was spoken in Navajo. NASA finally got the message "decrypted". It said, "Watch out for these guys, they have come to take your land." ■甄枝強 資深天文愛好者 圖片鳴謝:NASA
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