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It's a dirty job, but two NASA spacecraft are ready to do it.
这个工作很脏，但两艘美宇航局航天器已准备好去做这事。
On August 23rd, NASA plans to launch two spacecraft into the radiation belts around Earth. The twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes will investigate high-energy particles held in place by Earth's magnetic field. Those fast-moving protons and electrons form two bands known as the Van Allen radiation belts, after physicist James Van Allen, who discovered them in 1958.
8月23日，美宇航局计划发射两艘航天器到地球周围的辐射带。双辐射带风暴探测器将会调查被地球磁场吸引住的高能粒子。那些快速移动的质子和电子形成两个辐射带，被称为范艾伦辐射带，以物理学家詹姆士·范·艾伦的名字命名，他于1958年发现这个辐射带。
The two NASA probes will study how the belts formed, and what makes them swell up from time to time. The outer radiation belt in particular can change quickly in response to the sun's outbursts of charged particles, also known as solar storms.
这两个航天探测器会研究这些辐射带是如何形成，以及是什么让它们时不时膨胀。太阳突然迸发带电粒子（也称之为太阳风暴）时，外辐射带变化得尤其快。
The Van Allen Belts are a nuisance to some spacecraft, and they could pose a hazard to future manned missions as well. But the Radiation Belt Storm Probes will call those harsh environs home. The spacecraft will fly through the belts for two years, measuring charged particles, plasma waves and magnetic fields in Earth's vicinity.
范艾伦辐射带是航天器的克星，它们也能毁伤未来的人类计划。但是辐射带风暴探测器则要把环境恶劣的“地球近郊”称为家。航天器将会花两年时间飞越辐射带，同时测量带电粒子，等离子体波以及地球附近的磁场。
NASA hopes that the mission will help illuminate the complex physics of the stormy near-Earth environment. And, perhaps, help future spacecraft weather that storm.
美航空局希望这次任务会帮助阐明多风暴的近地环境的复杂物理现象。也许还能帮助未来的航天器经受这样的风暴。
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