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The invention of guns took warfare to a whole new level. |
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Later, airplanes radically changed it again. |
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Now, experts say another big shift is coming, led by energy weapons, including lasers. |
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槍枝的發明將戰爭帶向一個全新的境界。後來，飛機再度徹底改變了戰事。如今，專家說，又有一項重大轉變即將到來，領頭的將是能量武器，包括雷射在內。 |
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The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, said it's on track to demonstrate a working laser weapon on a fighter jet by 2020. |
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美國空軍研究實驗室，或稱 AFRL，表示該實驗室按照進度預定要在二０二０年之前展示一款安裝在噴射戰鬥機上的實戰型雷射武器。 |
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"It really is a national tipping point," said Kelly Hammett, chief engineer for the AFRL's directed energy directorate. |
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"We see the technology evolving and maturing to the stage where it really can be used." |
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「那真的可說是個國家的分界點」，AFRL 的定向能量部總工程師凱利．漢彌特表示。「我們看到了科技演進並且成熟到真的可以運用的階段。」 |
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Arming larger planes with laser weapons has been possible for years, but the more difficult challenge is to create lasers small, accurate and powerful enough for fighter jets, Hammett said. |
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The g-forces and vibrations of near supersonic speeds make that tough. |
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Hammett said he thinks those hurdles can be overcome within five years. |
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在大型飛機上裝設雷射武器已行之有年，但比較困難的挑戰在於如何製造出小巧、精準且威力強大足以供噴射戰鬥機使用的雷射武器，漢彌特表示。重力和接近超音速的速度所帶來的震動造成難度。漢彌特說他認為那些障礙可在五年內克服。 |
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The AFRL is also working on another idea that sounds like something from Star Trek. |
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You might call it a defensive laser shield, as in, "Shields up, Mr. Sulu." |
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AFRL 也在研究另一項聽起來有點像是源自於《星艦迷航記》中的概念。你可以稱之為防禦性雷射護罩，一如片中的對白：「蘇路先生，開啟防護罩。」 |
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Here's how it works: A 360-degree laser bubble would surround a U.S. warplane. |
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That bubble would disable or destroy anything that comes inside, like a missile or another aircraft. |
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其運作方式如下：一層三百六十度的雷射球形罩會包圍一架美國戰機。這個球形罩將會癱瘓或摧毀任何進入罩內的物體，例如飛彈或另一架飛機。 |
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To invent such a shield, you'd need a turret that doesn't interfere with the aerodynamics of the warplane. |
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A turret like that has already been successfully tested under Hammett at AFRL in partnership with Lockheed Martin and DARPA, the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. |
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要創造這樣的防護罩，你得需要一個不會對戰機的空氣動力造成干擾的砲塔。像那樣的砲塔已經在漢彌特的主持之下在 AFRL 測試成功，合作對象包括洛克希德．馬丁公司和美國國防部的國防高等研究計畫署（即 DARPA）。 |
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"It's a huge deal," Hammett said. |
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「這可是件天大的事」，漢彌特表示。 |
