3名中国宇航员最近抵达了该国的新空间站，向不断增长的太空力量又迈进了一步。
Here is a look at some of the space station's major goals.
以下是这个空间站的一些重要目标。
What is the trip's purpose?
这次太空之旅的目标?
The three-member crew will stay for three months in the station's main living space, called a module. The module is named Tianhe, which means "Harmony of the Heavens" in Chinese. The astronauts will carry out science experiments and perform maintenance. They also plan to complete space walks and prepare the station to receive two other modules next year.
3名宇航员将在这个空间站的核心生活舱停留3个月时间。该核心舱被命名为天和号，它在中文中的意思是“天空和谐。”这些宇航员将进行科学实验和维护。他们还计划完成太空行走，做好让空间站明年接收另外两个太空舱的准备。
While China admits it arrived late to the space station game, it says its new station is modern and includes the latest space technology. Tianhe might even outlast the International Space Station (ISS), which is nearing the end of its operational lifespan.
虽然中国承认在空间站竞赛中来晚了，但是该国称其新空间站非常现代，并且包含了最新的空间技术。天和号甚至可能比寿命已经接近尾声的国际空间站更长久。
The recent launch brought back China's crewed space program after a five-year break. China has now sent 14 astronauts into space since its first launch in 2003. It is the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to do so.
最近的发射将中国载人航天工程在中断5年后再次带回人们的视野。自2003年首次发射以来，中国已经将14名宇航员送入太空。中国是继前苏联和美国之后第三个实现这一成就的国家。
Why is it building the station?
为什么要建造这个空间站？
As its economy experienced growth in the 1990s, China made a plan for space exploration. Since then, it has attempted to carry out this plan carefully and evenly.
随着上世纪90年代的经济增长，中国制定了太空探索计划。自那时起，中国一直在试图稳步执行这一计划。
China was barred from joining the ISS. It is likely, however, that China would have built its own station anyway because of its goal to become a major space power.
中国被禁止加入国际空间站。然而由于中国的目标是成为重要太空强国，该国无论如何都会建造自己的空间站。
Ji Qiming is the Assistant Director of the China Manned Space Agency. He recently told reporters that the building and operation of the space station will raise the level of Chinese technologies. He also said it will "accumulate experience for all the people."
季启明是中国载人航天工程办公室主任助理。他最近对记者表示，空间站的建设和运行将会提升中国的技术水平。他还表示，这将为全人类积累经验。
The space program is part of an overall drive to help China take on even larger projects. China also wants to expand cooperation with Russia and other, mostly European, countries along with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
该太空项目是帮助中国承担更大项目的整体动力的一部分。中国还希望扩大与俄罗斯和以欧洲为主的其它国家，以及联合国外层空间事务办公室的合作。
China's space program has been a large part of its national pride. It represents the country's rise from a poor nation to become the world's second-largest economy in the last 40 years.
中国的太空项目一直是其民族自豪感的重要组成部分。它代表着该国在过去40年里从一个穷国崛起成为世界第二大经济体。
I'm Gregory Stachel.
我是格雷戈里·斯塔切尔。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)