When the Viking space probe
当海盗号火星探测器
beamed back the first-ever images from the surface of Mars,
第一次从火星表面传回图像资料时
it inspired a whole generation of space scientists.
整整一代的空间科学家都为之振奋
This image is an image taken by the Viking lander in 1976,
这是海盗号1976年在火星拍摄的图像
and it kind of is a special image for me,
这张图对我来说很特别
because I saw this image
因为这是我小时候
in a book I was reading as a young kid.
读一本书时看到的图像
And it's the first time I really noticed that
那也是我第一次真正认识到
planets were other worlds.
其他行星完全是另一个世界
You could stand on a planet, you could look out and see rocks
你能够站在上面 观察周围的岩石
and you could walk off the horizon of the image you're looking at,
你能走出眼前这幅图像的范围
and you wonder what's across that hill.
你会好奇山的那边是什么
It just blew me away,
我完全被迷住了
and maybe it's the moment I became a planetary scientist.
或许那时我就成了一名行星学家
The Viking mission tapped
海盗号任务
into the public's fascination with Mars.
激发了人们对火星的浓厚兴趣
It was inspired
科学界中
by one of the most intriguing questions in science--
最具吸引力的一个问题激发了他们的兴趣
Are we alone?
我们是孤独的吗

重点解释：

1.kind of 有点儿

例句：I had always been a kind of spendthrift .
我这人向来都有点儿挥金如土。

2.look out 注意

例句：Police will be looking out for trouble-makers at today's match.
今天的比赛有警察防备著捣乱分子。

3.walk off 走开

例句：He tried to walk off the annoyance his son gave him.
他想散散步驱走他儿子给他带来的烦恼。