Normally astronaut training takes about one full year,
一般来说，宇航员的训练要历时一整年，
and it includes such subjects as astronomy, astrophysics, flight physiology, orbital trajectories, or orbital management.
训练内容包括天文学、天体物理学、航空医学、运动轨道或轨道管理。
Another part of the astronaut basic training is survival training.
生存训练也包括在宇航员基础训练中。
In the days of Gemini, you never knew for sure where a spacecraft might land if there was an emergency, deorbit.
在双子星计划中，如果发生紧急情况或飞船脱离轨道，你就不知道会在什么地方着陆。
So, we had to take desert training, water training, and jungle survival training.
所以，我们要接受沙漠训练，缺水训练以及丛林求生训练。
So, we had to learn how to cook and eat snake and all other, such other good things as that, and how to make water in a desert.
我们还要学着就地取材，给自己弄到些吃的，还要在沙漠里造水。
After that year and a half of astronaut basic training, our names were all put on a list
完成一年半的宇航员基础训练之后，我们的名字会被列入一张表格，
and that list was quite a bit longer at that time then there were seats available.
那时表格里的人还挺多，随后航天计划里需要人手。
And so, we were all given other duties to keep us occupied and to help continue our training.
之后，我们就会分配到其它任务，忙碌起来，并帮助我们继续训练。
Five of us were assigned to the lunar module,
我和另外四个同伴被分配到登月舱小组，
and our job was to be with these lunar modules as they were being built.
我们的工作是在建造登月舱时密切关注它的进程。
So, we spent a lot of time there.
所以我们要在那儿花很长的时间。
I must admit that probably I had more time sleeping on the floor of Lunar Module #6 than the crew who flew it on the moon.
不得不说，我在6号登月舱里睡觉的时间，可能比乘着它登月的航天员们还长。
Well, my next job was to be on the support crew of Apollo 8,
我的下一项工作是阿波罗8号的支援工作，
and Apollo 8 was the spacecraft that flew to the moon and came back but did not land.
阿波罗8号飞船飞向月球并且成功返回，但并未在月球登陆。

When they went behind the moon, they were supposed to do a thrusting maneuver to slow them down
当飞船抵达月球背面时要进行多次制动，从而降低飞船速度，
so they would be captured into lunar orbit.
这样飞船才能被月球轨道捕获。
So we just had to sit and cool our heels when they went behind the moon,
我们要做的就是坐在控制室里，耐心等待他们飞到月球背面，
and we knew if they came out a little early on the other side, that they had not burned enough,
如果他们从月球另一面出来的时间略早，就意味着燃烧时间太短，
not slowed down enough, and were going to skip out into space, they wouldn't be captured in orbit.
速度减慢不够，就会被抛入太空，他们就不能进入轨道。
If they came out a little bit late, it meant they had over-done it, and they weren't going to be in orbit,
如果他们出来得有点儿晚，这就意味着他们太过了，那他们也不能进入轨道，
but were going to begin a spiral down to the lunar surface.
却会盘旋向下，坠毁在月球表面。
And, of course, without a lunar module, that kind of ruins your whole day.
当然，没有登月舱，整个计划就完蛋了。
You can imagine how relieved we were at the instant that they were supposed to appear on the other side of the moon that they appeared!
你能想象出，在他们应该出现在月球另一面的那一瞬间看到他们，我们终于松了一口气。
My next assignment was again a support crew assignment on Apollo 12,
我的下一个任务又是当阿波罗12号的支援工作的一分子，
and Apollo 12 was struck by lightning on its way off the pad.
阿波罗12号在升空的期间被闪电击中。
A nearby thunderstorm, there was a lightning bolt that went over and hit the very tip of the spacecraft.
那附近有一场雷雨，经过的闪电恰恰击中宇宙飞船的机鼻。
The charge went down through the spacecraft, through the booster, down the exhaust gases, and grounded out on the launching pad.
电荷穿过整艘宇宙飞船，穿过助推器，向下传到排出的气体，然后从发射台接地出去。
It killed the electrical power system and the computers all died.
它破坏了电力系统，所有的计算机都挂掉了。
You can imagine what it must have been like for them inside because suddenly the lights all went out
你能想象坐在里面的人的情况会是什么样子，因为突然电灯都熄了，
and then they came back on when the batteries picked up the load.
然后又亮了，因为电池突然大量负载。
And, every single warning light and caution light in the spacecraft was on and flashing,
而且宇宙飞船内每一个警告灯及警示灯都亮了，而且在闪着，
and all the necessary bells, whistles, and buzzards and things that are in there, all were going off at the same time.
所有必要的警铃、警笛、蜂鸣器以及里面的东西，通通在同一时间关掉。
The crew was totally confused as to what was going on.
机组人员完全搞不清楚到底发生了什么事。
When we were settled in orbit, we tested all the various systems and everything looked good.
当我们进入轨道时，我们测试了所有的系统，每个看起来都很正常。
So, that, now I figured this is it, and sure enough, I did get an assignment, a flight assignment.
我原以为任务就这样没了，但后来我真的得到了一个任务，一个飞行任务。
I was assigned to the back-up crew of Apollo 16, which meant that I was to be on the param crew of Apollo 19.
我被指派去当阿波罗16的替补成员，也就是说我会成为阿波罗19号的主要组员。
And, several weeks into the training,
但在几个星期的训练后，
NASA made the surprise announcment that they were going to cancel Apollos 18, 19, and 20.
美国国家航空航天局意外地宣布他们要取消阿波罗18、19及20。
We were in the middle of the Vietnam War, the budget was in bad shape,
当时我们正在打越战，预算很不好，
so you can imagine there were three very, very sad hangdog guys moping around the office because we lost our flight to the moon.
所以你能想象三个非常非常难过，垂头丧气的家伙，在办公室里摇尾乞怜，因为我们去不了月球了。
But, several weeks later, I got a call from Tom Stafford, the Senior Astronaut at that time,
但几个星期后，我接到汤姆·斯塔福德的电话，那时候他是高阶宇航员，
and he wanted me in his office, and I went in,
他要我去他的办公室，而我也去了，
and he told me that he was sorry that I had missed my opportunity for the moon, but he said, "I've got another assignment for you."
然后他告诉我，他对我失去上月球的机会表示很难过，但他说“我有另一个任务给你。”
He said, "I want you to be the commander of the third and final Skylab mission."
他说：“我要你成为指挥官，指挥第三也是最后的太空实验室计划”。
And, he said, "Do you think you could do the job?" And I said, "Of course, yes!"
然后他说：“你觉得你做得了这个工作吗？”我说：“当然可以”。
And, I'll have to admit, a certain lump in my chest and in my stomach, because I was a rookie,
但我必须承认我心里真的有点疙瘩，因为我是新手，
and they normally don't assign a rookie to be a commander,
而他们按理不会指派新手为指挥官，
usually you have to have at least one flight under your belt, but they assigned me to that,
通常来说，你必须至少有一次飞行任务的经验才成，但他们指派我来做
which was really kind of a shock because the last rookie commander was Neil Armstrong on Gemini 8.
这真的让我有些受宠若惊，因为上一个新人指挥官是双子星8号计划的尼尔·阿姆斯特朗。