(单词翻译:单击)
Wouldn't it be great if astronauts could ditch those long, tangle-prone tethers?
如果宇航员可以抛弃那些长长的、容易缠绕的绳索，那不是很好吗？
Suction cups could provide a solution.
吸盘可以提供一种解决方案。
But would a suction cup actually work in space?
但吸盘真的能在太空中发挥作用吗？
To answer this, we need to know how suction cups work right here on earth.
要回答这个问题，我们需要知道吸盘在地球上是如何工作的。
When a suction cup is sealed against a surface and air is squeezed out of the cup, a low pressure region is created inside the suction area.
当吸盘靠在表面上密封并将空气挤出时，吸盘内部就会形成一个低压区。
It's actually the atmospheric pressure OUTSIDE the cup, pressing down on the low pressure area INSIDE the cup, that creates the suction.
实际上，是杯外的大气压力向下挤压了杯内的低压区，从而产生了吸力。
So what about in space?
那么在太空中呢？
Space is a vacuum, and there's no atmosphere, and no atmospheric pressure.
太空是真空，没有大气层，也没有大气压。
Because there's no atmosphere, there's no outside pressure to create suction.
因为没有大气层，所以没有外部压力来产生吸力。
So, despite their usefulness to us on earth, suction cups can't help astronauts in space.
因此，尽管吸盘对地球上的我们有用，但它们并不能帮助太空中的宇航员。
