We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to |Мы привыкли к| the idea of space, and, perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers |первооткрыватели|. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s take-off. I know it’s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted |слабым в сердце|; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.
I’ve always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish |преуменьшить| it. We don’t hide our space program. We don’t keep secrets and cover things up |Мы не прячем и не скрываем нашу космическую программу. Рейган делает популистский реверанс в сторону СССР, где все космические дела были очень засекречены|. We do it all up front |открыто| and in public. That’s the way freedom is, and we wouldn’t change it for a minute.
We’ll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers, in space. |больше гражданских лиц, больше учителей. Впервые одним из членов экипажа космического корабля был не профессиональный космонавт, а гражданское лицо – учительница Криста Маколифф, которая в целях пиара космических полетов должна была провести урок с орбиты. Рейган в своей речи говорит именно о ней. Кстати, хотите еще «забавный» факт? Некто Стив Джобс также подавал заявку в НАСА на участие в миссии «Челленждера», но проиграл конкурс Кристе| Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.
I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA, or who worked on this mission and tell them: “Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish |страдание|. We share it.”