超级富豪天价玩具的身后事

    鲍文指出，“深海挑战者”号下潜了大约10,900米，而目前的标准版科研深潜器只能下潜6,500到7,000米。鲍文说：“它将帮助我们从Lewis & Clark观察方法过渡到全方位不间断的观察。”他赞同卡梅隆的那个玉米地的比喻。“我们做的很多事情都是像前苏联第一颗人造卫星那种东西，只是为了一时的荣耀和权利的宣扬，并没有真正带来有用的科学数据。”

    鲍文说，他打算在今后几周里把“深海挑战者”号的部分技术用于现有任务。但他指出：“坦白地说，目前我们还在研究，它到底将如何帮助我们探索海洋。”如果美国联邦科学家要使用载人潜水器，例如可搭载三人的“阿尔文”号，需要严格的审批。卡梅隆的深潜器是在美国联邦政府管辖范围之外的地方使用，意味着它的技术未经美国政府审批。“这是个原型机，”伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的所长苏珊•艾弗里说。“还需要做很多工作才能把目前的它变成我们想要的它。这是个非常实际的累活。”

    但艾弗里很快就说到了点子上：“这种公私合作已经成为新的常态。这是个好机会。但其他的机会并不是很多。”

    如今，美国的航天飞机全部都被封存到博物馆里，而其他国家也都在大张旗鼓地宣传自己奔向月球、奔向火星的计划。因此，卡梅伦在海洋探索事业上的捐赠并不能带来太多安慰。就连这些超级富豪们自己都需要帮助。美国航空航天博物馆恰如其分地宣布，福赛特的吊舱已经被正式命名为“自由精神萌芽之光”（The Bud Light Spirit of Freedom）。（财富中文网）

    译者：千牛絮

    The Deepsea Challenger dove to approximately 10,900 meters; current standard-issue research equipment can only go to 6,500 or 7,000 meters, Bowen said. "It'll help us transform from a Lewis & Clark approach to one of holistic, constant observation," he added. Agreeing with Cameron's cornfield quip, Bowen said, "So much of what we've done has just been Sputnik stuff, showing off for that moment, for the bragging rights. But it didn't really yield good scientific data."

    Bowen said that already he was planning on using some of the Deepsea Challenger's technology on existing missions in coming weeks. But, he noted, "how it's going to help explore the ocean is really a work in progress at this point, to be frank." When federal scientists work with a submersible designed for human occupancy, such as the three-person ALVIN, it requires strict certification. Cameron's device operated outside of that bureaucracy, meaning it's uncertified technology. "This is a prototype," said Susan Avery, the president of Woods Hole. "It will take a lot of work to take it from what it is to what we want it to be, which is a practical workhorse."

    Avery was quick to point out, though, that "this kind of public-private partnership is the new normal. It's a wonderful opportunity. But there are also not many other opportunities."

    In the age when America's space shuttles are all mothballed in museums while other nations boast of plans to head to the Moon or to Mars, Cameron's ocean deal provides cold comfort. Even the mega-rich have needed help of their own; Fossett's capsule, Air & Space dutifully notes, is officially called The Bud Light Spirit of Freedom.