President Bush addresses Nation on space shuttle Columbia tragedy

　　My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.

　　On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.

　　In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more.

　　美国同胞们，今天我们接到噩耗，全国沉浸在巨大的悲痛中。今天早上九点，休斯顿控制中心失去了同我们的「哥伦比亚号」航天飞机的联系。此后不久，人们看到残骸从得克萨斯州上空落下。「哥伦比亚号」失事了；无一人生还。

　　机上的七名机组成员是：里克·赫斯本德(Rick Husband)空军上校；迈克尔·安德森(Michael Anderson)空军中校；劳雷尔·克拉克(Laurel Clark)海军中校；戴维·布朗(David Brown)海军上校；威廉·麦库尔(William McCool)海军中校；卡尔帕纳·舒拉(Kalpana Chawla)博士和以色列空军上校伊兰·拉蒙(Ilan Ramon)。这些男女宇航员为造福全人类而承担了巨大的风险。

　　在太空飞行似乎已基本成为常规作业的时代，人们易于忽视乘坐火箭飞行的危险和在险恶的地球外层空间飞行的难度。这些宇航员懂得这些危险，而且甘心情愿地面对这些危险，因为他们知道生命中有着远大而崇高的目标。正是因为他们的勇气、胆识和理想主义精神，我们会更加怀念他们。

　　今天，所有美国人的思绪也都伸向经受了这种突如其来的震惊和悲伤的宇航员的家人。你们不是孤独的。我们整个国家和你们一同哀悼。你们所爱的人将永远得到美国的尊敬和感激。

　　他们为之献身的事业将继续下去。人类是在探索精神和求知欲望的引导下，超越我们的世界，进入黑暗的未知空间。我们的太空之旅将继续下去。

　　今天，我们在空中看到的是毁灭和悲剧。但在我们的视野之外存在着安慰和希望。先知以赛亚说："你们向上举目，看谁创造这万象？他逐一领出烁烁繁星，一一称其名。因为他的大力全能，一个都不缺。"

　　这位唱名群星的造物主也知道我们今天悼念的七个亡灵的名字。「哥伦比亚号」航天飞机的机组人员未能平安地返回地球；但我们可为他们的安息而祈祷。

　　愿上帝保佑悲伤的家人，愿上帝继续保佑美国。

　　All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude of this country.

　　The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.

　　In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

　　The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.

　　May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America.