Sputnik was the name the Soviet Union gave to its first space satellites — machines sent up to circle the Earth. Sputnik 1 went up in October 1957, and it was the first man-made object ever to go around our planet. It was a metal ball, about the size of a beach ball, with four long antennas, and all it really did was go beep-beep on the radio. But the whole world could hear it, and that was the point.

Sputnik was the name the Soviet Union gave to its first space satellitesSputnik是蘇聯給自己第一批太空衛星取的名字 — machines sent up to circle the Earth──那些被送上去繞地球轉的機器。 Sputnik 1 went up in October 1957Sputnik 1在1957年10月發射升空， and it was the first man-made object ever to go around our planet也是有史以來第一個繞著地球轉的人造物體。 It was a metal ball, about the size of a beach ball它是一顆金屬球，大小差不多像一顆沙灘球， with four long antennas上面有四根長長的天線， and all it really did was go beep-beep on the radio而它真正在做的事，就只是在無線電上發出「嗶嗶」聲。 But the whole world could hear it但全世界都能聽到那個聲音， and that was the point而這正是重點所在。

There were later ones too — Sputnik 2 carried the dog Laika — so you may see "the Sputniks" in the plural. Because the Americans were shocked that the Soviets got there first, the word came to stand for a whole moment in history: people talk about "the Sputnik moment", meaning the day a country suddenly realises a rival is ahead and starts to run.

There were later ones too後來還有其他的衛星 — Sputnik 2 carried the dog Laika —──Sputnik 2就載了小狗萊卡上去── so you may see "the Sputniks" in the plural所以你可能會看到複數的「the Sputniks」這種寫法。 Because the Americans were shocked that the Soviets got there first因為美國人對蘇聯搶先一步感到震驚， the word came to stand for a whole moment in history這個字後來就變成代表歷史上的一個時刻： people talk about "the Sputnik moment"大家會說「the Sputnik moment（史普尼克時刻）」， meaning the day a country suddenly realises a rival is ahead and starts to run意思是一個國家突然發現對手領先，開始急起直追的那一天。

You will meet this word mostly in history books, science writing, and news pieces that reach back to the Cold War; it is a name, so it takes a capital S. In Russian the word just means "satellite", or more literally "travelling companion" — one who goes along the same road with you — which is a lovely thing to call a machine that keeps following the Earth around.

You will meet this word mostly in history books, science writing, and news pieces that reach back to the Cold War你大多會在歷史書、科學文章、還有回顧冷戰的新聞報導裡遇到這個字； it is a name, so it takes a capital S它是專有名詞，所以字首S要大寫。 In Russian the word just means "satellite"在俄文裡這個字的意思就只是「衛星」， or more literally "travelling companion"或者更直白地說是「同行的旅伴」 — one who goes along the same road with you —──一個跟你走同一條路的人── which is a lovely thing to call a machine that keeps following the Earth around拿這個詞來稱呼一台一直繞著地球跑的機器，是件很美的事。