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Bon voyage: "Stories about travel" » English to Swahili

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

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Source text in English

The moment when, 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong planted his foot on the surface of the Moon inspired awe, pride and wonder around the world. This newspaper argued that “man, from this day on, can go wheresoever in the universe his mind wills and his ingenuity contrives…to the planets, sooner rather than later, man is now certain to go.” But no. The Moon landing was an aberration, a goal achieved not as an end in itself but as a means of signalling America’s extraordinary capabilities. That point, once made, required no remaking. Only 571 people have been into orbit; and since 1972 no one has ventured much farther into space than Des Moines is from Chicago.

The next 50 years will look very different. Falling costs, new technologies, Chinese and Indian ambitions, and a new generation of entrepreneurs promise a bold era of space development. It will almost certainly involve tourism for the rich and better communications networks for all; in the long run it might involve mineral exploitation and even mass transportation. Space will become ever more like an extension of Earth—an arena for firms and private individuals, not just governments. But for this promise to be fulfilled the world needs to create a system of laws to govern the heavens—both in peacetime and, should it come to that, in war.

The development of space thus far has been focused on facilitating activity down below—mainly satellite communications for broadcasting and navigation. Now two things are changing. First, geopolitics is stoking a new push to send humans beyond the shallows of low-Earth orbit. China plans to land people on the Moon by 2035. President Donald Trump’s administration wants Americans to be back there by 2024. Falling costs make this showing off more affordable than before. Apollo cost hundreds of billions of dollars (in today’s money). Now tens of billions are the ticket price.

[ … ]

It is a mistake to promote space as a romanticised Wild West, an anarchic frontier where humanity can throw off its fetters and rediscover its destiny. For space to fulfil its promise governance is required. At a time when the world cannot agree on rules for the terrestrial trade of steel bars and soybeans that may seem like a big ask. But without it the potential of all that lies beyond Earth will at best wait another 50 years to be fulfilled. At worst space could add to Earth’s problems.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 4 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (4 total) Expand all entries

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Entry #27230 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Kenyan
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
5412 x43 x20
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 5 "like" tags
alitua kwenye Mwez
Good term selection
Grace Njenga
alitua kwenye Mwezi,
Flows well
Grace Njenga
Anga itakuwa kama sehemu ya Dunia
Good term selection
Kevin Juma
Utawala wa Rais Donald Trump unataka Wamarekani kurejea pale kufikia 2024.
Flows well
Kevin Juma
Anga ina uwezekano mdogo wa kuongeza matatizo ya Dunia.
Flows well
It conveys​ the inten​ded meanin​g upon the​ context.
Carolyne Mumo Musyoka
Entry #27751 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Kenyan
Voting points1st2nd3rd
4410 x42 x20
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 4 users agreed with "likes" (7 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
Miaka 50 iliyopita, wakati ambapo Neil Armstrong alipowacha alama ya kanyago lake huko mwezini, tukio hilo liliwatia hofu, kuwapa fahari na likawa kama muujiza mkubwa ulimwenguni kote.
Flows well
Very natur​al renditi​on, readin​g as thoug​h it was o​riginally ​written in​ Swahili
Matthias Kavuttih
-1
+4
4
kanyago
Good term selection
excellent ​choice of ​word
Joan Njogu
+2
2
Pindi tu hoja hiyo ilipotolewa
Flows well
Good start​ of the se​ntence
Peter Wachira
Miaka 50 ijayo itakuwa tofauti sana
Flows well
Nimeipenda​ hii.
Kibwe Amani Yao
hususan mawasiliano ya wambiyo kwa ajili
Flows well
Faith Mueni
+1
matao ya juu
Flows well
I like the​ term
Aziz Ramndani
makumi ya mabilioni ni gharama ya tikiti
Flows well
Kevin Juma
Entry #27551 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Voting points1st2nd3rd
81 x41 x22 x1
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #27565 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Kenyan
Voting points1st2nd3rd
0000
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags