By the 1980s Baikonur’s population approached 100,000. Despite strict regulations and constant 20)vigilance by 21)plainclothes 22)KGB agents, the engineers and military officers in Baikonur still enjoyed a “certain liberalism” not tolerated elsewhere, said Bryantseva of the city administration. The reason was Baikonur’s importance for Soviet propaganda. This was where the Soviets launched spacecraft headed for the moon, Venus and Mars, as well as cosmonauts headed for earth orbit.
上世纪80年代，拜科努尔的人口达到10万。尽管严规诸多，还受到来自便衣克格勃密探的重重监视，这里的工程人员和军官还是享有别处难得的“一定程度的自由”，市政府发言人布里彦萨娃说。原因就在于拜科努尔对于前苏联的对外宣传意义重大。这里可是前苏联发射太空船前往月球、金星、火星，还有宇航员升空环绕地球轨道航行的基地。
The town is expected to remain the world’s primary space gate for decades to come. “We are not a provincial town that will drown in the desert,” said Bryantseva.
在未来的几十年，这座小城将继续作为世界主要的太空之门而存在。“我们不是一个轻易就销声匿迹的边城小镇，”布里彦萨娃说道。
