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BrianGreene_2012-_为什么我们的宇宙如此适合生命_
A few months ago the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to two teams of astronomers for a discovery that has been hailed as one of the most important astronomical observations ever. 几个月以前, 诺贝尔物理学奖 颁发给两个天文学家团队, 他们的发现被誉为 史上最重要的 天文观测之一。
Nobel Prize:n.诺贝尔奖; astronomers:天文学家; hailed:v.赞扬(或称颂)…为…; (hail的过去分词和过去式) astronomical:adj.天文的,天文学的;极大的; observations:n.观察,观察值;观察结果;(observation的复数形式);
And today, after briefly describing what they found, 今天呢,在简要描述他们的发现之后,
briefly:adv.简要地;简短地;暂时地; describing:v.描述;形容;把…称为;做…运动;(describe的现在分词)
I'm going to tell you about a highly controversial framework for explaining their discovery, namely the possibility that way beyond the Earth, the Milky Way and other distant galaxies , we may find that our universe is not the only universe, but is instead part of a vast complex of universes that we call the multiverse . 我会告诉你一个颇有争议的理论框架 用于解释他们的发现, 这种框架大大超越了 我们所认知的地球, 银河系和其他遥远星系, 我们可能会发现我们的宇宙 不是唯一的宇宙, 相反只是 一个庞大复合宇宙的一部分, 我们称之为多元宇宙。
highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; controversial:adj.有争议的;有争论的; namely:adv.也就是;即是;换句话说; Milky Way:na.[天]银河; distant:adj.遥远的;远处的;久远的; galaxies:n.银河; (galaxy的复数) complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; universes:语义层;此生彼世; multiverse:n.多元宇宙;
Now the idea of a multiverse is a strange one. 多元宇宙是个很怪的想法。
I mean, most of us were raised to believe that the word "universe" means everything. 我是说,大部分人从出生就被教育相信 “宇宙”这个词包含一切。
And I say most of us with forethought , as my four-year-old daughter has heard me speak of these ideas since she was born. 我是说我们中的绝大多数（都被从小教导有关“一元宇宙”的概念） 就像我四岁大的女儿从一出生就在听我讲这些想法（多元宇宙）一样。
forethought:n.深谋远虑;先见;考虑将来;adj.预先计划好的;
And last year I was holding her and I said, "Sophia, 去年,我抱着她, 对她说,“索非亚,
I love you more than anything in the universe." 我爱你胜过宇宙的一切。”
And she turned to me and said, "Daddy, universe or multiverse?" 她转过来对我说,“爸爸, 是宇宙还是多元宇宙？”
(Laughter) （笑）
But barring such an anomalous upbringing , it is strange to imagine other realms separate from ours, most with fundamentally different features, that would rightly be called universes of their own. 但是除了这样一个不同寻常的教育的例子, 我们总是很难让人们（从小接受了一元宇宙观点的人）去想象 哪些其他与我们的宇宙所分离的国度（宇宙）, 而其中的大部分又拥有完全不同于我们所处宇宙的特征, 而这些宇宙可以被称作他们自己的宇宙。
anomalous:adj.异常的;不规则的;不恰当的; upbringing:n.教养;养育;抚育; realms:n.领域(realm的复数); fundamentally:adv.从根本上;基础地;重要地 rightly:adv.正确地;恰当地;公正地;合适地;
And yet, speculative though the idea surely is, 尽管 这个想法是个推理,
speculative:adj.投机的;推测的;思索性的;
I aim to convince you that there's reason for taking it seriously, as it just might be right. 我想让你相信 我们有理由把它当回事, 因为它有可能是正确的。
convince:v.使确信;使相信;说服,劝说;
I'm going to tell the story of the multiverse in three parts. 我会分三部分来讲多元宇宙的故事。
In part one, 第一部分,
I'm going to describe those Nobel Prize-winning results and to highlight a profound mystery which those results revealed . 我会描述这些获诺贝尔奖的结果, 并且强调这些成绩 揭示的一个意义深远的奥秘。
describe:v.描述;形容;把…称为;画出…图形; Prize-winning:获奖的; highlight:vt.突出;强调;使显著;加亮;n.最精彩的部分;最重要的事情;加亮区; profound:adj.深厚的;意义深远的;渊博的; revealed:v.揭示;显示;露出;(reveal的过去分词和过去式)
In part two, 第二部分,
I'll offer a solution to that mystery. 我会解开这个奥秘。
solution:n.解决方案;溶液;溶解;解答;
It's based on an approach called string theory, and that's where the idea of the multiverse will come into the story. 它基于一种叫“弦理论”的方法, 通过它我们把多元宇宙 引入了这个故事。
approach:n.方法;路径;v.接近;建议;着手处理; string:n.字符串; v.悬挂; adj.由弦乐器组成的;
Finally , in part three, 最后第三部分,
Finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
I'm going to describe a cosmological theory called inflation , which will pull all the pieces of the story together. 我将讲述一个宇宙理论 叫暴涨, 通过这个你就能把整个故事完整起来。
cosmological:adj.宇宙论的;宇宙哲学的; inflation:n.膨胀;通货膨胀;夸张;自命不凡;
Okay, part one starts back in 1929 when the great astronomer Edwin Hubble realized that the distant galaxies were all rushing away from us, establishing that space itself is stretching , it's expanding . 好吧,故事的第一部分回到1929年, 当伟大的天文学家爱德温?哈勃 意识到,遥远的星系 都匆匆离我们而去 建立属于它自身的空间 这个空间在不断地扩展。
establishing:v.建立;创立;设立;使稳固;(establish的现在分词) stretching:v.拉长;撑大;有弹性;拉紧;拉直;(stretch的现在分词) expanding:v.扩大,增加,增强细谈;详述;(expand的现在分词)
Now this was revolutionary . 现在我们要讨论的问题开始富有革命性了。
revolutionary:adj.革命性的;革命的;彻底变革的;n.改革者;革命者;
The prevailing wisdom was that on the largest of scales the universe was static . 普遍的观点是在最大的尺度下 宇宙是静态的。
prevailing:adj.流行的;一般的;占优势的;v.盛行,流行;获胜;(prevail的现在分词形式) wisdom:n.智慧;明智;才智;学问; scales:n.规模范围; v.攀登; (scale的第三人称单数和复数) static:adj.静止的; n.[物]静电(干扰);
But even so, there was one thing that everyone was certain of: 但即便如此, 有一件事大家都是确定的,
The expansion must be slowing down. 就是扩张必须放缓。
expansion:n.扩张;膨胀;扩展;扩大;
That, much as the gravitational pull of the Earth slows the ascent of an apple tossed upward , the gravitational pull of each galaxy on every other must be slowing the expansion of space. 就像万有引力 减慢了抛向空中的苹果上升的速度, 每个星系 对其他星系的万有引力 必须减缓 空间的扩展。
gravitational:adj.[力]重力的,[力]引力的; ascent:n.上升;上坡路;登高; tossed:v.扔,抛,掷;甩;(使)摇摆,挥动,颠簸;(toss的过去分词和过去式) upward:adj.向上的;上升的;adv.向上; galaxy:n.银河;[天]星系;银河系;一群显赫的人;
Now let's fast-forward to the 1990s when those two teams of astronomers 现在让我们快进到二十世纪90年代, 我开始提到的
fast-forward:n.快进功能;adj.进展迅速的;vi.快进;vt.使快进;
I mentioned at the outset were inspired by this reasoning to measure the rate at which the expansion has been slowing. 那两个天文学家小组 受到这个推理的启发 来测量 这种扩张放缓的速率。
outset:n.开始;开端; inspired:adj.受到启发的; v.鼓舞; (inspire的过去分词和过去式)
And they did this by painstaking observations of numerous distant galaxies, allowing them to chart how the expansion rate has changed over time. 他们辛勤地 观察了 为数众多的遥远星系, 并据此画出了 膨胀率随时间变化的图表。
painstaking:adj.艰苦的;勤勉的;小心的;n.辛苦;勤勉; numerous:adj.许多的,很多的;
Here's the surprise: 令人惊讶的是,
They found that the expansion is not slowing down. 他们发现扩张并没有减速。
Instead they found that it's speeding up, going faster and faster. 相反速度在加快, 越来越快。
That's like tossing an apple upward and it goes up faster and faster. 就像抛一个苹果, 它快速地上升。
tossing:v.扔,抛,掷;甩;(使)摇摆,挥动,颠簸;(toss的现在分词)
Now if you saw an apple do that, you'd want to know why. 如果你看到一个苹果这样的话, 你一定想知道为什么。
What's pushing on it? 是一种什么力量推动它呢？
Similarly , the astronomers' results are surely well-deserving of the Nobel Prize, but they raised an analogous question. 同样,天文学家的结果 肯定配得诺贝尔奖, 但他们提了一个类似的问题。
Similarly:adv.同样地;类似于; analogous:adj.类似的;[昆]同功的;可比拟的;
What force is driving all galaxies to rush away from every other at an ever-quickening speed? 是什么力量驱动所有的星系 不断加速地 远离其它的呢？
Well the most promising answer comes from an old idea of Einstein's. 最有希望的答案 还是来自爱因斯坦的老观点。
You see, we are all used to gravity being a force that does one thing, pulls objects together. 你看,我们都习惯于认为, 地心引力这种力量就做一件事, 就是把东西拉在一起。
But in Einstein's theory of gravity, his general theory of relativity , gravity can also push things apart. 但在爱因斯坦的引力理论中, 他的广义相对论, 引力也可以把东西推开的。
relativity:n.相对论;相关性;相对性;
How? Well according to Einstein's math, if space is uniformly filled with an invisible energy, sort of like a uniform, invisible mist , then the gravity generated by that mist would be repulsive , repulsive gravity, which is just what we need to explain the observations. 怎么说呢？根据爱因斯坦的数学, 如果空间是 被无形的能量均匀地充满, 就像一种统一,无形的雾, 这种雾所产生的重力 会是 排斥重力, 这正是我们需要解释的观测。
according to:根据,据说; uniformly:adv.一致地; invisible:adj.看不见的;n.看不见的人或物; mist:n.薄雾; v.(使)结满雾气(模糊不清); generated:v.产生;引起;(generate的过去式和过去分词) repulsive:adj.排斥的;令人厌恶的;击退的;冷淡的;
Because the repulsive gravity of an invisible energy in space -- we now call it dark energy, but I've made it smokey white here so you can see it -- its repulsive gravity 因为空间中的 这种无形能量的排斥重力-- 我们把它叫做暗能量, 但这里我把它用白色烟雾表示是为了便于看到-- 它的排斥重力
smokey:adj.多烟的;
would cause each galaxy to push against every other, driving expansion to speed up, not slow down. 会导致每个星系互相推斥, 驱使扩张加快 而不是减缓。
And this explanation represents great progress. 这个解释 代表着很大的进步。
represents:v.代表;维护…的利益;相当于;(represent的第三人称单数)
But I promised you a mystery here in part one. 我答应过你这是 第一部分的一个谜。
Here it is. 这个就是。
When the astronomers worked out how much of this dark energy must be infusing space to account for the cosmic speed up, look at what they found. 在天文学家计算出 必须注入多少暗能量 到空间 去证明宇宙的加速时, 看看他们发现了什么。
infusing:v.使具有,注入(某特性);全面影响;泡制(草药等);(infuse的现在分词) account for:对…负有责任;对…做出解释;说明…的原因;导致;(比例)占; cosmic:adj.宇宙的;
This number is small. 这是个小数目。
Expressed in the relevant unit, it is spectacularly small. 用相关的单位来表现, 它非常小。
Expressed:v.表示;表达;显而易见;不言自明;(express的过去分词和过去式) relevant:adj.相关的;切题的;中肯的;有重大关系的;有意义的,目的明确的; spectacularly:adv.壮观地;引人注目地;
And the mystery is to explain this peculiar number. 谜团是去解释这个奇特的数字。
peculiar:adj.特殊的;独特的;奇怪的;罕见的;n.特权;特有财产;
We want this number to emerge from the laws of physics, but so far no one has found a way to do that. 我们希望这一数字 可能摆脱物理定律, 但到目前为止还没有人找到一个方法。
emerge:v.浮现;显现;暴露;露出真相;
Now you might wonder, should you care? 你现在可能想知道, 你应该担忧吗？
Maybe explaining this number is just a technical issue , a technical detail of interest to experts, but of no relevance to anybody else. 也许解释这个数字 只是个技术问题, 一个专家感兴趣的技术细节, 根别人没什么关系。
technical:adj.工艺的,科技的;技术上的;专门的; issue:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;发行; relevance:n.关联;适当;中肯;
Well it surely is a technical detail, but some details really matter. 这的确是一个技术上的细节, 但有些细节至关重大。
Some details provide windows into uncharted realms of reality, and this peculiar number may be doing just that, as the only approach that's so far made headway to explain it invokes the possibility of other universes -- an idea that naturally emerges from string theory, which takes me to part two: string theory. 一些细节 给未知的现实领域提供窗口, 这个奇特的数字可能只有这个用途, 至今为止作为唯一方法取得了进展, 去解释它调用奇特宇宙的可能性-- 这个想法自然地脱离弦理论, 带我进入第二部分:弦理论。
uncharted:adj.未知的;图上未标明的; headway:n.前进;进步;航行速度;间隔时间; invokes:(invoke的第三人称单数)vt.调用;祈求;引起;恳求; naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地; emerges:vi.浮现;摆脱;暴露;
So hold the mystery of the dark energy in the back of your mind as I now go on to tell you three key things about string theory. 先把暗能量的谜团 放在脑后, 我继续讲 有关弦理论的三个关键的事情。
First off, what is it? 第一个,是什么呢？
Well it's an approach to realize Einstein's dream of a unified theory of physics, a single overarching framework that would be able to describe all the forces at work in the universe. 那是实践爱因斯坦的物理统一理论的 梦想的一种途径, 一个总体框架 能够描述 宇宙所有的力量在起作用。
unified:adj.统一的;一致标准的;v.统一;使一致(unify的过去分词); overarching:adj.首要的;支配一切的;包罗万象的;v.成拱形(overarch的ing形式);
And the central idea of string theory is quite straightforward . 而弦理论的中心思想 非常简单。
straightforward:adj.简单的;坦率的;明确的;径直的;adv.直截了当地;坦率地;
It says that if you examine any piece of matter ever more finely , at first you'll find molecules and then you'll find atoms and subatomic particles . 它说,如果你非常细致地检查 任何一样物质。 起初你会发现分子, 然后你会发现原子和亚原子粒子。
finely:adv.非常地;细微地;美好地;雅致地; molecules:n.[化学]分子,微粒;[化学]摩尔(molecule的复数); atoms:n.[物]原子(atom的复数); subatomic:adj.[化学]亚原子的;原子内的; particles:n.微粒,粒子;粒子系统;碎木料(particle的复数形式);
But the theory says that if you could probe smaller, much smaller than we can with existing technology , you'd find something else inside these particles -- a little tiny vibrating filament of energy, a little tiny vibrating string. 但这个理论说,如果你能够探测到更小的, 比我们现有技术能做到的更小的, 你会在这些粒子里找到别的东西-- 一个小小的能量震动纤维, 一个小小的震动弦。
probe:n.探针;调查;vi.调查;探测;vt.探查;用探针探测; technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; vibrating:v.(使)振动,颤动,摆动(vibrate的现在分词) filament:n.灯丝;细丝;细线;单纤维;
And just like the strings on a violin, they can vibrate in different patterns producing different musical notes. 就像小提琴上的弦一样, 它们通过不同的震动 来产生不同的音符。
strings:一串,悬挂(string的第三人称单数和复数) vibrate:vi.振动;颤动;摇摆;踌躇;vt.使振动;使颤动;
These little fundamental strings, when they vibrate in different patterns, they produce different kinds of particles -- so electrons , quarks , neutrinos , photons , all other particles would be united into a single framework, as they would all arise from vibrating strings. 这些小小的基本的弦, 当他们以不同的模式震动时, 它们产生不同种类的粒子-- 所以,电子,夸克,中微子,光子, 所有的粒子 会合并成一个单一的框架, 它们会通过震动的弦而出现。
electrons:n.[物]电子(electron的复数形式); quarks:n.[高能][天]夸克(quark的复数形式); neutrinos:n.中微子(neutrino的复数); photons:n.[物]光子;[量子]光量子(photon的复数); united:adj.联合的; v.联合,团结; (unite的过去分词和过去式) arise:v.出现;发生;产生;起身;
It's a compelling picture, a kind of cosmic symphony , where all the richness that we see in the world around us emerges from the music that these little, tiny strings can play. 那是个令人信服的场面, 一种宇宙交响乐, 我们看到的 从周围世界的音乐 而展现的丰富, 这些小小的弦也能演奏出。
compelling:adj.引人入胜的; v.强迫; (compel的现在分词) symphony:n.交响乐;谐声,和声; richness:n.丰富;富裕;肥沃;华美;
But there's a cost to this elegant unification , because years of research have shown that the math of string theory doesn't quite work. 但这种优雅的统一 是有代价的, 因为多年的研究 表明弦理论的数学也不是行得通的。
elegant:adj.高雅的,优雅的;讲究的;简炼的;简洁的; unification:n.统一;一致;联合;
It has internal inconsistencies , unless we allow for something wholly unfamiliar -- extra dimensions of space. 它内部不一致, 除非我们考虑 完全陌生的事-- 即额外纬度空间。
internal:n.内脏;本质;adj.内部的;里面的;体内的;(机构)内部的; inconsistencies:矛盾; wholly:adv.完全地;全部;统统; unfamiliar:adj.不熟悉的;不常见的;没有经验的; extra:adj.额外的:n.额外的事物:adv.额外:另外: dimensions:n.规模,大小;
That is, we all know about the usual three dimensions of space. 我们都知道通常的三维空间。
And you can think about those as height, width and depth. 你可以用 高度,宽度和深度来考虑。
width:n.宽度;广度;某一宽度的材料;(游泳池两长边之间的)池宽;
But string theory says that, on fantastically small scales, there are additional dimensions crumpled to a tiny size so small that we have not detected them. 但弦理论认为,在极其小的尺度下, 在这么小的尺寸下 还有附加的维度,因为太小 我们还探测不出。
fantastically:adv.想像中地;奇特地;难以置信地; additional:adj.附加的,额外的; crumpled:adj.摺皱的,弄皱的;v.弄皱(crumple的过去分词); detected:v.发现;查明;侦察出;(detect的过去分词和过去式)
But even though the dimensions are hidden, they would have an impact on things that we can observe because the shape of the extra dimensions constrains how the strings can vibrate. 但即使这些维度是隐藏的, 它们对一些东西的影响我们能够观察到, 因为额外维度的形状 限制着弦的震动。
impact:n.影响;效果;碰撞;冲击力;v.挤入,压紧;撞击;对…产生影响; observe:v.观察;看到;庆祝;监视; constrains:约束;
And in string theory, vibration determines everything. 在弦理论中, 振动决定一切。
vibration:n.振动;犹豫;心灵感应; determines:v.查明;测定;准确算出;决定;裁决;安排;(determine的第三人称单数)
So particle masses , the strengths of forces, and most importantly , the amount of dark energy would be determined by the shape of the extra dimensions. 所以呢,粒子的质量,力量的强度, 最重要的,暗能量的总量 会取决于 额外维度的形状。
masses:n.民众;大量(mass的复数);包块;v.集中;聚集(mass的三单形式); and most importantly:最主要的是…; determined:adj.决定了的:v.决定;(determine的过去分词和过去式)
So if we knew the shape of the extra dimensions, we should be able to calculate these features, calculate the amount of dark energy. 如果我们了解额外维度的形状, 我们就能计算出这些特征, 计算出暗能量的总量。
The challenge is we don't know the shape of the extra dimensions. 目前的挑战是 我们不知道 额外维度的形状。
All we have is a list of candidate shapes allowed by the math. 我们有的 是通过数学算出的 一些候选形状。
Now when these ideas were first developed, there were only about five different candidate shapes, so you can imagine analyzing them one-by-one to determine if any yield the physical features we observe. 当这些想法首次推出的时候, 只有5个候补形状, 你可以想象到 一个一个分析它们 来决定哪一个符合 我们观察的物理特征。
analyzing:adj.分析的;v.分析(analyze的现在分词); yield:n.产量;产出;利润;v.屈服;让步;放弃;提供; physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查;
But over time the list grew as researchers found other candidate shapes. 可是随着时间的迁移, 研究人员发现了更多的候选形状。
From five, the number grew into the hundreds and then the thousands -- 从起初的5个到几百个,最后几千个--
A large, but still manageable , collection to analyze , since after all, graduate students need something to do. 数目很多但还管得过来, 去分析这些的工作 就交给刚毕业的学生了。
manageable:adj.易管理的;易控制的;易办的; analyze:v.对…进行分析,分解(等于analyse);
But then the list continued to grow into the millions and the billions, until today. 但是这个数目单继续增加到了 几百万,到今天有数十亿了。
The list of candidate shapes has soared to about 10 to the 500. 候选形状的清单 也飙升到10至500个。
soared:v.飙升(soar的过去分词);骤然上升;
So, what to do? 那,怎么办呢？
Well some researchers lost heart, concluding that was so many candidate shapes for the extra dimensions, each giving rise to different physical features, string theory would never make definitive , testable predictions . 有些研究人员失去信心, 结论是额外维度有这么多的候选形状, 每一个都有不同的物理特征, 弦理论永远不会做出 确定的,可检验的预测。
concluding:adj.结束的;最后的; definitive:n.限定词;adj.决定性的;最后的;限定的; testable:adj.可试验的;有资格立遗嘱的;可根据遗嘱处理的;有资格作证人的; predictions:n.预测,预言(prediction复数形式);
But others turned this issue on its head, taking us to the possibility of a multiverse. 但是另一些从另一个角度考虑, 把我们带到多元宇宙的可能性。
Here's the idea. 想法是这样的。
Maybe each of these shapes is on an equal footing with every other. 也许这些性状之间是互相平等的。
Each is as real as every other, in the sense that there are many universes, each with a different shape, for the extra dimensions. 每一个都很真实, 就是说 有很多的宇宙, 每个对额外维度都有不同的形状。
And this radical proposal has a profound impact on this mystery: the amount of dark energy revealed by the Nobel Prize-winning results. 这种激进的建议 对这个谜团有着深刻的影响: 诺贝尔得奖结果揭示了暗能量的总量。
radical:n.自由基;激进分子;游离基;adj.根本的;彻底的;完全的;全新的; proposal:n.提议,建议;求婚;
Because you see, if there are other universes, and if those universes each have, say, a different shape for the extra dimensions, then the physical features of each universe will be different, and in particular , the amount of dark energy in each universe will be different. 因为你看, 如果有很多的其他宇宙, 而这些宇宙 每个都有不同的额外维度形状, 那么每个宇宙的物理特征将会不同, 特别是, 每个宇宙的暗能量 将会不同。
in particular:尤其,特别;
Which means that the mystery of explaining the amount of dark energy we've now measured would take on a wholly different character. 也就意味着, 我们现在测量到的暗能量总量的解释谜呢, 将会是 一个完全不同的角色。
measured:adj.缓慢谨慎的; v.测量; (measure的过去分词和过去式)
In this context , the laws of physics can't explain one number for the dark energy because there isn't just one number, there are many numbers. 在这种背景下, 物理定律不能解释暗能量的一个数, 因为不知一个数, 有很多数。
context:n.环境;上下文;来龙去脉;
Which means we have been asking the wrong question. 也意味着, 我们一直问错了问题。
It's that the right question to ask is, why do we humans find ourselves in a universe with a particular amount of dark energy we've measured instead of any of the other possibilities that are out there? 应该问的正确问题是, 为什么我们人类在一个宇宙中测量 一种特定量的暗能量, 而不是在另外的 其他外围宇宙呢？
And that's a question on which we can make headway. 我们在这个问题上能取得进展。
Because those universes that have much more dark energy than ours, whenever matter tries to clump into galaxies, the repulsive push of the dark energy is so strong that it blows the clump apart and galaxies don't form. 因为那些宇宙 有着比我们的更多的暗能量, 当物质要聚成星系时, 暗能量的排斥力太强, 把物质快吹散, 星系就无法形成。
clump:n.丛;笨重的脚步声;土块;v.形成一丛;以沉重的步子行走;
And in those universes that have much less dark energy, well they collapse back on themselves so quickly that, again, galaxies don't form. 这些宇宙中的暗能量较少, 它们非常快地崩溃后回来, 也形成不了星系。
collapse:vi.倒塌;瓦解;暴跌;vt.使倒塌,使崩溃;使萎陷;折叠;n.倒塌;失败;衰竭;
And without galaxies, there are no stars, no planets and no chance for our form of life to exist in those other universes. 没有星系,就没有星星,没有行星, 所以在别的宇宙中 没法有 像我们这样的生命存在。
So we find ourselves in a universe with the particular amount of dark energy we've measured simply because our universe has conditions hospitable to our form of life. 我们发现我们自己存在于 一个我们简单测量的有一个特别数量的暗能量的宇宙中, 只因为我们的宇宙有合适的条件 供我们生命的存在。
hospitable:adj.热情友好的;(环境)舒适的;
And that would be that. 就是那个。
Mystery solved, multiverse found. 谜团破解了, 多元宇宙被发现。
Now some find this explanation unsatisfying . 有些人对这个解释不满意。
unsatisfying:adj.无法令人满足的;v.不满意;不安心(unsatisfy的ing形式);
We're used to physics giving us definitive explanations for the features we observe. 我们习惯于物理学 给我们观察的特征的明确解释。
But the point is, if the feature you're observing can and does take on a wide variety of different values across the wider landscape of reality, then thinking one explanation for a particular value is simply misguided . 但问题是, 如果你观察的特征 能够并且确实承担 现实中的 不同价值, 那么对一种 特定值用一种解释 就会简单地误导人。
observing:adj.观察的;注意的;观察力敏锐的;v.观察;遵守(observe的现在分词); variety:n.多样;种类;杂耍;变化,多样化; landscape:n.景观;乡村风景画;(文件的)横向打印格式;v.对…做景观美化;美化…的环境; misguided:adj.搞错的;v.误入歧途;指导错误;(misguide的过去式和过去分词)
An early example comes from the great astronomer Johannes Kepler who was obsessed with understanding a different number -- why the Sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth. 一个早期的例子 来自于伟大的天文学家约翰 开普勒, 他很着迷于研究 不同的数字-- 为什么太阳离地球9千3百万英里。
Johannes:n.葡萄牙18,19世纪的金币; Kepler:na.Kepler; obsessed:v.使痴迷;使迷恋;使着迷;(obsess的过去式和过去分词)
And he worked for decades trying to explain this number, but he never succeeded, and we know why. 他花了几十年的时间试图解释这个数字, 但从未成功,我们知道为什么。
Kepler was asking the wrong question. 开普勒 问错了问题。
We now know that there are many planets at a wide variety of different distances from their host stars. 现在我们知道有许多行星 距离它们的宿主恒星有不同的距离。
So hoping that the laws of physics will explain one particular number, 93 million miles, well that is simply wrongheaded . 单单希望物理定律 能解释一个特殊的数据,9千3百万, 是执迷不悟。
wrongheaded:adj.固执的;坚持错误的;
Instead the right question to ask is, why do we humans find ourselves on a planet at this particular distance, instead of any of the other possibilities? 正确的问题应该是, 为什么我们人类发现我们在一个行星上的 距离是特定的, 而不是别的可能呢？
And again, that's a question we can answer. 同样,这个问题我们能回答。
Those planets which are much closer to a star like the Sun would be so hot that our form of life wouldn't exist. 那些行星更接近于一颗星就像太阳 一样热, 以至像我们这样的生命无法存在。
And those planets that are much farther away from the star, well they're so cold that, again, our form of life would not take hold. 而那些离这个星太远的行星, 因为太冷, 同样也没法有我们这样的生命。
So we find ourselves on a planet at this particular distance simply because it yields conditions vital to our form of life. 所以,我们发现我们 在这颗行星的特定距离 只是因为它的条件 符合我们生命的存在。
yields:n.生产量,投资效益(yield的复数形式); v.[经]生产; vital:adj.至关重要的;生死攸关的;有活力的;
And when it comes to planets and their distances, this clearly is the right kind of reasoning. 讲到行星和它们的距离时, 这显然是合理的推理。
The point is, when it comes to universes and the dark energy that they contain, it may also be the right kind of reasoning. 关键是, 讲到宇宙和他们所含的暗能量时, 它也可能是合适的推理。
One key difference, of course, is we know that there are other planets out there, but so far I've only speculated on the possibility that there might be other universes. 一个重要的区别是, 我们知道外边还有很多别的行星, 但到目前为止,我只是推测可能 会有其他的宇宙。
speculated:v.推测;猜测;推断;投机;做投机买卖;(speculate的过去分词和过去式)
So to pull it all together, we need a mechanism that can actually generate other universes. 把这些合起来, 我们需要一个机制, 实际上可以生成其它宇宙。
mechanism:n.机制;原理,途径;进程;机械装置;技巧;
And that takes me to my final part, part three. 这样我就来到最后一部分,第三部分。
Because such a mechanism has been found by cosmologists trying to understand the Big Bang . 因为宇宙学家们在试图了解 大爆炸时发现了这个机制。
cosmologists:n.宇宙论者,宇宙学家; Bang:n.猛敲; v.猛敲; v.正好;
You see, when we speak of the Big Bang, we often have an image of a kind of cosmic explosion that created our universe and set space rushing outward . 你看,但我们说起大爆炸时, 我们常常有一个 宇宙爆炸的图画, 这个爆炸创造了我们的宇宙, 且把空间向外扩。
explosion:n.爆炸;爆发;激增; outward:n.外表; adj.表面的; v.同"outwards.outwardandhomeward";
But there's a little secret. 但有一个小秘密。
The Big Bang leaves out something pretty important, the Bang. 大爆炸留下了很重要的就是, 爆炸。
It tells us how the universe evolved after the Bang, but gives us no insight into what would have powered the Bang itself. 它告诉我们宇宙在爆炸后时如何进化, 但没有给我们 提供爆炸本身的力量。
evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) insight:n.洞察力;洞悉;
And this gap was finally filled by an enhanced version of the Big Bang theory. 最终,这个差距 被一个增强版的大爆炸理论填补上了
gap:n.差距;间隙;缺口;间隔;v.使豁裂;豁开; enhanced:adj.加强的;增大的;v.提高;加强(enhance的过去分词);
It's called inflationary cosmology , which identified a particular kind of fuel that would naturally generate an outward rush of space. 它被称为暴胀宇宙学, 找到了一种特殊的燃料, 会自然产生 向往冲的空间。
inflationary:adj.通货膨胀的;通货膨胀倾向的;通货膨胀引起的; cosmology:n.[天]宇宙论,[天]宇宙学; identified:v.确认;认出;找到;发现;说明身份;(identify的过去式和过去分词)
The fuel is based on something called a quantum field, but the only detail that matters for us is that this fuel proves to be so efficient that it's virtually impossible to use it all up, which means in the inflationary theory, the Big Bang giving rise to our universe is likely not a one-time event. 燃料基于一种叫做量子场的东西, 但对我们有关的唯一细节是 这种燃料被证明是如此高效, 它几乎不可能 完全用尽, 这就意味着在暴胀理论中, 大爆炸出现在我们宇宙 不是一次性的事件。
quantum:n.量子论;额;美国昆腾公司(世界领先的硬盘生产商); efficient:adj.有效率的;有能力的;生效的; virtually:adv.事实上,几乎;实质上; one-time:adj.以前的;古时的;adv.一度(等于onetime);从前;
Instead the fuel not only generated our Big Bang, but it would also generate countless other Big Bangs , each giving rise to its own separate universe with our universe becoming but one bubble in a grand cosmic bubble bath of universes. 相反,燃料不仅产生了我们的大爆炸, 它也产生了无数的别的爆炸, 每个形成它自己的宇宙, 我们的宇宙变成 大宇宙泡泡浴里的一个泡泡。
countless:adj.无数的;数不尽的; Bangs:n.刘海; v.猛撞; bubble bath:n.泡沫浴液;
And now, when we meld this with string theory, here's the picture we're led to. 现在,当我们把这融合到弦理论, 我们就看到了这张图片。
meld:vi.合并;混合;vt.使…合并;使…混合;n.结合;融合;
Each of these universes has extra dimensions. 这些宇宙中的每一个都有额外维度。
The extra dimensions take on a wide variety of different shapes. 额外维度有不同的形状。
The different shapes yield different physical features. 不同的形状产生不同的物理特征。
And we find ourselves in one universe instead of another simply because it's only in our universe that the physical features, like the amount of dark energy, are right for our form of life to take hold. 我们发现我们自己在一个而不是 另一个宇宙中单单因为我们的宇宙的 物理特征,譬如暗能量的总量 正好适合我们生命的存在。
And this is the compelling but highly controversial picture of the wider cosmos that cutting-edge observation and theory have now led us to seriously consider. 这是具有吸引力但对更广阔宇宙的 又极有争议的图片, 尖端的观察与理论 让我们去更严肃地思考。
cosmos:n.宇宙;和谐;秩序;大波斯菊; cutting-edge:n.(刀片的)刃口;尖端;前沿;adj.先进的,尖端的;
One big remaining question, of course, is, could we ever confirm the existence of other universes? 一个悬而未决的问题,当然是, 我们能否确认 其他宇宙的存在？
Well let me describe one way that might one day happen. 让我来描述一种 可能有一天会发生的方法。
The inflationary theory already has strong observational support. 通胀理论 已经有强大的观测支持。
observational:adj.观测的;根据观察的;
Because the theory predicts that the Big Bang would have been so intense that as space rapidly expanded , tiny quantum jitters from the micro world would have been stretched out to the macro world, yielding a distinctive fingerprint , 因为这个理论预言 大爆炸将是如此强烈 以至于空间快速扩张, 微小的量子从微观世界 延伸到宏观世界, 产生一种独特的指纹,
predicts:vt.预报,预言;预知;vi.作出预言;作预料,作预报; intense:adj.强烈的;紧张的;非常的;热情的; expanded:adj.扩充的;展开的;vt.扩大(expand的过去式); jitters:n.神经过敏; v.抖动(jitter的三单形式); micro:adj.极小的;基本的;微小的;n.<口>微型计算机;微处理器; stretched:v.拉长;撑大;有弹性(或弹力);拉紧;(stretch的过去式和过去分词) macro:adj.巨大的,大量的;n.宏,巨(计算机术语); yielding:adj.顺从的; v.屈服; (yield的现在分词) distinctive:adj.独特的;特别的;有特色的; fingerprint:n.指纹;手印;vt.采指纹;
a pattern of slightly hotter spots and slightly colder spots, across space, which powerful telescopes have now observed . 一种既有微热和微冷的 斑点模式 已经被功能强大的望远镜观察到了。
slightly:adv.些微地,轻微地;纤细地; telescopes:n.望远镜; v.套叠; (telescope的第三人称单数) observed:adj.观察的;观测的;v.观察;遵守;注意到(observe的过去分词形式);
Going further, if there are other universes, the theory predicts that every so often those universes can collide . 讲的远点,如果有其他的宇宙, 这个理论预测这些宇宙 可能互相碰撞。
every so often:adv.偶尔;常常;时常; collide:vi.碰撞;抵触,冲突;vt.使碰撞;使相撞;
And if our universe got hit by another, that collision would generate an additional subtle pattern of temperature variations across space that we might one day be able to detect. 如果我们的宇宙被别的宇宙撞上了, 碰撞 会在空间里产生额外的 微妙的温度变化, 我们可能有一天 能探测到。
collision:n.抵触;碰撞(或相撞)事故; subtle:adj.微妙的;精细的;敏感的;狡猾的;稀薄的; variations:n.变奏曲,变更;[生物]变种(variation的复数形式);
And so exotic as this picture is, it may one day be grounded in observations, establishing the existence of other universes. 正像这张奇特的照片, 有一天也许会基于 观测, 建立其它宇宙的存在。
exotic:adj.异国的;外来的;异国情调的;
I'll conclude with a striking implication of all these ideas for the very far future. 最后, 我将用一个有关遥远未来的 所有想法 的令人瞩目的暗示来结束。
conclude:v.断定:得出结论:终止:达成:缔结(协定) implication:n.含意;可能的影响(或作用、结果);暗指;(被)牵连;
You see, we learned that our universe is not static, that space is expanding, that that expansion is speeding up and that there might be other universes all by carefully examining faint pinpoints of starlight coming to us from distant galaxies. 你看,我们得知 我们的宇宙不是静态的, 空间是在扩张的, 这个扩张是在加速的, 可能会有别的宇宙, 我们可以通过仔细检查 微弱的星光 来确定那些遥远的星系。
faint:n.昏厥;v.昏厥;adj.昏眩;(光,声,味)微弱的;微小的;可能性不大的; pinpoints:vt.查明; adj.精确的; n.针尖; starlight:n.星光;adj.有星光的;星光照耀的;
But because the expansion is speeding up, in the very far future, those galaxies will rush away so far and so fast that we won't be able to see them -- not because of technological limitations , but because of the laws of physics. 但是因为这种扩张太快, 在遥远的未来, 这些星系会离我们很远很远 以至我们再也看不到它们-- 不是因为技术的限制, 而是因为物理定律。
technological:adj.技术[工程](上)的;因工艺技术高度发展而引起的; limitations:n.局限性;(限制)因素;边界(limitation的复数形式);
The light those galaxies emit , even traveling at the fastest speed, the speed of light, will not be able to overcome the ever-widening gulf between us. 这些星系发出的光,。 即使以很快的速度行走,以光速行走, 也克服不了 我们之间已经扩展的鸿沟
emit:v.发出,射出,散发(光、热、声音、气等); overcome:vt.克服;胜过;vi.克服;得胜; gulf:n.海湾;深渊;分歧;漩涡;vt.吞没;
So astronomers in the far future looking out into deep space will see nothing but an endless stretch of static, inky , black stillness . 所以在将来天文学家 遥望远空 除了静静的漆黑的沉寂 什么也看不到。
endless:adj.无止境的;连续的;环状的;漫无目的的; inky:adj.漆黑的;墨水的;给墨水弄污的; stillness:n.静止;沉静;
And they will conclude that the universe is static and unchanging and populated by a single central oasis of matter that they inhabit -- a picture of the cosmos that we definitively know to be wrong. 他们就会下结论 说宇宙是安静的不变的, 由一个中央绿洲的居民 占据着-- 这幅宇宙的图画 我们知道是完全错的。
unchanging:adj.不变的; populated:v.生活于; oasis:n.绿洲;舒适的地方;令人宽慰的事物; inhabit:v.居住在;栖居于; definitively:adv.决定性地;最后地;
Now maybe those future astronomers will have records handed down from an earlier era, like ours, attesting to an expanding cosmos teeming with galaxies. 或许这些未来的天文学家 会有早期时代传下来的纪录, 就像我们的, 证明有一个充满星系的 膨胀的宇宙。
attesting:v.证实;是…的证据;作证,证明(如在法庭上);(attest的现在分词) teeming:adj.多产的,丰富的;热闹的;v.充满(teem的现在分词);
But would those future astronomers believe such ancient knowledge? 但这些未来的天文学家 会相信这里古老的知识吗？
Or would they believe in the black, static empty universe that their own state-of-the-art observations reveal? 或者他们会相信 他们自己最先进的观测 显示的这个黑色的静态的空旷的宇宙吗？
state-of-the-art:adj.最先进的;已经发展的;达到最高水准的;
I suspect the latter . 我怀疑后者。
suspect:n.犯罪嫌疑人;v.怀疑;不信任;adj.可疑的; latter:adj.后者的;近来的;后面的;较后的;
Which means that we are living through a remarkably privileged era when certain deep truths about the cosmos are still within reach of the human spirit of exploration . 这意味着,我们正经历 一个非常特权的时代, 宇宙某些深层的真理 还在人类探索 能及的范畴。
remarkably:adv.非常;极为;格外;出乎意料地 privileged:adj.有特权的; v.给予特权; (privilege的过去式和过去分词) within reach of:在附近;距离不远; exploration:n.探索;勘探;探险;[医]探查术;
It appears that it may not always be that way. 看来也许并不总是这样。
Because today's astronomers, by turning powerful telescopes to the sky, have captured a handful of starkly informative photons -- a kind of cosmic telegram billions of years in transit . 因为当今的天文学家们, 透过强大的望远镜, 已经捕捉到少数可提供信息的光子-- 宇宙电报要走 10亿年的路程。
captured:adj.捕获的;被俘的;v.捕获;占领;引起;(capture的过去式和过去分词) starkly:adv.严酷地;明显地;毫无掩饰地; informative:adj.教育性的,有益的;情报的;见闻广博的; telegram:n.电报;v.用电报发送;v.发电报; transit:n.运输;经过;v.运送;经过;
and the message echoing across the ages is clear. 这个经历了不同的年代信息是清晰的。
echoing:n.呼应;回音;反照现象;v.回响,呼应(echo的现在分词);
Sometimes nature guards her secrets with the unbreakable grip of physical law. 有时,自然通过 牢不可破的物理定律 来守护着她的秘密。
unbreakable:adj.牢不可破的;不易破损的; grip:n.紧握;柄;支配;握拍方式;拍柄绷带;vt.紧握;夹紧;vi.抓住;
Sometimes the true nature of reality beckons from just beyond the horizon . 有时现实的真实 在地平线那边呼唤。
beckons:v.招手示意;吸引;诱惑;很可能发生(或出现);(beckon的第三人称单数) horizon:n.地平线;(欲望、知识或兴趣的)范围;
Thank you very much. 多谢！
(Applause) （鼓掌）
Chris Anderson: Brian, thank you. Chris Anderson:布赖恩,谢谢你。
The range of ideas you've just spoken about are dizzying , exhilarating , incredible . 你刚刚谈到的这些想法的范围 真是令人眼花缭乱,兴奋不已,和难以置信。
dizzying:adj.使人眩晕的;使人头昏眼花的; exhilarating:adj.令人兴奋的; v.使高兴; (exhilarate的现在分词) incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的;
How do you think of where cosmology is now, in a sort of historical side? 从历史的角度来看, 你认为现在的宇宙学 走到了哪一步？
historical:adj.历史的;史学的;基于史实的;
Are we in the middle of something unusual historically in your opinion? 从你的观点来说,我们是在历史中的不寻常的一个时期吗？
historically:adv.历史上地;从历史观点上说;
BG: Well it's hard to say. BG:这个很难说。
When we learn that astronomers of the far future may not have enough information to figure things out, the natural question is, maybe we're already in that position 当我们知道将来的天文学家 没有足够的信息去把事情弄明白, 很自然的问题是,也许我们已经
and certain deep, critical features of the universe already have escaped our ability to understand because of how cosmology evolves . 在一个位置和深度, 因为宇宙学的演化, 宇宙的一些重要特性已经超出我们的理解能力。
critical:adj.鉴定的;[核]临界的;批评的,爱挑剔的;危险的;决定性的;评论的; evolves:v.进化,进展(evolve的第三人称单数形式);
So from that perspective , maybe we will always be asking questions and never be able to fully answer them. 所以从这个角度来看, 也许我们永远是问问题, 永远无法完全解答它们。
perspective:n.观点;远景;透视图;adj.透视的;
On the other hand , we now can understand how old the universe is. 另一方面,现在我们能理解 宇宙有多老。
On the other hand:另一方面;
We can understand how to understand the data from the microwave background radiation that was set down 13.72 billion years ago -- and yet, we can do calculations today to predict how it will look and it matches. 我们知道 如何理解137.2亿年前的 微波背景辐射的数据-- 我们今天可以计算并预测它将来会是什么样子, 并如何与它匹配。
microwave:n.微波; radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法;
Holy cow! That's just amazing. 不会吧！这太惊人了！
So on the one hand , it's just incredible where we've gotten, but who knows what sort of blocks we may find in the future. 所以,一方面,我们得到的太不可思议了, 但谁知道我们将来会发现什么障碍呢？
on the one hand:一方面;
CA: You're going to be around for the next few days. CA:你还要在这呆几天。
Maybe some of these conversations can continue. 或许我们会继续讨论。
Thank you. Thank you, Brian. (BG: My pleasure.) 谢谢！谢谢你,布莱恩。（BG:很荣幸。）
(Applause) （鼓掌）