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ElizabethZibiTurtle_2020-_探索土星最神秘的行星——追朔生命的起源_-
Picture a world with a variety of landforms . 想象一颗有着各式各样地貌的星球。
It has a dense atmosphere within which winds sweep across its surface and rain falls. 它有着高密度的大气层, 地表还有 大风和降雨。
It has mountains and plains, rivers, lakes and seas, sand dunes and some impact craters . 它有山丘和平原、 河流、湖泊和海洋, 沙丘以及一些撞击坑。
variety:n.多样;种类;杂耍;变化,多样化; landforms:n.[地理]地貌(landform的复数形式);[地理]地形; dense:adj.稠密的;浓厚的;愚钝的; atmosphere:n.大气;气氛;气压;风格; dunes:n.[地理]沙丘(dune的复数); impact:n.影响;效果;碰撞;冲击力;v.挤入,压紧;撞击;对…产生影响; craters:n.[地质]火山口; v.形成坑;
Sounds like Earth, right? 听起来很像地球,对吧？
This is Titan . 这是泰坦（“土卫六”）。
In August 1981, 在 1981 年 8 月,
Voyager 2 captured this image of Saturn 's largest moon. 旅行者 2 号拍下了 这颗土星最大卫星的影像。
The Voyager missions have traveled farther than ever before, making the solar system and beyond part of our geography. “旅行者”号的航行距离 比以往任何时候都要远, 将太阳系以外更遥远的地方 也纳入了我们的地理观测范围。
Titan:n.巨人;提坦;太阳神; Voyager:n.航海者,航行者; 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) Saturn:n.[天]土星;农业之神(罗马神话中的一个形象); missions:n.任务; v.给…交代任务; (mission的复数) solar system:[天]太阳系;
But this image, this hazy moon was a stark reminder of just how much mystery remained. 但这张图像,这颗朦胧的“月亮”, 时刻提醒着我们, 仍有许多未知需要去探索。
We learned an exponential amount as the Voyagers flew by it, and yet we had no idea what lay beneath this atmospheric blanket. 当旅行者飞过它时,为我们提供了 关于这颗星球的海量信息, 然而我们仍无从得知 它笼罩在大气层下的真实面貌。
Was there an icy surface with landforms like those of the other moons that had been observed at Saturn and Jupiter ? 它是否像我们观测到的 土星和木星的其他卫星那样, 具有表面由冰层覆盖的相似地貌呢？
hazy:adj.朦胧的;模糊的;有薄雾的; exponential:adj.指数的;n.指数; Voyagers:n.空中黑客(BBC纪录片《昆虫帝国》第四集); beneath:prep.在…之下;adv.在下方; atmospheric:adj.大气的,大气层的; observed:adj.观察的;观测的;v.观察;遵守;注意到(observe的过去分词形式); Jupiter:n.[天]木星;朱庇特(罗马神话中的宙斯神);
Or perhaps simply a vast global ocean of liquid methane ? 或者只有一片液态甲烷的汪洋大海 覆盖了整个表面？
Shrouded by the obscuring haze , 笼罩在阴霾下的泰坦
Titan's surface was a huge, outstanding mystery that Cassini-Huygens, an orbiter lander pair launched in 1997, was designed to solve. 是个巨大的谜团。 因而卡西尼－惠更斯号（Cassini-Huygens）, 这台于 1997 年发射的轨道着陆器, 为的就是要解开这个谜团。
global:adj.全球的;总体的;球形的; methane:n.[有化]甲烷;[能源]沼气; Shrouded:v.覆盖;隐藏;隐瞒;保密;(shroud的过去分词和过去式) obscuring:v.使模糊;使隐晦;使费解;(obscure的现在分词) haze:n.薄雾;烟雾;迷蒙;迷糊;v.(使)笼罩在薄雾中;戏弄; outstanding:adj.优秀的;杰出的;出色的;v.突出;离港;向海上;停留(outstand的现在分词) orbiter:n.人造卫星;盘旋物; lander:n.着陆器;出铁槽;把钩工人; launched:v.发射;发起;开展;开始;(launch的过去式和过去分词)
After arrival in 2004, the early images Cassini sent back of Titan's surface only heightened the allure . 在 2004 年抵达泰坦后, 卡西尼号最初传回的泰坦表面影像 更是加深了人们对它的好奇。
It took months for us to understand what we were seeing on the surface, to determine , for example, that the dark stripes , which were initially so unrecognizable that we referred to them as cat scratches , were actually dunes made of organic sand. 我们耗费了数月的时间才弄清楚 我们在火星表面看到的是什么, 比如,那些我们一开始认不出来, 因而被称为“猫抓痕”的深色的条纹, 实际上是由有机沙土构成的沙丘。
images:n.印象;声誉;形象;画像;雕像;(image的第三人称单数和复数) heightened:v.(使)加强,提高,增加;(heighten的过去式和过去分词) allure:v.引诱,诱惑;吸引;n.诱惑力; determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排; stripes:n.条子布;条纹布(stripe复数形式);v.给…加条纹(stripe的三单形式); initially:adv.最初,首先;开头; unrecognizable:adj.未被承认的;无法认出的; referred:v.提到;引用;认为;指示;涉及;(refer的过去式和过去分词) scratches:n.划痕(scratch的复数); v.擦,刮; organic:adj.有机的;不使用化肥的;绿色的;有机物的;n.分子有机体;
Over the course of the 13 years Cassini spent studying Saturn and its rings and moons, we had the privilege of going from knowing almost nothing about the surface of Titan to understanding its geology , 在卡西尼号研究土星、 土星环和其卫星的 十三年里, 我们幸运的 从对泰坦的表面一无所知, 到逐渐开始了解它的地理构造,
the role the atmosphere plays in shaping its surface, and even hints of what lies deep beneath that surface. 以及大气层对其表面地形的影响, 甚至对其地底深处的探索 也有了些眉目。
Indeed, Titan is one of several ocean worlds, moons in the cold outer solar system beyond the orbits of Mars and the asteroid belt with immense liquid water oceans beneath their surfaces. 事实上,泰坦是若干个 位于冰冷的外太阳系、 火星轨道和小行星带之外, 表面下覆盖着 大面积液态水的卫星之一。
privilege:n.特权;优待;v.给与…特权;特免; geology:n.地质学;地质情况; hints:n.暗示,提示(hint的复数形式);v.暗示,示意(hint的单三形式); outer:adj.外面的,外部的;远离中心的;n.环外命中; orbits:n.[天][航]轨道(orbit的复数); v.环绕…的轨道运行; Mars:n.火星 asteroid:n.[天]小行星;[无脊椎]海盘车;小游星;adj.星状的; belt:n.皮带;腰带;传动带;传送带;v.猛击;狠打;飞奔;飞驰; immense:adj.巨大的,广大的;无边无际的;非常好的;
Titan's interior ocean may have more than 10 times as much liquid water as all of the Earth's rivers, lakes, seas and oceans combined. 泰坦内部海洋的含水量可能是 地球上所有河流、湖泊 和海洋体积总和的 10 倍以上,
And at Titan, there are also exotic lakes and seas of liquid methane and ethane on the surface. 同时,其表面也覆盖着 由液态甲烷和乙烷构成的 奇异湖泊和海洋。
Ocean worlds are some of the most fascinating places in the solar system, and we have only just begun to explore them. 海洋世界是太阳系中 最迷人的地方, 然而我们对它们的探索才刚刚启程。
interior:n.内部;内陆;内地;里面;adj.内部的;里面的; exotic:adj.异国的;外来的;异国情调的; fascinating:adj.极有吸引力的;迷人的;v.深深吸引;迷住;(fascinate的现在分词) explore:v.探索:探测:探险:
This is Dragonfly . 这是“蜻蜓号”,
At the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory , we're building this mission for NASA's new Frontiers program. 是我们在约翰霍·普金斯大学的 应用物理实验室 为美国国家航空航天局 新疆界计划而打造的。
Scheduled to launch in 2026 and reach Titan in 2034, “蜻蜓号”预计将在 2026 年发射, 并于 2034 年抵达泰坦。
Dragonfly:蜻蜓 Applied:adj.应用的;实用的;v.应用;使用;申请,请求;(apply的过去分词和过去式) Laboratory:n.实验室,研究室;
Dragonfly is a rotorcraft lander, similar in size to the Mars rovers or about the size of a small car. 它是一个旋翼机着陆器, 其体积与火星探测车 或小型汽车相近。
Titan's dense atmosphere, combined with its low gravity, make it a great place to fly, and that's exactly what Dragonfly is designed to do. “蜻蜓号”的设计主要考量了 泰坦稠密的大气层和低重力因素, 使得“蜻蜓号”非常适合 在这样的环境内执行飞行任务。
Technically an octocopter, “蜻蜓号”实际上是个八旋翼飞机,
rotorcraft:na.(航)旋翼飞机; rovers:n.巡游者;海上掠夺;
Dragonfly is a mobile laboratory that can fly from place to place taking all of its scientific instruments with it. 也是个移动实验室, 能随身携带科学仪器到处飞行。
Dragonfly will investigate Titan in a truly unique way, studying details of its weather and geology, and even picking up samples from the surface to learn what they're made of. “蜻蜓号”将以非常独特的方式 考察泰坦, 包括它的气候环境和地理构造, 甚至直接从地表采集样本, 以此了解它们的成分。
mobile:n.手机;汽车;移动电话;adj.活跃的;可动的; scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; instruments:n.器械;仪器;器具;手段(instrument的复数) investigate:v.调查;研究;审查; unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物;
All told, Dragonfly will spend about three years exploring Titan, measuring its detailed chemistry, observing the atmosphere and how it interacts with the surface, and even listening for earthquakes, or technically titanquakes, in Titan's crust . 换言之,“蜻蜓号” 将耗费三年时间探索泰坦, 分析它具体的化学成分, 观察大气层是如何 与地表产生作用, 甚至聆听地壳的震动, 或者叫“泰坦震”。
The Dragonfly team, hundreds of people across North America and around the world, is hard at work on the design for this mission, developing the rotorcraft, its autonomous navigation system and its instrumentation , “蜻蜓号”在北美和世界各地 都为这个任务的设计 付出了很多心血—— 研发旋翼飞行器、 自主导航系统 及各种仪器。
exploring:v.探索:考察:探查;(explore的现在分词) 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); interacts:vi.互动;相互作用(interact的三单形式);交互; crust:n.壳;表面;厚颜无耻;[美国]雪壳;v.用外皮覆盖;结成硬皮;生痂儿;形成硬壳; North America:n.北美洲; autonomous:adj.自治的;自主的;自发的; navigation:n.导航;航行;领航; instrumentation:n.使用仪器;乐器法;仪表化;
all of which will need to work together to make science measurements on the surface of Titan. 所有这些部分都需相互配合, 以完成泰坦表面的科学测量任务。
Dragonfly is the next step in our exploration of this fascinating natural laboratory. “蜻蜓号”的内部实验室 是引导我们探索泰坦的下一步。
In flying by, Voyager hinted at the possibilities. 旅行者在飞行时 揭示了各种可能性。
In orbiting Saturn for over a decade and descending through Titan's atmosphere, 环绕土星运行十多年, 并穿过了泰坦的大气层后,
measurements:n.测量值,尺寸(measurement的复数); exploration:n.探索;勘探;探险;[医]探查术; hinted:v.暗示;透露;示意;(hint的过去分词和过去式) orbiting:v.[航][天]轨道运行;轨道运动;转圈(orbit的ing形式); descending:adj.下降的,递减的;v.下来;下去;下降;降临;来临(descend的现在分词)
Cassini and Huygens pulled Titan's veil back a bit further. 卡西尼-惠更斯号 进一步揭开了泰坦的神秘面纱。
Dragonfly will live in the Titan environment, where, so far, our only close-up view is this image the Huygens probe took in January 2005. “蜻蜓号”将会继续考察泰坦, 而截至目前,我们获得的 唯一一张泰坦的近距离照片, 还是惠更斯号 在 2005 年 1 月所拍摄的这张。
veil:n.面纱;面罩;遮蔽物;托词;v.遮蔽;掩饰;以面纱遮掩;用帷幕分隔; close-up:n.[电影]特写镜头,特写;小传; probe:n.探针;调查;vi.调查;探测;vt.探查;用探针探测;
In many ways, Titan is the closest known analogue we have to the early Earth, the Earth before life developed here. 在很多方面,泰坦都是我们已知的 与生命出现之前的地球 最相似的星体。
From Cassini-Huygens' measurements, we know that the ingredients for life, at least life as we know it, have existed on Titan, and Dragonfly will be fully immersed within this alien environment, looking for compounds similar to those 从卡西尼-惠更斯号的 测量结果来看, 我们知道生命的组成部分—— 至少是我们所了解的生命—— 早已在泰坦上出现过, 而“蜻蜓号”将会完全沉浸在 这个陌生的环境中, 寻找那些与可能促成了
analogue:n.类似物;类似情况;对等的人;adj.类似的;相似物的;模拟计算机的; ingredients:n.成分;(尤指烹饪)原料;(成功的)要素;(ingredient的复数) immersed:adj.沉入的; v.浸没; (immerse的过去分词和过去式) compounds:n.混合物,化合物;大院(compound的复数形式);
that might have supported the development of life here on Earth and teaching us about the habitability of other worlds. 地球上生命发展的化学成分相似的化合物, 并协助我们探索其他世界的宜居性。
Habitability is a fascinating concept. 宜居性是个令人着迷的概念。
What's necessary to make an environment suitable to host life, whether life as we know it here on Earth, or perhaps exotic life that has developed under very different conditions? 什么样的条件 使得一个环境适合孕育生命—— 无论是我们已知的地球生命, 还是在不同情况下 衍生的另类生命？
habitability:n.可居住;适于居住; suitable:adj.合适的;适宜的;适当的;适用的;
The possibility of life elsewhere has inspired human imagination and exploration throughout history. 其他星球存在生命的可能性 在历史上激发了人类的想象 和对太空的探索。
On a grand scale , it's why the ocean worlds in the outer solar system have become such important targets for study. 在宏观的尺度上, 这就是为何外太阳系的海洋世界 会成为如此重要的研究对象。
It's the " what if " that drives human exploration. 是人类的好奇心 在推动着前所未有的探索。
elsewhere:adv.在别处;到别处; inspired:adj.受到启发的; v.鼓舞; (inspire的过去分词和过去式) imagination:n.想象;想象力;创造力;想象的事物; throughout:adv.自始至终,到处;全部;prep.贯穿,遍及; scale:n.规模;比例;鳞;刻度;天平;数值范围;v.衡量;攀登;剥落;生水垢; what if:如果…怎么办?
We don't know how chemistry took the step to biology here on Earth, but similar chemical processes may have happened on Titan, where organic molecules have had the opportunity to mix with liquid water at the surface. 我们不知道化学物质 如何在地球上演变成生物, 但类似的化学过程 可能也发生在泰坦上, 因为那里的有机分子 有机会与其表面的液态水混合。
Has organic synthesis progressed under these conditions? 有机合成反应在这些条件下 是否催生了化学反应？
And if so, how far? 如果是的话, 究竟到了何种程度？
We don't know ... yet. 目前,我们还无从得知。
What we will learn from Dragonfly, this fundamentally human endeavor , is tantalizing . 我们通过“蜻蜓号”所见证的 人类的不懈努力 是很振奋人心的。[06:10]
biology:n.(一个地区全部的)生物;生物学; chemical:n.化学制品,化学药品;adj.化学的; processes:n.过程; v.处理(process的第三人称单数形式); molecules:n.[化学]分子,微粒;[化学]摩尔(molecule的复数); synthesis:n.综合,[化学]合成;综合体; fundamentally:adv.从根本上;基础地;重要地 endeavor:n.v.努力;尽力;试图; tantalizing:v.招惹,使干着急;(tantalize的现在分词)
It's a search for building blocks , foundations , chemical steps like those that ultimately led to life on Earth. 这是对生命的基础架构 和化学步骤的探索, 正如那些最终为地球 带来了生命的过程一样。
We're not sure exactly what we will find when we get to Titan, but that's exactly why we're going. 我们不确定会在泰坦上 发掘到什么, 但这也正是我们 要前往那里的原因。
In 1994, Carl Sagan wrote, "On Titan, the molecules that have been raining down like manna from heaven for the last four billion years might still be there, largely unaltered , deep-frozen, awaiting the chemists from Earth." 1994 年,卡尔·萨根（Carl Sagan ）写道: “在泰坦上,过去 40 亿年来 像神赐的甘露一样 从天而降的分子 至今可能还在那里, 保持着冻结状态下的原貌, 等待着地球化学家的到来。”
building blocks:(儿童玩的)积木;建筑砌块;堆积木;建筑砖块;基石; foundations:n.基础;地基;基金会;粉底;(foundations是foundation的复数) ultimately:adv.最终;最后;归根结底;终究; manna:n.吗哪(古以色列人在经过荒野时所得的天赐食粮);甘露;精神食粮;天赐之物; largely:adv.主要地;大部分;大量地; unaltered:adj.不变的;未被改变的;照旧的; awaiting:v.等候;等待;期待;将发生在,将降临到(某人头上);(await的现在分词) chemists:n.化学家(chemist的复数);药剂师;
We are those chemists. 我们就是那些化学家。
Dragonfly is a search for greater understanding, not just of Titan and the mysteries of our solar system, but of our own origins . “蜻蜓号”的任务 不仅能帮助我们掀开 泰坦和太阳系的神秘面纱, 还能解开地球起源的奥秘。
Thank you. 谢谢。
origins:n.起源; (origin的复数)