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HarryCliff_2015G-_我们对物理的探索已经走到尽头了吗？_
A hundred years ago this month, a 36-year-old Albert Einstein stood up in front of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin to present a radical new theory of space, time and gravity: the general theory of relativity . 这个值是至关重要的。 站在柏林的普鲁士科学院门口, 发布着一个有关空间,时间和引力的激进的新理论: 广义相对论。
Prussian:adj.普鲁士的;普鲁士语的;n.普鲁士人;普鲁士语; Academy:n.学院;研究院;学会;专科院校; 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; relativity:n.相对论;相关性;相对性;
General relativity is unquestionably Einstein's masterpiece , a theory which reveals the workings of the universe at the grandest scales , capturing in one beautiful line of algebra everything from why apples fall from trees to the beginning of time and space. 广义相对论毫无疑问是爱因斯坦的杰作, 它将宇宙在宏观空间下的运作规律 描绘成了一个美丽的线性公式, 从苹果为什么会从树上掉落直到时间和空间的起源。
unquestionably:adv.无可非议地;确凿地; masterpiece:n.杰作;名著;代表作 reveals:v.揭示;显示;透露;展示;(reveal的第三人称单数) workings:n.作用;工作方式;操作(working的复数); scales:n.规模范围; v.攀登; (scale的第三人称单数和复数) capturing:v.俘虏;捕获;攻占;夺得;(capture的现在分词) algebra:n.代数学;
1915 must have been an exciting year to be a physicist . 或者“巨大额外维度”。
physicist:n.物理学家;物理学研究者;
Two new ideas were turning the subject on its head. 两个崭新的观点完全改变了当时的物理界。
One was Einstein's theory of relativity, the other was arguably even more revolutionary : quantum mechanics , a mind-meltingly strange yet stunningly successful new way of understanding the microworld , the world of atoms and particles . 一个是爱因斯坦的广义相对论, 另一个可以说是更加革命性的: 量子力学, 它是一种极其难以理解却又出奇地成功的 理解微观世界,也就是原子和微观粒子的世界的新方法。
arguably:v.可论证地; revolutionary:adj.革命性的;革命的;彻底变革的;n.改革者;革命者; quantum mechanics:n.量子力学; stunningly:adv.绝妙地;令人震惊地;使人目瞪口呆地; microworld:微型世界;微观世界; atoms:n.[物]原子(atom的复数); particles:n.微粒,粒子;粒子系统;碎木料(particle的复数形式);
Over the last century, these two ideas have utterly transformed our understanding of the universe. 在上一个世纪中,这两种思想已经完全改变了 我们对宇宙的理解。
utterly:adv.完全地;绝对地;全然地;彻底地,十足地; transformed:v.使改变形态;使改变外观(或性质);(transform的过去分词和过去式)
It's thanks to relativity and quantum mechanics that we've learned what the universe is made from, how it began and how it continues to evolve . 多亏了相对论和量子力学, 我们才能学到宇宙是由什么组成的, 它是如何开始并且持续演化的。
evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;
A hundred years on, we now find ourselves at another turning point in physics, but what's at stake now is rather different. 经过了一百年,我们发现我们现在正处在物理的另一个转折点, 但是我们现在的处境却截然不同。
turning point:转折点; stake:n.桩,棍子;赌注;火刑;奖金;v.资助,支持;系…于桩上;把…押下打赌;
The next few years may tell us whether we'll be able to continue to increase our understanding of nature, or whether maybe for the first time in the history of science, 接下来的几年也许会告诉我们是否能够 继续加深我们对自然的理解, 或者我们将在科学史上首次
we could be facing questions that we cannot answer, not because we don't have the brains or technology , but because the laws of physics themselves forbid it. 面临我们无法回答的问题, 这并不是因为我们不够聪明或者科技不够先进, 而是因为物理学的定律自己束缚了自己。
technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; forbid:v.禁止;不准;不允许;(正式)严禁;
This is the essential problem: the universe is far, far too interesting. 这是一个非常重要的问题:宇宙非常,非常有趣。
essential:n.要点;要素;实质;必需品;adj.完全必要的;必不可少的;极其重要的;本质的;
Relativity and quantum mechanics appear to suggest that the universe should be a boring place. 相对论和量子力学都阐述了 宇宙应该是一个很无聊的地方。
boring:adj.无聊的;令人厌烦的;n.钻孔;v.使厌烦;钻孔;(bore的现在分词)
It should be dark, lethal and lifeless . 它本应该是黑暗,致命和死气沉沉的。
lethal:adj.致命的,致死的;n.致死因子; lifeless:adj.无生命的;死气沉沉的;无趣味的;
But when we look around us, we see we live in a universe full of interesting stuff , full of stars, planets, trees, squirrels . 但是当我们往周围看去时,会发现我们生活在一个充满有趣事物, 充满闪烁的恒星,行星,植物和动物的宇宙中。
stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本: squirrels:n.松鼠;v.代理经营;把…分解成;(squirrel的第三人称单数和复数)
The question is, ultimately , why does all this interesting stuff exist? 那么最终问题来了, 为什么这些有趣的事物存在着呢？
ultimately:adv.最终;最后;归根结底;终究;
Why is there something rather than nothing? 为什么这里不是一片空旷呢？
This contradiction is the most pressing problem in fundamental physics, and in the next few years, we may find out whether we'll ever be able to solve it. 这个矛盾是基础物理学面临的最紧迫的问题, 而且在接下来的几年里,我们会知道我们是否有能力去解决这个问题。
contradiction:n.矛盾;反驳;驳斥; fundamental:n.基础; adj.十分重大的;
At the heart of this problem are two numbers, two extremely dangerous numbers. 在这个问题的核心处,有两个数字, 两个极其危险的数字。
extremely:adv.非常,极其;极端地;
These are properties of the universe that we can measure, and they're extremely dangerous because if they were different, even by a tiny bit, then the universe as we know it would not exist. 这就是我们所测量的宇宙的两个性质, 它们及其危险, 因为一旦它们有变化,哪怕是一个细微的变化, 我们所熟知的宇宙将会不复存在。
The first of these numbers is associated with the discovery that was made a few kilometers from this hall, at CERN, home of this machine, the largest scientific device ever built by the human race , the Large Hadron Collider . 第一个数字是关于人类自己的发现, 一个距这里几公里远的,位于欧洲粒子物理研究所的机器, 人类建造的最大的科技设备, 大型强子对撞机。
associated:adj.有关联的; v.联想; (associate的过去分词和过去式) scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; device:n.装置;策略;图案; human race:n.人类; Hadron:n.[高能]强子(参与强相互作用的基本粒子); Collider:n.对撞机;碰撞机;
The LHC whizzes subatomic particles around a 27-kilometer ring, getting them closer and closer to the speed of light before smashing them into each other inside gigantic particle detectors . 大型强子对撞机在周长27公里的环形场中对亚原子粒子进行加速, 将它们加速到接近光速, 然后让粒子在巨大的粒子探测器中进行相撞。
whizzes:n.专家; vt.飕飕作声(等于whiz); vi.飕飕作声(等于whiz); subatomic:adj.[化学]亚原子的;原子内的; smashing:adj.了不起的,极好的;粉碎性的,猛烈的;v.粉碎(smash的现在分词); gigantic:adj.巨大的,庞大的; detectors:n.探测器;侦测设备(detector的复数);
On July 4, 2012, physicists at CERN announced to the world that they'd spotted a new fundamental particle being created at the violent collisions at the LHC: the Higgs boson . 在2012年7月4日,欧洲粒子物理研究所向世界宣布 他们发现一个新的基本粒子 在大型强子对撞机中被创造出来了:希格斯波色子。
physicists:n.物理学家;机械唯物论者(physicist的复数); spotted:adj.有花点的;有斑点的;v.看见;看出;发现;让步;(spot的过去分词和过去式) violent:adj.暴力的;猛烈的; collisions:n.[物]碰撞;冲突;撞击(collision的复数形式); boson:n.[高能]玻色子;
Now, if you followed the news at the time, you'll have seen a lot of physicists getting very excited indeed, and you'd be forgiven for thinking we get that way every time we discover a new particle. 如果你看了那个时候的新闻后续, 你会发现很多物理学家感到了由衷的兴奋, 而且如果你像我们以往 每次发现新粒子时那样兴奋,是非常可以理解的。
Well, that is kind of true, but the Higgs boson is particularly special. 确实,从某种意义上说这是真实的, 但是希格斯波色子非常与众不同。
particularly:adv.特别地,独特地;详细地,具体地;明确地,细致地;
We all got so excited because finding the Higgs proves the existence of a cosmic energy field. 我们如此兴奋是因为找到了希格斯, 就证明了宇宙能量场是存在的。
cosmic:adj.宇宙的;
Now, you may have trouble imagining an energy field, but we've all experienced one. 现在,你可能很难想象一个能量场, 但是我们都在经历它。
If you've ever held a magnet close to a piece of metal and felt a force pulling across that gap , then you've felt the effect of a field. 如果你曾经让一个磁体靠近一块金属, 并且感觉到一种把磁体推向金属的力, 那么你就感受过场的影响。
magnet:n.磁体;磁铁;磁石;吸铁石; gap:n.差距;间隙;缺口;间隔;v.使豁裂;豁开;
And the Higgs field is a little bit like a magnetic field , except it has a constant value everywhere. 希格斯场有一点儿类似磁场, 不过希格斯场在任何地方都有同样的值。
magnetic field:磁场;
It's all around us right now. 它现在就在我们周围。
We can't see it or touch it, but if it wasn't there, we would not exist. 我们虽然不能看见或者触摸它, 但是如果它不在那儿, 那我们也就不存在了。
The Higgs field gives mass to the fundamental particles that we're made from. 希格斯场将质量递给 组成我们的基本粒子。
mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集;
If it wasn't there, those particles would have no mass, and no atoms could form and there would be no us. 如果它不存在,这些粒子将不会有质量, 那么没有原子会被组成,我们也就不可能存在了。
But there is something deeply mysterious about the Higgs field. 但是关于希格斯场还存在一些很深的谜团。
mysterious:adj.神秘的;不可思议的;难解的;
Relativity and quantum mechanics tell us that it has two natural settings, a bit like a light switch. 相对论和量子理论告诉我们它有两个自然属性, 有点儿像电灯的开关。
It should either be off, so that it has a zero value everywhere in space, or it should be on so it has an absolutely enormous value. 它可能是关, 那么在空间的任何地方的值都为零, 或者是开,那么在空间的任何地方的值都是巨大的。
absolutely:adv.绝对地;完全地; enormous:adj.庞大的,巨大的;凶暴的,极恶的;
In both of these scenarios , atoms could not exist, and therefore all the other interesting stuff that we see around us in the universe would not exist. 在这两种场景下,原子都不可能存在, 其他在宇宙中围绕着我们的 一切有趣的东西也将不复存在。
scenarios:n.情节;脚本;情景介绍(scenario的复数);
In reality, the Higgs field is just slightly on, not zero but 10,000 trillion times weaker than its fully on value, a bit like a light switch that's got stuck just before the off position. 在现实中,希格斯场只是处于一个细微的开启状态, 并不等于零,但是只有全开状态下的1万万亿分之一, 就像灯的开关在即将关闭的位置被卡住了一样。
slightly:adv.些微地,轻微地;纤细地; trillion:n.[数]万亿;adj.万亿的;num.[数]万亿;
And this value is crucial . 这个值是至关重要的。
crucial:adj.重要的;决定性的;定局的;决断的;
If it were a tiny bit different, then there would be no physical structure in the universe. 如果这个值有一点点的改变, 那么宇宙将会失去一切的物理结构。
physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查; structure:n.结构;构造;建筑物;vt.组织;构成;建造;
So this is the first of our dangerous numbers, the strength of the Higgs field. 因此这是第一个至关重要的数字, 希格斯场的强度。
Theorists have spent decades trying to understand why it has this very peculiarly fine-tuned number, and they've come up with a number of possible explanations. 理论家们花费了数十年去尝试理解 为什么它有如此异常的数字, 并且他们提出了一些可能的解释。
Theorists:理论家; peculiarly:adv.特别;尤其;古怪地;奇怪地; fine-tuned:vt.调整;使有规则;对进行微调; come up with:提出;想出;赶上;
They have sexy-sounding names like " supersymmetry " 包括有一些听起来很性感的名字比如“超对称”,
supersymmetry:n.[高能]超对称性;
or "large extra dimensions ." 或者“巨大额外维度”。
extra:adj.额外的:n.额外的事物:adv.额外:另外: dimensions:n.规模,大小;
I'm not going to go into the details of these ideas now, but the key point is this: if any of them explained this weirdly fine-tuned value of the Higgs field, 我现在并不打算深入去探讨这些, 但是重点在于: 如果它们其中有能够解释希格斯场的诡异调整值,
weirdly:adv.古怪地;
then we should see new particles being created at the LHC along with the Higgs boson. 那么我们应该能够看到新的粒子随着希格斯波色子 一起被创造出来。
So far, though, we've not seen any sign of them. 然而迄今为止,我们并没有看到任何有关它们存在的迹象。
But there's actually an even worse example of this kind of fine-tuning of a dangerous number, and this time it comes from the other end of the scale, from studying the universe at vast distances. 不过这儿甚至有更糟糕的 关于这个诡异调整值的例子, 而且这次它来自于这个范围的另外一个边缘, 来自于对于从广袤距离上对宇宙的学习。
fine-tuning:n.微调;细调;v.调整(fine-tune的ing形式);
One of the most important consequences of Einstein's general theory of relativity was the discovery that the universe began as a rapid expansion of space and time 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang . 爱因斯坦的广义相对论带来的最重要的结果之一, 就是对于空间与时间从138亿年前 开始急速膨胀的发现,也就是宇宙大爆炸。
consequences:n.后果,结果;影响(consequence的复数); expansion:n.扩张;膨胀;扩展;扩大; Bang:n.猛敲; v.猛敲; v.正好;
Now, according to early versions of the Big Bang theory, the universe has been expanding ever since with gravity gradually putting the brakes on that expansion. 如今,根据宇宙大爆炸理论最早的版本来看, 宇宙一直都在膨胀, 并且伴随着与之相对的引力。
according to:根据,据说; expanding:v.扩大,增加,增强细谈;详述;(expand的现在分词) gradually:adv.渐渐地;逐步地;
But in 1998, astronomers made the stunning discovery that the expansion of the universe is actually speeding up. 不过在1998年,天文学家们得到了一个惊人的发现, 那就是宇宙的膨胀速度正在逐步上升。
astronomers:天文学家;
The universe is getting bigger and bigger faster and faster driven by a mysterious repulsive force called dark energy. 宇宙在一个神秘的排斥力,被称为暗能量的作用下, 正在变得越来越大而且膨胀地越来越快。
repulsive:adj.排斥的;令人厌恶的;击退的;冷淡的;
Now, whenever you hear the word "dark" in physics, you should get very suspicious because it probably means we don't know what we're talking about. 现在,当你在物理学上听到“暗”这个词的时候, 你应该表示怀疑, 因为它可能表示我们并不知道我们所谈论的东西。
suspicious:adj.可疑的;怀疑的;多疑的;
(Laughter) （笑）
We don't know what dark energy is, but the best idea is that it's the energy of empty space itself, the energy of the vacuum . 我们并不知道暗能量是什么, 不过最好的想法是暗能量就是空旷的宇宙本身, 真空能量。
vacuum:n.真空; adj.真空的; v.用真空吸尘器清扫;
Now, if you use good old quantum mechanics to work out how strong dark energy should be, you get an absolutely astonishing result. 现在,如果你用老式的量子力学来解释 暗能量有多强的时候, 你绝对会得到一个震惊的结果。
astonishing:adj.令人十分惊讶的;v.使十分惊讶;使吃惊;(astonish的现在分词)
You find that dark energy should be 10 to the power of 120 times stronger than the value we observe from astronomy . 你会发现暗能量的强度 比天文学观测到的值 要强上10的120次方倍。
observe:v.观察;看到;庆祝;监视; astronomy:n.天文学;
That's one with 120 zeroes after it. 这是一个1后面跟了120个0。
This is a number so mind-bogglingly huge that it's impossible to get your head around. 这个数字是如此的大, 以至于已经超出了你的理解范围。
mind-bogglingly:令人难以置信地;
We often use the word " astronomical " when we're talking about big numbers. 当我们在讨论很大的数字时,我们经常用“天文数字”这个词。
astronomical:adj.天文的,天文学的;极大的;
Well, even that one won't do here. 但即便是那个词,也无法描述这个数字。
This number is bigger than any number in astronomy. 这个数字比天文学上的任何数字都要大。
It's a thousand trillion trillion trillion times bigger than the number of atoms in the entire universe. 它比整个宇宙所含有的原子数还要大 1000万亿万亿万亿倍。
So that's a pretty bad prediction . 因此那是一个很差劲的预测。
prediction:n.预报;预言;
In fact, it's been called the worst prediction in physics, and this is more than just a theoretical curiosity . 事实上,它被称为物理界上最不准确的预测, 并且这不仅仅是出于一个理论上的好奇心。
theoretical:adj.理论的;理论上的;假设的;推理的; curiosity:n.好奇,好奇心;珍品,古董,古玩;
If dark energy were anywhere near this strong, then the universe would have been torn apart, stars and galaxies could not form, and we would not be here. 如果暗能量真的有那么强, 那么整个宇宙早就被扯开了, 星星和银河系不会成形,我们也不可能会在这儿。
galaxies:n.银河; (galaxy的复数)
So this is the second of those dangerous numbers, the strength of dark energy, and explaining it requires an even more fantastic level of fine-tuning than we saw for the Higgs field. 所以这是第二个危险的数字, 暗能量的强度, 而且对它的解释需要达到比希格斯场 更加奇妙的等级。
fantastic:奇异的,空想的
But unlike the Higgs field, this number has no known explanation. 不过不像希格斯场,这个数字并没有已知的解释。
The hope was that a complete combination of Einstein's general theory of relativity, which is the theory of the universe at grand scales, with quantum mechanics, the theory of the universe at small scales, might provide a solution . 现在的希望是能够将 爱因斯坦的广义相对论, 也就是宏观宇宙的理论, 还有量子力学,微观世界的理论进行统一, 也许能够让我们得出一个结论。
combination:n.结合;组合;联合;[化学]化合; solution:n.解决方案;溶液;溶解;解答;
Einstein himself spent most of his later years on a futile search for a unified theory of physics, and physicists have kept at it ever since. 爱因斯坦白白花费了他晚年的大部分时间 来寻找一个统一的物理理论, 并且物理学家们从那之后也一直致力于同样的事。
futile:adj.无用的;无效的;没有出息的;琐细的;不重要的; unified:adj.统一的;一致标准的;v.统一;使一致(unify的过去分词);
One of the most promising candidates for a unified theory is string theory, and the essential idea is, if you could zoom in on the fundamental particles that make up our world, 最有希望的候选者之一就是弦理论了, 它的核心思想就是, 如果你能够放大组成我们的世界的粒子,
string:n.字符串; v.悬挂; adj.由弦乐器组成的;
you'd see actually that they're not particles at all, but tiny vibrating strings of energy, with each frequency of vibration corresponding to a different particle, a bit like musical notes on a guitar string. 你会发现它们事实上根本就不是粒子, 而是微小的正在震动的能量弦, 每个不同频率的震动代表着不同的粒子, 有点类似于吉他弦上的音符。
vibrating:v.(使)振动,颤动,摆动(vibrate的现在分词) strings:一串,悬挂(string的第三人称单数和复数) frequency:n.频率;发生率;重复率;频繁; vibration:n.振动;犹豫;心灵感应; corresponding:adj.符合的; v.相一致; (correspond的现在分词)
So it's a rather elegant , almost poetic way of looking at the world, but it has one catastrophic problem. 因此这是一个相当优美,而且很有诗意的看待这个世界的方式, 不过它有一个很严重的问题。
elegant:adj.高雅的,优雅的;讲究的;简炼的;简洁的; poetic:adj.诗的,诗歌的;诗意的;诗人的;n.诗学,诗论; catastrophic:adj.灾难的;悲惨的;灾难性的,毁灭性的;
It turns out that string theory isn't one theory at all, but a whole collection of theories. 那就是弦理论并不只是一个理论, 而是很多个理论的集合。
It's been estimated , in fact, that there are 10 to the 500 different versions of string theory. 据估计,实际上, 弦理论一共有10到500种不同的版本。
estimated:adj.估计的;预计的;估算的;
Each one would describe a different universe with different laws of physics. 每一种都能够描述一个不同的宇宙, 还有其伴随着的物理定律。
describe:v.描述;形容;把…称为;画出…图形;
Now, critics say this makes string theory unscientific . 现在,反对者们说这让弦理论变得不科学。
critics:n.评论家;批评者;吹毛求疵的人(critic的复数); unscientific:adj.不科学的,不符合科学原理的;非学术的;无科学知识的;
You can't disprove the theory. 因为你不能反驳这个理论。
disprove:vt.反驳,证明…是虚假的;
But others actually turned this on its head and said, well, maybe this apparent failure is string theory's greatest triumph . 不过其他的人却并不同意, 并且说道,也许这个很明显的错误, 而它恰恰也是弦理论最大的成功。
apparent:adj.显然的;表面上的; triumph:v.战胜;成功;打败;n.巨大成功;重大成就;伟大胜利;喜悦;
What if all of these 10 to the 500 different possible universes actually exist out there somewhere in some grand multiverse ? 要是这10到500种不同的宇宙 真的存在于多元宇宙中的 某些地方呢？
What if:如果…怎么办? universes:语义层;此生彼世; multiverse:n.多元宇宙;
Suddenly we can understand the weirdly fine-tuned values of these two dangerous numbers. 瞬间,我们就能够理解 这两个危险数字的诡异调整值了。
In most of the multiverse, dark energy is so strong that the universe gets torn apart, or the Higgs field is so weak that no atoms can form. 在大部分的多元宇宙中, 暗能量将整个宇宙扯碎, 或者是希格斯场的强度弱到不允许任何原子的成形。
We live in one of the places in the multiverse where the two numbers are just right. 我们生活在其中一个多元宇宙中的某个地方, 在这个地方这两个数值恰好合适。
We live in a Goldilocks universe. 我们住在金发歌蒂的宇宙中（译注:意为各种条件刚刚合适）。
Goldilocks:n.金发姑娘,金凤花;
Now, this idea is extremely controversial , and it's easy to see why. 现在,这个想法非常容易引起争议,并且我们很容易明白为什么。
controversial:adj.有争议的;有争论的;
If we follow this line of thinking, then we will never be able to answer the question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?" 如果我们跟随着这种想法, 那么我们将永远也无法回答这个问题, “为什么这儿不是一片空旷呢？”
In most of the multiverse, there is nothing, and we live in one of the few places where the laws of physics allow there to be something. 在多元宇宙中的大多数宇宙里,那儿什么也没有, 而且我们生活在少数的 存在物理定律,并且不是一片空旷的宇宙中。
Even worse, we can't test the idea of the multiverse. 更糟的是,我们甚至不能测试多元宇宙这个想法。
We can't access these other universes, so there's no way of knowing whether they're there or not. 我们无法访问其它的宇宙, 因此我们无从得知其它的宇宙是否存在。
So we're in an extremely frustrating position. 所以我们正处在一个很沮丧的位置。
frustrating:adj.令人沮丧的;v.使沮丧;(frustrate的现在分词)
That doesn't mean the multiverse doesn't exist. 那并不表示多元宇宙并不存在。
There are other planets, other stars, other galaxies, so why not other universes? 还有其它的行星,其它的恒星和其它的银河系, 那么为什么不能有其它的宇宙呢？
The problem is, it's unlikely we'll ever know for sure. 问题在于,这并不像我们最终能够得出准确结论的其它事一样。
unlikely:adj.不大可能发生的;非心目中的;非想象的;难以相信的;
Now, the idea of the multiverse has been around for a while , but in the last few years, we've started to get the first solid hints that this line of reasoning may get born out. 现在,多元宇宙的思想已经提出有一段时间了, 不过在过去的几年里,我们才开始得到可靠的迹象 来证明这个解释能够行得通。
for a while:adv.片刻;暂时;一会儿;一时; hints:n.暗示,提示(hint的复数形式);v.暗示,示意(hint的单三形式);
Despite high hopes for the first run of the LHC, what we were looking for there -- we were looking for new theories of physics: supersymmetry or large extra dimensions that could explain this weirdly fine-tuned value of the Higgs field. 不管我们对大型强子对撞机的第一次测试 抱有多大的希望—— 我们正在寻求物理学上的一个新的理论: 超对称性或者是大型额外维度, 能够解释希格斯场诡异的调整值。
Despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱;
But despite high hopes, the LHC revealed a barren subatomic wilderness populated only by a lonely Higgs boson. 不过不管我们抱有多高的希望,大型强子对撞机只显示出了一个贫瘠的, 只含有希格斯波色子的荒漠。
revealed:v.揭示;显示;露出;(reveal的过去分词和过去式) barren:n.不毛之地;adj.贫瘠的;不毛的;不结果实的;不育的; wilderness:n.荒野;(草木丛生的)荒地;荒芜的地方;杂草丛生处; populated:v.生活于;
My experiment published paper after paper where we glumly had to conclude that we saw no signs of new physics. 我的实验数据已经发表了一篇又一篇文章, 显示我们并没有看到任何有关新的物理现象的迹象。
glumly:adv.忧郁地;闷闷不乐地(glum的副词); conclude:v.断定:得出结论:终止:达成:缔结(协定)
The stakes now could not be higher. 我们现在的处境已经前所未有地危险了。
stakes:n.桩; v.以…打赌,拿…冒险;
This summer, the LHC began its second phase of operation with an energy almost double what we achieved in the first run. 这个暑假,大型强子对撞机开始了第二次运行, 它的能量将近是第一次的两倍。
phase:n.阶段;时期;月相;(月亮的)盈亏;v.分阶段进行;逐步做;
What particle physicists are all desperately hoping for are signs of new particles, micro black holes, or maybe something totally unexpected emerging from the violent collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. 量子物理学家们不顾一切地希望着 新粒子,微型黑洞的迹象, 或者是任何意料之外的现象 能够出现在大型强子对撞机的碰撞中。
desperately:adv.拼命地;绝望地;不顾一切地;极度地; unexpected:adj.意外的,想不到的; emerging:adj.新兴的;v.出现,浮现,露出;暴露;(emerge的现在分词)
If so, then we can continue this long journey that began 100 years ago with Albert Einstein towards an ever deeper understanding of the laws of nature. 如果真的出现了,那么我们就能够继续这个 100年前由爱因斯坦开始的 更深入探索自然界定律的漫长旅程。
journey:n.旅行;行程;vi.旅行;
But if, in two or three years' time, when the LHC switches off again for a second long shutdown , we've found nothing but the Higgs boson, then we may be entering a new era in physics: 不过如果,在两到三年后, 当大型强子对撞机再次结束时, 我们除了希格斯波色子之外还是什么也没发现, 那么我们也许会进入物理史上的新纪元:
shutdown:n.关机;停工;关门;停播;
an era where there are weird features of the universe that we cannot explain; an era where we have hints that we live in a multiverse that lies frustratingly forever beyond our reach; 一个拥有我们无法解释的诡异现象的宇宙的纪元; 一个提示着我们有着令人沮丧的 无法到达的多元宇宙的纪元;
frustratingly:adv.令人泄气地;使人沮丧地(frustrate的副词形式);
an era where we will never be able to answer the question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?" 一个我们永远也无法回答这个问题, “为什么这儿不是一片空旷呢？” 的纪元。
Thank you. 谢谢大家。
(Applause)
Bruno Giussani: Harry, even if you just said the science may not have some answers, Bruno Giussani （BG）:哈利,尽管你刚提到 科学也许无法回答这些问题,
I would like to ask you a couple of questions, and the first is: building something like the LHC is a generational project. 我还是想问问你几个问题,第一个问题是:
generational:adj.一代的;生育的;
I just mentioned, introducing you, that we live in a short-term world. 当我介绍你的时候,我提到了我们住在一个短周期的世界里。
short-term:adj.短期的;
How do you think so long term, projecting yourself out a generation when building something like this? 那么跳出来看,对于这一代人花了这么久的时间 建造这样一个东西,你是怎么想的？
Harry Cliff : I was very lucky that I joined the experiment I work on at the LHC in 2008, just as we were switching on, and there are people in my research group who have been working on it for three decades, their entire careers on one machine. Harry Cliff （HC）:我非常幸运 能够在2008年加入到大型强子对撞机的这个实验中, 当时这个项目刚刚开始, 我的研究组里就有人已经从事这个方向的研究 长达三十年了,他们的整个生涯都在这个机器上。
Cliff:n.悬崖;绝壁; careers:n.职业(career的复数);事业;职业生涯;v.全速前进(career的三单形式);
So I think the first conversations about the LHC were in 1976, and you start planning the machine without the technology that you know you're going to need to be able to build it. 因此我认为第一次关于大型强子对撞机的对话是在1976年, 而且在你需要的科技还并不存在时, 就开始计划去建造它。
So the computing power did not exist in the early '90s when design work began in earnest . 因此当开始认真设计时的90年代, 计算水平还远远不够。
computing:n.计算;计算机技术;信息处理技术;v.计算;求出;(compute的现在分词) in earnest:认真的;诚挚地;正经的;
One of the big detectors which record these collisions, they didn't think there was technology that could withstand the radiation that would be created in the LHC, 在打造能记录这些碰撞的大型探测器其中之一时, 他们并不认为科技能够先进到 让它承受大型强子对撞机可能产生的辐射,
withstand:vt.抵挡;禁得起;反抗;vi.反抗; radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法;
so there was basically a lump of lead in the middle of this object with some detectors around the outside, but subsequently we have developed technology. 因此在这些探测器中间 有一块铅块, 不过随后我们发展了科技。
basically:adv.主要地,基本上; lump:n.肿块;(通常为无定形的)块;隆起;笨重的人;v.把…归并一起(或合起来考虑); subsequently:adv.随后,其后;后来;
So you have to rely on people's ingenuity , that they will solve the problems, but it may be a decade or more down the line. 因此你必须依靠人们的心灵手巧来解决这些问题, 不过这也许会花费10年甚至更长的时间。
rely:vi.依靠;信赖; ingenuity:n.心灵手巧,独创性;精巧;精巧的装置;
BG: China just announced two or three weeks ago that they intend to build a supercollider twice the size of the LHC. BG: 中国就在两到三个礼拜前刚宣布 他们计划建造 一个大型强子对撞机两倍大小的超级对撞机。
intend:v.打算;计划;想要; supercollider:n.超级对撞机;
I was wondering how you and your colleagues welcome the news. 我想知道你和你的同事是如何看待这条新闻的。
colleagues:n.同事;同行(colleague的复数);
HC: Size isn't everything, Bruno. BG: I'm sure. I'm sure. HC:大小并不代表任何东西, Bruno。BG:那是当然。那是当然。
(Laughter)
It sounds funny for a particle physicist to say that. HC:这从一个粒子物理学家嘴里说出来也许很滑稽。
But I mean, seriously, it's great news. 不过很严肃地说,这是个好消息。
So building a machine like the LHC requires countries from all over the world to pool their resources . 建造一个像大型强子对撞机的机器 要求全世界的国家来汇集它们的资源。
resources:n.[计][环境]资源; v.向…提供资金(resource的第三人称单数);
No one nation can afford to build a machine this large, apart from maybe China, because they can mobilize huge amounts of resources, manpower and money to build machines like this. 没有哪个国家能够单独建造如此大的机器, 也可能中国是个例外, 因为他们能够动员大量的资源, 劳动力和资金来建造这个。
afford:v.给予,提供;买得起; mobilize:v.动员;动员;调动;组织;鼓动;调用; manpower:n.人力;人力资源;劳动力;
So it's only a good thing. 因此这只能是一件好事。
What they're really planning to do is to build a machine that will study the Higgs boson in detail and could give us some clues as to whether these new ideas, like supersymmetry, are really out there, so it's great news for physics, I think. 他们将要计划去做的事是建造一个机器, 然后深入学习希格斯波色子并且提供我们一些线索, 就像超对称一样,真实地存在于那儿, 所以我认为这对于物理学家来说是一件好事。
clues:n.(调查,研究等的)线索;迹象;(故事的)关键情节;(clue的复数)
BG: Harry, thank you. HC: Thank you very much. BG:哈利,谢谢你。HC:非常感谢你。
(Applause)