返回首页

SarahRugheimer_2020F-_寻找微小外星人_-
[SHAPE YOUR FUTURE] [塑造你的未来]
I want to find aliens. 我想要找到外星人。
Finding life on another planet is not just going to be a little hard, it's going to be very hard. 要在另一颗星球上找到生命, 绝对不会只有一点难, 而是非常困难。
But for the first time in human history, we have a chance to detect signs of life on another planet. 不过人类史上第一次 我们有机会探测到 另一个星球上的生命迹象。
Or maybe we've already detected it on Venus . 我们可能已经在金星上找到了。
Or maybe not. 或着其实没有。
There are still two big hurdles when it comes to confirming life on another world. 目前还有两个很大的障碍, 如果要确认另一个世界的生命。
The first is building a telescope big enough to do this, and the second is interpreting what we will find. 第一个是要做一个够大的望远镜, 第二个则是理解我们的发现。[00:39]
detect:vt.察觉;发现;探测; detected:v.发现;查明;侦察出;(detect的过去分词和过去式) Venus:n.[天]金星;维纳斯(爱与美的女神); hurdles:n.障碍;跨栏;跨栏跑;障碍赛跑(hurdle的复数); telescope:n.望远镜;v.(使)叠套缩短;精简; interpreting:n.解释;口译;v.解释;[语][计]翻译(interpret的现在分词);
When we think of extraterrestrial life, we tend to think of aliens like funny little green men, not aliens as single-celled microbes . 当我们想到外星生命, 我们倾向于想像有趣的绿色外星人, 而不是外星的单细胞微生物。
But it's actually detecting signs of microbial life on another planet that I'm most optimistic about, and what I focus my research on. 但实际上探测在另一个星球上 微生物存活的迹象, 是我觉得最有可能, 也是我专注在研究的。
I model how a star's high-energy radiation can make gases from microbes harder or easier to see with future telescopes . 我研究恒星的高能量辐射是如何 影响微生物产生气体的可见度难易, 如果使用未来望远镜的话。
extraterrestrial:adj.地球外的;n.天外来客; microbes:n.细菌,[微]微生物;微生物类(microbe的复数形式); detecting:n.检测;检定;v.发现;探知(detect的现在分词);adj.探测的; microbial:adj.微生物的;由细菌引起的; optimistic:adj.乐观的;乐观主义的; high-energy:高能的; radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法; telescopes:n.望远镜; v.套叠; (telescope的第三人称单数)
Microbes have dominated our planet's biosphere for most of Earth's history. 地球历史上的大部分时间, 微生物主宰了我们星球的生物圈。
They've been emitting gases that can be seen in our atmosphere -- even light years away -- for billions of years. 它们排出的气体能够在 我们的大气中被看见, 就算是在数光年外, 并持续了几十亿年。
Now, if an alien astronomer were looking at Earth, they would probably detect gases like oxygen, methane and nitrous oxide before detecting signs of us. 假如一个外星的天文学家在观察地球, 他们可能会先探测到像是 氧气、甲烷和一氧化二氮等气体, 在发现我们存在的迹象之前。
dominated:v.支配;控制;左右;影响;(dominate的过去式和过去分词) biosphere:n.生物圈; emitting:v.发出,射出,散发(光、热、声音、气等);(emit的现在分词) atmosphere:n.大气;气氛;气压;风格; light years away:光年以外;似水流年;个光年已过去; astronomer:n.天文学家; methane:n.[有化]甲烷;[能源]沼气; nitrous oxide:n.氧化亚氮;
Even with an active biosphere like Earth's, most of the gases that indicate life are coming from single-celled microbes, not from animals. 就算地球拥有这般活跃的生物圈, 大部分生命迹象气体 都来自单细胞微生物, 而不是动物。
This is what we'll try to do in the next decade of astronomy -- try to find signs of microbial life on planets orbiting other stars. 天文学的下一个十年, 这就是我们打算要做的: 在其他行星系的星球上 寻找微生物的迹象。
But the technology to detect the atmosphere of a planet the size of Earth around another sun is incredibly difficult. 但探测这种大气的技术, 对于与地球差不多大小 并绕着另个太阳绕的星球, 是非常困难的。
indicate:v.表明;显示;象征;暗示; astronomy:n.天文学; orbiting:v.[航][天]轨道运行;轨道运动;转圈(orbit的ing形式); technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; incredibly:adv.难以置信地;非常地;
It's like trying to determine the size of a firefly in front of a spotlight while looking from another continent . 就好比要判断灯光下萤火虫的大小, 而且是从另一个洲看。
What's amazing is that with telescopes in the 2020s, we're overcoming this technological barrier . 但令人惊喜的是, 2020年代的望远镜, 可以克服这个技术的障碍。
The second issue defining alien life will be to interpret what these biosignature gases actually mean. 第二个定义外星生命的问题, 则是如何解释生物特征气体的意义。
determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排; firefly:萤火虫 spotlight:n.聚光灯;反光灯;公众注意的中心;v.聚光照明;使公众注意; continent:n.大陆,洲,陆地;adj.自制的,克制的; overcoming:v.克服;解决;战胜;(overcome的现在分词) technological:adj.技术[工程](上)的;因工艺技术高度发展而引起的; barrier:n.屏障;障碍;障碍物;关口;v.用栅围住; issue:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;发行; defining:v.解释(词语)的含义;给(词语)下定义;阐明;界定;(define的现在分词)
Twenty-one percent of our atmosphere is oxygen, and nearly all of that oxygen comes from life. 地球大气中有百分之二十一的氧气, 而这些氧气几乎都来自于生物。
So here's the tricky question: 所以棘手问题来了:
Would detecting oxygen on another planet mean life? 在另一个星球发现氧气, 是否等于发现生命？
No, not necessarily , because we know of ways to get oxygen without biology . 不是。不一定。 因为我们知道没有生物 也能产生氧气的方法。
I try to understand a planet's geology and its star's radiation so that we can better identify a true life signal. 我试着了解星球的地质 以及它恒星的辐射, 以让我们更能确认真正的生命迹象。
tricky:adj.难办的;难对付的;狡猾的;诡计多端的; necessarily:adv.必要地;必定地,必然地; biology:n.(一个地区全部的)生物;生物学; geology:n.地质学;地质情况; identify:v.识别:鉴定:确认:发现:
And this is what makes the preliminary detection on Venus of phosphine , a potential biosignature gas, so compelling but also so confusing . 这也就是为何在金星上 初步发现的磷化氢, 一种潜在的生物特征气体, 引人注目的同时也很让人疑惑。
Venus is not where we expected to find life. 金星并不是我们预期会有生命的地方。
It is a hellish world, with a surface temperature of nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit . 它的环境就像地狱, 地表温度将近华氏九百度。
Could life be floating in the more temperate upper atmosphere? 还是生命可能漂浮在高大气层？
preliminary:n.准备;预赛;初步措施;adj.初步的;开始的;预备的; detection:n.侦查,探测;发觉,发现;察觉; phosphine:n.磷化氢;三氢化磷; potential:n.潜能;可能性;[电]电势;adj.潜在的;可能的;势的; compelling:adj.引人入胜的; v.强迫; (compel的现在分词) confusing:adj.令人困惑; v.使糊涂; (confuse的现在分词) hellish:adj.地狱的;凶恶的;令人毛骨悚然的; Fahrenheit:adj.华氏的;华氏温度计的;n.华氏温度计;华氏温标; temperate:adj.温和的;适度的;有节制的; upper:adj.上面的;内陆的;n.靴面;兴奋剂;
But then how would such life eat and reproduce ? 但这些生命要如何进食跟繁殖？
This discovery will have to be vetted over the coming decade. 这个发现会需要在 接下来的十年接受严格檢视。
First, we must verify the detection of phosphine itself, and then later, we would have to confirm that this gas is coming from life and not from some unexpected geological or photochemical process . 第一,我们得确认发现磷化氢这件事。 之后,我们要确定这气体来自生命。 而不是意料之外的地质或光化学过程。
reproduce:v.繁殖;复制;再现;生育; vetted:v.审查;仔细检查,审查(内容、质量等);(vet的过去分词和过去式) verify:vt.核实;查证; unexpected:adj.意外的,想不到的; geological:adj.地质的,地质学的; photochemical:adj.光化作用的;光化学的; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的;
If true, this would be one of the most profound discoveries of our generation. 如果是真的,这将是我们这个世代 最重要的发现之一。
If it turns out that we were fooled, that we mistook this gas for biology when it's from some other process, we will have a sobering lesson to apply to planets orbiting distant stars. 假设我们错了, 将此气体误会成与生物相关, 而实际上是透过其他方式产生的话, 会让我们在研究更遥远的 行星系时多一点省思。
profound:adj.深厚的;意义深远的;渊博的; mistook:v.弄错(mistake的过去式); sobering:adj.令人警醒的;使人冷静的;v.(使)变得持重,变得冷静;(sober的现在分词) apply:v.申请;涂,敷;应用;适用;请求; distant:adj.遥远的;远处的;久远的;
Venus is close -- literally , our next-door neighbor -- and yet we still have trouble understanding it. 金星很近,真的就是我们隔壁邻居, 但我们却连了解它都有困难。
The planets we're finding orbiting other stars are weird and unexpected. 我们发现的太阳系以外行星, 很奇怪并且出乎意料。
Some have the density of cotton candy , and others rain molten iron. 有些的密度就像棉花糖, 有些则会下熔铁的雨。
And most stars are different from our sun, with high-energy flares that can make it difficult for life. 而且大部分恒星跟太阳不一样, 高能量的火焰让生命的存在很困难。
literally:adv.按字面:字面上:确实地: next-door:adj.隔壁的;邻家的;adv.邻家; weird:adj.奇怪的;奇异的;离奇的;n.命运;宿命;命运女神; density:n.密度; cotton candy:n.(尤指游乐场出售的)棉花糖; molten:adj.熔化的;铸造的;炽热的;v.换毛;脱毛(molt的过去分词); flares:n.喇叭裤;
So the more we're looking at different biosignature gases, the more we realize that there's no single gas that's enough to understand a planet and to claim alien life. 所以当我们看越多 不同生物特征气体时, 我们就更能意识到 没有特定一种气体, 足够让我们了解一个星球 并且代表外星生物的存在。
It is just really difficult to distinguish life from nonlife from light years away. 要区分生物与非生物很困难, 从数光年远的地方。
And here's where the ambiguity lies. 这部分是个模糊地带。
How will we know if a clue is a sign of life or is not? 我们要如何辨别一个线索 是否代表生命的迹象？
claim:v.要求;声称;需要;认领;n.要求;声称;索赔;断言;值得; distinguish:vt.区分;辨别;使杰出,使表现突出;vi.区别,区分;辨别; ambiguity:n.含糊;不明确;暧昧;模棱两可的话; clue:n.提示;迹象;(纵横填字谜、游戏或问题的)提示词语;v.提示;为…提供线索;
Well, first, we'll need to understand as much as we can about a planet's geology and the star it orbits . 第一点,我们需要尽可能了解 一个星球的地质和它环绕的恒星。
We'll learn vital lessons by exploring our own solar system in places such as Venus and Mars . 我们可以藉由探索所在的太阳系 来更学习宝贵的经验, 例如金星跟火星。
We're getting closer to answering one of humanity's biggest questions: 我们距离人类最大问题之一的 解答越来越近:
orbits:n.[天][航]轨道(orbit的复数); v.环绕…的轨道运行; vital:adj.至关重要的;生死攸关的;有活力的; exploring:v.探索:考察:探查;(explore的现在分词) solar system:[天]太阳系; Mars:n.火星
Are we alone in the universe? 宇宙是否只有我们存在？
Any claim will be hotly debated . 任何一种主张都会被激烈的讨论。
So basically , I'm stretched between two desires. 基本上,我渴望的有两点。
I want to find alien life, but likely will not have a clear answer. 我希望能找到外星生物, 但可能不会有明确答案。
And that's OK; science is nuanced and self-correcting . 但没关系,科学很微妙, 而且会自我修正。
hotly:adv.激烈地;热心地;暑热地; debated:v.讨论,辩论;思考;盘算;(debate的过去分词和过去式) basically:adv.主要地,基本上; stretched:v.拉长;撑大;有弹性(或弹力);拉紧;(stretch的过去式和过去分词) nuanced:adj.微妙的; v.精确细腻地表演; self-correcting:adj.自动修正的,自动调整的;
It's what I love about it. 这就是为什么我喜欢它。
Science is about balancing this duality of skepticism and of hope. 科学就是在怀疑与希望 两者之间取得平衡。
We won't be able to teleport ourselves to another planet and take pictures of alien kangaroos jumping around. 我们无法瞬间移动到其他星球, 然后把外星袋鼠 跳来跳去的样子拍下来。
And without an intelligent "Hello, Earthlings !" signal, we might still feel lonely, even if we find out we're not alone in the universe. 在还没收到「你好地球人」 的讯号之前, 我们可能还是会感到孤单, 就算我们发现自己在宇宙里 并不是唯一的。
duality:n.二元性;[物]二象性; skepticism:n.怀疑论;怀疑的态度; teleport:vt.(心灵学用语)心灵运输(物体,人); kangaroos:袋鼠(kangaroo复数) intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的 Earthlings:n.世人,俗人;凡人(earthling的复数形式);
Despite these challenges, I'm super excited about alien microbes and what they could teach us. 尽管有这些挑战, 我对于外星微生物还是很兴奋, 也很期待它们能教我们什么。
Even if we find just one other sign of life, then likely the universe is teeming with it, from single-celled to complex . 就算我们只再找到一个 生命存在的证据, 那很有可能整个宇宙都充满了生命, 从单细胞到更复杂的。
If we search for decades and find nothing, then that is equally humbling . 如果我们花了数十年都没找到, 这结果同样令人谦卑。
Despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱; teeming:adj.多产的,丰富的;热闹的;v.充满(teem的现在分词); complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; humbling:adj.令人羞辱的;v.羞辱(humble的ing形式);使…谦恭;使…卑贱;
But we must try. 但我们还是得尝试。
We must do this search even when it means sitting with uncertainty along the way. 我们还是要继续找寻, 就算沿路都充满着不确定性。
Thank you. 谢谢。
uncertainty:n.不确定,不可靠;