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SeanCarroll_2010X-_遥远的时间与多元宇宙的迹象_
The universe is really big. 宇宙 非常大
We live in a galaxy , the Milky Way Galaxy. 我们生活在一个名为银河的星系
galaxy:n.银河;[天]星系;银河系;一群显赫的人; Milky Way:na.[天]银河;
There are about a hundred billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. 银河系中有约一千亿颗恒星
And if you take a camera and you point it at a random part of the sky, and you just keep the shutter open, as long as your camera is attached to the Hubble Space Telescope , it will see something like this. 如果你拿起相机 并把它指向空中的任何一处 打开快门并让它开在那里 只要你的相机接通着哈勃天文望远镜 这就是它会看到的
random:adj.[数]随机的;任意的;胡乱的;n.随意;adv.胡乱地; shutter:n.快门;百叶窗;关闭物;遮板;vt.为…装百叶窗;以百叶窗遮闭; as long as:conj.只要;长达;如果;既然; attached:adj.依恋;v.重视;把…固定;(attach的过去分词和过去式) Telescope:n.望远镜;v.(使)叠套缩短;精简;
Every one of these little blobs is a galaxy roughly the size of our Milky Way -- a hundred billion stars in each of those blobs. 这里的每一小点 都是与我们的银河系大小相当的星系 每一小点中都有一千亿颗恒星
blobs:n.斑点(blob的复数);v.溅污(blob的三单形式); roughly:adv.粗糙地;概略地;
There are approximately a hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe. 而在整个可见宇宙中 约有一千亿个星系
approximately:adv.大约,近似地;近于; galaxies:n.银河; (galaxy的复数) observable:adj.显著的;觉察得到的;看得见的;n.[物]可观察量;感觉到的事物;
100 billion is the only number you need to know. 所以你记住一千亿这个数字就行了
The age of the universe, between now and the Big Bang , is a hundred billion in dog years. 宇宙的年龄 自大爆炸以来 在狗看来已过了一千亿年
Bang:n.猛敲; v.猛敲; v.正好;
(Laughter) （笑）
Which tells you something about our place in the universe. 这就告诉了你 我们在这宇宙中的位置
One thing you can do with a picture like this is simply admire it. 面对这样的画面 你可以做的一件事便是欣赏
It's extremely beautiful. 它极其美丽
extremely:adv.非常,极其;极端地;
I've often wondered, what is the evolutionary pressure that made our ancestors in the Veldt adapt and evolve to really enjoy pictures of galaxies when they didn't have any. 我常想 在星系的照片还不存在的时候 究竟是什么推动了我们远在非洲大草原的祖先 让他们适应 进化 并欣赏这些星系的呢？
evolutionary:adj.进化的;发展的;渐进的; Veldt:n.(南非洲的)草原; adapt:vt.使适应;改编;vi.适应; evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;
But we would also like to understand it. 但除了欣赏 我们也想要了解它们
As a cosmologist , I want to ask, why is the universe like this? 作为一个宇宙学家 我想问问 宇宙为什么是这样的呢？
cosmologist:n.宇宙论者,宇宙学家;
One big clue we have is that the universe is changing with time. 宇宙随着时间流逝的演变 是一条重要的线索
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;
If you looked at one of these galaxies and measured its velocity , it would be moving away from you. 如果你选中一个星系并测量它的速度 你会发现它正离你远去
measured:adj.缓慢谨慎的; v.测量; (measure的过去分词和过去式) velocity:n.[物]速度;
And if you look at a galaxy even farther away, it would be moving away faster. 而如果你选中的是一个更远的星系 你会发现它正以更快的速度离你远去
So we say the universe is expanding . 所以说 宇宙正在膨胀
expanding:v.扩大,增加,增强细谈;详述;(expand的现在分词)
What that means, of course, is that, in the past, things were closer together. 当然 这就意味着过去所有的一切 彼此之间都比较接近
In the past, the universe was more dense , and it was also hotter. 曾经的宇宙密度比现在高 它也比现在热
dense:adj.稠密的;浓厚的;愚钝的;
If you squeeze things together, the temperature goes up. 如果你把东西紧捏在一切 温度便会上升
squeeze:v.挤;紧握;勒索;压榨;n.压榨;紧握;拥挤;佣金;
That kind of makes sense to us. 听起来有道理吧
The thing that doesn't make sense to us as much is that the universe, at early times, near the Big Bang, was also very, very smooth. 而让我们觉得没道理的 是宇宙初期 大爆炸之后那个 极度光滑的宇宙
make sense:有意义;讲得通;言之有理;
You might think that that's not a surprise. 你或许觉得这并不值得惊讶
The air in this room is very smooth. 这房间里的空气便十分光滑
You might say, "Well, maybe things just smoothed themselves out." 你也许会说 “大概这些东西就是会自己慢慢平滑掉的”
But the conditions near the Big Bang are very, very different than the conditions of the air in this room. 但大爆炸不久之后的环境 与这房间里的空气相比 十分 十分的不同
different than:不同于;
In particular , things were a lot denser . 特别是一切的密度
In particular:尤其,特别; denser:adj.密集的; (dense的比较级)
The gravitational pull of things was a lot stronger near the Big Bang. 当时的地心引力 比现在强很多
gravitational:adj.[力]重力的,[力]引力的;
What you have to think about is we have a universe with a hundred billion galaxies, a hundred billion stars each. 我们不得不想想 这个宇宙里有一千亿个星系 而每个星系里都有一千亿颗恒星
At early times, those hundred billion galaxies were squeezed into a region about this big -- literally , at early times. 在宇宙初期 那一千亿个星系 被挤压到这么小的空间 毫不夸张 当初就这么小
squeezed:v.挤压;捏;榨出,挤出,拧出;挤入;(squeeze的过去分词和过去式) region:n.地区;范围;部位; literally:adv.按字面:字面上:确实地:
And you have to imagine doing that squeezing without any imperfections , without any little spots where there were a few more atoms than somewhere else. 我们得想象一下这个挤压过程 这个完美的过程 毫无瑕疵 这里比那里多一两个原子也不行
squeezing:v.挤压;捏;榨出,挤出,拧出;(squeeze的现在分词) imperfections:n.不合格折贴(imperfection的复数); atoms:n.[物]原子(atom的复数);
Because if there had been, they would have collapsed under the gravitational pull into a huge black hole. 如果真有任何瑕疵 地心引力也会把它们 压成一个巨大的黑洞
collapsed:v.倒塌,坍塌;倒下,昏倒;坐下;(collapse的过去分词和过去式)
Keeping the universe very, very smooth at early times is not easy, it's a delicate arrangement . 让初期的宇宙保持在极度光滑的状态并非易事 这是个极为精细的布置
delicate:adj.精致的,微妙的,脆弱的,熟练的,柔和的; arrangement:n.安排;筹备;布置;商定;约定;改编乐曲;
It's a clue that the early universe is not chosen randomly . 这条线索意味着初期宇宙 并非任意选择的产物
randomly:adv.随便地,任意地;无目的,胡乱地;未加计划地;
There is something that made it that way. 是某些东西把它造就成那样的
We would like to know what. 而我们想知道那是什么
So part of our understanding of this was given to us by Ludwig Boltzmann, an Austrian physicist in the 19th century. 19世纪的奥地利物理学家路德维希·玻尔兹曼 给予了我们不少对此的了解
physicist:n.物理学家;物理学研究者;
And Boltzmann's contribution was that he helped us understand entropy . 玻尔兹曼的贡献在于他帮助我们理解了熵
contribution:n.捐款;捐资;定期缴款;贡献;促成作用;稿件; entropy:n.[热]熵(热力学函数);
You've heard of entropy. 你们听见过熵
It's the randomness , the disorder , the chaoticness of some systems. 在某些系统中 它是随意性 是不规则 是混乱
randomness:n.随意;无安排;不可测性; disorder:n.混乱;骚乱;vt.使失调;扰乱;
Boltzmann gave us a formula -- engraved on his tombstone now -- that really quantifies what entropy is. 玻尔兹曼给了我们一条 被刻在了他墓碑上的公式 让我们得以在数量上解释熵
formula:n.公式; adj.(赛车)方程式的(指赛车要符合规定的体积,重量及汽缸容量等); engraved:adj.铭记于心的; v.在…上雕刻(字或图案); (engrave的过去分词和过去式) tombstone:n.墓碑;墓石; quantifies:vt.量化;为…定量;确定数量;vi.量化;定量;
And it's basically just saying that entropy is the number of ways we can rearrange the constituents of a system so that you don't notice, so that macroscopically it looks the same. 这条公式所说的 不过是 我们可以重新组合 构成一个系统的各个要素 而在宏观上 你看不出任何变化
basically:adv.主要地,基本上; rearrange:v.重新排列;重新整理; constituents:n.构成要素;选民;成分;(constituent的复数) macroscopically:adv.眼观上;眼观地;
If you have the air in this room, you don't notice each individual atom. 在感受这房间里的空气时 你不可能注意每一个原子吧
individual:n.个人;有个性的人;adj.单独的;个别的;
A low entropy configuration is one in which there's only a few arrangements that look that way. 如果能够组合出某个布局的方式屈指可数 那这个布局的熵值就会很小
configuration:n.配置;结构;外形; arrangements:n.安排;筹备;布置;商定;(arrangement的复数)
A high entropy arrangement is one that there are many arrangements that look that way. 反之 若能组合出某个布局的方式很多 这个布局的熵值就会很大
This is a crucially important insight , because it helps us explain the second law of thermodynamics -- the law that says that entropy increases in the universe, or in isolated bit of the universe. 对这一点的领悟极其关键 因为它帮助我们解释 热力学第二定律—— 在整个宇宙 或是被隔离开的部分宇宙中 熵值只可增大
crucially:adv.关键地;至关重要地; insight:n.洞察力;洞悉; thermodynamics:n.热力学; isolated:adj.偏远的; v.隔离,孤立,脱离;
The reason why entropy increases is simply because there are many more ways to be high entropy than to be low entropy. 熵值增大的原因很简单 只因呈现出对应于大熵值的布局 比呈现出对应于小熵值的布局的方式多得多
That's a wonderful insight, but it leaves something out. 虽说领会到这些很奇妙 但还有被遗漏的部分
This insight that entropy increases, by the way , is what's behind what we call the arrow of time, the difference between the past and the future. 值得提及的是 正是熵值的增大 推动着我们的时间之箭 造就着过去与未来的不同
by the way:顺便说一下;
Every difference that there is between the past and the future is because entropy is increasing -- the fact that you can remember the past, but not the future. 过去与未来 它们之间的所有区别 都呈现于熵值的增大 正如你能记得往事 却无法去记住将来所要发生的
The fact that you are born, and then you live, and then you die, always in that order, that's because entropy is increasing. 又如你出生 成长 死亡的过程 这些不变的顺序 都源于熵值的增大
Boltzmann explained that if you start with low entropy, it's very natural for it to increase, because there's more ways to be high entropy. 玻尔兹曼解释道 如果你从小熵值出发 它会很自然的增大 因为处于大熵值状态的途径更多
What he didn't explain was why the entropy was ever low in the first place . 但他并没有解释 为什么最初的熵值那么小
in the first place:首先;起初;
The fact that the entropy of the universe was low was a reflection of the fact that the early universe was very, very smooth. 宇宙初期的小熵值 意味着的莫过于 初期的宇宙非常非常的光滑
reflection:n.反映;沉思;映像;深思;
We'd like to understand that. 而我们想要理解它的原由
That's our job as cosmologists . 那便是作为宇宙学家的我们的任务
cosmologists:n.宇宙论者,宇宙学家;
Unfortunately , it's actually not a problem that we've been giving enough attention to. 遗憾的是 我们并没有 给予这个问题多大的关注
Unfortunately:adv.不幸地;
It's not one of the first things people would say, if you asked a modern cosmologist, "What are the problems we're trying to address?" 如果你问一个现代宇宙学家 “我们正研究着的问题有哪些？” 这不会是回答中你最先听到的问题之一
One of the people who did understand that this was a problem was Richard Feynman. 认识到这个问题的重要性的其中一人 便是理查德·费曼
50 years ago, he gave a series of a bunch of different lectures. 50年前 他给了一系列的演讲
series:n.系列,连续;[电]串联;级数;丛书; a bunch of:一群;一束;一堆;
He gave the popular lectures that became "The Character of Physical Law." 他面向大众的讲座 成了《物理之美》
Physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查;
He gave lectures to Caltech undergrads that became "The Feynman Lectures on Physics." 他面向加州理工学院本科生的讲课 成了《费曼物理学讲义》
Caltech:n.加利福尼亚理工学院; undergrads:n.大学肄业生;adj.大学生的(等于undergraduate);
He gave lectures to Caltech graduate students that became "The Feynman Lectures on Gravitation." 他面向加州理工学院研究生的讲课 成了《费曼引力学讲义》
In everyone of these books, everyone of these sets of lectures, he emphasized this puzzle : 在上述的每本书 费曼的每个讲座中 他都强调了这个难题
emphasized:v.强调,着重(emphasize的过去式); puzzle:n.谜;疑问;智力游戏;不解之谜;v.迷惑;使困惑;
Why did the early universe have such a small entropy? 为什么初期的宇宙有着那么小的熵值？
So he says -- I'm not going to do the accent -- he says, "For some reason, the universe, at one time , had a very low entropy for its energy content , and since then the entropy has increased. 我就不模仿他的口音了 他说:“虽说宇宙中包含着的能量巨大 某些原因使它曾一度拥有小熵值 而从那以后 熵值不断增大
accent:n.口音;重音;强调;特点;重音符号;v.强调;重读;带…口音讲话; at one time:曾经,一度;同时; content:n.内容,目录;满足;容量;adj.满意的;vt.使满足;
The arrow of time cannot be completely understood until the mystery of the beginnings of the history of the universe are reduced still further from speculation to understanding." 直至我们能够真正理解 而非单单推测 整个宇宙历史的 开端的秘密 时间之箭 便无法被完全理解”
speculation:n.投机;推测;思索;投机买卖;
So that's our job. 这就是我们的使命
We want to know -- this is 50 years ago,"Surely," you're thinking, "we've figured it out by now." 这是费曼50年前说的 你也许在想:“那么久了 我们现在弄清了吧”
It's not true that we've figured it out by now. 错了 我们到现在也没弄清
The reason the problem has gotten worse, rather than better, is because in 1998 we learned something crucial about the universe we didn't know before. 非但没把问题弄清 它还变得更糟糕了 因为在1998年 一个关于宇宙的新发型展现在了我们面前
We learned that it's accelerating . 宇宙不仅在膨胀
accelerating:adj.促进的,[物]加速的;催化的;
The universe is not only expanding. 而且在加速膨胀
If you look at the galaxy, it's moving away. 如果你看见一个星系正离你远去
If you come back a billion years later and look at it again, it will be moving away faster. 十亿年后再回来看它时 你会发现它远去的速度加快了
Individual galaxies are speeding away from us faster and faster. 各个星系离我们远去的速度都在不断加快着
So we say the universe is accelerating. 所以我们说这个宇宙正在加速膨胀
Unlike the low entropy of the early universe, even though we don't know the answer for this, we at least have a good theory that can explain it, if that theory is right, and that's the theory of dark energy. 与宇宙初期的小熵值不同 虽然我们没有答案 但要解释这现象 我们至少还有一套不错的理论 如果那理论是正确的 我是在说暗能量理论
answer for:因…而受罚;对…负责;
It's just the idea that empty space itself has energy. 它说 真空区自身便有能量
In every little cubic centimeter of space, whether or not there's stuff , whether or not there's particles , matter, radiation or whatever, there's still energy, even in the space itself. 这空间中的任何一立方厘米中 无论那里有没有东西 无论那里有没有粒子 物质 辐射 或任何别的什么 那里仍有能量 就这空间中便有
cubic:adj.立方体的,立方的; whether or not:是否…; stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本: particles:n.微粒,粒子;粒子系统;碎木料(particle的复数形式); radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法;
And this energy, according to Einstein, exerts a push on the universe. 在爱因斯坦看来 这能量推动着宇宙
according to:根据,据说; exerts:v.发挥(exert的三单形式);运用;表现出;
It is a perpetual impulse that pushed galaxies apart from each other. 这是一股永恒的冲量 使各星系之间的距离越来越大
perpetual:adj.永久的;不断的;四季开花的;无期限的; impulse:n.冲动;[电子]脉冲;刺激;神经冲动;推动力;v.推动;
Because dark energy, unlike matter or radiation, does not dilute away as the universe expands . 因为暗能量 与物质和辐射不同 它不会因为宇宙的膨胀而被稀释
dilute:adj.稀释的;淡的;vt.稀释;冲淡;削弱;vi.变稀薄;变淡; expands:v.展开; (expand的第三人称单数)
The amount of energy in each cubic centimeter remains the same, even as the universe gets bigger and bigger. 即便宇宙越来越大 每立方厘米中的能量 都将保持不变
This has crucial implications for what the universe is going to do in the future. 这对宇宙未来的发展 有着关键的影响
implications:n.蕴涵式;暗指,暗示;含蓄,含意;卷入(implication的复数);
For one thing , the universe will expand forever. 其中之一 便是宇宙会永远膨胀下去
For one thing:首先;一则;
Back when I was your age, we didn't know what the universe was going to do. 当我像你们那么小的时候 我们并不知道宇宙是否会膨胀下去
Some people thought that the universe would recollapse in the future. 某些人认为 宇宙将会再坍缩
Einstein was fond of this idea. 爱因斯坦就很喜欢这想法
But if there's dark energy, and the dark energy does not go away, the universe is just going to keep expanding forever and ever and ever. 但如果有暗能量 而暗能量又会永远留在那里 宇宙便会永不停息的 这样膨胀下去
14 billion years in the past, 100 billion dog years, but an infinite number of years into the future. 从140亿年前 狗的一千亿年前 直至无数年以后 直至永恒的未来
infinite:adj.无限的,无穷的; n.无限;
Meanwhile , for all intents and purposes, space looks finite to us. 在此期间 不论我们有什么意图或目的 宇宙空间在我们看来都是有限的
Meanwhile:adv.同时,其间;n.其间,其时; intents:n.意图;目的;意向(intent的复数);
Space may be finite or infinite, but because the universe is accelerating, there are parts of it we cannot see and never will see. 宇宙或许有限 或许无限 但因为它正在膨胀 我们看不到它的某些部分 也将永远无法看到
There's a finite region of space that we have access to, surrounded by a horizon . 能让我们获取信息的宇宙空间非常有限 它被边界包围着
horizon:n.地平线;(欲望、知识或兴趣的)范围;
So even though time goes on forever, space is limited to us. 所以即便时间不停下它的脚步 宇宙空间对我们来说还是有限的
limited:adj.有限的; n.高级快车; v.限制; (limit的过去分词和过去式)
Finally , empty space has a temperature. 最后 真空区有它的温度
Finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
In the 1970s, Stephen Hawking told us that a black hole , even though you think it's black, it actually emits radiation, when you take into account quantum mechanics . 在70年代 斯蒂芬·霍金告诉我们 虽然你认为黑洞是黑的 它其实会辐射 如果把量子力学考虑进去的话
Hawking:n.利用鹰行猎;v.袭击;翱翔;攫取(hawk的现在分词); a black hole:莫名其妙,如坠云雾; emits:发出;放射;发行(emit的动词单数第三人称形式); take into account:考虑;重视;体谅; quantum mechanics:n.量子力学;
The curvature of space-time around the black hole brings to life the quantum mechanical fluctuation , and the black hole radiates . 黑洞周围的空间曲率 是会导致真空量子涨落的 黑洞也就会辐射
curvature:n.弯曲,[数]曲率; space-time:adj.时空的;n.时空(等于spacetime); mechanical:adj.机械的;力学的;呆板的;无意识的;手工操作的; fluctuation:n.起伏,波动; radiates:vt.辐射; vi.辐射; adj.辐射状的,有射线的;
A precisely similar calculation by Hawking and Gary Gibbons showed that, if you have dark energy in empty space, then the whole universe radiates. 根据霍金与加利·基本斯的 一个类似的精确计算 如果真空区里有暗能量 整个宇宙便会辐射
Gibbons:吉本斯(Gibbons姓氏);[脊椎]长臂猿(gibbon的名词复数);
The energy of empty space brings to life quantum fluctuations . 真空区的能量 带来量子涨落
fluctuations:n.[物]波动(fluctuation的复数);变动;起伏现象;
And so even though the universe will last forever, and ordinary matter and radiation will dilute away, there will always be some radiation, some thermal fluctuations, even in empty space. 所以虽然宇宙是永恒的 而且一般的物质和辐射会被稀释 但某些辐射会永远留下 某些热涨落 即便那是真空区
thermal:adj.热的;热量的;保热的;n.上升的热气流;
So what this means is that the universe is like a box of gas that lasts forever. 这也就是说 宇宙好比一盒气体 永恒的气体
Well what is the implication of that? 这又意味着什么呢？
That implication was studied by Boltzmann back in the 19th century. 玻尔兹曼在19世纪对此进行了研究
He said, well, entropy increases because there are many, many more ways for the universe to be high entropy, rather than low entropy. 他说 熵值只会增大 因为让宇宙处于大熵值状态的方式 比让它处于小熵值状态的方式 多得多
But that's a probabilistic statement . 但那是一个概率性的称述
probabilistic:adj.概率性的;或然说的,盖然论的; statement:n.声明;陈述,叙述;报表,清单;
It will probably increase, and the probability is enormously huge. 它可能会增大 而且这可能性奇大无比
probability:n.可能性;机率;[数]或然率; enormously:adv.巨大地,庞大地;非常地,在极大程度上;
It's not something you have to worry about -- the air in this room all gathering over one part of this room and suffocating us. 我们不需要担心 这房间里的空气不会挤到一处 并让我们窒息
suffocating:adj.令人呼吸困难的; v.(使)窒息而死; (suffocate的现在分词)
It's very, very unlikely . 这可能性极小极小
unlikely:adj.不大可能发生的;非心目中的;非想象的;难以相信的;
Except if they locked the doors and kept us here literally forever, that would happen. 但如果门被锁上 我们被关在这里直至永远 这便会发生
Everything that is allowed, every configuration that is allowed to be obtained by the molecules in this room, would eventually be obtained. 所有被允许的 这房间里的分子的布局 都终究会出现
obtained:v.获得(obtain的过去分词); molecules:n.[化学]分子,微粒;[化学]摩尔(molecule的复数); eventually:adv.最后,终于;
So Boltzmann says, look, you could start with a universe that was in thermal equilibrium . 所以玻尔兹曼说 你可以从一个 处于热平衡状态的宇宙出发
equilibrium:n.均衡;平静;保持平衡的能力;
He didn't know about the Big Bang. He didn't know about the expansion of the universe. 他没听说过大爆炸 也没听过宇宙膨胀
expansion:n.扩张;膨胀;扩展;扩大;
He thought that space and time were explained by Isaac Newton -- they were absolute; they just stuck there forever. 他以为牛顿对时空做出了充分的解释 时空是绝对的 它被永恒的固定在那里
Newton:n.牛顿(英国科学家);牛顿(力的单位);
So his idea of a natural universe was one in which the air molecules were just spread out evenly everywhere -- the everything molecules. 所以他在眼中的自然宇宙里 空气中的分子都平均的分散在各处 所有的分子
spread out:冒火;喷火; evenly:adv.均匀地;平衡地;平坦地;平等地;
But if you're Boltzmann, you know that, if you wait long enough, the random fluctuations of those molecules will occasionally bring them into lower entropy configurations . 但如果你是玻尔兹曼的话 你知道 如果你等的够久 那些分子无规则的涨落 会偶尔使它们 处于小熵值的布局
occasionally:adv.偶尔;有时候;偶然; configurations:n.配置(configuration的复数);立体基阵;
And then, of course, in the natural course of things, they will expand back. 但肯定的是 在那之后 随着自然规律 它们会涨回到分散的状态
So it's not that entropy must always increase -- you can get fluctuations into lower entropy, more organized situations. 所以说 并非是熵值必须要增大 涨落会带来小熵值 带来更规则的状态
organized:adj.有组织的; v.组织; (organize的过去分词和过去式)
Well if that's true, 就这样
Boltzmann then goes onto invent two very modern-sounding ideas -- the multiverse and the anthropic principle . 玻尔兹曼接着发明了 两个听上去很现代化的概念 多元宇宙与人择原理
multiverse:n.多元宇宙; anthropic:adj.有关人类的,人类的; principle:n.原理,原则;主义,道义;本质,本义;根源,源泉;
He says, the problem with thermal equilibrium is that we can't live there. 他说 热平衡的问题在于 我们无法生活在这样的状态下
Remember, life itself depends on the arrow of time. 记得吗 生命本身便依赖于时间之箭
We would not be able to process information, metabolize , walk and talk, if we lived in thermal equilibrium. 如果我们生活在热平衡的状态下 我们将无法处理信息 没法新陈代谢 没法走路 没法说话
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; metabolize:vt.使新陈代谢;使变形;vi.新陈代谢;
So if you imagine a very, very big universe, an infinitely big universe, with randomly bumping into each other particles, there will occasionally be small fluctuations in the lower entropy states, and then they relax back. 如果你想象一个很大很大的宇宙 一个无限大的宇宙 粒子间无规律的碰撞 会偶尔带来小熵值下的小涨落 然后它们会复原
infinitely:adv.无限地;极其; bumping:v.碰上,撞上;颠簸行进(bump的现在分词) relax:v.放松,休息;松懈,松弛;变从容;休养;
But there will also be large fluctuations. 但也会存在大涨落
Occasionally, you will make a planet or a star or a galaxy or a hundred billion galaxies. 偶然造出个行星 恒星 星系 或是一千亿个星系
So Boltzmann says, we will only live in the part of the multiverse, in the part of this infinitely big set of fluctuation particles, where life is possible. 所以玻尔兹曼说 我们只可能生活在多元宇宙里 这无限大的涨落中的粒子群里 允许生命的那部分
That's the region where entropy is low. 也就是有着小熵值的区域
Maybe our universe is just one of those things that happens from time to time . 也许我们宇宙的诞生不过就是 那些时而发生的事之一
from time to time:不时,有时;
Now your homework assignment is to really think about this, to contemplate what it means. 你们的回家作业 是去好好想想这些 这到底意味着什么
assignment:n.分配:(分派的)工作,任务: contemplate:v.沉思;注视;思忖;预期;
Carl Sagan once famously said that "in order to make an apple pie , you must first invent the universe." 引用卡尔·萨根的名言 “要做个苹果派 你必须先造出个宇宙”
famously:adv.著名地;极好地; apple pie:n.苹果派;苹果馅饼;
But he was not right. 但他说错了
In Boltzmann's scenario , if you want to make an apple pie, you just wait for the random motion of atoms to make you an apple pie. 根据玻尔兹曼 如果你想要做个苹果派 你只需等着 让原子不规则的运动 帮你做个苹果派
scenario:n.方案;情节;剧本; motion:n.动作;移动;手势;请求;意向;议案;v.运动;打手势;
That will happen much more frequently than the random motions of atoms making you an apple orchard and some sugar and an oven , and then making you an apple pie. 这比等着原子不规则的运动 造出个苹果园 造出些糖和烤箱 然后再帮你做个苹果派 可能性大得多
frequently:adv.频繁地,经常地;时常,屡次; orchard:n.果园;果树林; oven:n.炉,灶;烤炉,烤箱;
So this scenario makes predictions . 这论点包含着某些预测
predictions:n.预测,预言(prediction复数形式);
And the predictions are that the fluctuations that make us are minimal . 这些预测包括 造出我们的是最小限度的涨落
minimal:adj.最低的;最小限度的;
Even if you imagine that this room we are in now exists and is real and here we are, and we have, not only our memories, but our impression that outside there's something 即便你想象我们现在的这个房间 真实的存在着 而我们也就在这里 我们不仅有着我们的回忆 也坚信着这房间外面还有东西
impression:n.印象;影响;效果;感想;
called Caltech and the United States and the Milky Way Galaxy, it's much easier for all those impressions to randomly fluctuate into your brain than for them actually to randomly fluctuate into Caltech, the United States and the galaxy. 有加州理工学院 有美国 有银河系 让这些想法通过不规则的涨落进入你的大脑 比起让这些涨落真正造出加州理工学院 造出美国 造出银河系 要容易得多
United:adj.联合的; v.联合,团结; (unite的过去分词和过去式) impressions:n.印象;观感;(impression的复数) fluctuate:vi.波动;涨落;动摇;vt.使波动;使动摇;
The good news is that therefore this scenario does not work; it is not right. 好消息是 这论点行不通 是错误的
This scenario predicts that we should be a minimal fluctuation. 它预测我们应该是个小涨落
predicts:vt.预报,预言;预知;vi.作出预言;作预料,作预报;
Even if you left our galaxy out, you would not get a hundred billion other galaxies. 即便你忽略我们的星系 你也没法弄到一千亿个其他星系
And Feynman also understood this. 费曼也明白这一点
Feynman says, "From the hypothesis that the world is a fluctuation, all the predictions are that, if we look at a part of the world we've never seen before, 他说:“假设这世界便是涨落 那这也就意味着 如果我们 对从未观测过的那部分世界进行观测
hypothesis:n.假设;
we will find it mixed up, and not like the piece we've just looked at -- high entropy. 我们会发现它很混乱 与我们之前观测的 大熵值的部分不同
If our order were due to a fluctuation, we would not expect order anywhere but where we have just noticed it. 如果我们的秩序来自于涨落 我们便不会认为除了刚注意到的秩序 另外还有秩序
We therefore conclude the universe is not a fluctuation." 所以我们断定 宇宙并非涨落
conclude:v.断定:得出结论:终止:达成:缔结(协定)
So that's good. The question is then what is the right answer? 这算是好了　但正确的答案又是什么呢？
If the universe is not a fluctuation, why did the early universe have a low entropy? 如果宇宙不是涨落 初期宇宙的熵值为什么那么小？
And I would love to tell you the answer, but I'm running out of time. 我很乐意回答你 但我没时间了
(Laughter) （笑）
Here is the universe that we tell you about, versus the universe that really exists. 我们告诉你的宇宙 对应着 真正存在着的宇宙
versus:prep.对;与...相对;对抗;
I just showed you this picture. 我刚刚给你们看过这画面
The universe is expanding for the last 10 billion years or so. 一百多亿年来 宇宙不断膨胀着
It's cooling off. 它也冷却着
But we now know enough about the future of the universe to say a lot more. 但我们现在对宇宙的了解 足够让我们说出更多的
If the dark energy remains around, the stars around us will use up their nuclear fuel , they will stop burning. 如果暗能量留在周围不动 我们周围的恒星将用尽他们的核子燃料 它们将停止燃烧
nuclear fuel:n.核燃料;
They will fall into black holes. 它们会变成黑洞
We will live in a universe with nothing in it, but black holes. 我们将生活在一个 除了黑洞 空空如也的宇宙
That universe will last 10 to the 100 years -- a lot longer than our little universe has lived. 那宇宙将会存在10的100次方年 比我们的小宇宙长寿多了
The future is much longer than the past. 为了比过去长得多
But even black holes don't last forever. 但就连黑洞也不是永恒的
They will evaporate , and we will be left with nothing but empty space. 它们会蒸发 除了一个真空宇宙我们将一无所有
evaporate:vt.使…蒸发;使…脱水;使…消失;vi.蒸发,挥发;消失,失踪;
That empty space lasts essentially forever. 这真空宇宙将会是永远的
essentially:adv.本质上;本来;
However, you notice, since empty space gives off radiation, there's actually thermal fluctuations, and it cycles around all the different possible combinations of the degrees of freedom that exist in empty space. 但你意识到 因为真空区也会有辐射 所以热涨落其实存在着 它以存在于真空区中的 有着各种不同组合的 自由度之间 不断的循环着
combinations:n.[数]组合;制品(combination的复数);合谱;
So even though the universe lasts forever, there's only a finite number of things that can possibly happen in the universe. 所以即便宇宙将永远的存在下去 能够在宇宙中发生的事 却是有限的
They all happen over a period of time equal to 10 to the 10 to the 120 years. 它们都在10到10的120次方年 这段时间内发生
So here's two questions for you. 我想问你们两个问题
Number one: If the universe lasts for 10 to the 10 the 120 years, why are we born in the first 14 billion years of it, in the warm, comfortable afterglow of the Big Bang? 第一:如果宇宙会存在10到10的120次方年 我们为什么出生于 最初的140亿年间 出生于这大爆炸带来的温暖 舒适的环境中？
afterglow:n.夕照,晚霞;
Why aren't we in empty space? 我们为什么不在真空区？
You might say, "Well there's nothing there to be living," 你也许会说:“那里根本没有活着的东西”
but that's not right. 但这不对
You could be a random fluctuation out of the nothingness . 你可以来自空无一物中无规则的涨落
nothingness:n.虚无,不存在;空白;不存在的状态;
Why aren't you? 而你为什么不是呢？
More homework assignment for you. 还有些回家作业要布置给你们
So like I said, I don't actually know the answer. 如我所说 我并不知道答案
I'm going to give you my favorite scenario. 就让我来谈谈我最喜欢的情形吧
Either it's just like that. There is no explanation. 也许它本该如此　根本没有解释
This is a brute fact about the universe that you should learn to accept and stop asking questions. 这就是个不容争议的关于宇宙的事实 你必须接受它 并不再询问任何问题
brute:adj.残忍的;无理性的;n.畜生;残暴的人;
Or maybe the Big Bang is not the beginning of the universe. 或者说 大爆炸 并非宇宙的开端
An egg, an unbroken egg, is a low entropy configuration, and yet, when we open our refrigerator, we do not go, "Hah, how surprising to find this low entropy configuration in our refrigerator." 一只完整的鸡蛋 处于小熵值的状态 但当我们打开冰箱时 我们不会想:“哇 能在冰箱里看到这样一个 小熵值状态实在太惊人了“
unbroken:adj.未破损的,完整的;继续的;未被阻断的;
That's because an egg is not a closed system; it comes out of a chicken. 那是因为一只鸡蛋并非一个封闭系统 它是某只鸡生出来的
Maybe the universe comes out of a universal chicken. 也许整个宇宙都是一只宇宙鸡生出来的
universal:adj.普遍的;全体的;全世界的;共同的;
Maybe there is something that naturally , through the growth of the laws of physics, gives rise to universe like ours in low entropy configurations. 也许通过物理定律的发展 某些东西会自然的导致 这个宇宙 以小熵值的形式诞生
naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地;
If that's true it would happen more than once; we would be part of a much bigger multiverse. 如果那是正确的话 它不会只发生一次 我们会是巨大的多元宇宙的一部分
That's my favorite scenario. 这便是我最中意的情形
So the organizers asked me to end with a bold speculation. 组织者们让我以一个大胆的推测结束我的演讲
organizers:n.主办单位,组织者(organizer的复数形式); bold:adj.大胆的,英勇的;黑体的;厚颜无耻的;险峻的;
My bold speculation is that I will be absolutely vindicated by history. 我大胆的推测 便是我将会绝对的被历史维护
absolutely:adv.绝对地;完全地; vindicated:v.维护;证明…无辜;证明…正确;
And 50 years from now, all of my current wild ideas will be accepted as truths by the scientific and external communities . 今后的50年间 我现在所有疯狂的想法都会 被科学界以及整个社会 接受为现实
scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; external:n.外部;外观;形式;外部情况;adj.外部的;外面的;外界的;外来的; communities:n.社区;社会;团体;共有(community的复数)
We will all believe that our little universe is just a small part of a much larger multiverse. 我们将全都相信 我们的小宇宙 不过是更大的多元宇宙中的一部分
And even better, we will understand what happened at the Big Bang in terms of a theory that we will be able to compare to observations . 不仅如此 我们将理解大爆炸时发生的一切 将有一套能够 被观察支持的理论
compare:v.比较;对比;n.比较; observations:n.观察,观察值;观察结果;(observation的复数形式);
This is a prediction. I might be wrong. 这只是预测 我也许错了
But we've been thinking as a human race about what the universe was like, why it came to be the way it did for many, many years. 那么多年来 作为人类 我们不断思考着 曾经的宇宙 是怎样的 而它又是怎么变成它当时的样子的
human race:n.人类;
It's exciting to think we may finally know the answer someday. 令人兴奋的是 或许终有一天我们会找到答案
Thank you. 谢谢
(Applause) （掌声）