Should we be looking for life elsewhere in the universe? - Aomawa Shields

翻译人员: Yi Wen 校对人员: Jiawei Ni

Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun.

除了太阳以外，天文学家已经发现了成千上万的环绕恒星的行星

They come in all sizes,

行星的大小都不相同

at different orbital distances from their stars.

行星环绕恒星的轨道距离也不同

The closest of them are trillions of miles away,

距离最近的也有数万亿英里之远

and even the largest are just fuzzy patches

甚至在高能望远镜下

in the fields of high-powered telescopes.

最大的也像是模糊的补丁

But if one of these planets is close in size to the Earth

但是如果其中一个行星的大小与地球接近

and orbits not too close and too far away from its parent star,

并且与其环绕运动的恒星的距离也是不远不近

it could be rocky and warm enough to have oceans

它就可能有很多岩石，并且足够温暖还有海洋

and perhaps life.

或许还有生命

Astronomers discover these potentially habitable planets,

天文学家发现这些可能适合居住的恒星

and their eyes get big and wide.

他们非常惊讶

Could one of these distant worlds carry the building blocks of life?

其中一个遥远的世界可能有存在生命的基本条件吗?

Or even a living, breathing, civilization?

或者是一种有生命的、会呼吸的文明?

Is the question, "Are we alone in the universe?" about to be answered?

“我们在宇宙是否是孤独的”这个问题将得到回答吗？

But wait.

但是，等一下

Maybe we should ask a different question first.

或许我们首先可以提出一个不同的问题

Should we try to find out if we're alone in the universe?

我们是否应该尝试去寻找我们是宇宙中唯一的生命吗？

If we do find the atmospheric fingerprints of life

如果我们在大气层发现发现生命的迹象

on one of these small, distant worlds,

在一个很小又很远的世界

should we try to contact any beings who may live there?

我们是否应该尝试与可能生活在那里的生物接触？

Is that wise?

这是否明智呢？

Three decades ago, NASA decided the answer was yes.

30年前，NASA决定这个答案是肯定的

Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977

航行者1号和2号在1977年发射

to explore the giant planets in the solar system.

去探索太阳系里的巨大星球

Each spacecraft carried a golden phonograph record,

每一个宇宙飞船都携带了一个金色的留声机唱片

a time capsule of sorts that included clues and messages

有点像个包含着线索和消息的时间胶囊

meant to convey the story of human civilization.

旨在传达人类文明的故事

The contents of these gold-plated copper disks were chosen by a committee

这些镀金铜磁盘的内容都由委员会决定

chaired by American astronomer and author Carl Sagan.

委员会主席为美国天文学家和作家卡尔·萨根

They included over 100 images,

它们包括了100张图片

and a range of sounds from the natural world:

以及一系列来自自然世界的声音

ocean waves,

海浪声

thunder,

雷声

the sounds of birds

鸟声

and whales.

鲸鱼声

The records also included music from many different time periods and cultures,

记录还包括许多不同时期和文化的音乐

greetings in 55 languages,

55种语言的问候

and messages from the President of the United States,

以及来自美国总统

and the UN Secretary General.

和联合国秘书长的问候

They also included a map.

金唱片还附有一张地图

Each golden record displays the location of our solar system

每个金唱片都显示着我们太阳系

with respect to fourteen pulsars.

相对于14个脉冲星的位置

Their precise, unique frequencies were indicated

它们的精确度、独特的频率都标示了出来

so that intelligent, extraterrestrial lifeforms

这样有智慧的外星生命形式

could use them to find the Earth.

就可以通过它们找到地球

Many years later, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking said

很多年以后，著名物理学家斯蒂芬·霍金说

that it was a mistake to give an alien species a roadmap to our planet.

为外星物种提供到我们地球的路线图是一个错误

Hawking suspected that any extraterrestrial life

霍金怀疑任何外星生命

probably wasn't any more complex than microbes,

可能并不比细菌更复杂

but he warned that if an advanced alien species did visit Earth,

但他警告说，如果先进的外星物种访问地球

it could be as catastrophic as Christopher Columbus's arrival was

可能是一场大灾难

for the Native Americans.

就像克里斯托弗·哥伦布给印第安人造成的灾难一样

Meanwhile, the golden records continue their journeys.

与此同时，金唱片继续着它们的旅程

In 1990, both Voyager spacecraft passed beyond the orbit of Pluto.

1990年，两个旅行者号飞船飞越了冥王星的轨道

Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012,

旅行者1号在2012年进入星际空间

and will reach the nearest stellar system in 40,000 years.

并在4万年内将达到最近的恒星系统

If either spacecraft is discovered by extraterrestrial life,

如果两个宇宙飞船中的一个被外星生命发现

there's a possibility that they could decipher the clues from the golden record

有可能他们可以破译金唱片提供的线索

and one day reach our planet.

有一天到达我们的星球

That's particularly true

如果这个外星文明是一个技术更先进的文明

if theirs is a much more technologically advanced civilization.

更是尤为如此

That life could be benevolent,

这种生命可能是善良的

as we would hope to be if humans are one day able to achieve interstellar travel.

就像我们希望如果有一天人类能够实现星际旅行

Or it could be hostile.

或者这种生命可能是不友好的

Searching for planets that might have life means staring into a great abyss.

寻找可能有生命的行星意味着窥探一个巨大的深渊

We'll likely have no clear knowledge of the evolutionary stage,

我们可能没有清晰的进化阶段的相关知识

sentience,

知觉

character,

or intentions of the first form of life we discover.

性格

或者我们所发现的第一个生命的目的

So it's a risk to turn our eyes outwards.

我们探索外星是有风险的

We risk our very way of life.

我们让我们的生活方式面临风险

But it may be a greater risk not to look,

但不进行探索可能是更大的风险

to deny the very pioneering spirits that help shape our own species.

这是拒绝打造我们人类这一物种的开拓精神

We are all born curious about the world and the universe.

我们都生来对世界和宇宙感到好奇

Pursuing that curiosity is one of humankind's greatest achievements.

追求好奇是人类最伟大的成就之一

Perhaps there is room to push the frontiers of science,

也许推动科学进步的前沿还有一定空间

provided that we cradle alongside our fervor

前提是只要我们有热情

another of humankind's greatest assets:

并且延续人类另一个最伟大的资产：

hope.

那就是希望