Carolyn Porco: Could a Saturn moon harbor life?

翻译人员: Jin Xin 校对人员: dahong zhang

Two years ago here at TED

两年前，就在这儿，TED

I reported that we had discovered

我宣布我们通过卡西尼探测器

at Saturn, with the Cassini Spacecraft,

对土星的探测

an anomalously warm and geologically active region

在一颗较小的土星卫星的南端，

at the southern tip of the small Saturnine moon

发现了一块异常温暖的地质运动活跃区域

Enceladus, seen here.

这颗卫星就是木卫二，请看图。

This region seen here for the first time

在这张卡西尼号于2005年拍摄的图片中，

in the Cassini image taken in 2005. This is the south polar region,

我们第一次看到该区域。这是土卫二的南极地区。

with the famous tiger-stripe fractures crossing the south pole.

南极地区横布着著名的虎皮纹裂痕

And seen just recently in late 2008,

这是2008年晚些时候拍摄的图片

here is that region again,

我们又可以看到这个区域

now half in darkness because the southern hemisphere

该区域有一半处于阴影中，因为此时南半球

is experiencing the onset of August

刚刚进入8月份

and eventually winter.

并将逐渐进入冬季。

And I also reported that we'd made this mind-blowing discovery --

并且我还宣布了我们的一项令人兴奋的发现

this once-in-a-lifetime discovery

这项发现真是一生难求。

of towering jets

这些高耸的喷射流

erupting from those fractures at the south pole,

是从我们之前看到的南极的裂痕区域喷发出来的。

consisting of tiny water ice crystals

含有微小的冰晶

accompanied by water vapor

一起喷发出来的还有水蒸汽

and simple organic compounds like carbon dioxide and methane.

以及简单的有机化合物，比如二氧化碳和甲烷

And at that time two years ago

而且两年前

I mentioned that we were speculating

当时我说我们推测

that these jets might in fact be geysers,

这些喷射流可能实际上是

and erupting from pockets

从充满液态水的地面凹陷处

or chambers of liquid water underneath the surface,

或者地表以下的腔室中喷射出来的间歇泉

but we weren't really sure.

但是我们那时候无法确定。

However, the implications of those results --

但是，那些结果显示

of a possible environment within this moon

该卫星内存在

that could support prebiotic chemistry,

一个可能能够支持生命起源前化学物质

and perhaps life itself --

或者生命本身的环境

were so exciting that, in the intervening two years,

我们非常兴奋，所以在接下来的两年中

we have focused more on Enceladus.

我们对木卫二给予了更多的关注。

We've flown the Cassini Spacecraft

我们操控卡西尼探测器

by this moon now several times,

飞经该卫星好几次。

flying closer and deeper into these jets,

每次都离这些喷射流更贴近

into the denser regions of these jets,

得以进入这些喷射流密度更高的区域

so that now we have come away with some

这样一来，我们就取得了一些

very precise compositional measurements.

非常准确的成分测量数据。

And we have found

我们发现

that the organic compounds coming from this moon

该卫星喷射出的有机化合物

are in fact more complex than we previously reported.

事实上比先前我们报道的要更加复杂

While they're not amino acids,

它们不是氨基酸

we're now finding things like

我们现在发现了

propane and benzene,

丙烷和苯

hydrogen cyanide, and formaldehyde.

氢氰酸，以及甲醛等化合物

And the tiny water crystals here

而且，这些微小的冰晶

now look for all the world

看起来非常像是

like they are frozen droplets of salty water,

冰冻的盐水滴

which is a discovery that suggests

该发现表明

that not only do the jets come from

不仅这些喷射流是从

pockets of liquid water,

液态水凹坑里喷射出来的

but that that liquid water is in contact with rock.

而且这些液态水还跟岩石有接触。

And that is a circumstance

这种情况下，

that could supply the chemical energy

就能产生保证维持生命的化学能

and the chemical compounds needed to sustain life.

以及化合物。

So we are very encouraged by these results.

因此，这些结果使我们深受鼓舞。

And we are much more confident now than we were two years ago

我们比两年之前更加有信心，

that we might indeed

我们可能真的会

have on this moon, under the south pole,

在这个卫星的南极下面

an environment or a zone that is hospitable to living organisms.

发现适合生命有机体存在的环境或者区域

Whether or not there are living organisms there, of course,

当然，那里是否存在生命有机体

is an entirely different matter.

就是另外一个问题了

And that will have to await the arrival,

这个问题只能等到

back at Enceladus,

将来发射的探测器再次造访土卫二时来解答

of the spacecrafts, hopefully some time in the near future,

，这些探测器将携带研究该问题的设备。

specifically equipped to address that particular question.

但愿在不远的将来就能实现

But in the meantime I invite you to imagine the day

与此同时，我邀请大家跟我一起憧憬这样一个时刻：

when we might journey to the Saturnine system,

我们一起畅游于土星体系中

and visit the Enceladus interplanetary geyser park,

并参观土卫二上的行星际间歇泉公园

just because we can.

只因我们可以做到。

Thank you.

谢谢

(Applause)

（鼓掌）