What's at the bottom of the ocean -- and how we're getting there | Victor Vescovo

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bruce Sung

David Biello: So Victor, what have you been up to?

大衛貝羅：維克多， 你最近在忙什麼？

Victor Vescovo: That's the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean,

維克多韋斯科沃： 那是大西洋的底部，

and I guess I read too much Jules Verne as a young boy,

我小時候大概讀太多 朱爾凡爾納的作品了，

and so for the last four years I've led a team to design and build

所以過去四年間 我帶領團隊設計和打造了

what is now the most advanced and deepest diving submersible on the planet,

現今地球上最先進、 能下潛最深潛水器，

and I have the ability to personally pilot it too.

我得以親自駕駛它。

So this was us in December of last year,

這是我們去年十二月做的事，

for the first time -- the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

史上第一次，在大西洋的底部。

DB: And nobody's seen that before right?

大：以前都沒有人見過， 只有你，對吧？

That's just you. VV: No.

維：對的。

Well, now everybody else.

現在大家都看到了。

DB: Who does that?

大：誰會做這種事？

Like --

我是指——

VV: Well, I think everyone has seen the developments in the last 10, 15 years.

維：嗯，我想大家都目睹 過去十年、十五年間的發展。

You have a bunch of people that have the means to explore outer space,

有一票人有辦法能去探索外太空，

like SpaceX or Blue Origin --

如（太空公司）SpaceX 和藍色起源那票人，

those guys --

and we're going the other direction.

我們朝另一個方向去。

這是個美好的時代，

So it's a wonderful era

of private individuals spending their resources

個人會利用自身的資源 開發出新的技術，

to develop technologies that can take us to places

帶我們到過去未曾探索過的地方，

that have never been explored before,

而世界上的海洋是——

and the oceans of the world is --

it's almost a cliché to say it's 70 percent of our entire planet,

用老套的說法， 地球上有 70% 都是海洋，

and of that, 95 percent is unexplored.

而 95% 的海洋尚未被探索過。

So what we're trying to do with our expedition

所以，我們探險的目的

is to build and prove out a submersible

是要打造一台潛水器，並證明它 能夠前往地球上海底的任何地點

that can go to any point on the bottom of the planet

to explore the 60 percent of this planet that is still unexplored.

去探索地球上 60% 還未被探索過的地區。

DB: You need a pretty cool tool to do that, right?

大：你需要很酷的工具 才能辦到，對吧？

VV: Right.

維：是的。

Now the tool is the submarine, the Limiting Factor.

這個工具是一台潛水艇， 叫做「限制因素」。

It's a state-of-the-art vessel

它是最先進的船艦，

supported by the support ship, the Pressure Drop.

由支援船「壓降」來支援它。

It has a two-person titanium sphere, 90 millimeters-thick,

它是能乘載兩個人的 鈦製球體，有 90 毫米厚，

that keeps it at one atmosphere,

內部壓力保持一大氣壓，

and it has the ability to dive repeatedly

且它可以重覆下潛，

down to the very deepest point of the ocean.

下到海洋底下最深的地點。

DB: So like the SpaceX of ocean exploration?

大：所以，就像是 海洋探索的 SpaceX？

VV: Yeah, it's kind of the SpaceX of ocean exploration,

維：是啊，算是種 海洋探索的 SpaceX，

but I pilot my own vehicles.

但我駕駛自己的潛艇。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

DB: Are you going to take Elon or...?

大：你會帶伊隆（馬斯克， SpaceX 執行長）或是……？

VV: Yeah, I could take someone down there.

維：是啊，我可以帶人下去。

So, Elon, if you're listening,

所以，伊隆，如果你正在聽，

I'll give you a ride in mine if you give me a ride in yours.

如果你用你的太空船載我一程， 我可以用我的潛水器載你一程。

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

DB: So tell us what it's like down there.

大：跟我們談談 海底下是什麼樣子的。

I mean, we're talking about a place where the pressure is so intense

畢竟，我們在談的地方， 壓力非常之大，

that it's like putting an Eiffel Tower on your toe.

就像把艾菲爾鐵塔壓在你腳上。

VV: It's more than that.

維：不只如此。 壓力約為一萬六千 psi。

It's about 16,000 psi.

So the issue is that we have this titanium sphere

所以議題是在於， 我們用這個鈦製球體，

that allows us to go down to these extreme depths

可以下潛到極深的地方，

and come up repeatedly.

再浮上來，且能重覆進行。 這是前所未有的。

That's never been done before.

The Challenger Deep has been dived twice,

曾經有人下潛到全球最深的 查倫格海淵兩次，

once in 1960 and once in 2012 by James Cameron,

一次在 1960 年，一次在 2012 年， 由詹姆士卡麥隆駕駛，

and they went down and came back up and those were experimental craft.

他們下潛再回來， 用的是實驗用的船艦。

This is the first commercially certified submersible

這是第一次得到商業認證的潛水器，

that can go up and down thousands of times with two people,

能夠載著兩個人上上下下 數千次，包括一位科學家。

including a scientist.

We're very proud that we took down

我們非常驕傲，我們帶下去的 是歷史上潛水最深的英國公民，

the deepest-diving British citizen in history

just three weeks ago, Dr. Alan Jamieson of Newcastle University

三週前，紐卡斯爾大學的 艾倫傑米森博士

who was down with us on the Java Trench.

和我們一起下潛到爪哇海溝。

DB: So, not too much freaks you out, is what I'm guessing.

大：所以，還不致於太嚇人， 這是我的猜測。

VV: Well, it's a lot different to go diving.

維：嗯，這和潛水很不同。

If you're claustrophobic, you do not want to be in the submarine.

如果你有幽閉恐怖症， 你不會想要待在潛水艇裡。

We go down quite a distance

我們下潛的距離很長，

and the missions typically last eight to nine hours in a confined space.

任務通常需要在狹窄封閉 空間中待八、九個小時。

這和我先前的生涯大不相同，

It's very different from the career I had previously

我以前爬山，待在開放的大空間中，

which was mountain climbing where you're in open spaces,

風吹過來會非常寒冷。

the wind is whipping, it's very cold.

這是相反的狀況，更靠科技。

This is the opposite. It's much more technical.

It's much more about precision in using the instruments

更重視使用器械的精準度， 還有問題排解，什麼都可能出錯。

and troubleshooting anything that can go wrong.

但，如果在潛水器中有什麼 地方出錯了，你不會知道的。

But if something really goes wrong in the submersible,

you're not going to know it.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

DB: So you're afraid of leaks is what you're saying.

大：所以你的意思是你會怕漏水。

VV: Leaks are not good, but if it's a leak that's happening,

維：漏水不是好事，但若 發生的是漏水，也沒那麼糟，

it's not that bad because if it was really bad

因為真正很糟的狀況是 你根本不知道怎麼了，但——

you wouldn't know it, again, but --

you know, fire in the capsule, that wouldn't be good either,

在座艙內著火，那也不會是好事，

but it's actually a very safe submersible.

但它其實是非常安全的潛水器。

I like to say I don't trust a lot of things in life,

我想說，我一生中 不相信的事物很多，

but I do trust titanium, I trust math

但我確實相信鈦和數學，

and I trust finite element analysis,

我相信有限元素分析， 它是用來協助你判斷

which is how you figure out

whether or not things like this can survive

像這樣的東西是否能承受 超大的壓力和極端條件。

these extraordinary pressures and conditions.

DB: And that sphere is so perfectly machined, right?

大：那個球體是用機器 完美製造出來的，對吧？

This is a truly unique craft.

它真的是獨一無二的船艦。

VV: That was the real trick --

維：那真的是訣竅——

is actually building a titanium sphere

要真正打造一個鈦製球體，

that was accurate to within .1 percent of machine.

且精確度要在機器的 0.1% 以內。

Titanium is a hard metal to work

鈦是種很難搞的金屬， 很多人都還沒搞定它，

and a lot of people haven't figured it out,

但我們很幸運。

but we were very fortunate.

我們的團隊很出色， 做出了幾乎完美的球體，

Our extraordinary team was able to make an almost perfect sphere,

which when you're subjecting something to pressure,

如果要讓一個物體承受壓力， 最強的幾何形狀就是球體。

that's the strongest geometry you can have.

當我在那潛水器中， 艙門關上之後，

When I'm in the submersible and that hatch closes,

I'm confident that I'm going to go down and come back up.

我很有信心下去之後一定會再上來。

DB: And that's the thing you double-check --

大：你必須要再次確認艙門關緊了？

that the hatch is closed?

維：潛水艇下潛只有兩條規則。

VV: There are only two rules in diving a submarine.

第一條規則：要確保艙門關好。

Number one is close the hatch securely.

第二條規則：回到第一條規則。

Number two is go back to rule number one.

DB: Alright so, Atlantic Ocean: check.

大：好，所以，大西洋：完成。

Southern Ocean: check.

南冰洋：完成。

VV: No one has ever dived the Southern Ocean before.

維：以前未曾有人潛入南冰洋過。

I know why.

我知道原因。

它是很不友善的環境。

It's really, really hostile.

The weather is awful.

天氣很糟糕。

The word collision comes to mind.

我會想到的詞就是「碰撞」。

But we did that one, yes.

但沒錯，我們潛過南冰洋。

Glad that's over -- DB: Yeah --

很高興完成了。

VV: Thank you.

大：是啊。 維：謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

DB: It's like you're racing through it.

大：你好像是在賽跑一樣。

現在是印度洋，凱莉先前提過。

And now the Indian Ocean, as Kelly mentioned.

VV: Yeah, that was three weeks ago.

維：是的，那是三週前的事。

We were fortunate enough to actually solve the mystery.

我們夠幸運能夠頭一個解開那個謎。

If someone had asked me three weeks ago,

如果三週前有人問我：

"What is the deepest point in the Indian Ocean?" --

「印度洋中最深的點是哪裡？」

no one really knew.

沒有人知道。

There were two candidates,

有兩個可能的點， 澳洲西部外海以及爪哇海溝。

one off of Western Australia and one in the Java Trench.

我們有一艘很好的船，配有 很棒的聲納來針對這兩個點畫圖。

We have this wonderful ship with a brilliant sonar.

We mapped both of them.

我們派遺著陸艙到海底進行驗證。

We sent landers down to the bottom and verified.

It's actually in the center portion of the Java Trench,

最深的點是在爪哇海溝的中央區，

which is where no one thought it was.

沒有人想到會是那裡。

In fact, every time we've completed one of our major dives,

事實上，每當我們完成 一次重大的潛水任務，

我們就得要趕快 上維基百科去更改資料，

we have to run off to Wikipedia and change it

因為原本的資料完全錯了。

because it's completely wrong.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

DB: So it probably takes longer to get down there

大：所以，你潛到 水底所要花的時間，

than the time you're able to spend down there?

可能比你待在水底的時間還長？

VV: No, we actually spend quite a bit of time.

維：不會，我們在底下 待了蠻長的時間。

I have four days of oxygen supply in the vessel.

潛水器可以供應四天的氧氣。

If I'm down there for four days,

若我在下面待了四天，出了什麼 大差錯，我可能也用不到氧氣了，

something's gone so wrong I'm probably not going to use it,

不過，下潛到海洋底 最深的地區大約要三小時，

but it's about three hours down to the deepest part of the ocean

接著，我們可以待在 那裡約三、四小時，

and then we can spend usually three or four hours

and then another three hours up.

接著再花三小時上來。

So you don't want to stay in there for more than 10 or 11 hours.

你不會想在那待超過十、十一小時。

真的會有點緊繃。

It can get a little tight.

大：好，印度洋的底部。

DB: Alright, so the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

那裡有著除了你之外 沒有人看過的東西——

And this is something that no one besides you has ever seen before --

VV: This is actually imagery from one of our robotic landers.

維：這是我們的其中一台 機械著陸艙帶來的實際影像。

On the bottom right you can actually see a robust assfish --

在右下方，可以看到 一隻壯體索深鼬魚——

that's what it's actually called.

這是它的真名。（笑聲）

(Laughter)

但可以看到左邊有一隻 從來沒有見過的生物。

But you can see from the left a creature that's never been seen before.

It's actually a bottom-dwelling jellyfish called a stalked ascidian,

它其實是一隻底棲水母， 叫做肉柄海鞘類動物，

and none of them have ever looked like this before.

以前所知的這類動物 都不是這個模樣的。

It actually has a small child at the bottom of its stalk,

它的肉柄底部其實有一個孩子，

and it just drifted across beautifully.

它就這樣美麗地漂過去。

So every single dive we have gone on,

所以，我們每一次下潛，

even though we're only down there for a couple of hours,

即使只在水底待幾個小時，

we have found three or four new species

也會發現三、四種新的物種，

because these are places that have been isolated for billions of years

因為有些地方是數十億年來 都沒人接觸過的，

and no human being has ever been down there to film them

從來沒有人下來攝影或是採樣。

or take samples.

And so this is extraordinary for us --

所以，對我們來說，這非比尋常。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So what we are hoping --

所以，我們希望——

the main objective of our mission is to build this tool.

我們任務的主要目標是要打造工具，

This tool is a door,

以工具為門，

because with this tool,

因為有了這工具，就能製造更多台，

we'll be able to make more of them potentially

and take scientists down to do thousands of dives,

帶科學家下潛數千趟，

to open that door to exploration

開啟探索之門，

and find things that we had no idea even existed.

找到我們根本不知道存在的東西。

DB: And so more people have been to space than the bottom of the ocean.

大：所以，上過太空的人 比下過海底的人還多。

You're one of three.

你是三個人中的一個。

You're going to up that number, you're going to give it away.

你要把那數字提高， 你要把機會給出去。

維：是的，有三個人曾經 下潛到太平洋的底部。

VV: Yeah, three people have dived to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

的里雅斯特號 在 1960 年帶了兩個人。

The USS Trieste in 1960 with two individuals.

James Cameron in 2012 with his Deep Sea Challenger --

還有 2012 年詹姆士柯麥隆 搭乘深海挑戰者號——

謝謝，詹姆士，很棒的潛艇。

thank you, Jim, great sub.

This is a third-generation technology.

這是第三代科技。

We're not only going to try and go down, actually in two weeks,

兩週後，我們不只要試著下潛，

but we're going to try and do it multiple times,

我們還要試著下潛很多次， 以前沒有人做過。

which has never been done before.

若能成功，我們就能證明這項科技，

If we can do that, we'll have proven the technology

and that door will not just go open, it will stay open.

且那扇門不僅會被打開， 還會一直開著。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

DB: Fantastic. Good luck.

大：太棒了。祝順利。

維：非常謝謝。 大：謝謝你。

VV: Thank you very much. DB: Thank you.

維：謝謝大家。

VV: Thank you all.

(Applause)

（掌聲）