望远镜400年的故事（2009）

它用罐子里旋转的炽热玻璃来制♥造♥
IT WAS MADE BY SPINNING HOT GLASS IN A POT,
快速旋转它
AND YOU SPIN IT,
就形成盘状玻璃表面
AND THAT MAKES THE DISH SURFACE ON THE GLASS.
我们在这熔炉里要做的 是控制这个罐
WHAT WE DO IN THE FURNACE HERE, WE TAKE THE POT.
我们把大量坯放到里面
WE PUT A LOT OF BLOCKS IN IT.
当玻璃融化的时候 会流到这些坯里
AND WHEN THE GLASS MELTS, IT RUNS AROUND THESE BLOCKS.
等好了的时候 象现在这样
AND THEN WHEN IT'S SET, AS IT IS NOW,
接下来的步骤就是将那些坯
THE NEXT STEP IS TO GET ALL THOSE BLOCKS
从玻璃中拿出来
OUT OF THE GLASS.
那样就留下一个极轻的 内部呈蜂巢状的结构
THAT LEAVES A VERY LIGHTWEIGHT INTERNAL HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE.
这样我们就造出这么个固体
SO IF WE'D MADE THIS THING SOLID,
本应重约百吨♥
IT WOULD WEIGH ABOUT A HUNDRED TONS.
但因为它实际80%是空心的 这么一来
BUT BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY 80% VOIDS,RIGHT,
事实上只重20吨♥
IT ACTUALLY WEIGHS 20 TONS.
解说：罗杰·安吉尔 和他的 研究生约翰希尔
(narrator) ROGER ANGEL AND HIS GRADUATE STUDENT JOHN HILL
发展这一个革命性的 旋转浇铸镜法
DEVELOPED THIS REVOLUTIONARY METHOD OF SPIN CASTING MIRRORS
是25年多前
MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO
在亚历桑那大学镜子实验室
HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA MIRROR LAB.
这种采用
THIS METHOD OF EMPLOYING
蜂巢结构支撑的方法
A HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORT
还提供另外一个好处
ALSO PROVIDES A SECOND ADVANTAGE.
安杰：重要的是
(Angel) BUT THE MAIN THING IS,
如果你将它做得很轻且呈蜂巢状
IF YOU MAKE IT LIGHTWEIGHT AND HONEYCOMB,
你就能通过驱动里面的空气调节温度
YOU CAN AIR-CONDITION IT BY BLOWING AIR INSIDE.
我们要这么做的原因是
AND THE REASON WE DO THAT IS THAT
如果一面镜子 在夜晚
IF A MIRROR,DURING THE NIGHT,
假如它比空气热
IF IT'S WARMER THAN THE AIR,
那么当热量从镜子散发时
THEN THERE'S HEAT COMING OFF THE MIRROR,
就会破坏到图像
AND THAT SPOILS THE IMAGE.
但是如果你制♥造♥的玻璃 它的反射前表面
BUT IF YOU CAN MAKE THE GLASS, THE REFLECTING FRONT SURFACE,
跟夜晚空气有完全相同的温度
BE EXACTLY THE SAME TEMPERATURE AS THE NIGHT AIR,
那就没有热量从镜子上散出
THEN THERE'S NO HEAT RISING UP THE MIRROR
图像就不会扭曲
AND NO DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE.
解说：在这些八米口径镜面的后边
(narrator) BEHIND THESE EIGHT-METER MIRROR SURFACES
是计算机控制的制动器
ARE COMPUTER-CONTROLLED ACTUATORS
在望远镜移♥动♥的时候通过
THAT PUSH OR PULL ON THE MIRROR TO HOLD ITS PRECISE SHAPE
推或拉镜子保持它的精确形状
AS THE TELESCOPE MOVES.
那些相同的计算机把多个望远镜
THOSE SAME COMPUTERS ALLOW THE TELESCOPES TO BE MOUNTED
安装到一个叫经纬仪传动系统上
ON WHAT'S CALLED AN ALTAZIMUTH DRIVE SYSTEM
避免大规模的反向架设
THAT AVOIDS THE MASSIVE POLAR MOUNTINGS
象帕洛玛望远镜所使用的一样
LIKE THAT USED FOR THE PALOMAR TELESCOPE.
这样能大大减少 架设起来的望远镜
THIS GREATLY REDUCES THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE TELESCOPE MOUNTING
以及整个天文台建筑物的整体大小
AND OF THE ENTIRE OBSERVATORY BUILDING.
第二个制♥造♥大镜面的进展出现
A SECOND APPROACH TO MAKING LARGE MIRRORS APPEARED
在1980年代
IN THE 1980s.
利用CAL(细胞辅助移植技术)技术 加州大学的
ENGINEERS AND ASTRONOMERS AT CAL TECH
工程师和天文学家们
AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM
用36个六角形的区块 制♥造♥出一面10米口径的镜子
CREATED A 10-METER-WIDE MIRROR FROM 36 HEXAGONAL SEGMENTS.
每个区块后面有多个主动器
MULTIPLE ACTUATORS BEHIND EACH SEGMENT
以维持这个10米口径的镜子 原本设计的形状
MAINTAIN THE DESIRED SHAPE OF THE 10-METER MIRROR,
当望远镜移♥动♥时
COMPENSATING FOR ANY TENDENCY TO DEFORM
补偿任何变形的倾向
AS THE TELESCOPE MOVES.
这种多镜面设计的成果
THE RESULTS FROM THIS MULTI-MIRROR DESIGN
是凯克天文台的 双胞胎10米口径望远镜
ARE THE TWIN 10-METER TELESCOPES OF W.M. KECK OBSERVATORY
和同样设计的 大加纳利望远镜
AND THE SIMILARLY DESIGNED GRAN CANARY TELESCOPE,
它成为现今建造的最大的
WHICH NOW REIGN AS THE LARGEST
可见光望远镜
VISIBLE LIGHT TELESCOPES EVER BUILT.
两个天文台位于远离城市光的地方
BOTH OF THESE OBSERVATORIES ARE LOCATED FROM FROM CITY LIGHTS,
群山岛屿中的最高峰
HIGH ATOP MOUNTAINOUS ISLANDS
这里空气清洁 干燥 并稳定
WHERE THE AIR IS CLEAR,DRY, AND STEADY.
凯克天文台是 马耐基山上众多的天文台之一
THE KECK OBSERVATORY IS ONE OF MANY THAT OPERATE ON MAUNA KEA,
这是太平洋盆地最高的山
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN THE PACIFIC BASIN.
这个夏威夷岛屿上14,000英尺高处
THE 14,000-FOOT SUMMIT OF THIS HAWAIIAN ISLAND
拥有13座天文台
HOSTS 13 OBSERVATOES,
其中有几个开展国际合作
SEVERAL OF WHICH ARE INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS.
当你在马耐基山上环顾四周
WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND HERE ON MAUNA KEA,
你所见到的是
WHAT YOU SEE IS A SCIENTIFIC INVESTMENT
价值十亿美元的科学投资
OF A BILLION DOLLARS.
全世界许多许多国家
MANY,MANY COUNTRIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
来到这里充分利用纯净的天空
HAVE COME HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PRISTINE SKY
开展天文学研究
TO DO ASTRONOMY.
解说：望远镜设计的进步之一
(narrator) ONE OF THE ADVANCES IN TELESCOPE DESIGN
是在马耐基山之下
UNDER WAY ON MAUNA KEA
借用一种电波天文学的普通技术
BORROWS A TECHNOLOGY COMMON TO RADIO ASTRONOMY,
干涉测量法
INTERFEROMETRY.
藉由叠加彼此相距80米的 双胞胎凯克望远镜
BY COMBINING THE LIGHT FROM THE TWIN KECK TELESCOPES
发出的光线
SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY 80 METERS,
天文学家们正在尝试 获得比使用单个80米望远镜
ASTRONOMERS ARE TRYING TO CREATE THE ABILITY TO SEE FINE DETAIL
更清晰的细节的能力
THAT THEY WOULD GET FROM A SINGLE 80-METER TELESCOPE.
在智利 在欧洲的南方天文台 帕拉纳尔的天文学家
IN CHILE,ASTRONOMERS AT THE EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY
也使用干涉测量法
AT PARANAL ARE ALSO USING INTERFEROMETRY
结合了从四台8米口径望远镜 发出的光线
TO COMBINE THE LIGHT BEAMS FROM FOUR 8-METER TELESCOPES.
而同样在另一个 国际天文台
AND STILL ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY,
在亚历桑那州的大型双筒望远镜
THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE IN ARIZONA,
将组合由它的两个84米口径镜面 会聚的光线
WILL COMBINE THE LIGHT COLLECTED BY ITS TWO 8.4-METER MIRRORS.
在电磁波谱的无线电波以外部分
OUTSIDE OF THE RADIO WAVE PART OF THE SPECTRUM,
干涉法到目前为止
INTERFEROMETERS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO FAR
只有在红外线部分获得成功
ONLY IN THE INFRARED.
未来可见光波长部分的成功
FUTURE SUCCESSES IN THE VISIBLE LIGHT WAVELENGTHS
将必然暴露出我们宇宙 隐藏的细节
WILL SURELY EXPOSE HIDDEN DETAILS OF OUR UNIVERSE.
反复、细致
THE RESEARCH TECHNIQUE
对观察技术的研究
OF REPEATED AND CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS
形成了全太空观测的一些基本原则
FORMS THE BASIS OF SEVERAL ALL-SKY SURVEYS.
建立在独特的望远镜技术上 的两个发展项目是
TWO PROGRESSIVE PROJECTS BUILT ON UNIQUE TELESCOPE TECHNOLOGY
大口径综合巡天望远镜(LSST)
ARE THE LARGE SYNOPTIC SURVEY TELESCOPE
和全景搜索望远镜
AND THE PANORAMIC SURVEY TELESCOPE
与快速反应系统
AND RAPID RESPONSE SYSTEM.
我们在建筑 LSST里的项目
OUR OBJECT IN BUILDING LSST
将进行超超级成像测量
IS TO BUILD THE UBER IMAGING SURVEY,
就是说 把天空 整个天空的数据
ALL RIGHT,TO CAPTURE THE SKY, THE ENTIRE SKY,
尽可能经常尽可能深入地捕捉 并输入一个数据库之内
AS FREQUENTLY AND AS DEEPLY AS POSSIBLY INTO A DATABASE.
当你获得了天空的10年
NOW YOU'VE GOT TEN YEARS OF SKY,
史上最伟大的运动影像 由计算机所制♥造♥
THE GREATEST MOTION PICTURE EVER MADE,IN A COMPUTER.
你就能观察它
AND NOW YOU CAN OBSERVE IT
如同观察一个虚拟现实一般
JUST LIKE YOU OBSERVE VIRTUAL REALITY.
你能试着不同的方法看它
YOU CAN TRY DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT.
你能穿过它 让它形象化
YOU CAN MOVE THROUGH IT, VISUALIZE IT.
你还能一次一次地重返它
THEN YOU CAN GO BACK TO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
解说：这个巨大的数据库 谁都能得到
(narrator) THIS ENORMOUS DATABASE WILL BE AVAILABLE
不只是天文学家 也包括整个世界
NOT ONLY TO ASTRONOMERS BUT ALSO TO THE WORLD AT LARGE,
允许每个人 包括你
ALLOWING EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOU,
在家里的计算机上进行研究
TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON HOME COMPUTERS.
LSST推动科学进步的途径之一
ONE OF THE WAYS LSST WILL ADVANCE SCIENCE
不只是在天文学
IS NOT JUST IN ASTRONOMY
而是把科学带到大众面前
BUT IN BRINGING THE SCIENCE BEFORE THE PUBLIC,
帮助大众了解 他们所居住的宇宙
HELPING THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE COSMOS THEY LIVE IN.
即使世界上所有的天文学家
EVEN IF ALL THE ASTRONOMERS IN THE WORLD
为这些数据不眠不休地工作
WERE TO WORK NONSTOP ON THIS DATA,
我们也只能触及表面
WE'D ONLY SCRATCH THE SURFACE.
这个数据内容如此之丰富
THERE'S SO MUCH CONTENT IN THE DATA.
因此将这笔数据带给大众
SO BRINGING THIS DATA OUT TO THE PUBLIC,
让公众看到它
LETTING THE PUBLIC LOOK AT IT,
让孩子们点燃 他们的想像
LETTING KIDS FIRE THEIR IMAGINATIONS
通过计算机用某种方式深入其中
BY BEING ABLE TO ZOOM THROUGH IT IN SOME WAY ON THE COMPUTER
或在教室中加以使用
OR USE IT IN CLASSROOM WORK,
这是LSST帮助 促进科学发展
THIS IS A WAY IN WHICH LSST WILL HELP PROMOTE SCIENCE
和理解自然世界的一条途径
AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURAL WORLD.
甚至在艺术上 不难想像
EVEN THE ARTS, ONE COULD EASILY IMAGINE
艺术家使用 这些丰富的数据
AN ARTIST USING THIS RICH FUND OF DATA
创造出一个新的途径 来审视宇宙
TO CREATE A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT THE UNIVERSE