望远镜400年的故事（2009）

在它绕地球以轨道速度运行的时候
WHILE IT WAS GOING AROUND THE EARTH AT ORBITAL SPEEDS.
解说：1980年代完工
(narrator) COMPLETED IN THE 1980s,
哈勃太空望远镜 在挑战者号♥航♥天♥飞机
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SPENT YEARS IN STORAGE
及其组员
AFTER THE TRAGIC LOSS
悲惨的损失之后 被束之高阁多年
OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER AND ITS CREW.
贝克维斯：最后在1990年,
(Beckwith) FINALLY IN 1990,
人们开始重新发射返回式飞行器
THEY STARTED LAUNCHING SHUTTLES AGAIN.
他们可以发射哈勃望远镜了
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH HUBBLE,
它真的是一件奇妙的事物
AND IT WAS JUST A FANTASTIC THING.
哈勃望远镜 重约25000磅
HUBBLE WEIGHS ABOUT 25,000 POUNDS,
象一台校车大小
AND IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SCHOOL BUS.
解说：发现号♥航♥天♥飞机升空
(man) AND LIFTOFF OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
携带着哈勃太空望远镜 我们的宇宙之窗
WITH THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, OUR WINDOW ON THE UNIVERSE.
解说：一旦在轨 哈勃太空望远镜 很快暴露出
(narrator) ONCE IN ORBIT,THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SOON REVEALED
一个威胁到
A FLAW THAT THREATENED
总额20亿美元投资的缺陷
THE ENTIRE $2 BILLION INVESTMENT.
当他们看着 第一幅图像时
WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE FIRST IMAGE,
他们发现这面镜子
THEY FOUND THAT THIS MIRROR,
原本应该被抛光成
WHICH INCIDENTALLY HAD BEEN POLISHED
人类史上最完美的镜子
TO THE MOST PERFECT FIGURE OF ANY MIRROR IN HUMAN HISTORY
如今却被抛光成错误的形状
HAD BEEN POLISHED TO THE WRONG SHAPE.
可它后面全部的光学设备和照相机
AND ALL OF THE CAMERAS AND OPTICS BEHIND IT
都设计为按正确的形状工作
WERE DESIGNED TO WORK WITH THE CORRECT SHAPE.
因此图像是模糊的
SO THE IMAGES WERE BLURRY.
事实上 图像并没有
IN FACT,THE IMAGES WEREN'T MUCH BETTER
比人们从地面望远镜得到的好什么
THAN WHAT YOU GOT FROM A GROUND-BASED TELESCOPE.
只稍微稳定一些
THEY WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE STABLE.
因此这是一场科学性的灾难
AND SO THIS WAS SCIENTIFICALLY DEVASTATING.
其害处不亚于 一场政♥治♥灾难
AND JUST AS BAD,IT WAS, POLITICALLY,A DISASTER.
解说：NASA(美国航♥空♥暨太空总署) 一意识到这个问题
(narrator) AS SOON AS NASA UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM,
就马上提出了解决方案
THEY DEVELOPED A SOLUTION.
虽然望远镜的 设计者没有预期要
ALTHOUGH THE TELESCOPE'S DESIGNERS HAD NOT ANTICIPATED
进行太空光学修理
A REPAIR OF THE OPTICS IN SPACE,
太空人还是成功地 安装了一系列
ASTRONAUTS SUCCESSFULLY INSTALLED AN ARRAY
纠正用的透镜
OR CORRECTIVE MIRRORS.
我所认识的许多那个时代的人中
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THAT ERA,
极少人认为这么做会成功
AND QUITE A FEW OF THEM DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD WORK.
那确实太复杂了
IT'S JUST SO COMPLICATED.
是最复杂的太空舞蹈
IT WAS THE MOST COMPLICATED SPACE CHOREOGRAPHY
从未有人做到过
THAT HAD EVERY BEEN DONE.
你必须相信发生五个奇迹
YOU KIND OF HAD TO BELIEVE IN FIVE MIRACLES
然后再来两个牙仙女帮忙什么的
AND TWO TOOTH FAIRIES
才能有合理的机会成功
TO GIVE IT ANY REASONABLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
然而 当他们从太空返回
AND YET,WHEN THEY GOT BACK DOWN FROM SPACE,
打开望远镜上的盖子 拍下第一幅图像
OPENED THE LID ON THE TELESCOPE, TOOK THOSE FIRST IMAGES,
他们看到所有的问题消失了
THEY REALIZED ALL THE PROBLEMS HAD DISAPPEARED.
［人们欢呼］
[people cheering]
解说：额外的修理及升级 将哈勃望远镜的
(narrator) ADDITIONAL REPAIRS AND UPGRADES HAVE EXTENDED
使命延长
THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE'S MISSION
远远超过其计划的 运行寿命
FAR BEYOND ITS PLANNED OPERATIONAL LIFE.
贝克维斯：他们每上去 进行一次修护任务
(Beckwith) EVERY TIME THEY WENT UP AND DID A SERVICING MISSION,
就在望远镜上安上新仪器
THEY PUT NEW INSTRUMENTS ON THE TELESCOPE.
这些仪器把望远镜
AND THESE INSTRUMENTS IMPROVED THE ABILITY OF THE TELESCOPE
的观测能力与先前相比
TO OBSERVE BY FACTORS OF 10 TO AS MUCH AS 100 TIMES
提高了10至100倍
COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS.
相当于每次维护任务后 给我们一座崭新的天文台
SO EACH SERVICING MISSION GAVE US A WHOLE NEW OBSERVATORY.
这就是为什么哈勃望远镜仍有
AND THAT'S WHY HUBBLE HAS REMAINED
如此科学的生产力
SO SCIENTIFICALLY PRODUCTIVE,
也是它为何仍如此受欢迎
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S REMAINED SO POPULAR.
解说：由哈勃望远镜获得的图像 已经成为宇宙的图标
(narrator) IMAGES FROM HUBBLE HAVE BECOME COSMIC ICONS,
和我们观察宇宙能力的五颜六色标志
COLORFUL SYMBOLS OF OUR ABILITY TO OBSERVE THE COSMOS,
且不受大气的干扰
FREE FROM ATMOSPHERIC INTERFERENCE.
宇宙如同一条花毯展现在每个镜头里
EACH SCENE EXPOSES THE TAPESTRY OF THE UNIVERSE,
物质及能量的动态相互作用
THE DYNAMIC INTERPLAY OF MATTER AND ENERGY
给太空涂抹出绚烂的色彩
THAT PAINTS OUR VIEW OF THE HEAVENS.
在1996年维护任务之后,
AFTER THE SERVICING MISSION IN 1996,
我的前任 罗伯特.威廉斯
MY PREDECESSOR,ROBERT WILLIAMS,
产生了一个天文学上的 非凡远见卓识
HAD A TREMENDOUSLY FARSIGHTED VISION FOR ASTRONOMY.
他说 "你看 这是 历史上最强大的望远镜
HE SAID,"LOOK,THIS IS THE MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPE IN HISTORY.
"我们何不将它对准
"WHY DON'T WE POINT IT
"太空中我们所看到的 最空洞 最黑暗的地方
"AT THE BLANKEST,DARKEST SPOT IN THE SKY WE CAN SEE
"并通过尽可能长时间的曝光
"AND EXPOSE IT FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN STAND
来拿到宇宙中最深处的图像?"
AND TAKE THE DEEPEST IMAGE EVER OF THE UNIVERSE?"
通过这种做法
AND BY DOING THAT,
他为哈勃望远镜 开创了广阔的新领域
HE CREATED THE HUBBLE DEEP FIELD,
这一领域 我们今天仍照此法研究
A FIELD THAT WE STILL USE FOR STUDY TODAY.
2002年维护任务之后 我做了同样的事
I DID THE SAME THING AFTER THE 2002 SERVICING MISSION
使哈勃望远镜更深入太空
AND CREATED THE HUBBLE ULTRA DEEP FIELD.
这些领域揭示了人类前所未见
AND THESE FIELDS REVEALED THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE
且任何地面望远镜也无法触及的
THAT HAD NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE
宇宙的另外一面
AND NO GROUND-BASED TELESCOPE CAN TOUCH.
解说：在1990年代 当天文学家 将哈勃望远镜的观察结果
(narrator) DURING THE 1990s,AS ASTRONOMERS COMBINED HUBBLE OBSERVATIONS
与地面望远镜的相互结合
WITH THOSE FROM GROUND-BASED TELESCOPES,
他们获得一项足以使人晕倒的发现
THEY MADE A STUNNING DISCOVERY.
天文学家原本想要确定 宇宙膨胀的速度
ASTRONOMERS WANTED TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
自大爆♥炸♥以后 到底减慢了多少
HAD BEEN SLOWING DOWN SINCE THE BIG BANG.
为了这件事情 在过去相当长时间内
TO DO THIS,THEY OBSERVED SUPERNOVA EXPLOSIONS
他们对不同距离的 超新星的爆发
AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES, AND THEREFORE,
进行了观测
AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE DISTANT PAST.
藉由比较这些超新星之间的
BY COMPARING THE RED SHIFTS AND DISTANCES
距离和它们的红移
OF THESE SUPERNOVAE,
天文学家能计算 宇宙膨胀
THE ASTRONOMERS COULD CALCULATE THE RATE AT WHICH THE UNIVERSE
减慢的速度
IS SLOWING DOWN.
然而 得到的结果是如此怪异
THE RESULTS,HOWEVER, WERE SO ODD
以至一开始科学家们拒绝相信他们
THAT AT FIRST THE SCIENTISTS REFUSED TO BELIEVE THEM.
在1997年 人们假定宇宙的膨胀
IN 1997,THE ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE
是会减慢的
WOULD BE SLOWING.
宇宙中所有物质 及其万有引力
ALL THE MATTER IN THE UNIVERSE AND ITS ATTRACTIVE GRAVITY
应该将宇宙向后拉 从而使膨胀速度慢下来
SHOULD PULL BACK ON THE UNIVERSE AND TEND TO SLOW THE EXPANSION.
因此我们的研究团队 收集了这些遥远的超新星
SO OUR TEAM HAD COLLECTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF DATA
的海量数据
OF THESE DISTANT SUPERNOVAE
使我们真正能计算 宇宙扩张的减缓速度
TO ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO MEASURE THE SLOWING OF THE EXPANSION.
我负责带领对收集来的
AND I WAS LEADING A STUDY
第一批海量数据 进行的分♥析♥工作
OF THE FIRST LARGE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE HAD COLLECTED.
我编了一套计算机程序 来让它告诉我
AND I WAS WRITING A COMPUTER PROGRAM TO TELL ME,
好 既然宇宙 的扩张在减慢
OKAY,SO IF THE UNIVERSE IS SLOWING IN ITS EXPANSION,
那么告诉我它的程度吧
TELL ME HOW HEAVY IT IS.
告诉我有多少质量在令膨胀减慢
TELL ME HOW MUCH MASS IS SLOWING THE EXPANSION.
而我所看见的 真的令人震惊
AND WHAT I SAW WAS REALLY SHOCKING.
它根本没有慢下来
IT WASN'T SLOWING DOWN AT ALL.
我的电脑程序告诉我宇宙
MY COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS TELLING ME THAT THE UNIVERSE
表现出好象里面有负的质量
WAS ACTING LIKE IT HAD A NEGATIVE MASS.
而唯一出现这种情况的可能
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT COULD HAPPEN
是如果扩张如果不是在减慢；
IS IF THE EXPANSION RATE WASN'T SLOWING DOWN;
那事实上就是在加速
IT WAS ACTUALLY SPEEDING UP.
而当我获得 第一个线索时
AND THAT'S WHEN I HAD THE FIRST CLUE
某些真正有趣的事情 正在继续
THAT SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING WAS GOING ON.
好吧 我的下巴都掉了
WELL,MY JAW JUST DROPPED.
我想这结果绝对错了
I THOUGHT THIS RESULT HAD TO BE WRONG.
要么是测量出了错误
EITHER THE MEASUREMENTS WERE WRONG
要么是计算或什么环节出了错
OR THE CALCULATIONS OR SOMETHING.
因此我说 ”亚当 去再检查下 这些结果”
SO I SAID,"ADAM,GO RECHECK THESE RESULTS."
他检查了 找不出任何一个错误
AND HE CHECKED, AND HE COULDN'T FIND AN ERROR.
其他人检查 了我们团队的结果
AND OTHER PEOPLE CHECKED THE RESULTS ON OUR TEAM,
一样找不出 任何一个错误
AND THEY COULDN'T FIND AN ERROR EITHER.
随着时间推移 宇宙的膨胀在加速
THE UNIVERSE WAS SPEEDING UP IN ITS EXPANSION WITH TIME,
而这与我们原本预期的
AND THIS WAS JUST COMPLETELY CONTRARY
恰恰完全相反
TO WHAT WE HAD EXPECTED.
最初 人们怀疑 这样的结论
INITIALLY,PEOPLE WERE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE RESULT,
其实我们自己也怀疑
AND WE WERE SKEPTICAL AS WELL.