望远镜400年的故事（2009）

天文学上的下一个大计划
THAT THE NEXT BIG PROJECT IN ASTRONOMY
将会是电波望远镜阵列
WAS GOING TO BE AN ARRAY OF RADIO TELESCOPES
工作在毫米和微米波段
OPERATING IN THE MILLIMETER AND SUBMILLIMETER RANGE.
因此北美开始 研究一个计划
SO THE NORTH AMERICANS STARTED STUDYING ONE PROJECT.
日本开始 研究另一个
THE JAPANESE STARTED STUDYING ANOTHER.
欧洲的国家 聚在一起
THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES GOT TOGETHER
也开始研究三个之一
AND STARTED STUDYING A THIRD.
但是所有三方都认同 世界上最好的位置
BUT ALL THREE AGREED THAT THE BEST SITE IN THE WORLD
适合此计划的是 在阿达卡马沙漠
TO DO THIS WAS HERE IN THE ATACAMA DESERT.
最后 我们全部聚在一起 决定只做一个项目
EVENTUALLY,WE ALL GOT TOGETHER, DECIDED TO DO JUST ONE
巨大的 真正的庞大的项目 我们称它ALMA
LARGE,REALLY GIANT PROJECT, WHICH WE CALLED A.L.M.A.,
阿达卡马大型毫米阵列
ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER ARRAY.
它有一个美丽的名字
AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL NAME,
因为ALMA在西班牙语 中的意思是"灵魂"．
BECAUSE ALMA IN SPANISH MEANS "SOUL."
解说：微米电波 穿越地球的
(narrator) SUBMILLIMETER RADIO WAVES DON'T PENETRATE WELL
大气层底部时 穿透性不好
THROUGH EARTH'S LOWER ATMOSPHERE,
因为那里的水蒸气 吸收他们
BECAUSE WATER VAPOR THERE ABSORBS THEM.
因此 ALMA阵列必须 设置在高海拔的地方
SO THE A.L.M.A. ARRAY HAD TO BE LOCATED AT A HIGH ALTITUDE,
甚至比雷尼尔山或马特霍恩山 的峰顶还要高
HIGHER THAN EVEN THE SUMMITS OF MOUNT RAINIER OR THE MATTERHORN.
在16,000英尺海拔高度 安装 ALMA天线碟的工作
INSTALLING THE A.L.M.A. DISHES AT AN ALTITUDE ABOVE 16,000 FEET
测试着人类的忍♥耐极限
TESTS THE LIMITS OF HUMAN ENDURANCE.
但 ALMA的66具望远镜
BUT A.L.M.A.'S 66 TELESCOPES,
将在往后的几年期间装好
TO BE INSTALLED DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS,
到时会给天文学家一个 之前从未能接近的
WILL GIVE ASTRONOMERS A NEVER BEFORE ACCESSIBLE VIEW
宇宙的视野
OF THE COSMOS.
切萨尔斯基：在这个波长范围
(Cesarsky) IN THIS WAVELENGTH RANGE,
我们能研究寒冷的宇宙
WE CAN STUDY THE COLD UNIVERSE,
在气体-尘埃云里被发现
COLD REGIONS WHICH REGIONS WHICH ARE FOUND
的寒冷区域
INSIDE CLOUDS OF GAS AND DUST.
在这些云里 恒星及行星经由
IN THESE CLOUDS, STARS AND PLANETS ARE FORMED
我们仍不了解的 非常复杂的程序形成
BY VERY COMPLICATED PROCESSES WHICH WE STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND.
借助ALMA
WITH A.L.M.A.,
我们将能把镜头移近这些星云
WE WILL BE ABLE TO ZOOM RIGHT INSIDE THESE CLOUDS
用空前的灵敏度 和角度分辨率
WITH UNPRECEDENTED SENSITIVITY AND ANGULAR RESOLUTION
观察这些过程的每一细节
AND LOOK AT THE DETAILS OF THESE PROCESSES.
因为ALMA也有分光镜
BECAUSE THERE IS SPECTROSCOPY WITH A.L.M.A. AS WELL,
我们能试着了解
WE CAN TRY TO UNDERSTAND
这些云具体是由什么构成的
WHAT THESE CLOUDS ARE MADE OF IN DETAIL.
那里有什么原子和分子？
WHAT ARE THE ATOMS AND MOLECULES THERE?
这是非常有趣的化学 这很重要
IT'S VERY INTERESTING CHEMISTRY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT,
因为它是之后生命进程的开始
BECAUSE IT IS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WILL LATER BECOME LIFE.
解说：对太阳系外生命的寻找
(narrator) THE SEARCH FOR LIFE BEYOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM
一直是人类的最大追求之一
REMAINS ONE OF HUMANITY'S GREATEST QUESTS.
要进行搜寻
TO EMBARK ON IT,
我们得找出适宜生命活动的行星
WE MUST SEEK OUT PLANETS THAT CAN SUPPORT LIFE.
在过去十年里
OVER THE PAST DECADE,
天文学家已经发现 超过300颗的行星
ASTRONOMERS HAVE DISCOVERED MORE THAN 300 PLANETS
运行在环绕其他恒星的轨道上
IN ORBIT AROUND OTHER STARS.
玛西：我们会乐意
(Marcy) WE WOULD LOVE
能把哈勃太空望远镜
TO BE ABLE TO POINT THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
指向一个附近的恒星 比如半人马座阿尔法星
AT A NEARBY STAR LIKE ALPHA CENTAURI
并观测环绕着这颗恒星
AND DETECT THE EARTHS AND THE JUPITERS
的"地球"及"木星"
THAT ORBIT THAT STAR.
问题是 任何一颗行星 都会被主星发出的光芒
THE PROBLEM IS,ANY PLANETS WOULD BE LOST IN THE GLARE
所掩盖 就算用强大的哈勃望远镜
OF THE HOST STAR, EVEN USING THE MIGHTY HUBBLE.
因此我们使用一个诀窍 来发现行星
SO WE USE A TRICK TO DETECT PLANETS.
我们观察恒星本身 而恒星会在太空中摆动
WE WATCH THE STAR ITSELF, AND A STAR WILL WOBBLE IN SPACE
每颗行星都可能拉扯这颗恒星
DUE TO ANY PLANETS THAT MIGHT BE YANKING ON THAT STAR
当行星绕轨道而行的时候
AS THE PLANET ORBITS.
因此我们实际上能发现 所有的行星
AND SO WE CAN ACTUALLY DISCOVER ALL SORTS OF PLANETS
手段是观察恒星 而非行星
BY WATCHING THE STAR INSTEAD OF THE PLANETS.
解说：到现在为止 发现的数百颗 绕其他恒星运行的行星
(narrator) THE HUNDREDS PLANETS FOUND SO FAR AROUND OTHER STARS
有一个共同的特性
SHARE A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC.
他们的质量都比地球的大得多
THEY ALL HAVE MASSES MUCH LARGER THAN EARTH'S.
通过一种间接探测行星的技术
THIS FACT ARISES FROM THE INDIRECT TECHNIQUE USED
使得这一事实浮出水面
TO DISCOVER PLANETS.
更大的行星 对它们的恒星运动
MORE MASSIVE PLANETS PRODUCE LARGER
造成更大的可观测的影响
AND THEREFORE MORE DETECTABLE EFFECTS ON THEIR STAR'S MOTION.
所以我们怎么能期望发现 地球的孪生姐妹
SO HOW CAN WE HOPE TO DISCOVER EARTH'S COUSINS,
跟我们自己质量和体积 相近的行星呢？
PLANETS WITH SIZES AND MASSES COMPARABLE TO OUR OWN?
美国航♥空♥暨太空总署(NASA) 和欧洲的太空总署
NASA AND THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
计划在未来十年里
PLAN TO SEND SPECIALIZED TELESCOPES INTO ORBIT
将特殊望远镜送入轨道
DURING THE NEXT DECADE
它能捕获
THAT CAN CAPTURE
遥远行星反射的微光
THE FAINT REFLECTED LIGHT OF DISTANT PLANETS.
这些仪器将会分♥析♥ 那些光的光谱
THESE INSTRUMENTS WILL ANALYZE THE SPECTRUM OF THAT LIGHT,
判定该行星的大气层
DETERMINING WHETHER THE PLANETS' ATMOSPHERES
是否包含氧和甲烷类气体
CONTAINS GASES SUCH AS OXYGEN AND METHANE
从而宣告是否有 适合生命存在的条件
THAT HERALD CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR LIFE
或甚至有生命本身存在
OR EVEN THE PRESENCE OF LIFE ITSELF.
而其他人希望在我们的 太阳系之外找到生命
BUT OTHERS HOPE TO FIND LIFE OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
透过直接沟通的方式
THROUGH DIRECT COMMUNICATION.
我们是在太空中寻找生命 但找的不是随便什么类型的生命
WE'RE LOOKING FOR LIFE IN SPACE, BUT NOT JUST ANY KIND OF LIFE.
我们找的是 聪明的物种
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE INTELLIGENT VARIETY.
我们通过尝试监听
AND WE DO THAT BY TRYING TO EAVESDROP
他们朝我们发射的 或许是无线电的信♥号♥♥
ON MAYBE RADIO SIGNALS THEY'RE BROADCASTING OUR WAY,
或也许他们有庞大的激光器
OR PERHAPS THEY HAVE GIANT LASERS,
他们正在朝我们打光信♥号♥♥
AND THEY'RE FLASHING SOME LIGHT SIGNALS AT US.
通过两种方法之一 我们就能知道 那里存在生命
EITHER WAY,WE WOULD KNOW THAT THERE'S LIFE OUT THERE
而且至少像我们一样聪明
THAT'S AT LEAST AS CLEVER AS WE ARE.
解说：从另外一个文明传来的 一个被确认的信♥号♥♥
(narrator) A CONFIRMED SIGNAL FROM ANOTHER CIVILIZATION
标志着从那一刻起 知道我们并不孤独
WILL MARK THE MOMENT THAT WE LEARN WE ARE NOT ALONE.
如果我们得到一个信♥号♥♥ 并且或许理解了它－－
IF WE WERE TO GET A SIGNAL AND POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND IT--
我不是很确定 我们会理解它－－
AND I'M NOT SO SURE WE'LL EVER UNDERSTAND IT--
至少我们将会完成 哥白尼式的革命
AT LEAST WE WILL HAVE COMPLETED THE COPERNICAN REVOLUTION.
我们早就已经知道
WE'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME
我们在天文学上并无特别
WE'RE NOT ASTRONOMICALLY SPECIAL.
我们也将会知道我们 在生物学上也不特别
WELL,WE'D ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT BIOLOGICALLY SPECIAL
或甚至智力上也没什么特别
OR EVEN INTELLECTUALLY SPECIAL.
解说：技术 和对技术的渴求
(narrator) TECHNOLOGY AND THE THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
推动人类对探索发现的追求
HAS TAKEN HUMANITY ON A QUEST OF DISCOVERY,
把我们带离一个小小的有限的星球
REMOVING US FROM A SMALL CONFINED BALL OF STARS
放进永无止境的空间及时间海洋
AND DROPPING US INTO AN ENDLESS OCEAN OF SPACE AND TIME
活在光明和黑暗之中
ALIVE WITH LIGHT AND DARKNESS.
藉由这一次旅程的每一步
WITH EACH STEP OF THIS JOURNEY,
我们对宇宙的认识不断成长 要揭示新的景象
OUR AWARENESS OF THE COSMOS GREW TO REVEAL NEW VISTAS,
新的答案 和更多新的疑问
NEW ANSWERS, AND MORE QUESTIONS.
未来十年里 新思想 将会驱动新技术
OVER THE NEXT DECADES,NEW IDEAS WILL DRIVE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
引导着我们 去更好地理解
THAT WILL GUIDE US TO AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING
宇宙的运作
OF THE WORKINGS OF THE UNIVERSE.
不太远的将来 在星光照耀的夜晚
SO ON ONE STARRY NIGHT IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE,
我们抬起头来 都会看到一个今天不可想像的宇宙
WE WILL ALL LOOK UP AND SEE A UNIVERSE UNIMAGINED TODAY,
正如当年伽利略 用他自己拿两小片玻璃做成的
JUST AS GALILEO DID WITH A TELESCOPE OF HIS OWN
望远镜远眺太空时一样
MADE FROM TWO SMALL PIECES OF GLASS.
-=TLF=-