宇宙（2007）

involving particles at sizes more than a million times smaller than the smallest atom.
研究比最细微原子还要小百万倍的粒子
It's the newest tool at the frontier of physics
它是物理学前沿最尖端的设备
called the Large Hadron Collider.
称为大型强子对撞机
The Large Hadron Collider is the largest,
这台大型强子对撞机是人类迄今为止
most complicated machine ever created by humankind.
建造的最大 最复杂的机械设备
And its role is to help
担负着协助我们
us study the frontier of particle physics.
研究粒子物理前沿的任务
What it actually does is it accelerates protons
其工作原理实际上是让质子
in two directions around the ring,
在环内相对的方向加速行进
one way round and the other way round,
分别为顺时针和逆时针方向
to nearly the speed of light and then collides them.
以接近光速的速度让它们碰撞
The collider went operational in November 2009,
对撞机在2009年11月投入使用
and as scientists ramped up the power,
科学家们提高其设备动力后
the energy in its collisions
其撞击能量
was increased almost tenfold by March 2010,
在2010年3月时比最初增加了近十倍
and it will double that sometime after 2013.
并将于2013年后再次翻番
Today's theories of space, time, gravity
当今有关空间 时间 重力
and quantum physics are still incomplete,
和量子物理学的理论仍就残缺不全
and tools like the Large Hadron Collider
而类似大型强子对撞机这样的设备
will help fill in the ever-puzzling blanks.
能帮我们揭开素来令人费解的谜题
This is where we expect that,
我们期待了解
if there's some missing physics that we need
自己是否有遗漏某些理解时空的
to understand spacetime in a way that will tell us
物理知识 从而在一定程度判断
whether time travel is possible or restricted in various ways.
时间旅行是否可行 及其各种限制
This is where we expect the new results to come from.
我们期待籍此诞生出全新的规则
The goal is to figure out how rules governing the tiniest particles in existence
目的是了解已知最小粒子的运行规律
Also apply to the biggest things
并将此规律用于了解极大之物
like stars, galaxies and the expanding Universe itself.
如星球 星系以及不断膨胀的宇宙本身
Without understanding this,
如若未能对此了然于胸
building a time machine might be harder
那么建造时间机器就难于上青天
than trying to build a radio without knowing about the existence of electricity.
如同试图建造雷达却对电的存在一无所知
There are many physicists in the world who believe
全世界有许多物理学家相信
that this understanding is in fact right around the corner,
人类距掌握此知识已经不远了
that it could happen within a few years or a few decades.
或许就在未来的数年或数十年内
On the other hand,
而另一方面
it could be that this problem is in fact much harder than we think
或许这难题之复杂超乎人类的想象
and that human civilization will simply not live long enough
直到人类文明告终
to figure out how it works.
仍会是不解之谜
The Large Hadron Collider might also reveal
大型强子对撞机或许还会揭示
extra dimensions that could play a role in time travel.
时间旅行会受到额外维度的影响
We live in three dimensions of space.
我们生活在三维空间
If we lived in only two dimensions,
假如我们生活在二维空间
our universe would be a flat sheet.
我们的宇宙将会是一片扁平
A sphere would look like a circle to us.
天体在我们看来就象是个圆圈
The third dimension would be there, but just hidden from our view.
第三维度存在着 却超出了我们的视线
If dimensions other than our familiar three are really there,
若我们熟悉的三维外还存在其他维度
They, too, are hidden.
它们肯定也在我们视线之外
If we were to find experimental evidence for the existence of other dimensions
如果我们想找到其他维度存在的实验证据
and if we were to be able to explore the meaning of these other dimensions
如果我们能探索这些维度存在的意义
and see how they come about,
了解它们的作用原理
it could be that far, far in the future,
那么或许在久远的将来
this new physics would be utilized
这些新的物理学将被用于
to come up with some new form of travel that allows us
某种崭新的旅行方式能让我们
to at least get close to the speed of light barrier, if not surpass it.
虽不能超越光速 也可以亚光速旅行
Getting close to light speed
以亚光速行进
may be the most promising way
延缓我们自身的时间
to travel in time by slowing down our clocks.
或许是时间旅行最有可能实现的方式
In this respect, the Large Hadron Collider
在这方面 大型强子对撞机
is leading the way,
无疑是领头者
even if its first step is an extremely small one.
虽然它是从极微小开始
The Large Hadron Collider is 17 miles around,
大型强子对撞机总长约17英里
and it accelerates protons to nearly the speed of light.
可把质子加速至接近光速
If you wanted to do that, but with human beings,
如果想将其应用在人类身上
a rough calculation shows you'd have to scale it up
粗略估计 机器的长度得延伸
to a thousand light-years around in order to do the same thing.
至上千光年才能能实现亚光速
This is like saying that the spacecraft powerful enough to carry us
好比真有足够强大的宇宙飞船能带我们
to the stars at that speed would be bigger
星际旅行的的话 它会如此巨大
than the distance we need to travel,
以至于船舱的长度已经超过了旅行的距离
big enough, in fact, to enclose The nearest 100,000 stars.
舱体已大到足以囊括附近的10万颗星体
Back on earth, the physics of light speed
回归地球 光速和超光速物理学
and beyond meets surf culture on the beach In Malibu, California.
与冲浪文化在加州马里布海滩不期而遇
Richard Obousy is one of the few physicists
理查德·欧博斯是研究
who have worked on the concept
曲速引擎原理[超光速空间弯曲飞行]
of faster-than-light warp drive.
为数不多的几个物理学家之一
A warp ship, he says, rides
他说曲速飞船航行
a wave-like ripple of warped space,
在空间扭曲所形成的起伏波上
almost as a surfer rides a wave of water.
与冲浪者驾驭浪波的原理大同小异
A great analogy is with
这里的类比在于
that of a surfer riding a wave of seawater.
冲浪者驾驭海浪
So just as the wave behind it sort of rises up
身后的海浪稍微涌起时
and pushes this surfer through the ocean,
就能推动冲浪者乘风破浪
I think it's a great analogy with
我认为这恰到好处的比喻了
how a spacecraft is mutually pulled and pushed
宇宙飞船如何通过推拉空间
through the fabric of space.
在宇宙中乘风破浪
The idea is based, in part,
这个概念部分源于
on the fact that space in the universe is expanding.
宇宙空间在不断扩张的事实
If we can make it expand at will,
假如我们能让它以人的意志扩张
we may be able to propel a warp ship.
我们或许就能以此驱动曲速飞船
We make space expand behind the ship
操纵空间在飞船的身后扩张
and make it contract in front.
并让其在前端压缩
The wave of warped space
造成的扭曲空间波
moves through the universe faster than light,
会以超光速在宇宙中移♥动♥
While inside a so-called warp bubble,
当置身这所谓的曲速泡中
the ship is a passenger,
飞船就犹如乘客
never violating Einstein's rule against exceeding the speed of light.
这并不违反爱因斯坦的光速最快原则
While warp drive is mostly science fiction at this point,
虽然曲速引擎此时此刻仍是科学幻想
there is some physics behind it.
但其后确有某些物理学理论的支持
Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre
1994年墨西哥物理学家米盖尔·阿尔库比雷
Worked out the complex math to support it in 1994.
推演出复杂的数学公式来支持它
Unfortunately, there's nothing in the math
不幸的是 没有任何数学公式
that tells us how to do it.
能告诉我们如何化虚为实
And though most scientists have major doubts,
虽然科学家们疑虑重重
not all the skeptics are writing off warp drive completely.
并非怀疑者都觉得曲速引擎一无是处
Warp bubbles may be impossible, they say.
他们指出 曲速泡或许难以实现
But what about super advanced beings
但是如果有超级先进的人类
building faster than light
制♥造♥出超光速曲速引擎子弹头列车
warp drive bullet trains to the stars and through time?
能穿梭时空 前往其他星球又如何呢
In searching for the secrets of time travel,
探寻时空旅行秘密的时候
we inevitably meet the idea of warp drive
我们必然会提到曲速引擎理论
or other strategies for traveling faster than light.
或者其他能超过光速的方法
It's the most sought-after solution
这是实现星际旅行梦想
to the dream of star travel
最受欢迎的解决方法
and potentially turning any spaceship into a time machine.
可能会把任何宇宙飞船变成时光机器
The most optimistic views of the future
未来最乐观的看法
paint a picture
描绘了一幅图景
of spaceships riding warp bubbles
宇宙飞船乘着曲速泡离开地球
as easily as expert surfers
就像熟练的冲浪运动员
catch waves off the beaches of earth.
抓住海浪离开海滩一样容易
But even optimistic physicists
但是就算是乐观的物理学家
must face some harsh realities.
也必须面对一些残酷的现实
If surfing is an analogy for how a warp ship might work,
如果曲速船的工作原理跟冲浪类似
then watching a beginning surfer drives home a better point:
那么让一个冲浪新手来说得更清楚点
achieving warp drive is very difficult.
完成曲速驾驶是很困难的
This morning, I had my first surfing lesson
今天早上 我上了第一堂冲浪课
and had this idea that. In some sense,
得出了这个结论 在某种意义上
we were gonna be able to manipulate,
我们可以学会控制
In some sense, nature
另一方面 要靠天赋
and that I was gonna be able to ride this wave
我才能驾驭波浪
and it was gonna carry me at great velocities across the ocean.
它才会带着我以很快的速度穿过大海
But the reality is that the ocean manipulated me.
但现实是大海控制了我