宇宙（2007）

In the beginning, there was darkness,
最初 宇宙是一片黑暗
and then, bang, giving birth
紧接着一声巨响 混沌初开
to an endless, expanding existence
时间 空间和物质
of time, space, and matter.
开始不断膨胀
Every day, new discoveries are unlocking the mysterious,
每天 我们都在解密这神秘莫测
the mind-blowing, the deadly secrets
令人疯狂的极端之地
of a place we call the Universe.
宇宙
They are humanity's eyes and ears in deep space,
它们是人类在外太空的眼和耳
exploring the plains of Mars, the geysers of Saturn's moon,
探测火星上的平原 土星卫星上的间歇喷泉
and the blazing surfaces of distant stars.
和遥远恒星炽烈的表面
They are space probes: robotic explorers
他们就是空间探测器 机器人探测器
that are now humanity's interstellar avatars.
现在是人类在星际间的化身
They can go places and see things
他们所能到达的地方和见到的事物
that we could never do from here on earth.
是我们在地球上永远到不了也看不到的
Space probes fan out across the solar system,
空间探测器分散分布在太阳系
returning data that change everything we thought we knew.
传回的数据让我们对已知的事物有所改观
If we could find indigenous life elsewhere in our galaxy,
如果我们能在银河系的其他地方找到生命的存在
it would be one of the greatest discoveries in the history of humans.
这将是人类历史上最伟大的发现之一了
Probes collide head-on into icy comets,
探测器迎面撞击冰冷的彗星
photograph the edge of the universe itself,
拍摄宇宙的边缘之地
even seek planets in other solar systems.
甚至在其他星系中寻找行星
We're at a golden age in the search and discovery of earth-like planets.
我们处在一个探索发现类地行星的黄金时代
A new generation of robotic explorers
通过揭示各种奥秘
is redefining the galaxy itself by unlocking secrets:
新一代机器人探测器正在重新定义这个星系
secrets of the space probes.
空间探测器的奥秘
At this very moment,
此时此刻
millions of miles from the earth,
距地球数百万英里之外的地方
human beings are sampling, measuring, photographing
人类正在取样 测量 摄影
and even sniffing the dust and gases of other worlds.
甚至吸进另一个世界的尘埃和气体
But not in person.
但不是亲身经历
The environment of space is very hostile to people.
宇宙的环境非常不利于人类生存
It's got extremes of temperature,
极端温度
extremes of vacuum, high radiation fields,
极端真空 高辐射区
all kinds of things that are really inhospitable to human life.
所有这一切都非常不适合人类居住
Our eyes and ears are robotic proxies sent on missions
机器人代替我们的眼和耳去执行任务
to discover the secrets of our solar system and beyond.
探索太阳系甚至更远处的奥秘
They are space probes
它们是空间探测器
and they were built to survive the hostile atmospheres and perilous worlds
能在恶劣之境和危险之地生存
that mankind cannot.
这是人类所办不到的
Our space missions are able to survive these difficult environments
我们的航♥空♥探测器能够在困境中生存
and they can go places and do things that we could never dream of without them.
所到之处 所做之事都是我们望尘莫及的
Some probes, like the Hubble Space Telescope,
一些探测器 如哈勃空间望远镜
float comfortably in earth's orbit, while others,
在地球轨道上自在漂浮 另外一些
like Deep Impact in 2005, are ordered on kamikaze missions
如2005年的"深度撞击号♥" 指定执行自杀性任务
to smash satellite probes into comets.
将人造卫星探测器直接撞向彗星
Others are sent to uncover the secrets of planets
还有一些用于行星探秘
like Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or their moons,
如火星 木星 土星 或其卫星
imaging and analyzing them from orbit
通过在轨道上进行图像分♥析♥
and landing on their surfaces to explore or dig for samples.
登陆进行地表探测或取样
Our probes are used to answer fundamental questions
探测器用来回答基本问题
about planetary composition,
包括行星的构成
atmospheric composition, geologic, atmospheric processes,
大气成分 地质情况 大气运动
how are planets both similar to and different than earth
以及它们与地球的相似及不同之处
and the big-picture question: is there life?
更为重要的问题是 有无生命存在
The hunt for life on other worlds began over 2,000 years ago
寻找外星生命始于两千年前
when Greek astronomers began gazing at planets.
那时希腊天文学家们开始关注行星
In the 21st century, humanity is finally poised to find it.
21世纪 人类终于准备好去寻找外星生命
Sending out probes into the solar system and even beyond,
向太阳系甚至更远处发射探测器
it is part of a long-standing mission
是一项长♥期♥任务的一部分
we've had to understand, not just ourselves here on earth,
我们不仅必须了解地球上的我们自己
but the rest of the solar system.
还必须了解太阳系中其他星球
And in some ways,
在某种程度上
that quest helps us learn more about ourselves
探索过程让我们对自己有了更多的了解
in terms of where we may have come from
比如人类起源这个话题
and whether there are any other examples
是否有与地球上的环境类似
of the environment we see here on earth.
的其他地方
The latest quest begins with an ultra-high-resolution
最近一次探索以超高分辨率的
digital infrared road map.
数字红外路线图为起点
On December 14, 2009,
2009年12月14日
a Delta II Rocket delivered a small package into orbit
三角洲2号♥火箭向离地球300英里外的轨道
300 miles above the earth.
发射了一个小型探测器
It's called W.I.S.E.,
它被称为"智慧号♥"
and it's creating the most detailed infrared photograph of the universe to date.
将创建迄今为止最为精细的宇宙红外图像
W.I.S.E. is the wide-field infrared survey explorer,
"智慧号♥"是广范围红外线观测探测器
and it's a small-size telescope,
是个小体积望远镜
about 40 centimeters in diameter.
直径约为40公分
So that would sort of fit under my arm here.
相当于我手臂下面这里的尺寸
And it's surveying the entire sky for infrared wavelengths.
并且用于勘测整个太空的红外波段
Everything from the earth's closest neighbors,
探测距地球最近的星球
the asteroids and the comets,
小行星 彗星
to the most distant parts of the universe.
甚至宇宙最远方的红外波段
Unlike the Hubble telescope
哈勃空间望远镜
that generally images wavelengths, visible to ultraviolet light,
一般观测可见光到紫外光的波段
W.I.S.E. probes the universe using infrared light.
"智慧号♥"则勘测太空中的红外光
Human beings perceive infrared as heat.
人类对于红外线的感觉是热
When we feel the sun's warmth on our skin,
阳光照在我们皮肤上产生的热感
what we're really sensing are the infrared rays coming from the sun.
其实是来自于阳光中的红外线
I'm pouring out infrared light as I sit here,
我坐在这里就散发着红外线
and we can use infrared
我们可以利用红外线
to look for things that are sort of similar temperature,
来寻找类似温度的物体
like, for example, asteroids.
例如 小行星
We can also use infrared to look for the most distant galaxies
我们还能利用红外线来寻找整个宇宙中
in the entire universe.
最遥远的星系
Many of these distant galaxies can't be perceived in the visible light spectrum.
这些遥远的星系很多都不能被可见光谱勘测到
The W.I.S.E. infrared telescope becomes like a magic set of glasses.
"智慧号♥"红外望远镜成了一副魔力眼镜
So, just like a firefighter uses infrared goggles
就像消防员用红外护目镜
to look through smoke in a burning building to find people,
在着火的大楼里透过烟雾救人
astronomers can use infrared to see through dust clouds
天文学家用红外线能透过尘云
to look for forming stars in their cores.
寻找其内部正在形成的恒星
But revealing these hidden heat signatures
但是呈现这些隐藏的热源信♥号♥♥
first requires an extreme deep freeze.
首先需要一个深冷环境
W.I.S.E.'s 4 million-pixel telescope
"智慧号♥"的四百万像素望远镜
can only photograph infrared images if the telescope is colder than the objects it searches for.
只能拍摄比其温度低的物体的红外图像
So, we need to make sure
所以 我们需要确保
that we're not blinded by the heat of our own telescope.
没有因为我们望远镜的热度而产生的盲点
On W.I.S.E., we use a tank of solid hydrogen
我们在"智慧号♥"上用了一箱固态氢
that's frozen near absolute zero,
它在接近绝对零度下凝固
and this keeps our telescope and our instrument cold.
这样就能冷却我们的望远镜和设备
Just like a cooler full of ice,
就像个装满冰的冷却器
the frozen hydrogen on board W.I.S.E.
"智慧号♥"上的固态氢
is eventually going to sublimate away.
最终将升华消失
When we run out of all of the hydrogen ice,
当我们用完所有的固态氢时
the telescope and the instrument will warm up to the point that
望远镜和设备将变热
we'll no longer be able to see.
直至我们无法勘测
Frozen to minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit,
冷却到零下447华氏度[-266摄氏度]
the hydrogen can only last for about 10 months.
固态氢只能持续十个月
By that time, some 1.5 million photographs
到那时 大约150万张图像
will create a giant composite picture of the heavens:
将组成一幅巨大的太空合成图
a cosmic road atlas that can reveal new worlds
一本揭示了新世界的宇宙地图集
for future space probes to target,
供未来的空间探测器设立目标
potentially, worlds with alien life forms.
很可能是探测有外星生命的世界
But if we are to find alien life many light-years from earth,
但是若要找距地球好几光年的外星生命
we'll need a critical clue to lead us there.
我们需要一条关键线索来指引我们
On earth, that clue covers 71% of our planet: Water.
在地球上 那条线索就是覆盖星球面♥积♥71%的水
One of the main reasons we're interested in finding
我们对寻找液态水的兴趣主要在于
liquid water is that we really would like to know,
我们真的想知道在
is there life elsewhere in the solar system?
太阳系的其他地方是否存在生命
Life on Earth, as we know it, needs water to survive.
众所周知 地球上的生命需要水来维持
It needs water to form.
需要水来形成生命
We hope to find life elsewhere,
我们希冀在其他星球发现生命