宇宙（2007）

The Universe S01E02

Part 5 April 22, 2021, 8:10 p.m.

长达数十亿年.
But neither rovers is close enough to the tundra-like martian Poles
然而两个漫游者都没有靠近火星极地的冻土带
to uncover actual frozen H2O.
去揭示实际冻结的水.
That is the primary goal of a new mission to Mars, launched in the summer of 2007.
那是新的火星任务的第一目标,2007年夏季启程.
This mission is dubbed Phoenix, and its plan is to place a stationary lander
这一使命称为凤♥凰♥,计划到固定的登陆点,
in the reaching of the martian North Pole.
在火星的北极.
The lander has a sturdy robotic arm, equipped with a scoop.
登陆车有个强劲的机械臂,装有一个铲子.
Phoenix will excavate the polar soil.
凤♥凰♥将挖掘极地的土壤.
Doctor Peter Smith of the University of Arizona heads up the project.
亚利桑那大学的Peter Smith博士领导这个项目.
Our entire scientific mission is about
我们完整的科学计划是关于
understanding the properties of the soil, and its inner action with the ice,
研究土壤的性质,以及冰对它的作用,
and the properties of the ice and the ice inner action with the atmosphere.
还有冰的性质和冰与空气的相互作用.
We have only one way to study it, and that's by using our robotic arm
我们只有一个办法研究它,那就是靠我们的机械臂,
that's our back-o if you like. That's gonna dig a little trench,
这就是我们的回报.将会在那挖条小沟,
and provide samples of both soil and hopefully wet soil if we can find it,
取得土壤和期望的湿土的样本,如果能找到的话,
and ice and we will analyze those samples
还有冰,我们会分♥析♥那些样本,
with instruments on the deck of our spacecraft.
用我们太空船上的装置来分♥析♥.
The lander will beam signals back from the martian surface
登陆车会从火星表面发回信♥号♥♥,
reporting the result of the remote soil and ice analysis.
报告遥远的土壤和冰的分♥析♥结果.
But before Phoenix has even had a chance to make it off the launch pad,
但在凤♥凰♥之前曾经在发射架上有过一次机会,
a new wrinkle in the saga of "Water on Mars" has revealed itself.
新的难题在传奇的"火星上的水"被揭示出来.
Images beamed back from a spacecraft currently orbiting the red planet,
一直在红色星球轨道上运行的太空飞船发回的图象,
show evidence of a very unexpected event.
显示了一个非常令人以外的事情.
It appears that a liquid flow of some sort has accurred within the last few years,
看来在过去的一段时间里,流体曾经流淌过某些地方,
in a small gully at the edge of a deep martian ravine,
一个小沟槽在火星深峡谷的边缘.
2001年,卫星发回了同一地方的照片,
In 2001 the orbiter took photos of the exact same spot,
but nothing of interest showed up in those shots.
然而看起来没有任何感兴趣的地方.
The new photos on the other hand, showed a white residue in the gully.
新照片另一方面显示出在沟壑里有白色的残留物.
A residue simingly left behind by a flow of liquid.
残留物看起来象在水流的左后方,
possibly where water spurted from the ground
水可能从地面上流出,
and flowed for several hundred yards,
流过了几百码,
before transforming into vapor and vanishing.
然后蒸发掉了.
Scientists do not yet understand what might have caused such a flow,
科学家至今没有明白怎么会有这么个水流,
but many suspect that it's a result of some form of internal heat
许多人怀疑是来自内部的热,
the planet must still contain.
火星必然还保持着热量.
Clearly, it's a plain that it's been vulcanically active,
毫无疑问,这是个有火山活动的平原,
and all of us are very hopefully that some places on Mars we could find hydro-thermovets.
我们所有的人都非常希望能在火星上一些地方找到含氢的物质.
Not just beacause we want liquid water, but because liquid water implies that
我们不仅希望找到液态水,而且由于液态水暗示着
this might be an environment that life could developed and be maintained.
将可以成为生命能发展和持续的环境.
It is, of course, all about the search for life.
这,当然全在于寻求生命.
When all is said and done
所有说过和做过的
the engine driving all of the astonishing scientific afford
惊人的科学之举,
to explore the red planet is the burning desire of human kind
去探索红色星球是人类不懈的追求,
to know if life exists elsewhere in the vast reaches of space.
在广袤的太空的其它地方或许存在着生命.
I think humans have, since the dawn of consciousness,
我想自从人类开化以来,
wondered why they're here and wondered what's up there
就想知道我们为什么会在这里,就会想知道那里有什么,
and wondered if there's more.
还想知道还会有其它的东西吗.
And... answering that question will sort of put us in some kind of prospective
而..解答那些问题将会排进我们未来的日程,
it'll tell us what our places in the universe, to some extent.
某种程度上会知道我们地球在宇宙的什么地方.
Finding life on Mars could also help us understand the origins of life
在火星上寻找生命也会帮助我们了解
on our own planet.
在我们自己的星球上生命的起源.
And that could actually be in the case of Mars and Earth
而且实际上会是火星与地球之间
a significant connection.
重要的联♥系♥.
Mars developed life itself and maybe the conditions were right on Mars
火星上本身能产生生命并能很好地适应火星环境,
but they weren't right on Earth.
但就不可能很好地适应地球环境.
And yet Mars seeded our planet.
然而火星传送生命给了地球.
Perhaps through meteoritic collisions, pieces of Mars arrived on Earth.
也许通过陨石碰撞,火星的碎片抵达了地球.
We're cells of life and that actually grew here. Maybe we could all be martians.
我们生命的细胞如今在这里繁衍.或许我们都曾经是火星人.
Or perhaps it was the reverse, you know, perhaps life originated on this planet,
或者也许相反,你知道,或许生命在我们这个行星起源,
and moved to Mars.
然后移居火星.
If we find evidence for life on Mars and we know there's life on Earth, of course
如果我们在火星上找到生命的证据,我们知道地球上有生命,当然,
than there's probably life all over the place.
接下来在所有的行星上就可能会有生命.
The universe is probably teeming with life. And if it didn't,
宇宙可能充满着生命.但如果不是,
then it makes us feeling like we are a little bit more special.
那就会使我们多了一点点特别的感觉.