霍金與扎克伯格聯手探索太空生命

It is one of the oldest questions ever asked: Are we alone or is there other life out in the Universe?這是最古老的問題之一：人類是否是唯一的或者說宇宙中是否還有其他生命存在？Last week, an international team of scientists and businessmen launched a project they hope can answer that question.They announced plans for a huge space exploration program.Its goal is to find alien life in space.上周，一個由科學家和商人組成的國際研究小組發起了一個項目，希望以此能夠解答這個問題。他們公布了宏大的太空探索計劃。其目標在於發現太空的外星人。The team includes British physicist Stephen Hawking, Russian-born billionaire Yuri Milner and American Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facbook.該小組包括英國物理學家史蒂芬·霍金、生於俄羅斯的億萬富翁尤里·米爾納以及臉書創始人馬克·扎克伯格。Their project is called Breakthrough Spaceshot.It will develop and build thousands of robotic vehicles that can speed through space.該項目被稱為「突破攝星」（ Breakthrough Spaceshot）。將會開發組建數千個能夠穿越太空的機器人式車輛。Their goal is to explore the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri.It is about 40 trillion kilometers — or 4.37 light years – away from Earth.Once launched a spacecraft would have to travel 20 years to get there.其首個目標是探索距離最近的恆星系統，即半人馬座阿爾法星。半人馬座阿爾法星距離地球40萬億千米，即4.37光年。發射的宇宙飛船需要20年才能到達目的地。The way they will make it happen is like something from a science fiction story.Crews on Earth would use powerful laser beams to power extremely small vehicles through space.These spacecrafts would travel much farther than any other spacecraft built to date.這種做法有點類似科幻小說的情節。地球上的船員將採用高能量激光束為穿越太空的極小飛行器提供動力。這些宇宙飛船的旅程將超過迄今為止其他所有飛行器。Estimates say the project will cost from $5-10 billion.預計該項目將耗資50億到100億美元。Yuri Milner is giving the project $100 million to get started.尤里·米爾納捐贈了1億美元啟動該項目。Last week, Milner showed a model of the spacecraft to reporters in New York.上周，米爾納在紐約向記者們展示了飛行器的模型。「This is a starchip, a gram-scale wafer containing cameras, photon thrusters, power supply and navigation and communication equipment.」The starchip is a computer chip about the size of a large postage stamp.Each one will cost no more than an iPhone.The chip will have a light sail — very thin material that can open in space and move the spacecraft forward.Together the chip and the sail are called 「nanocraft.」「這個是晶元，是個克量級的晶片，包含攝像機、光子助推器、電源、導航和通信設備。」該晶元是個大號郵票大小的電腦晶元。每個晶元的費用不超過一部蘋果手機。晶元中有個光帆，這是一種非常薄的材料，在太空中時能夠打開，並驅動飛船向前運行。晶元和光帆合稱為「納米飛船」（nanocraft）。The team plans to launch a 「mothership,」 which would then be put in Earth』s orbit.The mother ship would release thousands of the nanocraft.該小組計劃發射一個在地球軌道上運行的母艦。母艦將發射數千個納米飛船。Their light sails would open and crews on Earth would fire laser beams on the light sails.That would push the nanocraft.They will travel at about 20 percent of light speed.這些納米飛船的光帆將會打開，地球上的船員們把激光束照到光帆上。推動納米飛船前行。其速度約為光速的20%。Today』s fastest spacecraft would take about 30,000 years to reach the Alpha Centauri system.But once this new nanocraft technology is ready, supporters say, it can shorten that time -- to just 20 years.現今最快的宇宙飛船需要近30000年的時間到達半人馬座阿爾法星系。但一旦納米飛船技術準備就緒，就可將時間縮短至20年。Stephen Hawking said the distance between Alpha Centauri and Earth can be crossed within a generation.The British scientist speaks through a computerized voice: 「I believe what makes us unique is transcending our limits.Gravity pins us to the ground, but I just flew to America.」史蒂芬·霍金表示，從地球到達半人馬座阿爾法星只需要一代人的時間。這位英國科學家通過電腦合成語音表示：「我認為能夠讓我們獨特的方法就是超越極限。重力把人束縛在地面，但我還是可以飛到美國。」Hawking added, 「Today we commit to the next great leap in the cosmos, because we are human and our nature is to fly.」霍金補充道：「今天，我們致力於宇宙中另外一個飛躍，因為我們是人類，飛行是我們的本性。」Other scientists have signed on for the project.Freeman Dyson is with the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study.He thinks scientists might find something interesting before the nanocraft reach Alpha Centauri.其他科學家也在該項目上簽名授意。弗里曼·戴森在普林斯頓高等研究院工作。他認為在納米飛船到達半人馬座阿爾法星之前，科學家們可能會發現一些有趣的現象。「The space between here and Alpha Centauri is not empty, that it』s not just a huge void which you have to cross in order to reach something interesting on the other side.On the contrary, there are thousands of objects in between.」「地球和半人馬座阿爾法星之間並非空無一物，即兩者之間並非巨大空白只需從一邊到達另外一邊。相反，兩者之間有數千物體。」Dyson believes that life is more likely to be found on an asteroid, or space rock, rather than a planet.戴森認為，更可能在小行星或者太空岩石而非行星上發現生命跡象。The project is just now taking shape.The first step is about 20 years for research and development.There are still many details to work out about how this project will work, technically.目前，該項目正在成形。第一步是耗時近20年的研究和開發過程。仍然有很多有關科技的細節問題需要明確。It would come the launch of the mothership, and the release of the nanocrafts.That would be another 20 years to get to Alpha Centauri.接下來便是母艦和納米飛船的發射。到達半人馬座阿爾法星需要另外20年。Then, people on Earth will have to be patient.It will take at least four more years for any of the information collected to reach Earth.地球上的人們要非常耐心地等待。收集到的任何信息到達地球至少還要4年時間。Avi Loeb teaches astronomy at Harvard University.He explained the group wants to interest young people in the project.艾維·勞艾伯在哈佛大學教授天文學。他解釋道，該小組希望能夠引起年輕人對該項目的興趣。He said, 「our goal is to get people all over the world involved.」他表示，我們的目標是讓全球的人們都參與進來。Future improvements in technology could change the timeline and help speed up the project.But for now, a person born this year may be in his or her 50s when those nanocraft reach their target.未來科技的進步將能夠改變時間計劃加速項目的進程。但是就目前而言，對於今年出生的人來說要等到50多歲時，納米飛行器才能到達目的地。I』m Anne Ball.Anne Ball為您報道。