时差N小时 宇宙生命奥秘

Do you think there's life on other planets Don?

你认为其他行星上会有生命存在吗？

It seems perfectly¹ reasonable that there would be Yael.

似乎完全有理由相信有生命存在。

what with how unfathomably largethe universe is.Don't you think？

宇宙如此之大，深不可测，不是吗？

I do.But then again, life is a tricky² thing.

的确如此。但是话又说回来，生命的存在是一件极其有难度的事。

So much has to fall into place for the conditions for life aswe know it to be possible.

据我们所知，生命存在的可能性需要满足众多适合生存的条件。

For instance, a planet has to be just the right distance from the star itrevolves around.

比如说，行星与其所围绕旋转的恒星之间的距离是否适当。

How is that?

这有什么关系？

If it's too close to its star, the heat from the star would cause any water on the planet to boil away.

如果太近，来自恒星的热量会导致行星上水分蒸发，

If it's too far away, the opposite problem occurs:the cold temperature would cause water to freeze.

与之相反，要是距离太远，温度太低会致使水冻结。

The range of distance from a star that will allow water to remain a liquid is called the habitable zone.

与恒星之间的距离要能保持水呈现的是液体状态，这个范围被称作适居带。

So we Earthlings are lucky I guess that we are just the right distance away from the sun.

那我们地球岂不是很幸运，与太阳之间的距离正当适宜。

Very lucky it seems.

是非常的幸运。

In 2007, scientists discovered the first two Earth-like planets outside our solarsystem that appear to be located near or within their star's habitable zone.

2007年，科学家们在太阳系以外首次发现两颗类似地球，可能位于适居带附近的行星，

Previously³ discovered planets have had masses more akin⁴ to Jupiter's.

而之前发现的行星更类似于木星。

The planets orbit the same star andare known as Gliese 581c and Gliese 581d.

这两颗行星都围绕格利泽581恒星转动，因此他们被称作格利泽581d和格利泽581c。

Wow,so there is other life out there?

哇！那探索到有生命存在吗？

Not so fast, upon further investigation⁵, it seems that Gliese 581d may be the only one of the two actually in the habitable zone, and its orbit seems to take it in and out of the zone.

没那么快。据进一步调查研究发现，格利泽581d可能是二者中在适居区以内的行星，而且其运行轨道使其在适居区内游离。

Not tomention as I said, a lot of factors must come into play for life to exist.

更何况正如我所说的，生命存在还有诸多因素要考虑，

Being within the habitable zone is just one of them.

在适居区只是其中之一。

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。