新奇事件簿 科学家开始大规模搜寻外星人

Is there life on other planets? Are we alone? These are two of the biggest questions humans have been asking for centuries.

其他星球有生命吗？只有我们吗？这是几个世纪以来人类提出的两个最大的问题。

Now, scientists have launched a new search to find out if there is... anybody... out there.

现在科学家们开始重新搜索，以查明其他星球是否存在生命。

The researchers are from the SETI Institute in California. SETI stands for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

这些研究人员来自加利福尼亚州的SETI研究所。SETI是地外文明搜索的简称。

The mission of SETI is, "to explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe and the evolution of intelligence".

SETI的任务是“探索、了解并解释宇宙生命的起源和本质以及智力的进化”。

SETI scientists will use new technologies to scan the heavens for signs of alien life. They will share their data with the public.

SETI科学家将利用新技术扫描太空，寻找外星生命的迹象。他们将公开分享他们的数据。

SETI hopes that by sharing data, "citizen scientists" could spot things missed by scientists.

SETI希望通过分享数据，“公民科学家”可以发现科学家们漏掉的东西。

SETI's astronomers² will use 28 giant radio telescopes in their search for alien life.

SETI的天文学家将使用28个巨型射电望远镜寻找外星生命。

The telescopes are located all around the world. It will be the first time that a project will search the entire sky for signs of alien life.

这些望远镜分布在世界各地。这将是第一次，一个项目将搜索整个天空，寻找外星生命的迹象。

The signs they are looking for are called "techno-signatures".

他们所寻找的迹象被称为“技术指纹”。

These include things like alien chemicals, large amounts of oxygen, non-natural structures, and light from lasers.

这些包括外来化学物质、大量氧气、非天然结构以及激光发出的光。

Astronomer¹ Dr Tony Beasley said: "Determining whether we are alone in the universe as technologically³ capable life

天文学家，Tony Beasley博士说到：“科学中最引人注目的问题之一是，

is among the most compelling questions in science."

确定我们是否在宇宙中是唯一具有技术能力的生命。”

Another scientist, Jill Tarter⁴, said we are getting closer to finding out if alien life exists.

另一名科学家Jill Tarter表示我们离发现外星生命是否存在越来越近了。

She said this science is now no longer fiction, but "almost mainstream⁵".

她说，科学现在不再是虚构的，而“几乎是主流”。

1 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

2 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 technologically   

ad.技术上地

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a technologically advanced city. 上海是中国的一个技术先进的城市。
• Many senior managers are technologically illiterate. 许多高级经理都对技术知之甚少。

4 tarter   

tart（酸的，辛辣的）的比较级形式

参考例句：

• Bruce Tarter, who has directed Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the past eight years. 1975年，塔特拿到博士学位，其间除了念书，她还得忙著抚养第一次婚姻生下的女儿。 来自互联网

5 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。