VOA慢速英语2016 引力波存在证明爱因斯坦是正确的

Gravitational Waves Detected, Einstein Is Right 引力波存在证明爱因斯坦是正确的

尽管花费了100年时间，最终科学家还是证明了爱因斯坦的理论是正确的，引力波确实存在

The waves were predicted as part of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity nearly 100 years ago. It was the theory of the physics behind the workings of our world and the universe.

爱因斯坦在100年前的广义相对论中预言了引力波存在，相对论广泛适用于地球和宇宙规律

The idea was that the waves are like ripples² in space, caused by some of the violent and energetic processes in the Universe. For example, two black holes crashing into each other.

宇宙间碰撞和能量转换会造成太空中形成涟漪般的波纹，例如两个黑洞相互碰撞就会形成引力波

Now a group of scientists, including ones from from CalTech, MIT and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration³ finally found the gravitational waves.

由加州理工大学、麻省理工大学和LIGO科学协会科学家终于发现了引力波存在

David Reitze is the executive director of the LIGO observatory⁴ at CalTech.

David Reitze 是 LIGO 天文台在加州理工学院主管

“We have detected gravitational waves. We did it! (applause)”

“我们成功测得引力波，我们做到了”

Reitze spoke⁵ with others at a press conference in Washington, DC this past week. The scientists announced they were able to see ripples in the fabric⁶ of spacetime.

上周，Reitze在华盛顿举行的会议上向众人宣布了这一消息，科学家已经能够探测到在宇宙空间中形成的波纹图案

This is what the waves sounded like. Listen for the “chirp” sound at the end:

这就是引力波发出的声音，听起来像鸟叫

What are these gravitational waves? Well, imagine throwing a rock into a pond. When the rock hits the flat surface of the water, it creates ripples or waves. Spacetime is like the surface of the water. So that means gravitational waves are like the ripples moving out from where the rock hits the water.

什么是引力波？如果向池塘扔一块石头，石头会引起水面泛起一阵阵涟漪，时空就像水面一样，而引力波的波形就和石头扔进池塘形成的波纹一样

It might be hard to understand, but those gravitational waves expand and contract space and time as they move through space. And when they get to the Earth, the waves pass through, and contract and expand the planet as the wave goes by.

这听起来有些难以理解，但是引力波会逐渐扩大和时空相互练习，当引力波到达地球时，会直接穿过地球，继续和其他星球联系

It was Einstein who said these gravitational waves should be observable.

所以爱因斯坦说引力波一定可以探测到

But these are not huge waves. They are very, very small, which is why it took so long to find them. You cannot see them with your eyes. They are smaller than the size of an atom.

但是引力波波长很小，因此很难观测到，肉眼根本无法看到引力波波长，引力波波长比原子直径还小

How did the scientists find them?

那么，科学家是怎么发现的？

They used a giant scientific tool called LIGO—which stands for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. The billion-dollar LIGO project is two L-shaped observatories⁷. One is in Louisiana and one in Washington state.

他们使用了一种巨大的科学仪器叫做LIGO，也就是镭射引力波干涉仪，价值数百亿美元。一个有两台这样的仪器，一台位于路易斯安那州一台位于华盛顿

Their job was to watch for these gravitational waves. They have been looking on and off since 2002.

主要工作就是探测引力波，从2002年起一直在工作

For years, scientists have been watching two black holes in another galaxy⁸ faraway. The two were spinning around each other, moving closer and closer together. When they finally crashed into each other, it was with such power and force, that gravitational waves rang throughout the universe, like a giant bell.

数年来，科学家一直在观测另外星系的两个黑洞动态。两个黑洞一直告诉旋转并相互靠拢，当两个黑洞碰撞时候，瞬间爆发出巨大能量，形成引力波向宇宙间扩散，好像巨大的钟被敲响一样

Those waves, traveling at the speed of light, finally reached the Earth, some 1.3 billion years later. They are the same waves that the scientists announced this past week.

引力波波速以光速最终到达地球，大约花了13亿年事件，科学家在上周观察到了这段引力波

The National Science Foundation tweeted that each of the black holes was thought to be 29 to 36 times the mass of our sun.

美国国家科学基金会表示：两个黑洞质量至少是太阳的29到36倍

So, what does this discovery mean?

这一发现意味着什么？

Abhay Ashtekar is a Penn State physicist⁹, who was not on the discovery team. He said:

Abhay Ashtekar是宾夕法尼亚州立大学物理学家表示:

“Our understanding of the heavens changed dramatically.”

“我们对宇宙的理解霎时间改变了许多”

Words in This Story

gravitational wave - n. a distortion or movement like a ripple¹ in the space, caused by violent and energetic processes in the Universe.

ripple – n. a small wave or series of waves

black hole - n. in space, an object with so much mass, nothing, not even light can escape its gravity.

ripple in the fabric of space-time – phrase: wave moving through space

atom –n. the smallest particle of a substance that can exist by itself or be combined with other atoms to form a molecule¹⁰

galaxy –n. any one of the very large group of stars that make up our universe

bell - n.  a hollow object, typically made of metal, that sounds a clear musical note when struck

1 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

2 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

3 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

4 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

7 observatories   

n.天文台，气象台( observatory的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• John Heilbron, The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories, 3-23. 约翰．海耳布隆，《教会里的太阳：教堂即太阳观测台》，第3-23页。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists use satellites, land observatories and historical data to provide information about the weather. 气象学家使用卫星、上天文台和历史资料来提供有关天气的信息。 来自互联网

8 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

9 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

10 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。