TED演讲:可能存在生命的三颗卫星和一颗行星(7)

 Another moon that we're looking at is Titan.  我们在研究的另一个卫星是土卫六。

Titan is a huge moon of Saturn¹.  土卫六是土星的一个非常大的卫星。

It perhaps is much larger than the planet Mercury. It has an extensive atmosphere. 它可能比水星还要大很多。它有着广阔的大气层。

It's so extensive -- and it's mostly nitrogen with a little methane² and ethane 非常的广阔，主要成分是氮气，还有一点点甲烷和乙烷

that you have to peer through it with radar³.  所以你需要用雷达来观测它。

And on the surface, Cassini has found liquid.  在它的表面，卡西尼号发现了液态水。

We see lakes...actually almost the size of our Black Sea in some places. 我们看到了湖泊，实际上，某些地方的湖几乎，跟我们的黑海一样大。

And this area is not liquid water; it's methane. 然而这块地方并不是液态水；它实际上是甲烷。

If there's any place in the solar system where life is not like us,  如果在太阳系里存在这样一个地方，那里的生命与我们不同，

where the substitute of water is another solvent⁴ -- and it could be methane, it could be Titan.  那里水的代替物是另一种溶剂，可以是甲烷，那个地方就可以是土卫六。

Well, is there life beyond Earth in the solar system?  回到这个问题：在地球以外，在太阳系中有生命么？

We don't know yet, but we're hot on the pursuit. 我们还不知道，但我们正在努力寻求答案。

The data that we're receiving is really exciting and telling us 我们现在接收到的信息非常让人激动，它告诉我们

forcing us to think about this in new and exciting ways.  并迫使我们以新的，令人激动的方式去思考这个问题。

I believe we're on the right track.  我相信我们正朝着正确的方向努力。

That in the next 10 years, we will answer that question.  在接下来的10年内，我们将能够回答这个问题。

And if we answer it, and it's positive, then life is everywhere in the solar system. 如果我们做出了解答，并且结果是积极的，那么太阳系中的生命将会无所不在。

Just think about that. We may not be alone. Thank you. 想想看吧。我们也许并不孤单。谢谢。

1 Saturn   

n.农神，土星

参考例句：

• 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。
• These comparisons suggested that Saturn is made of lighter materials.这些比较告诉我们，土星由较轻的物质构成。

2 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

3 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

4 solvent   

n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
• A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。