TED演讲:从遥远的星系中我们可以学到什么(4)

 Here is a computer simulation. 这是计算机模拟。

And we need a way to simplify it. 我们需要简化它的方法。

Well, I like to think about this using an analogy. 我会用一个类比来理解。

If I want to understand the sinking of the Titanic¹, 如果我想了解泰坦尼克号的沉没，

the most important thing to do is not to model the little positions of every single little piece of the boat that broke off. 最重要的事情不是去模拟每一片断裂的小碎片的每一个位置。

The most important thing to do is to track the two biggest parts. 最重要的是抓住断裂的两半船体的位置。

Similarly, I can learn a lot about the universe at the largest scales by tracking its biggest pieces and those biggest pieces are clusters of galaxies². 同样，我可以通过追踪宇宙的最大的部件来学到宇宙大尺度的很多信息，而这最大的部件就是星团。

So, as I come to a close, 现在我即将结尾，

you might feel slightly cheated. 你可能觉得有点受骗上当。

I mean, I began by talking about how galaxy³ clusters are useful, 我的意思是，刚开始我说星团非常有用，

and I've given some reasons, 我也给了一些理由，

but what is their use really? 但是他们真正的用处在哪里？

Well, to answer this, 为了回答这个，

I want to give you a quote by Henry Ford⁴ when he was asked about cars. 我将引用亨利·福特的一句话，当他被问到汽车时。

He had this to say:If I had asked people what they wanted,they would have said faster horses. 他说，如果我之前问人们他们想要什么，他们只会说更快的马。

Today, we as a society are faced with many, many difficult problems. 我们社会在现今面临很多很困难的问题。

And the solutions to these problems are not obvious. 这些问题的解决之道并不明显。

They are not faster horses. 解决之道不会是更快的马。

They will require an enormous amount of scientific ingenuity⁵. 要解决问题，要求有非常多的科学才能。

So, yes, we need to focus, 是的，我们需要集中注意力，

yes, we need to concentrate, 我们需要专心，

but we also need to remember that innovation, ingenuity, inspiration,these things come when we broaden our field of vision when we step back when we zoom⁶ out. 但我们也要记得创造力、新颖的主意、灵感，这些是在我们开阔眼界时产生的，当我们退后一步，当我们把画面拉远

And I can't think of a better way to do this than by studying the universe around us. Thanks. 我想不出更好的办法做这件事，除了研究我们头顶的宇宙。谢谢。

1 titanic   

adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的

参考例句：

• We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
• The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。

2 galaxies   

星系( galaxy的名词复数 )； 银河系； 一群（杰出或著名的人物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
• We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。

3 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。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

6 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。